Sierra Club Green Home

If you religiously recycle your old newspapers and junk mail, you’re not alone. In 2007, 56 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered—an average of 360 pounds of paper per person. But have you been recycling your dead light bulbs, flat tires, and leftover paint? You may not be able to put such items on the curb, but many companies and communities are providing ways to recycle them. In fact the EPA says that about 75% of what Americans throw away these days could be recycled.

Today’s high-efficiency clothes washers use half the gas or electricity of a standard washer. They also extract more water during the spinning cycle, which reduces drying time and energy. They offer oceanic water savings, too. Standard full-sized washing machines use 40 gallons of water per load, compared with only 18 to 25 gallons for machines that have earned the government’s Energy Star label.

As you wait patiently for your groceries to approach the cashier’s scanner, you are expecting the bagger to ask, “Paper or Plastic?” Perhaps, without thinking twice, you blurt out your preference for the copious bags that will soon pile at the bottom of your pantry or in the trashcan. A few shoppers may actually consider plastic because of easy storage and small, light size, for eco-friendliness you’d think paper is the slam dunk best choice. The right answer and the facts surrounding the claim may surprise you.

Countertops are a place for serious work. But you also want them to be beautiful–and easy on the Earth. After a few minutes in a kitchen store, you’ll know which ones suit your esthetic. But figuring out which ones are green takes a little longer

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 basics of going green first.

More than 90 million American kitchens have a microwave oven. You don’t need one to eat healthfully or have a green kitchen. But a microwave can shave off some of your energy use, especially if you cook smaller meals or use the kitchen mostly to reheat takeout or warm frozen foods.

6 ways to set the stage
What’s underfoot is a big deal. Your floors cover hundreds–maybe even thousands–of square feet, affect the look of every room, can use heaps of materials, and therefore come with a big price tag. Fortunately, they also offer you a chance to make positive esthetic and environmental changes. The key is [...]

Floors made of tile, concrete, and stone are long-lived and perfect for some kinds of healthy green homes. Here’s a materials primer to help you decide whether they are a good choice for you.

Ceramic and porcelain tile are made primarily from clay, an abundant although nonrenewable natural resource.

For the salmon, the climate, and your wallet
Most of us take water for granted. But using more than we need costs us money and harms the environment by depriving other creatures of this vital liquid. In California, for example, so much water is drawn out of the rivers that some fish species are threatened with [...]

There’s no shortage of energy to be saved in the world of computers. Today almost 90 million U.S. homes have at least one computer, and about 65 million new ones are shipped to homes and businesses every year. Computers and their attachments (“peripherals”) vary widely in their hunger for electricity. An efficient laptop, for instance, uses only 20 percent as much energy as some desktops.