Every person can lend the environment a helping hand by focusing on green initiatives whether at work, traveling or at home. Here are ways that you can make a difference in your daily life.
- Bring your plastic bags to any Kohl's store to be recycled.
- Carpool to work and other events to save costs on fuel and car maintenance and reduce carbon emissions.
- Purchase renewable energy credits as part of your utility usage and receive a portion of your electricity from wind, solar or other renewable forms.
- Purchase a hybrid car and make home improvements which qualify for energy tax credits.
- If you have a water heater more than five years old, wrap it in an insulating jacket to reduce 1000 pounds of carbon emissions per year.
- Use efficient lighting. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents . A 75-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced with a 18w compact fluorescent bulb. At a minimum, replace the bulbs in all lamps that are used 30 minutes a day or more. Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent CFL bulbs -- they are far more efficient, lasting up to ten times longer.
- Bring your own cloth or fabric bags when shopping. To purchase a Kohl's Green Scene Reusable Shopping Bag click here.
- Consider buying organic fruits and vegetables that are grown using earth-friendly farming and processing methods.
- Water your lawn and plants in the early morning when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.
- Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 550 pounds per year.
- When you do drive, keep your car tuned up and its tires properly inflated to save on fuel costs as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from four percent to 40%; a new air filter could get you 10% more miles per gallon. Take your roof rack off your car when you aren't using it for more savings.
- Recycle! Aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic, cardboard and newspapers can reduce your home's carbon emissions by 850 pounds per year.
