Sustainability Tips-Plant Based Diets, Household Cleaners and More.....

Plant Based Diet

Meat-centric diets are cause for one-fifth of global emissions and for numerous chronic diseases.    Switching to a plant-rich diet is one of the most impactful ways to help reduce CO2 emissions (possibly reducing up to 66.11 gigatons by 2050), while also making your body healthier.

Understandably, making a drastic diet change can seem scary and overwhelming.  One suggestion is to start small with cutting back, instead of diving right into being a vegetarian.  Stop buying grocery store meat, and only partake when you’re out to eat with family and friends, then see where you want to take it from there.  With the internet at our disposal there are limitless options for finding easy, tasty meatless meals!

Recipes for Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

As we unearth hazardous materials from our basements and garages for spring cleaning, it presents a quandary of what to do with them. Utilizing the annual Household Hazardous Waste collection event in Somersworth is a safe way to dispose of these materials. The event is typically held in early May. But we can make better choices today and every day:

Window Cleaner: Fill a spray bottle ¼ of the way with vinegar, then top off with water.

Oven Degreaser: Sprinkle grease stains with baking soda and scrub with a dry rag.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Use baking soda or vinegar

Rug Deodorizer: Deodorize dry carpets by sprinkling liberally with baking soda. Wait at least 15 minutes and vacuum.

Conserving Energy

Many devices consume electricity even when they are turned off. It’s called “standby mode.” It provides minor advantages, such as allowing you to turn the device on via remote control, but it also increases the amount of electricity you are consuming (and paying for). 

A (very) few devices require constant power in order to retain data (older answering machines, for example). You can plug everything else into a surge suppressor (power strip). Once you have turned off the devices, turn off the strip.

Plastic Bags

Plastic shopping bags are petroleum products. Each bag requires oil for the material and energy to manufacture it. Moreover, they are light-weight and easily blown or floated long distances. The plastic ends up in the ocean, where it is ingested by fish, which you in turn ingest. 

Plastic bags take a long time to decay, so that once they get into the open, they have a lot of time to make it to the ocean and make things unsightly in the meantime. Keep a few fabric bags in your car, so that when you decide to stop at the store, you have the bags with you. Just remember to wash them on occasion.

 Stormwater Solutions