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Green Ideas at Home

CBS The Early Show, Green Living Published 08/16/2007 by Danny Lipford

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Have you got an idea for adopting environmentally-friendly living practices into your home? If you want to help the world go “green,” your chance is coming up! The Early Show on CBS is looking for original ideas for green living.

If you think you have an idea worthy of the national limelight, go submit your ideas on the Early Show’s website. Who knows? You might be discovered! There are five categories to think about when you go for the green. Here are just a few of the planet-friendly products I highlighted on The Early Show.

Conserving Energy

• Compact Fluorescent Lights - These bulbs use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. They also produce about 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate.
• Timers - For use with practically any appliance in your home from water heaters to table lamps.
• Energy Star programmable thermostat

Keeping the Air Clean

• Electrostatic air filter
• Low VOC paint (Glidden Evermore) - Lower odors means painting is easier on the nose. Low volatile organic compounds means cleaner air. The Glidden Evermore Low-VOC paint is the only paint line sold at The Home Depot that meets their requirements for its Eco Options Program.
• OSI Green Series Caulking - Construction and deck adhesives, expanding sealants and other types of caulking all with very low VOC’s and exceptional bonding qualities.
• Low VOC Flooring Adhesive (DAP Weldwood) - This is an adhesive that not only is low in VOC’s, but it is resin/latex based which means it cleans up with water, is nonflammable and will bond several types of floor surfaces.

Water Savings

• Delta eFlow Electronic Lavatory Faucet - Hands-free operation means that you only have the water running when it’s needed and it also limits the transfer of bacteria and germs.
• Brizo RSVP Lavatory Faucet - Water flows at 1.5 gpm instead of the standard 2.2 gpm which translates to a 30% water savings.
• Kohler EcoSmart Toilet - While lower-flush 1.6 gallon toilets are now the building standard, this model uses a full 20% less water with equal or better flushing force. The EcoSmart from Kohler uses 1.28 gallons per flush with a flapperless tower design.

Recyling Made Easier/Recycled Products

• EcoPod Recycling Station - This item crushes plastic and aluminum beverage containers and stores up to fifty in a plastic pod that slides out for easy transfer to a curbside recycling bin.
• EnviroTrash Recycling Chute - I saw this one at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show this year in Las Vegas. The stainless steel it’s made from is even recycled. It can be built in to the wall to make it virtually invisible, makes recycling fun and keeps odors out of the house.
• Recycled glass countertops from EnviroGlas - Comparable to other solid surfaces, this recycled material is every bit as durable and beautiful. It emits no VOC’s, you don’t have to seal it and diverts trash from going to a landfill.
• EnviroPlank Flooring System - Manufactured from 100% recycled glass and/or porcelain and color pigmented epoxy resin
• EcoStar Recycled Rubber Roofing Tiles - Made in both a shake and slate style, these are made from 80% recycled rubber and plastic so it’s only half the weight of natural slate. Also offers a 50-year warranty.

Insulation

• Cellulose insulation
• Bonded Logic UltraTouch Insulation - This is a recycled denim insulation treated with a non-toxic Borate solution. The fibers provide approximately 30% better accoustic performance than a traditional fiberglass insulation and it diverts about 500 tons of landfill waste every month.