What does it mean to reduce? More importantly, what are ways that we can reduce in our everyday lives? Three easy areas to focus reduction on are energy, water and the amount of solid waste we generate.

In addition to limiting our use of these resources, it is also important to use items that have the least impact on our environment (e.g., using a cleaner with the least amount of toxic, or harmful, ingredients that will still do the job). Start reducing at home, and you just may save money as you help clean up the planet. Here’s how:

Conserving Energy

Perform a simple energy audit of your home. Ask your parents to let you look at the latest utility/energy bill and ask them to help you read it. Write down the total amount of energy used (kilowatt hours or kWh) on this bill, then think about what you currently do as a family to reduce energy in your home.

Next, see if the simple tips below help make the next full-month’s bill lower.* Because we get most of our energy from fossil fuels and not renewable energy, these energy reduction tips also help lower your carbon footprint.

• Turn off any lights that are not in use (especially in a room you are not in). It you leave a room, turn out the light.
• Turn off/unplug any standby power items (especially your computer, television and stereo) when not in use (even standby power uses energy). Other appliances, such as cell phone chargers, use energy when plugged in regardless of whether they are charging something.
• Replace at least one standard light bulb with a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL). CFLs use 60 percent less energy than a regular bulb.
• Keep the refrigerator door closed (i.e., it’s not “cool” to stand in front of the fridge with the door open while you decide what to eat; decide before opening the door and shut it promptly after retrieving your items).
• Keep the thermostat constant at 78 degrees or higher in summer and 68 degrees or lower in winter.
• Wash your laundry in cold water.

*Many local utility/energy companies will perform a free, whole-house energy audit, and this may also be a fun project to do as a family to help see further ways you can further reduce energy waste from your home.

Water Savings

As with your family’s electric bill, you can check how many gallons of water you use and see if you can reduce this amount with these simple tips:

• Take shorter showers (each minute uses approximately four gallons of water). Shorter showers also save energy because you heat less water.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or washing your hands (until ready to rinse). Again, this saves four gallons of water per minute.
• Only run the clothes washer and dishwasher with full loads (saves up to .1,000 gallons a month).
• Let your parents know about leaky faucets right away so it they can be repaired. Fixing a leak can save up to 500 gallons a month.
• Use a low-flow showerhead.

Green Purchasing

If you’re going shopping with a parent, remind them of these easy eco-friendly tips at the store:

• Bring your own reusable (preferably recycled content) bag.
• Buy local and what is in season (you create a lower carbon footprint when your food (and clothing) travels less and when food is grown in season).
• Buy only what you need and know you will use up (e.g., toothpaste in the largest tube).
• Look for items with the least amount of packaging.
• Use reusables (even with take out food and especially for lunches). An easy example is to buy raisins in a large container and put small amounts in a reusable container to take with you for school.
• Look for items with as much recycled and post-consumer content as possible.
• Consider previously-owned items for purchase such as toys, clothing, appliances, automobiles, etc.
• Look for items with the least amount of harmful materials in them or use alternatives (i.e., simple items like water, vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda can be used to clean many items instead of products with more [potentially harmful] ingredients). Even cosmetics can contain more potentially harmful materials than you might think. Check out the Cosmetic Safety Database to see even how items like your sunscreen stack up.