Our Lifestyle
From GreenQuadWiki
Living Green. Promoting a holistic green perspective means that all aspects of everyday life become opportunities for education and engagement. One primary goal is to create awareness of how personal lifestyle choices link to sustainability. We are collaborating with Healthy Carolina on courses and events. Our most visible accomplishment is the Community Garden, which provides a tangible statement of how food and agricultural issues are part of the “green bubble.”
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Moving In And Out
Moving in and out of a residence hall involves a large amount of waste, and the Green Quad provides special recycling facilities during these periods. During move-in, cardboard is collected in corrals set up outside the buildings. All flattened cardboard should be discarded in these locations. Moving out produces a different kind of problem - everyone wants to get rid of things they no longer want or need. The “Give It Up” Program provides residents with the opportunity to donate or constructively recycle items such as clothing, packaged food, unused toiletries, small appliances, furniture, or carpeting that they don’t want to take home.
Recycling
Recycling is a basic component of a sustainable community, because each recycled item represents savings in energy, water, and raw materials, as well as a reduced demand on landfills. The Green Quad has recycling centers on each floor of every building for plastic, aluminum, newspaper, office paper, steel cans, glass, and cardboard. In addition, recycling containers for magazines and batteries are located in the lobbies for Buildings A and C and in the Learning Center.
Smoking Policy
The Green Quad is a smoke-free facility. Cigarette smoke contains several toxic chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic, and are hazardous both to the smoker’s health and to nearby non-smokers. Not only are cigarettes unhealthy, but cigarette butts have also been declared the most common type of litter, and the toxic content of cigarette butts creates a threat to other organisms.
Appliances
All appliances installed in Green Quad are “Energy Star” certified. “Energy Star” is a government program that follows Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy energy efficiency standards Products labeled as “Energy Star” are of the same quality and performance as other products on the market but require less energy for operation.
Fresh Air
Green Quad systems were designed to maximize air quality, but residents can also take steps to increase fresh air in their own apartments.
Tips to Increase Fresh Air - Circulate the air. Crack windows occasionally when the air-conditioning or heating is not running. - Keep it clean. Prevent or eliminate the source of odors. Air sprays or carpet powders are harmful and only mask the problem. Instead, use dried flowers, potpourri, or cedar blocks to add a fresh scent to a room. Also, an open box of baking soda works great for completely removing unwanted odors. - Use natural fibers. Choose cotton, wool, and other natural fibers for bedding and clothing. - Add plants. Living plants help rid the air of pollutants and toxins and can remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air every day. A decorative “spider” plant is enough to clean the air in a bedroom each day.
Pest Management
Tips for Minimizing Rodents and Pests - Sanitation - Regular cleaning reduces food crumbs and hiding places. - Fix things - Stop leaks to eliminate the dark, damp places pests tend to live. Call 777-FIXX for repairs. - Eliminate clutter - Keep your apartment tidy to discourage pests from making a home.
Apartment Cleaning
Tips for cost-saving apartment cleaning
- Glass Cleaner - A solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar in a spray bottle works as well as most commercial products. Add a few drops of lemon juice to clean greasy surfaces.
- Furniture Polish - Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (or lemon juice) with a few drops of olive oil.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Use white vinegar and a toilet brush to remove most stains. Add some Borax to the bowl and let it sit overnight for tougher stains.
- Oven Cleaner - Cover grease with a thick layer of baking powder and spray thoroughly with water. Repeat to make a thick paste. Allow it to dry for several hours and then scrape clean. (Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil before using to minimize spills.)
- Natural and environmentally friendly cleaning products are not only healthier but can also save money. A few basic, inexpensive ingredients can clean almost anything. The products below are natural and available in most stores:
White Vinegar - replaces bleach as a disinfectant and whitening agent
Baking Soda - replaces bleach as a disinfectant and whitening agent
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda - serves as a stain remover or sink and bathroom cleaner (great for removing soap scum)
Bon Ami Polishing Cleanser - used as an abrasive cleanser (contains no chlorine)
Fels Naptha - removes laundry stains (also a remedy for poison ivy)
Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap - used for cleaning, odor removal, and shaving (biodegradable)
20 Mule Team Borax - acts as a disinfectant, mold killer, and general household cleaner (other uses: toilet bowl cleaner, fabric whitener, carpet stain remover)
Lighting
Using task lighting is a great way to save money, energy, and eyesight. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) bulbs uses two-thirds less energy while emitting the same amount of light. They also last six to ten times longer. Replacing just five bulbs in an apartment can save more than $60 a year.
Electricity Usage
Personal habits can have a significant impact on energy consumption. In addition to conserving valuable natural resources, residents can earn financial incentives by reducing their electricity usage.
Tips for Reducing Electricity Usage
Smart Shopping Habits
Product packaging can produce an extraordinary amount of waste. To help reduce such waste, look for products with minimal packaging, like bulk items or those found in a single package (rather than packages within packages). For example, buying a two-liter bottle of soda instead of a twelve-pack minimizes packaging costs and uses fewer resources. Prepackaged snacks can be convenient but provide a great deal of unnecessary waste. Try buying a large box or bag of snacks and pack them in reusable plastic containers. When grocery shopping, try to think about the products in terms of the amount of waste they generate.
Tips for environmentally smart shopping
- Purchase items with packaging made from recycled materials.
- Look for items with reusable or refillable containers.
- Buy locally grown produce to reduce transportation costs and pollution while supporting the local economy.
- Buy organically grown products because they contain fewer pesticides.
- Avoid single-use paper plates or plastic utensils.
- Single-use products generate huge amounts of waste!
- Use towels and cloth napkins instead of paper towels or paper napkins.
- Buy paper products that use “Post Consumer Waste” and are chlorine-free.
- Share newspapers and magazines with friends instead of purchasing multiple copies.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Look for these recognized certification labels: Green Seal (paper or cleaning products) Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (wood and paper) Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) (sea food) Fair Trade, Organic, or Shade Grown (coffee)
Water Usage
Water conservation not only saves money but also benefits the environment. Residents can help limit environmental disturbance by reducing water usage in the following ways:
Tips for Reducing Water Usage
- Take shorter showers.
- Do not run water in the sink or shower longer than necessary (i.e. while doing dishes, shaving, washing faces and hands or brushing teeth).
- Have broken or dripping faucets repaired immediately by calling 777-FIXX. Dripping faucets quickly add up to large amounts of wasted water!
- Avoid unnecessarily flushing the toilet.
- Wash full loads of clothing or dishes.
- Collect running water for alternative uses instead of letting it go down the drain. If it’s necessary to leave the water running, collect the excess for other uses.
Laundry
High-efficiency washers require less detergent per load. Most detergents are made from petroleum products, a nonrenewable resource. They are not easily biodegradable and therefore threaten wildlife and create an additional burden on treatment facilities. Many also contain fragrances that can trigger respiratory irritation and allergies. More information is posted in each laundry room.
Tips for doing more environmentally-friendly laundry
- Wash in warm water and rinse in cold to reduce energy use by 3.5 times.
- Use soaps that are labeled “fragrance free” and try to choose ones that are plant-based instead of petroleum-based.
- To remove stains, soak clothes in water mixed with Borax, washing soda, or vinegar.
- Avoid using chlorine bleach. Besides being harmful, bleach actually wears down clothing. To help whites remain bright, look for “non-chlorine bleach.”
- Instead of fabric softener, add 1/4 cup baking soda to the wash cycle.
- Adding 1/4 cup white vinegar to the wash cycle softens clothes and eliminates static cling.
