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50 Ways to Go Green

Updated on December 30, 2010

50 Ways to Go Green - Lensmasters on Squidoo Making Positive, Green, Eco Friendly Changes in Their Lives and Others!

In some small ways and large, people are finding ways to go green. They're going organic, reusing items for crafts, saving electricity, building sustainable homes, and offering up their own green tips. The writers, or lensmasters, of Squidoo (this site) have been making some changes in their lives, big and small, by sharing ideas on going green and making positive changes in lives everywhere! Squidoo provides the perfect soap box for us all to stand up and shout our recycling tips and ways to make eco friendly changes like reusing, reducing our environmental impact, and conservation. Here are 50 ways to go green on Squidoo, grouped together by green living topic, like green gifts, reusing things at home, the dangers of plastic, recycling tips and other categories.

Reusing Things at Home

Stop throwing things away and find new creative ways to reuse old stuff!

A_Willow has taught us so much about reusing, and is one of the most dedicated green lensmasters on Squidoo. She's told us how we can reuse your old CDs and DVDs, popsicle sticks, and paper rolls, to name just a few things.

Mortira also has cooked up some very creative ideas on how you can start recycling greeting cards into something completely new.

Lensmaster Octavias Offerings has given our old scraps new life with her lens on making rag dolls and stuffed toys from scrap fabrics.

Emma Cooper has shown us a few creative ways to start recycling and salvaging crafts so we they can get some extra uses out of them.

A really original idea for a lens was created by Randumosity on how you should switch over to reusable cloth menstral pads.

Going Organic and Sustainable - Go Green With Your Food

Vegetables, fruit, food and products that you should be growing and buying organic

Auntiekatkat has reminded us that it's easy to start growing organic tomatoes, and they taste better, too.

Naturegirl7 has shown us the important roles of animals and wildlife in our gardens with her lens on sustainable gardening a la Rabbit Hill.

Did you know that worm poop makes excellent organic fertilizer? Burntchestnut tells us the many ways that worms benefit our environment on this interesting lens.

Scholar tells us how non hybrid heirloom seeds are much better than their genetically tampered counterparts.

You might not know it, but there are a lot of hazardous chemicals in your mattress, as Pavion has told us. There are many incredibly bad chemicals that have been added to make the mattress flame retardant that can cause serious rashes and respiratory issues!

Even raising chickens helps you go green as lensmaster Greenchickens chronicles. You'll have complete control over your chickens to ensure they're eating healthy (and have free range), get fresh eggs, and be saving transportation energy and plastic/paper (packaging)!

Green Kids Projects

Eco friendly projects to educate children about the environment

IC Jackson enthusiastically has reminded us of the things kids can do to go green and reduce their environmental impact. Kids will love doing this.

Evelyn Saenz's tutorial on global warming for children is another excellent resource for teachers, impressively designed and organized so all the work is done for you!

Recycling Tips

Find ways to go green by recycling more more, throwing away less!

Everything you've ever wanted to know about recycling (well, there's a lot of information there anyways), besides having information for the Richland and Washington State recycle centers, also has useful information on how to recycle everything from kitty litter to paper products. Great work, SemperFidelis!

Lensmaster Sarah has introduced us to the freecycle alternative cheapcycle, which allows you to make money from your items instead of giving them away for free. Great idea for those larger items that you may not want to sell on Ebay!

So many people forget that you can recycle your batteries, as casperfei has pointed out. There's also the option of reusable batteries nowadays as well.

As if these weren't enough ideas on going green and recycling, Jolene_Belmain has told us how we can start recycling toothbrushes into toothbrush jewelry, or don't forget, they make excellent fine detail cleaners for your home (like the grout!).

Programmable Thermostat: Saving Energy in the Home - Save money and save the environment

Think of the heat that you use in your home during the middle of the night, or while you're at work. This can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per year! A simple programmable thermostat can cut down on your energy use, and while you're cutting your bills, you'll be helping out the environment by consuming less fuel. Win-win!

Hunter 44550 Auto Save 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
Hunter 44550 Auto Save 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
This is one of the top rated programmable thermostats on Amazon, and includes some simple options that won't confuse you. Have it up and running in minutes and start saving energy!
 

Greening Up Your Home

Make your home more efficient, eco friendly and less environmentally hazardous

I had never heard of Yurt Homes before reading the lens by Kilwar that features the architectural makeup and theory behind these interesting structures. The benefits of a Yurt are many, from the financial benefits to the more efficient heating and use of space, not to mention the spaciousness of the interior due to lack of supporting beams.

