Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday

Re-use old holiday cards to create gift tags. It’s easy – cut off the front of a previously used holiday card (or trim out a section of the front), write your message either on the front or the back of the new tag, then add some ribbon or attach it right onto the present.

Create a natural centerpiece. Instead of buying a store-bought centerpiece, try making your own for a great personal touch! Ideas include making a centerpiece out of pinecones or trim evergreens and place them in a vase or directly on the table. If you’re buying a real tree don’t be shy about asking to take home any discarded branches left on the ground. You can add seasonal fruit, candles or nuts to spruce it up. You will save money and you can eat it afterwards! (If you add candles, please remember to not leave them unattended.)

Get creative with gift wrapping. Think of some new innovative ways to wrap presents—try using newspaper, paper bags, cloth gift bags or even cookie tins instead of wrapping paper. If your child has an artistic streak you can add a personal touch to a gift by reusing their finger paintings to wrap presents. Get even more creative by using old maps or sheet music!

Try any of these holiday tips and you could save money and also help reduce your environmental footprint over the holidays. Visit the OneChange website for more holiday simple action tips to save money and help the environment.

The OneChange Story

The One Change Story is the story of how the non-profit grassroots organization One Change has grown to become a leader in community-based social marketing. With the help of over 12,000 volunteers, One Change has empowered people all across North America to convert environmental awareness into meaningful action through energy conservation programs like Project Porchlight. Simple Actions Matter. © OneChange Foundation

The Light Switch

One of the most cost effective ways to control energy costs regardless of whether you are a business or residential user is to shut off the lights when leaving a room or office. To this day I can still hear my Dad’s voice reminding me to shut off the lights in my room or the basement after I left them… was he ahead of his time or just being frugal? Either way the principle is simple but very powerful. However, we are not conditioned to do this especially if we are not the ones responsible for paying the electric bill. Habits are hard to change but people have been known to change when being made aware, reminded and or given an incentive to do so. So regardless of the fact that it saves money, let’s appeal to your eco-sense. By leaving the lights on you will contribute to additional green houses gases being sent into the atmosphere while adding to our continued dependence on foreign sources for fuel. Shouldn’t that be enough incentive for most?

There are many things you can do even if you can not change peoples habits via appealing to their eco-sense. You can change the light switches to either ones with motion sensors or timers. This approach cost some money but the pay back may very well be worth it. Another way is to replace the bulbs with more energy efficient ones.

Replace your Old-fashioned Incandescent Light Bulbs

One initiative here in New Jersey, USA is Project Porchlight and initiative of ONECHANGE whose motto is simple actions matter. Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs use 75% less energy than old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. For every bulb you swap, you will cut as much as 1,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year and save up to $50 on your energy bills over the lifetime of the bulb.

If every household in North America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb, it would be like taking 2 million cars off the road for a year. Considering the average home has around 45 light bulbs, imagine if we replaced all of our lights with CFL bulbs.

So what are you waiting for?

Swap your bulbs today to maximize your energy/money savings and remember to turn off your lights when they’re not in use!

For more information about the CFL bulb initiative , please visit projectporchlight.com.

Simple Actions for Fall

With winter approaching, it is a good time to think about what you can do to help keep your home warm and cozy. By draft-proofing your home you could save up to $350 every year. Not in a cold climate? Draft-proofing your home helps save energy with air conditioning too! Here are a few simple actions that you can take save energy and money:

Get a sweater for your sockets. Socket gaskets are insulators to reduce air escape from your electrical outlets, that are installed between the wall and the faceplate. Sockets gaskets are made out of foam, usually cost only a few dollars and are available at your local hardware store.

Seal those ducts. In a typical house, up to 20 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts.

Insulate your attic. Install a minimum of 25cm (10″) insulation. Insulating your attic is one of the simplest ways to save energy and it’s a job that you can easily complete yourself. Properly insulating your attic could save you up to 10% on annual energy bills.

Get a home energy audit. A home energy auditor can help you find air leaks, areas with poor insulation and evaluate the overall energy efficiency of your home. Some states and provinces offer to pay for a portion of your audit. This small investment can help you save significantly over time.

For more tips on how to save money and protect the environment visit our website: www.onechange.org

One of our favorite initiatives Porchlight by OneChange now has Ed Begley Jr. as it spokesperson. See his video below: