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1.    Soap and water – is it really that simple?
The antibacterial and antimicrobial 'cleaners' that many people think are necessary  don’t clean hands better than soap and water, and also add to the risk of breeding "super germs," bacteria that survive the chemical onslaught and have resistant offspring. The American FDA has concluded  that antibacterial soaps and hand cleansers do not work better than regular soap and water, and should be avoided.

2.    Employ green cleaning products
Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum). An alternative is home-mixed. Vinegar and baking soda can be used to clean almost anything. Mix in a little warm water with either of these and you’ve got yourself an all-purpose cleaner.

3.    Help your home smell baking soda-licious
Baking soda not only removes those strange smells coming from your fridge, it's also a great odor-eliminator for your carpet. Just sprinkle on a little baking soda to soak up some of those odors and then vacuum it up.

4.    Clean your indoor air naturally
Skip the store-bought air fresheners and instead try boiling cinnamon, cloves, or any other herbs you have a fondness for. Also, plants may not make your house smell different but are good for filtering interior air--pretty much any broad green leaf plant will do.

5.    Avoid conventional dry cleaners
Conventional dry cleaners are the largest users of the industrial solvent called Perchloroethylene, or perc, which is toxic to humans and also creates smog. A common green drycleaning method is carbon dioxide cleaning. Although carbon dioxide is a green house gas no new CO2 should be produced. Seek out cleaners that use green methods. If you do take clothes to conventional cleaners, be sure to air them outside before wearing them or putting them in the closet.

6.    Employ a green house cleaning service
For people don’t have the time to clean their own homes, fortunately there are an increasing number of green cleaning services out there to help get things spic and span. http://www.greencleaners.asia/

7. For fresh-smelling clothes, hang laundry on an outdoor clothesline and let the sunshine dry it. (To prevent fading, turn garments inside out.)

8. Table salt is all you need to remove baked-on food from inside the oven. Cover the area with salt while the oven is still warm. After it cools, scrape the food away and wipe with a damp sponge.

9. Remove indoor air pollutants without expensive electric filters. Houseplants such as chrysanthemums naturally freshen the air.

10. The Fantastic Four cleaners -- vinegar, salt, lemon juice, and baking soda -- can make your household tasks less complicated and easier on you and the environment.

11.    Read your cleaning products. Does it list ingredients? Cleaning products are not required by law to list ingredients. If you don't know what goes into your cleaning product, you don't know what's coming out. Choose cleaning products that aren't afraid to list ingredients and be sure you understand what those ingredients are. Does it warn you to open windows and ventilate while cleaning? This indicates that toxic chemicals are being released when using the product. Does it instruct you to call poison control if ingested? This is another indication that toxic chemicals are used in the product and it's not safe to use or store around children or pets.

 

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1.    Recycling locations in Singapore
http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/rcd/locations/map.html

2.    Recycling for fun and profit!
Check with your local rag and bone man - your used aluminium cans and other disposable items may each be worth a few cents – collect them and exchange for dollars every month.

3.    Don’t need it? Pass it on...
If you have items you no longer need that are still in good condition, consider giving them to someone or donating them to charity.

a.    Online
The Singapore Freecycle Network (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SgFreecycle/). Part of the global Freecycle movement. Give or receive items freely on Yahoo! Groups.

Pass It On (http://www.passiton.org.sg/site/passiton). A Central CDC initiative that allows the public to donate unwanted household items in good working condition to Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).

YouSwop (http://www.youswop.com/Default.aspx). Online community that allows people to exchange items for free.

b.    Charity

The Salvation Army

(http://www.salvationarmy.org.sg/smm/www_smm_singapore.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/8B3A444B55F54D0A8025712A000D8BA3?openDocument) operates Family Thrift Stores that receives donations-in-kind from the public and companies, and resells them to support social programmes. You can find a list of the locations of Family Thrift Stores and donation bins at the Salvation Army website.

You can also visit the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) website and search the eMatch (http://www.nvpc.org.sg/Pgm/eMatch/NVPC_F_eMatch_DonationsSearch.aspx) service for donation needs by non-profit organisations.

c.    Use the Recycling Programme
Old clothing and soft toys or electrical items can be placed in the recycling bags or bins under the National Recycling Programme (http://app2.nea.gov.sg/topics_recyclingprog.aspx) These items are usually sold by the recycling collectors. Contact your recycling collector to check what used items can be placed inside the recycling bag or bin.


Conserve resources – and money!


