Upon arriving to Ohio from North Carolina, my recycling efforts began quite simply, with saving aluminum cans and taking them to a recycling center for money.  With further knowledge and education, I began recycling at home by sorting metals and plastics labeled as recyclable for trash day, using a recycling bag as a separator. This bag was placed next to the trashcan as a reminder to consider recycling over throwing our waste away. After a short period of time, we were filling up the recycling container much faster than the “regular” refuse container.  In fact, we do not place the refuse container out on the curb but every few weeks.

We then began to wonder why there were so many recyclables, and realized that bottled water was a contributing factor. We have since eliminated them from most of our drinking and use filtered tap water instead. We then began replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL‘s as they burnt out or replaced them immediately if they were daily use lights.

We also have installed a Vivint security system with a thermostat that is infinitely programmable based on the conditions we set up for usage. For instance, when the house is left for the day and the security system is armed, the thermostat is automatically adjusted to a preset temperature to save energy. The thermostat can also be adjusted from a pc or a smartphone as needed, providing additional energy savings from a regular thermostat.

As my knowledge of sustainability has increased, I’ve realized that every step we make as individuals can make a difference in the community we live in, and that every step we make toward a sustainable future is a future the next generation can live and thrive in.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my discoveries in applying environmentally friendly solutions in and around the home in the near future…