How to Have a “Green” Home/School/Workplace:  

The “D.O.R.R.S.S” Method

SCH3U Summative Feb 2017

By Taylor Scharf

In this course we were challenged with developing a concept around improving environmental conditions for our planet Earth. This is my plan. The DORRSS Method.

Donate

Donate your unused clothes, toys, appliances, or anything really. This decreases the amount of waste produced by reusing old objects that are still in good condition. It also decreases carbon emissions due to the fact less clothes are made.

Organic Products

Use cleaning products that are not going to harm yourself or your environment. 

Some chemicals to avoid are ammonia, chlorine, 2-butoxyethanol, and sodium hydroxide. These types of chemicals are irritants to the skin and eyes, and can be corrosive. Be careful to read what is on the back of the cleaning products you use.

Vinegar, water and baking soda work as great natural cleaners!

Buy some of your food locally, when possible. Typically, food from the store travels almost 2500 kilometers to get to your dining room table. Imagine how much gas and carbon emissions are produced in that process! Buying food locally can reduce the amount of “food miles” while also supporting the local community.

Recycle/Compost

Instead of throwing away old food, plastic, glass, and paper, recycle or compost them instead. Make sure that the plastics and glass are separate from the paper products. Your local municipality will have codes you can use to determine which plastics can be recycled. In our municipality (City of Ottawa), our blue bins will not accept ceramics, styrofoam, plastic packaging or plastic bags.

Over 50% of what we throw out could actually be recycled. Recycling conserves energy and resources. Since products are being reused in recycling, less products are needed to be made, thus reducing the amount of energy and resources we use. This fact also decreases the amount of air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Twenty-five percent of our garbage can be put into the compost. When we compost and recycle as much as possible, we are sustaining the environment because garbage gets taken to landfills where it is burned, releasing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the air, and contributing to global warming. Additionally, when compostable materials, such as food waste and paper are burned in landfills they produce methane, which hold in 23-71 times more heat than carbon monoxide does, raising the earth’s temperature. Composting can also be used in your own garden as a natural fertilizer, which can also save money! This also minimizes the need for synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides, preventing harmful chemicals entering into the soil and the environment. Also landfills take up large amount of land that would otherwise be used as natural habitat or potentially agricultural land.  

Reusable Items

Invest in reusable bags, and keep the plastic bags that you get. Purchase some fabric grocery bags that you can reuse whenever you go shopping, or keep the plastic bags they give you and reuse them. But keep in mind that annually it takes approximately 12 million barrels of oil to produce the amount of plastic bags used each year. If you are only buying a couple things, maybe avoid getting a bag altogether if you do not need one.

Invest in Reusable Water and Travel Mugs. Likewise, invest in a reusable water bottle and travel mug instead of always buying a new bottle of water or getting a disposable cup with your coffee purchase in the morning. This will greatly reduce the amount of water bottles/disposable coffee cups you use. Doing these things will once again reduce greenhouse gas emissions because less products will need to manufactured.

Save Energy

Switch to incandescent light bulbs. They do cost more initially, but in the long run you will save money because they last longer and use 75% less energy. While you are saving money you will also be reducing the amount of landfill waste because these bulbs do not need to be replaced that often. If you feel like going the distance, and the option is available to you, install some solar panels. This will reduce the amount of fuel that you will need to pay for since energy from the sun is free, and will also reduce the amount of gases needed to keep your home running, such as coal, propane, or natural gas.

Make sure your house is insulated properly. This can greatly affect the amount of energy needed for heating or cooling your house. Ensure that all windows and doors are sealed, and maybe try out thermal blinds or draft guards.

Stewardship

Become an active steward for the planet. Write letters and contact corporations, government officials when you are not pleased with the way the environment is being taken care of. You can also work together in groups with like minded individuals caring about similar issues. Groups such As David Suzuki Foundation and Sum of Us are two groups that fight for environmental change. A single voice is large in a group!

References:

Anderson, Jessica Cumberbatch. "50 Cost-Efficient Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 01 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Eureka Recycling. Environmental Benefits of Recycling and Composting (n.d.): n. pag. Make Dirt Not Waste. 2008. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

Henry, Sarah. "25 Ways to Create a Green and Healthy Home." WebMD. WebMD, 2007. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Sholl, Jessie. "8 Hidden Toxins: What’s Lurking in Your Cleaning Products?" Experience Life. N.p., 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Staff, Live Science. "10 Ways to Green Your Home." LiveScience. N.p., 24 May 2007. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Zissu, Alexandra. "10 Painless Changes You Can Make for a Green Home." Real Simple. Real Simple, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

"Recycling Basics." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 21 Nov. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.