When rinsing soapy dishes, water is rushing down the drain, which can now be equated to dollars rushing down the drain. But wait! There is an easy and painless solution.
Place a plastic basin in your sink to catch the rinse water, which you can then throw on your lawn or your garden outside. This will also be a good excuse to switch to natural bio-degradable dish soap, which will not harm your lawn or plants.
This basin holds 6 gallons of water and fills up remarkably fast. It really makes you …

Now that Earth Day has come and passed, hopefully you took a few ideas away from the fairs and festivals to practice at home.  But, what about the place where you spend 40 hours a week?  That’s right, the office.  Not only can you save the company a bit of cash, but you can do your part to conserve resources.  By recycling where possible we can reduce the amount of energy used to create new products.   Here are some ideas to explore at your next company meeting:
 
 
 

Recycle paper products – …

For most people, the word sustainability and a career in environmental conservation, is considered new. However, Michael Laurie, owner of Watershed L.L.C. based in Vashon, Washington, sustainability and a career revolving around environmental activism is something he has been doing for over 25 years! He is currently a sustainability consultant specializing in indoor and outdoor water efficiency. He has a BS in Environmental Science from Western Washington University, an Associate of Technical Arts in Energy Management from Edmonds Community College, and a Masters …

Checking for a leaky toilet is easy and just takes a few minutes. Leaky toilets can waste thousands of gallons of water each year, if left unchecked. This test is an easy way to expose even the slowest of leaks.
Here is how it is done:
Step 1: Pull the cover off the back toilet tank.

Photo: mywaterfuture
Step 2: Drop a bit of food coloring into the water. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt anything inside the tank.

Photo: mywaterfuture
Step 3: Wait 15 minutes. If you see any of the dye, you have …

Earth Day is April 22nd and will be here before you know it.  In case you haven’t solidified your plans yet, here is a list of 5 things to do with the whole family to encourage energy conservation.

-Visit an Earth Day event in your area to hear about water and energy conservation tips, and techniques.  To find an even in your area visit Earth Day Network to find a location near you.

-Bike to the local Home Depot to pick up a free EcoSmart compact fluorescent light bulb.  This deal begins …

It is time to take control of our utility and water bills.  States across the nation are experiencing rising rates, California’s water rates are rising up to 40% in the next 2 years, if it wasn’t time for action before, it certainly is now.  Please do not think that this list should only hit home for the people already facing rolling blackouts and water restrictions.  We all need to do our part to conserve resources, even if your rates haven’t gone up yet, it has affected us all.  Yes, I …

Replacing the showerheads in your home is an easy and effective way to conserve water. How much water will you save? Well, if you replaced your old shower head with a model that had a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute, you could cut your water use in half.
Here’s an example: Let’s say your old shower head flows at 3 gallons per minute (which is very common) If you spent an average of 15 minutes per day showering, the water savings would total up to 22.5 gallons every day …