57 Ways - 29. Reuse And Respond

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57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment (and Yourself)

Caring for the Home Landscape

1. Aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn
2. Cut the grass without gas
3. Prevent insect, disease, and weed problems in the garden
4. Identify fruits and vegetables that need fewer pesticides
5. Select native trees and shrubs that will thrive in your yard
6. Keep your tress healthy and safe
7. Plant “wild” in your backyard
8. Attract birds and butterflies to your backyard

Using Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides & Fertilizers - Where Practical

9. Scout for pests on the landscape
10. Consider microbial insecticides
11. Consider botanical insecticides & insecticidal soaps
12. Conserve beneficial insects
13. Monitor & control insects with traps
14. Use pest barriers in your garden
15. Solarize soil
16. Consider the potential of natural fertilizers

Using Chemicals on the Landscape - If Necessary

17. Know what to ask a lawn-care company and arborist
18. Understand pesticide toxicity
19. Read the pesticide label
20. Apply pesticides accurately and safely
21. Apply fertilizers accurately and safely

Storing & Disposing of Hazardous Chemicals

22. Store hazardous chemicals safely
23. Dispose of pesticides safely
24. Dispose of auto products safely
25. Dispose of paints and solvents safely
26. Dispose of adhesives, areosols, household cleaners & other hazardous waste safely

Managing Yard, Food & Other Household Waste

27. Reduce household waste
28. Recycle paper, glass, & aluminum
29. Reuse and respond
30. Recycle grass clippings
31. Create a compost pile
32. Use yard waste as mulch
33. Dispose of tree residues

Protecting Your Drinking Water

34. Know when & how to test your water
35. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate 36. Test your water for pesticides - if necessary
37. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
38. Select effective water-treatment methods
39. Prevent contamination from septic systems
40. Know the pros & cons of bottled water

Protecting the Indoor Environment

41. Prevent contamination by lead
42. Test your home for radon
43. Reduce radon levels
44. Control dust, dust mites & other allergens
45. Reduce pollution from combustion equipment
46. Prevent contamination by formaldehyde and asbestos
47. Recognize tht it's not always necessary to control indoor insects
48. Select the right household pesticide
49. Control household pests with less toxic alternatives
50. Select household cleaners wisely

Conserving Energy & Water

51. Design new homes for energy effciency
52. Save energy in heating & cooling
53. Insulate & seal your home
54. Choose energy-efficient appliances
55. Save money & energy with compact fluorescent light bulbs
56. Use plants & other landscape tools to conserve energy
57. Conserve water in & around the home

29. Reuse And Respond
	Finding ways to reuse products takes both common sense and creativity. Here are a few ideas on how you can get double duty out of various products around the home. If you can’t reuse a product yourself, find someone who can. Sell it in a yard sale, donate it to a community organization, or set up an exchange program. Call local elementary schools and day-care centers to find out what items might be useful. Local teachers may consider your trash to be treasure in the hands of creative youngsters.
	Consider donating books and magazines to public libraries or to nursing homes. If newspaper recycling is not an option in your area, check with local pet stores and animal shelters to see if they can use your discarded newspapers.
	Reduce the number of paper and plastic bags your family uses by carrying reusable tote bags to grocery and department stores. Minimize use of paper towels, paper plates, and napkins. Invest in cloth napkins for everyday use, and choose reusable cloths, towels, and plates, rather than paper “throwaways.”
	Substitute rechargeable batteries for throwaway batteries. Avoid other single- or limited-use items, such as throwaway cleansing pads and cigarette lighters, non-refillable ink pens, and foil baking pans. Purchase beverages in refillable bottles.
	Reduce, recycle, and reuse are known as the three Rs of the waste-reduction movement. But a fourth R often is forgotten: Respond. You can refuse to buy packaging that you think is excessive, packaging that is not recyclable locally, or products that are harmful to the environment. When selecting a store, consider those that make good environmental choices.