There is a certain freedom in living off-campus in an apartment or rental house. This also comes with some environmental responsibility. While there are many things that students living in the dorms can do to conserve energy, students in apartments have even more liberty to take consider conservation. In addition to the tips that have been given in regards to water, energy, and waste conservation, there are some extra rooms in an apartment that you can turn green. Join me on a tour of a typical apartment.
Let’s see what’s cooking… in the kitchen. (HowStuffWorks):
1. You’ve got some food cooking on the stove, but if you use a smaller pot you won’t need so much heat to cook the same amount of food.
2. You turn the fan on to suck up some of the heat from the stove. In reality, older fans don’t actually vent out all of the heat and sometimes end up just cycling the air. Check to see if your kitchen vent is effective at this function, or if not, invest in a new one.
3. When it comes time to wash the dishes, be conscious of how much water you use when rinsing and only run the dishwasher when it’s full. If you’re washing the by hand, plug the drain, fill the sink with a little bit of water and soap, wash smaller dishes first, and then when you rinse the water will fall into the soapy water allowing you to wash larger dishes. Also, put a low-flow aerator on your sink. According to the EPA, “f every household in America installed a WaterSense labeled faucet or aerator, we could save more than 60 billion gallons of water annually.” (WaterSense)
Talking about all this water you might need to head to the bathroom.
1. Low-flow shower heads and aerators can help reduce water use in the bathroom too.
2. Those straighteners and hairdryers are using up phantom energy even when you’re not using them.
3. And of course, reducing showers is always a conservation tool.
What heats the water that allows you to have a nice warm shower? The water heater.
1. Wrapping your water heater with insulation can help it work more effectively.
2. While you’re looking around, check out the temperature your water heater’s set on. Dial it to around 130 degrees to still be able to produce the hot water you desire while not allowing you to unknowingly waste energy. (HowStuffWorks)
Enjoy the freedom of your own space, and own it with your conservation consciousness.
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