Water


1.    Filter your water.
Buy a water filter for your kitchen faucet and put to good use yet another way to do away with those plastic water bottles that are clogging landfills and burning up energy in recycling plants. About 1.5 million tons of plastic are used on the bottling of 89 billion litres of drinking water each year.

2.    Don't run while you brush.
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. You'll conserve up to 20 litres of water per day.

3.    Repair leaky fixtures: one drop per second from a leaky tap can waste as much as 40 litres of water each week.

4.    Install low-flow showerheads, taps, and toilets. Low-flow taps reduce water consumption and the cost of heating water by as much as 50 percent.


Electricity

1.    Air-conditioning
A large percentage of the average household's annual energy bills stem from air conditioning. Every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer will reduce air conditioning bills by about 2 percent. Regular maintenance and a tune up every two or three years will keep your air conditioning system operating efficiently, saving energy and money.

2.    Switch to cold water.
Almost 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water. Save money and energy. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water, instead of hot, using a detergent formulated for cold-water use.

3.    Line dry -- like grandma used to do.
Dry your clothes on a laundry line rather than throwing them in the dryer. Clothes dyers are the third-largest energy users in the home, behind the refrigerator and washing machine, costing more than $150 a year to operate.

4.    No hint of lint.
If you use a dryer clean your dryer lint screen with every use and don't overload the dryer. This will require less energy per load.

5.    Switch to CFLs.
Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. They're more expensive than traditional light bulbs, but it only takes about 3 months to make up for the higher sticker price in energy savings.

6.    Kill 'vampire' electricity.
Many appliances use electricity even when they're turned off. It's called a phantom load, or vampire electricity, and as much as 75 percent of the electricity used by home electronics and small appliances is used while they're turned off.

7.    Conserve energy by purchasing major appliances with an Energy Star rating. Compared to a 1990 model, an Energy Star-qualified refrigerator would save enough electricity to light a home for more than four and a half months.

Save our trees!


1.    Stop the junk mail.
Each year, 100 million trees are cut down and turned into junk mail. Earthworks Group, an environmental consulting firm, said cutting out junk mail is one of the most effective things people can do to reduce pollution.

2.    Tree-Free Home: As much as possible, create a tree-free home:
replace paper napkins with cloth napkins, replace paper towels with a special set of cloth towels/napkins (or cut up old t-shirts for great towels) - store the used ones in a small container in your kitchen and just wash and reuse purchase bleach-free, toilet paper that is made from the highest post-consumer waste content you can find (80% minimum) if you print documents, print on once-used paper and/or bleach-free, recycled paper with the highest post-consumer waste content available (or hemp/alternative-source paper, if you can afford it create and use note pads from once-used paper leave messages for family members/roommates on a reusable message board make your own cards/letters from once-used products or handmade paper


In general


1.    Reduce Purchases: In general, think before you buy any product - do you really need it? How did the production of this product impact the environment and what further impacts will there be with the disposal of the product (and associated packaging materials)? When you are thinking about buying something, try the 30-Day Rule -- wait 30 days after the first time you decide you want a product to really make your decision. This will eliminate impulse buying.

2.    Bulk Purchases: Avoid products that are packaged for single use (i.e., drinks, school lunches, candy, cat and dog food, salad mixings, etc.). Instead, buy in bulk and transfer the products to your own reusable containers. Many health food stores have bulk bins where they sell everything from grains to cereal to cleaning products.

3.    Avoid Trash: Avoid creating trash wherever possible: when ordering food, avoid receiving any unnecessary plastic utensils, straws, etc. (ask in advance), buy ice cream in a cone instead of a cup, don't accept "free" promotional products, buy products with the least amount of packaging, etc. Every little bit of trash avoided does make a difference!

4.    Shopping Bags: While shopping, if you only buy a few products skip the shopping bag. For larger purchases, bring your own. Learn about the dangers of plastic bags and what countries around world are doing about it.

5.    Unprocessed Food: Eat unprocessed/unpackaged food whenever possible.



Don’t pollute – make your world less toxic place


1.    "Green" your laundry.
Detergents, fabric softeners and bleaches can be toxic to your family and to the environment. Some surfactants and fragrances in laundry detergents contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that can't always be removed by wastewater treatment plants and end up harming local wildlife. Chlorine bleach is not only poisonous for humans, but can create dangerous byproducts, such as dioxin, when flushed down the drain. Get your clothes clean without all of the pollution by switching to eco-friendlier cleaners.

