Use this page to find actions that your household has completed or plans to complete. Browse the categories on the left to find actions for the Power Saver, Green Leader, or Renewable Star Challenge.
Once you have signed in, you can click Add to My Challenge to add an action to your To Do List, Already Completed to mark an action as complete, or Not Applicable if the action does not apply to you.
Once signed in, you can rate each of the actions you have completed.
The highest rated action appear under the Most Popular Actions category.
ACTIONS
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use a watering can or a shut-off nozzle on your hosesDuring just 10 minutes of washing a car or watering plants, a standard hose uses about 100 gallons. Using an automatic shutoff nozzle on your garden hose or filling up a watering can saves the water that would otherwise be wasted when the hose is not actually in use or aimed at your desired target.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Avoid mid-day watering of your lawn and gardensIf the garden or lawn receives water at mid-day, when the temperature is highest, some of the water will evaporate from the wet soil and plants before it has the chance to soak into the ground. Watering in the early morning provides plants with water at their most active period of transpiration, when they are taking up the most water through their roots. It also allows them to dry off before the cool night temperatures set in, reducing the chance of disease. Learn more about when to water.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
1
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use a broom, rather than a hose or leaf blower, to clean sidewalks, driveways, patios, and other impermeable surfacesRunning a standard hose for just 10 minutes uses 100 gallons of water. Make sure to pick up any swept-up waste and put it in a trash can or compost pile, not the gutter or storm drain. Sweeping the waste into the gutter only adds to the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Remember, “Only rain down the drain!”
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
1
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use mulch in gardens and landscapingThe use of mulch materials, such as chipped wood, straw, and leaves, in gardens and landscaping helps to conserve water by absorbing and storing moisture for plants. It also insulates the ground from hot temperatures during summer months, decreasing the evaporation rate of water. In cool temperatures, the mulch can help keep plants warm; this can be especially useful for protecting seedlings in the spring.
You can purchase high quality mulch and compost produced through Frederick County’s yard waste recycling program by visiting the 9031 Reichs Ford Road facility. You can also get lower-quality single-ground mulch at no-charge.
Oct 16 Karen Russell
Natural landscaping avoids the use of compost. Instead, choose low growing native plants that spread as ground covers.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
1
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use "grey" water for watering plants“Grey water” is a term for used water from your shower, bath, washing machine, sinks, cookware, and fish bowls that you can use to water your gardens and reduce your water bills. Grey water does not include water from toilets, which is considered black water. Be creative in the ways that you collect your grey water: save water used to boil vegetables, pasta, and eggs. Collect dripping water from your window air conditioning unit. Collect water used to rinse fruits and vegetables.
For more tips on using grey water, check out this guide on rainwater harvesting and grey water reuse.
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