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 cleaners and personal care products that are safe for people, animals, and the environmentMany chemicals in household cleaning products, such as alkalies, acids, and detergents, can cause health problems, decrease air quality, and harm the environment. For instance, fragrances can impact the human endocrine system, and phosphates in detergents contribute to algal blooms which degrade the Chesapeake Bay.
Green cleaning product lines can be found at your local natural food store or at most grocery stores. Look for seals such as Green Guard, Green Seal, and Green Clean Institute that help to ensure product safety. You can also make your own green cleaning solutions from safe and cheap household products such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and natural soaps. Learn more from our Tips for Green Leaders Natural Household Cleaners Fact Sheet, or read this article about reducing hazardous products in the home.
Many personal care products, such as lotions, soaps, hair spray, and make-up, have health risks and negative environmental impacts. To reduce these impacts, you can use fewer products, make your own products, check out ingredient labels, buy organic, avoid fragrances and dyes, and go easy on the antibacterial products. While sunscreen is an important product for avoiding skin cancer, it may contain chemicals with health risks. Limit your use of sunscreen by covering your skin with cool clothing in the summer, wearing a hat, and staying under an umbrella in the sun. Learn more about choosing safe personal care products.
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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 Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shavingYou can save up to eight gallons per day by taking this action. That’s a potential savings of almost 3,000 gallons per year!
Learn about other ways to save at the tap.
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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 Reduce washing machine and dishwasher use by at least one load per week by washing full loads onlyWashing full loads of laundry and dishes reduces the number of loads that need to be washed each week. To save even more water when washing the dishes, use the “water efficient” or “light load” mode when running the dishwasher.
Check out these other top green laundry tips.
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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 Soak dishes instead of washing them under running waterInstead of leaving your water running while scrubbing each dish, allow your dishes to soak in your sink or a washing basin filled with hot soapy water. You can do any scrubbing required using the water in the sink, and your dishes will only need a quick rinse at the end. Also, make sure to use biodegradable, phosphate-free soap.
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments
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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 Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator instead of using running waterDefrosting frozen foods with running water can waste 50 to 150 gallons of water a month. Instead, place them in the refrigerator overnight or thaw in the microwave.
Check out these other tips for saving water in the kitchen.
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You must be registered and logged in to leave comments