Sierra Club Green Home

If you have a baby, whether you breast feed or use infant formula, you will probably use a baby bottle at some point. And probably quite a few baby bottles. If you have a toddler, “sippy cups”–those no-spill cups with lids and a spout–are de rigueur to avoid disasters. But some scientists suspect that the material commonly used for baby bottles and some sippy cups, polycarbonate plastic, could be harmful to your baby’s health.

Most of us are not strangers to recycling. We are familiar with the multi-colored bins and the appropriate way to sort our recyclables. Despite our dedication and commitment to recycling, many items are ultimately diverted out of our recycling bins to landfills.

A fresh coat of paint can change a room from dreary to divine. Stains, sealants, caulks, and adhesives help you build everything from a new bathroom to a bookcase. But all these useful products can also introduce unhealthy chemicals into your home and your body.

Washing dishes at the sink can be a Zen-like ritual–or at least a way to get your hands warm and your fingernails clean. But automatic dishwashers have their benefits, too, and not just for the busy and the lazy. Used wisely, modern automatics consume less water and energy than washing dishes by hand.
Today’s best energy-efficient dishwashers have soil sensors that automatically adjust power and water use based on how yucky your dishes are.

The business of greening your home can seem complicated at times. But with refrigerators and freezers it’s simple. These appliances are likely consuming 9% to 15% of your household energy, and the newest ones are models of efficiency. Don’t put up with an old energy hog.

Not too many years ago, natural and organic foods were smiled on as the quirks of cranks and hypochondriacs. Advertising exhorted Americans to rush their food from supermarket to belly with the least possible aggravation. Meals, whether from a just-add-water pouch or a drive-through, were meant to be convenient and fast.

From traditional built-ins of oak, maple, or cherry to mod models decked out in metal and glass, any cabinet can be green. So what’s the difference between green ones and conventional ones? Green cabinets don’t give off unhealthy chemical vapors. And they reflect an environmental awareness–sometimes because they’re made with green materials and sometimes…

Garbage disposals seem like the ultimate convenience–drop your banana peels, pizza crusts, and other leftovers down the drain, turn on the tap, flip a switch, and away they go. Problem is, when it comes to waste, whether it’s food or anything else, there is no away. Any “waste” that can’t be put back to use–either through reuse, recycling, or composting–becomes pollution that’s expensive to deal with and takes its toll on the environment.

Eco-friendly basics

Many associate a sustainable home with solar panels, expensive floor renovations, various purchases of Energy Star appliances, and other costly investments. But greening your home doesn’t have to be costly and time consuming. Even though pricey investments, like going off the grid, can have great ecological and economics benefits, it’s important to accomplish the [...]

A smoke alarm can make the difference between life and death. Every home should have smoke alarms in good working condition; in fact, many cities and states require them. You should probably also have at least one alarm for carbon monoxide (CO)–a colorless, odorless gas emitted by fuel-burning devices that has been dubbed the “invisible killer.”