Take the CARP Environmental Challenge

23. Use a paper bag or a biodegradable bag for dog feces as these materials are biodegradable.

Protect Water

24. Conserve water by turning off the tap while you are brushing your teeth. Environment Canada says running the tap can waste up to 10 litres of water per year.

25. Fix any leaks or dripping taps. According to Environment Canada, a tap that drips once every second wastes about 10,000 litres of water per year.

26. Wash your clothes in cold water and only do full loads of laundry. Over 20% of a home’s energy results from the use of hot water.

27. Replace your standard shower head with a low-flow shower head which uses half the amount of water. A five minute shower with a standard shower head uses 100 litres of water.

28. Use water responsibly in the kitchen and the bathroom. According to Environment Canada, about 65% of indoor home water use occurs in our bathrooms, and toilets are the biggest waste of water using 15-19 litres of water a flush. To reduce the amount of water use by 20%, place a filled water bottle into the cistern or install a low-flush toilet.

Travel Green

29. Take green forms of transportation rather than a car, whenever possible, whether it is walking, biking or using public transit. If you already doing so, encourage others to join you. A 2006 Statistic Canada Household and the Environment Study reported that 64 % of all commuters travelled to work alone in their vehicle.

30. Stop idling your car’s engine. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas than it would take to restart the engine. (Idling your car engine for more than a specified amount of time may be illegal in your community and punishable by the loss of points and/or a fine).

Conserve Energy

31. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs that use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times percent longer.

32. Shut off your computer after you finish using it. According to the Flick Yourself Campaign, promoted by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Environment Defense, Muchmusic, Roots and Virgin Mobile, doing so can save you 10 % on your electricity bill, amounting to as much as $90 per year.

33. Control heat loss by blocking any drafts or air leaks with gap fillers. If your windows are a major contributor to leaks, apply plastic sealers to them with sticky tape which can be removed during the warm weather to keep the heat in and the cold out. Drapes and blinds can perform a similar function. Air leakage can cause 25 to 40 per cent of heat loss.

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