Steveffeo has gotten into the swing of green building with his recent decision on building a Cobb House, which is a more efficient and less expensive form of housing that is becoming more and more popular.

RichenChodron reminds us that household bleach isn't just bad for the environment, but bad for us. Luckily, she's pointed out some green ways to remove mold from your home through essential oils. Bleach can lead to many respiratory issues and has giant environmental consequences, so be sure to read this one!

Did you know that we have a 5 star best selling author amongst us on Squidoo? Her name is Beth Greer, and she's promoting her book on how to green your home room by room by making it not just more eco friendly, but by beautifying it through the suggested changes. The book has received 13 stellar reviews! The book is called Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home, and Planet--One Room at a Time and is available for download on the Kindle, too!

One of the problems with the new highly efficient CFL bulbs is that they contain the hazardous element mercury. While the bulbs are much, much more efficient, the old ones didn't contain mercury. Nivek has pointed out that now for sale are low mercury cfl bulbs, a better alternative to the regular ones worth checking out.

Lastly, dannystaple has shown us ways to save electricity from your computer, which surprisingly drains a lot of electricity, even in the off mode. Read how you can cut down on the amount of juice it's using, and cut down on your electric bill by reading this informative lens.

Tips on Going Green

Facts, tips and advice to make your lives more sustainable

"Going green" sounds like such a generic term, but the lensmasters on Squidoo have really done an excellent job in putting meaning behind that familiar phrase.

For starters, Megal has shown us 29 ways to go green that you can read quick and make your life a little bit greener.

Kyanisunrise tells us all about green and sustainable building ideas and which types of lumber and construction are a better, greener choice for our homes. Homes are where we spend most of our income over the course of our lives, so why not make it a green investment?

One of the tips I was really impressed by on sirkeystone's lens on ultimate recycling tips was how to make your own homemade paper from cardboard. Genius!

Feeling a little overwhelmed by these tips? It's okay, because just one small change can lead to bigger changes, as Everythingmouse points out on her "not just another green living guide. Start out small, and just remain constant with those small changes and you'll be doing a big part of what it means to go green.

Now that you've taken those small steps, maybe you're ready to read 101 ways to reduce your carbon footprint by KahlahariHarry.

AJ2008 received her first Lens of the Day on Squidoo for her lens Twelve Days of a Green and Ethical Christmas. The lens is full of ideas to have a greener Christmas, through donations, fair trade chocolate, free range turkeys and reusable tote bags. Remember to visit this one again before the holiday season!

Green Gift Ideas

Make your buying more eco friendly with these unique products!

Flowski has compiled an amazing lens featuring the top green gift ideas which will certainly give you some great suggestions for your next birthday or holiday!

Want to stay hip and in style with the latest eco green fashion? It's trendy and earth friendly, too! This lens made from LakeErieArtists will give you some great ideas on what to buy for your next wardrobe upgrade.

Calicoskies gives us a great selection of BPA free Oggi water bottles to choose from on her lens featuring great reusable drinkware.

Before nearly anyone else, Graceonline introduced us to bamboo products that are sustainable and much better for the environment than traditional cotton!

If you're not using smart power strips for your home and computer, you're definitely missing out! You'll be saving energy and cutting down on your utility expenses, Visit jdac1999's lens for some ideas on what to buy.

Wasted Food from Supermarkets

How people are saving the millions of dollars of food being destroyed

Wasted food. If you've ever been to any of the grocery stores across America (and throughout the rest of much of the world), so much food gets thrown away, yet we can't find enough food to feed everyone. How does that make sense? The Secret Freegan tells us how wasted food across America winds up in dumpsters and thrown out.

Greening Your Cars

Eco friendly options for your autos

The amazing compressed air car might just be the wave of the future. With zero emissions and over 100 miles per gallon, lensmaster Lisadh has shown us the huge progression the auto industry is really capable of with efficiency in cars!

Hybrids have become increasingly popular with fluctuating gas prices, the adverse consequences to the environment from emissions, and our dependence on foreign oil. It's great to hear that after her wise investment, GreekGeek still loves her hybrid car, even after many years of owning it!

Making Your Business Green and Earth Friendly

Don't resort to greenwashing to make your company look good!

So many companies have started the act of greenwashing to make their business look more environmentally responsible that people have noticed. Are you falling for any of the greenwashing tricks out there? Visit chrgr's lens to find out!

