Green Resources
Green Tips
TIP #1: Up to $4,500 in Rebates For Energy Improvements
Going green earns you some green
Participate in the Energy Upgrade California program by completing a whole house upgrade using a Participating Contractor through the utility program process. By completing a whole house upgrade, you can improve your homes energy efficiency, increase comfort and safety, and lower your utility bills. Fill out our brief Energy Upgrade questionnaire to provide us with information about your upcoming project and we'll get back to you at a moment's notice!
TIP #2: Save Water
Conserve Water -- Make a Clean Break from Liquid Detergents
Save water with powdered detergents. Laundry liquids are up to 80 percent water. Additionally, it costs energy and packaging to bring this water to the consumer. So conserve three ways -- water, energy and packaging -- by using powdered detergents to wash clothes. The same holds for dishwashing detergents, so when there's a choice, choose dry powders.
Visit WaterUseItWisely.com for ways to conserve water during this extreme drought in Los Angeles.
TIP #3: Buy Green Materials
Use a green product checklist to make sure what you're buying isn't "greenwashed"
Do you know if the bamboo you're buying has a non-toxic finish? Where is drywall manufactured? There are many questions you can ask before purchasing materials that will help you evaluate if this purchase will be a good choice for your home's indoor air quality and the environment. Take a look at this green product checklist and directory made by ASID and USGBC that makes sourcing green materials easier than ever! http://www.regreenprogram.org/docs/product_checklist.pdf
TIP #4: Buy Local
Buy Locally Grown Produce -- and Go Organic
Purchase locally grown produce -- you'll save the energy it takes to ship cherries from Chile in December. You should also try to buy organically grown produce whenever possible -- it saves on the toxins entering the environment and promotes a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. Pesticide pollution has been linked to cancer in humans - do your part to cut back on the amount of these carcinogenic toxins by buying and eating organic.
TIP #5: Cloth Diapers
Use Cloth Diapers
Instead of swaddling your little sweetheart in disposable diapers, consider using cloth diapers instead. Our landfills are stretched to capacity and disposable diapers are part of the problem -- nearly 30 billion of them were sold last year -- and it takes anywhere from 250-500 years for them to decompose. Click here: http://www.realdiaperassociation.org to read more about it.
TIP #6: "The Big One"
Prepare an Earthquake Kit before an earthquake hits
As Californians, we should be prepared for anything. After this recent shake in Los Angeles, we're all a little rattled. It's a perfect time to create an earthquake kit even if the next one isn't near. Find out what should be in your kit by reading our blog article, "A Rumbling Deal".