By ashley palmer

Most people prefer to live in pleasant surroundings - not just our homes, but our neighbourhoods as well. Each of us can help everyone live "cleaner and greener". By doing so, we not only help the environment, but improve our health and make our lives more enjoyable. it just takes a little more thought and care in our homes and backyards.

Here are some tips to help you in and around the home:

In the home

• Plastic shopping bags can be used as bin or wastebasket liners. Make a windbreak for your door by stuffing several bags stuffed into an old stocking or long cloth bag.
• Repair items where possible rather than discarding them and buying new.
• Be creative. Jars, bags, envelopes, scrap paper, old clothes etc can be all reused - they don't have to be thrown away automatically.
• You may no longer need your old clothes, furniture, appliances, toys etc - but someone else will. Pass them onto a charity or hold a garage sale.
• Only throw away things as the absolute last resort.

In your backyard

• Take extra care when washing your car. You should attempt to prevent run off, soapy water, mud oil and grease being washed into the gutter, as it will end up in our storm water drains.
• If you wash your car on the lawn or nature strip avoid strong detergents as these can damage the grass.
• Your hose is not a broom! Hosing down concrete paths and driveways - rather than sweeping them - sends the dirt and debris straight in the storm water system, polluting our waterways.
• The extra effort you take will keep your water bills down!
• Don't sweep leaves, grass cuttings or other garden waste into the street or gutters. When it rains, that rubbish will be washed into the storm water system, and some of it will be washed into the waterways. The rest will clog up local storm water drains, causing flooding during periods of heavy rain. Just think: the rubbish you thought you swept away could ruin your carpets!
• Try to recycle garden waste. Leaves and lawn clippings can be used as mulch, which helps prevent weeds growing. Also, a well-mulched garden doesn't need as much water, saving you money.
• Compost bins and worm farms enable you to recycle garden waste and food scraps. Compost produced this way will give you rich organic material that will improve your garden soil - and it's cheaper than commercial products.
• Check whether your local council collects green waste. Use their service if you can't recycle, or dispose of garden waste sensibly any other way.

For great articles, tips, inspiration and more visit casaGURU - The smartest way to find local house experts.

Emer Schlosser
		About the author:
		Always a fan of words in various glorious forms – novels, dialogue, lyrics, etc – Emer translated her passion into a writing career in 2005. She has since supplied gossip on celebrities to Canadian Press, interviewed individuals from the arts for Inside Entertainment, expressed her fondness for food for Cheese Boutique’s blog, & co-founded, edited and contributed to iheartthemusic.com. At the moment she’s taking the mystery out of Green Living and providing some great tips on Home Renovation, Decorating & Design and Curb Appeal to the members of casaGURU.com. casaGURU, “the homeowner’s home online”, is a free web community that connects homeowners and local house experts.
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