Mayor's Office of Children and Youth

Living Green

In Your Home

  1. Buy your basics in organic cotton- conventional cotton is responsible for the use of $2.6 billion in pesticides.
  2. Take along your own bag when you shop- petroleum was used to make 100 billion grocery sacks that Americans threw away last year.
  3. Use less toxic chemicals when cleaning- chemicals get back in waterways and harm wildlife.
  4. Use less fossil fuels (and save money!)- compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) may cost $12-17 more at purchase, but eventually, they use less energy and save $55.60 in electric bills per kilowatt hours. You also save 10,000 pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the bulb.
  5. Save water by using less water when brushing teeth and taking showers. Use faucet and shower aerators.
  6. Buy locally grown produce- it saves on fuel costs.
  7. Plant heirloom seeds to ensure that native plants survive.
  8. Use nontoxic ways to defeat pests- 4 steps are:
    1. Keep your kitchen clean.
    2. Seal cracks and crevices around radiators.
    3. Place sticky traps with pheromones along walls.
    4. Place boric acid/sucrose baits along walls and near food prep areas (but away from kids and pets)
  9. Make sure your toilet is a 1.6gpf model- it saves water (the toilet is the home’s largest water user at an average of 27%)

Out and About

  1. Buy shade grown coffee and chocolate, as they do not require as many pesticides and fertilizers (Full sunlight plantations have 97% fewer bird species than shade-grown crops).
  2. When shopping use #2 plastics (#4 and #5 plastics are not recyclable). Stay away from #3, #6, and #7 plastics
  3. Buy items in bulk and reuse containers.
  4. Use PEVA shower curtains for a cheaper and greener alternative.
  5. Bring your own bags to the market.
  6. Buy local! This includes food, clothes, and everything. Support your local businesses.