Sherridan tells us even more about having a responsible, green workplace with her ethical business tips.

Compost Garden Bin: Reduce Your Landfill Contribution - Start reducing your trash with a compost bin in your yard

A compost bin is the perfect way to reduce the amount of trash that you throw away. Once it's set up, it's easy to use!

Scepter Compost Bin, 11 cu. ft.
Scepter Compost Bin, 11 cu. ft.
A great way to be green, this compost bin is one of the best rated compost bins on the market. Set it up and start using one today to eliminate throwing away food scraps!
 

Earth in the Media

Movie, TV and radio media about going green

Take a look at Earth the Movie, a lens by Treasures by Brenda which tells us about some of the green deeds Disney is doing with part of the proceeds of the movie.

The Lazy Environmentalist has come up with a plan to get people more motivated to be green without busting their back.

GreenEcoBean has given us some great ideas on making your own homemade beauty products that are a much better alternative to some of the chemical laden makeups on the market today. Have you read the ingredients in what you're using? Take a pass on all those chemicals and start making your own!

Now some people have utilized solar energy for their home, but did you know that you can build your own solar panels? HomeMadeEnergy is selling a product tutorial on their lens that will give you the instructions on how.

DizzyChi's advice on how to make your own natural homemade beauty treatments sounds very luxurious, with ingredients like honey, eggs, lemon and avocado to make masks and scrubs.

Living with Less and Reducing your Environmental Impact

Reduce the amount of clutter and waste with these tips

Do you really need all that junk in your life? A Feng Shui spring cleaning might just be the thing you need to change your mindset and clear your head. As Monarch13 points out, you'll be free of the mess, and you might consume less in the long run now that you're enjoying your new clean home!

Did you know that if you live in tight quarters you can still take advantage of apartment composting? Statme1 has given some tips and product recommendations on what to buy to get started on this small space friendly solution.

One of my favorite lenses on Squidoo is by lensmaster Rach_75 on 33 ways to save money and save the world. In it, she gives great detail on things you can do on a daily basis to not only start being greener, but to fatten your wallet!

Making Your Outdoors More Eco Friendly

Beautify and green your plants and gardens

Another major contributor to the dirtying of our oceans is storm runoff. This runoff from driveways, homes and streets becomes dirtied with oil, chemicals, and garbage, running off into the ocean. A way to prevent some of the runoff near you from entering the oceans is through a rain garden. CherylK walks us through the steps of how you can create your own beautiful garden fed by the nutrients that make these plants grow fast. You might even qualify for a grant to build one in your local town!

To reduce plant watering in your backyard, watering spikes might be the answer. These efficient terra cotta cones will only water when your plants need it, as lensmaster Debs tells us.

LadyMermaid answers the who, what, where and why of composting on her informative lens, go green with composting. If you've ever had any questions about composting, or wondered if it were right for you, this is the lens to stop by. It will really convince you that it's very easy!

You can find even more green tips

on my green living tips blog!

The Dangers of Plastic (and Its Improper Disposal)

How plastics are changing our oceans for the worse

Plastic is everywhere. It's used to package our food, it's used as a container for chemicals, we have disposable plastic cups, plates and utensils, all for the sake of convenience.

Gandree's lens, death by plastic, is a grim reminder of where all of our plastic is accumulating, and how we can start to fix it.

Comfortdoc went a bit further into the plastic problem with her lens on the Pacific Ocean garbage patch. The amount of garbage the world has carelessly tossed aside is a scary visual! While we don't have to look at it very often, ocean wildlife does, and they're suffering the consequences and passing the effects right up the food chain to us.

Don't Forget About the Green Groups on Squidoo!

There's Green Crusaders, Everything Green and Environment, Reuse it All, A Million Ways to Go Green, and Living the Green Organic Lifestlye, just to name a few!

How Am I Going Green?

Steps I've taken to try and lead a more earth friendly lifestyle

I try to educate others about going green right here on Squidoo. I also work for a green company called Chartreuse, which sells reusable products, eco friendly soap nuts, and organic facial care products. I've also taken some steps in my personal life to lessen the amount of things that end up in the trash, and I'm much more conscious of the energy we use. One of the biggest steps we took, which at first was a hard one, was to switch to tap water. We also replaced every old bulb with a CFL in the past year (when they burned out) and have been reusing old #5 plastic containers. Next, I'd like to start composting and buy a more efficient car for my next purchase. They're small steps, but I'm getting there!

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