Here are even more tips for going green from the Susquehanna Style staff!
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Three easy green tips we use on a daily basis are:
1. We use cloth napkins for family meal times and keep them for at least a couple uses at each person’s seat at the table.
2. No bottled water here. We always refill our reusable bottles.
3. We use vinegar and water for everyday cleaning, refilling the same bottle again and again. - Keely Childers Heany
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To conserve energy in our home: we recently switched our heating system from a oil-fired boiler to a natural gas-fueled furnace. Not only did the conversion save us thousands of dollars per year, we are now using a much cleaner energy source. We also added an energy-efficient air conditioning system, which keeps us cool and helps keep our electricity use to a minimum.
- Hannah Wigton
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Recycling is so important for our environment. My favorite way to recycle is: to reuse glass bottles for home decor and art projects. Putting fresh flowers in a glass bottle is a pretty and inexpensive way that I decorate my apartment. - Raechel Chapman
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To teach our children to be green: We try as a family to be responsible with our recycling of daily trash. Also, we make a point to dispose of furniture or debris from home renovations properly. We work on the little things like turning off the water when brushing our teeth and turning off lights when we leave a room. One of my daughter Mallory’s chores is to take things to the recycling bin so she is learning in a hands-on way. - Erica Keene
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To save energy while doing laundry: my family air-dries most of our clothes on drying racks in the winter, and in the summer we air dry clothes and beach towels outside on a clothesline.
- Serena Stauffer
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Re-using is also important. My husband brews his own sweet tea in reusable containers, which saves a ton of plastic gallon tea containers a year! - Erica Keene
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Going green isn’t just something I do at home. At work I go green by: bringing home used paper from my office for my daughter to use for her artwork. - Erica Keene
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On the road, I go green by: driving an environmentally conscious car. My Honda Civic, although not a hybrid vehicle, is still a friend of the environment. It features an "Econ Button" which is part of an Eco Assist System that enhances your fuel efficiency while driving. - Katie D. Walmer
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Gardening is my way of being green. Our family has had a vegetable garden for several years and each year it seems to grow. It is a great way to instill the lesson of “plant, grow, and eat,” and also cuts back on grocery store packaging and waste. Our daughter Mallory loves picking cherry tomatoes right from the vine and eating on the spot. It has been a great summer family project.
- Erica Keene
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Using less paper is a great way of going green. I cut down on my paper use by: using my iPhone calendar for all my meetings and appointments. Also, we recently refinanced our home and the paper trail was huge. When I printed out all of our documents for the mortgage lender, I reused all my old work flyers to conserve paper. - Erica Keene
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Instead of pitching junk mail, we put it in a bin by our fireplace. It makes great kindling! - Hannah Wigton
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I always bring reusable bags to the store. Here’s a tip: Keep your reusable bags in your car so you don’t forget them. After you bring your purchases into your home, put the bags by your front door so that you remember to put them back in your car. When I do have plastic grocery bags, I reuse them by
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placing them in the small wastebaskets around my home
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cleaning kitty litter
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or donating them to a local animal shelter.
- Brianna Burkhart
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