2.    Carbon Footprint: The Carbon Footprint Calculator (http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/) helps you to determine your carbon dioxide emissions from major sources: home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane. This information can be tracked over time, allowing you to gauge the impact of actions you take to reduce your carbon footprint.

3.    Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of toxins, such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.

4.    Ask for flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources, such as bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fasted growing plants in the world, requiring no replanting and little fertilization or pesticides.

5.    Select solid woods harvested from sustainably-managed forests, when possible, for furniture or cabinetry, rather than pressed woods or composites that may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals that may be toxic and hazardous to your health.

6.    Eliminate waste by choosing products that are biodegradable or recyclable. Consider the “lifecycle” of furnishings and accessories before purchasing: Are they made of materials that can be reused or recycled when the item eventually wears out or is no longer needed?

7.    Recycle packing and shipping materials from any newly purchased items, and safely dispose of paint cans and other containers with contents that could potentially contaminate the ground or water supply

 

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Save office resources – your planet and your boss will love you for it!


Power

1.    Be bright about light
Turn your lights off - in your room and your department if they are not needed - eg for safety. Artificial lighting accounts for up to half of the electricity used in office buildings. Modern lights do not need a lot of energy to turn on. The idea that it uses more electricity to turn lights off/on as against leaving them on is false. Even if you are leaving your room for 10 minutes it is still worth turning the lights off.

2.    Don't turn your lights on. If your room is light enough, consider whether you need the over-head lights on at all.

3.    Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated lightbulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

4.    Recondition your behaviour
Air conditioning units also use a significant percentage of the office electricity use, particularly in our lovely warm and sticky South East Asian climate!
Where possible upgrade old inefficient units to more energy efficient units with normally the added benefit of reduced noise pollution!
As with lighting, if there is noone in the office for a lengthy period, e.g. overnight, holidays etc… then why pay the financial and environmental price of pumping out that fresh air with noone around to enjoy it?

5.    Computer efficiency
As we all know computers are wonderful tools that increase our productivity (when the damn things work!) but try to ensure they don’t decrease your energy efficiency with unnecessary use…
It has been estimated that computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)

6.    Walk - don't take the lift. Lifts use an awful lot of power moving us up and down. Why not walk up or down the stairs instead - get fit while saving energy consumption (lose kilos, save joules).

7.    Switch off your mobile phone charger when finished charging? If you don't it will keep drawing almost as much energy as when charging and you will generate 35-70 kg of avoidable CO2 each year. In fact 95% of the energy used by mobile phone chargers in the UK is wasted energy.

8.    Make sure energy saving features on PCs, printers and photocopiers are enabled.

9.    Switch off your monitor when not in use. Even if only for 10 mins. Some monitors use twice the energy of the rest of the computer.

10.    Turn off your computer at the plug when you leave for the night - also any other equipment that goes into stand-by mode when not in use.

11.    Use blinds to reduce solar gain in summer and save on air conditioning costs.

12.    Don’t fill the kettle to make a single cup of coffee.


Paper

The digital age?
The average office worker goes through thousands of sheets of copy paper a year.
It does seem a bit strange that in the “digital age” we still consume enormous amounts of mashed up, bleached tree pulp, most of which gets used once or twice and then tossed or. The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital whenever possible.

1.    The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers instead of in file cabinets (this also makes it easier to make offsite backup copies or take them with you when you move to a new office).

2.    Review documents onscreen rather than printing them out. Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead?

3.    Send emails instead of paper letters.

4.    New software like Greenprint helps eliminate blank pages from documents before printing and can also convert to PDF for paperless document sharing.

5.    When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

6.    Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

7.    Print or photocopy on both sides of the paper. Set the default settings on your printer driver to double-sided.

8.    Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible. Draft quality printouts use less toner. Select 'draft' printouts when using the 'Print' command on your computer – this is usually changed under Printer Options on the Windows Print Dialog box. You can even set your printer to make draft prints by default.

9.    Reuse scrap paper printed only on one side for taking notes or print only the unused side.

10.    Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf.

11.    Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."

12.    Measure how much you use and how much you waste!
Keep track of the number of copies you make. Use the counter on your machine to work out just how much paper is being used. Prepare to be surprised!

13.    Calculate the weight and volume of paper used in your office each year and let your colleagues know how much they use.

14.    Print Preview. Always click on print preview before printing to check your document for typos etc. Avoid having to print twice! In any Microsoft Office application select 'File - Print Preview'. Conduct a print preview, to make sure efficient paragraphing and pages are correct. Choose the correct font size for your printing, and use the function 'shrink to fit' to use the paper adequately. Always check on screen for errors before you print.

15.    Tailor the size of paper to the length of your message.

16.    Avoid making multiple copies of large documents with summary pages, PowerPoint presentations, online documentation and email.

17.    Update mailing address lists - delete any that are out of date.

18.    Reduce the use of fax cover sheets - details are usually in the letter itself.

19.    Print section/department business cards rather than individual cards that may only be wasted.


Recycle/Reuse/Repurpose

1.    Recycle/reuse/repurpose
Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.

2.    Close the loop
Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

3.    Watch what (and how) you eat
Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

In general

1.    Rethink your travel
Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.

2.    Reconsider your commute
Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service instead of owning your own wheels.
Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

3.    Create a healthy office environment
Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your working area with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

Facts and figures
•    Once: the number of times that most of the billions of cartons manufactured in the world are used.
•    55 percent: the amount of water saved by producing recycled paper as compared to virgin paper. Recycled paper also takes 60-70 percent less energy to produce than paper from virgin pulp.
•    120: the number of tons of steel saved if every UK office worker used one less staple a day.
•    8 billion: the number of gallons of gas saved if every commuter car in the U.S. carried just one more person.

 

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Conserve resources – and your parents money!


Water
1.    Only use as much water as you need. Turn off the water while showering and brushing teeth. Most people let the water run while soaping up or brushing, but that wastes water. Run the water to get your towel and body or toothbrush wet, and then wash or brush with the water off. It saves water AND time because you end up focusing on getting clean and getting out of there! Keep an eye (or ear!) out for dripping or leaky taps and showers. Water is another resource, and conserving it is another way to "go green!"



Electricity

1.    Turn off the lights when leaving a room, or better yet-reduce the need for electricity by opening those curtains and letting the light come in!. Light bulbs require electricity, and often electricity is produced from power plants that use fossil fuels. This is an easy way to save energy, and everyone can help.

2.    Ease up on the video games. Playing video games on both computers and systems uses a LOT of energy! That's why your system or computer feels hot afterwards! You can save on energy by simply doing homework or going outside to play instead of posting up in front of the TV or computer screen. This activity uses more electricity than regular TV or computer useage, so it should be kept to a minimum. OK – were being optimistic on this one!

3.    Turn off lights and appliances/electronics when not in use. Kids who aren't environmentally conscious don't usually think about turning off lights and appliances because kids in general aren't cost conscious. That means kids waste stuff. (Don't worry - your parents did it when they were kids, too.) Kids who reduce, reuse, and recycle know that wastefulness is not good, and one thing they do not waste is energy. Although cleaner energy is becoming more common, no energy should be wasted. When you're not using lights or appliances/electronics (TV, computer, video games, etc.) TURN THEM OFF! Let mum and dad unplug them from the outlets as they see fit for safety.


In general

1.    Use shopping bags when going to the the shops. Have fun decorating cloth bags, and then remember to take them with you on your next outing. Reducing the need for plastic bags is a great way to conserve.

2.    Recycle . It is easier now more than ever to recycle, and nearly everything can be reused from paper to glass. Utilize existing bins, or create your own and have a little fun learning to sort through the different types of products we use on a daily basis.

3.    If parents recycle, allow kids to sort. The family that recycles together stays together! If mum and dad recycle, ask them if you can sort if you already don't. Sometimes parents don't realize how much you care. Going green is a lifestyle, so get in on the day-today activities by doing your part.

4.    Reduce waste by using less disposables. It's easy to use throwaway cups, plates, wrappers, and utensils, but it only creates more waste for landfills. Also, disposable paper products like facial and bathroom tissue and paper towels and napkins also end up in the trash. We can save more trees by using less paper products, and we can keep more plastics and Styrofoam out of the landfills by using less throwaway utensils and containers. Also, eating less often at fast-food restaurants cuts down on your usage of these items, too.

When you have to use them, use less. When you don't have to use them, DON'T.
5.    Walk, carpool, or take the bus to school. Less carbon emissions and less smog comes from less burned fuel. We have to use gasoline to run most of today's cars - so, let's use as little of it as we can! When you share a ride with others, it means fewer people have to use gas, and when you walk or bike there is no fuel burned at all...except maybe your breakfast ;-)

6.    Ask mum for green school supplies. Going back to school and going green can go hand in hand! Kids can get green school supplies that will make a difference at prices that will make mom happy. Your green school supplies also provide an opportunity to share your thoughts on the environment with other students and teachers who notice that they are a little different.

 

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