COLUMN: Learning green new tricks

In the El Paso Times today:

It's hard to learn new eco tricks

Louie Gilot / Special to the Times

Posted: 01/13/2010 09:15:18 PM MST

EL PASO -- Changing habits so deeply ingrained that they might as well be part of our DNA is no easy task. Even with the best of intentions, how many times did I forget to take the reusable bags from the car's trunk before heading into the supermarket? So many times, it turns out, that it became a running joke in the family. But in time, I remembered more often than I forgot, and now it's become second nature.

It's a lesson that needs to be relearned with each new green milestone. For instance, I recently bought a stainless-steel bottle to replace my ubiquitous plastic water bottles. That purchase left me giddy with thoughts of all the plastic bottles that I prevented from piling up in a landfill and all the money that I would save. I washed my new bottle with warm, soapy water and a bottle scrubber. I couldn't wait for it to dry so I could fill it with tap water. Of course, the next morning, I promptly forgot it on the dish rack.

We are all slaves to our habits, addicted to our wasteful lifestyle. And like all recovering addicts, we are bound to relapse before we get clean. But that's no reason for us old dogs not to try to learn new tricks. And what better time than the new year?

Keep bags in your car: Buy enough reusable bags (they are usually 10 for $10) because you will lose some, and keep a few bags in each of your cars. If you still have doubts about the wisdom of switching to cloth bags, consider this: It is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year. Only 2 percent are recycled in the United States. It doesn't have to be that way. Our mothers did not use plastic bags and we don't need to, either.

Eschew disposable items: Do you have to wipe the kitchen counter with a paper towel, or can you use a sponge? Can you bring a ceramic mug from home to fill with office coffee? Etc.

Set up a recycling routine: Put cardboard boxes in your kitchen and office for recyclable items: cardboard, paper, newsprint, junk mail, plastic water bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, (clean) tin cans and aluminum. Sorry, no juice cartons, no plastic bags and no glass. Your blue bin will be emptied the same day as the gray one. Find out more on El Paso's recycling program at www.elpasorecycle.com.

Unplug or lose out to "vampire power": Leaving your electronic gadgets and chargers plugged in even when they are turned off or in stand-by mode, or when they are already fully charged up, means that they continue sucking electrical power. You could be wasting as much as 20 percent of energy to this so-called vampire power. So, unplug or invest in a power strip that can be turned off.

Wash full loads: Make sure the dishwasher and the washing machine are full before starting a load, wash in cold water and clean the dryer's lint filter after every load.

Use microwaves, toaster ovens and crock pots: They are more efficient than stove tops and ovens, especially for reheating small portions.

It's winter: Shouldn't you be wearing a sweater? The first layer of insulation against the weather is your clothes. Wear some, and you won't have to turn the heater up so high. By the way, the energy-efficient setting for your thermostat is 68 degrees in the winter, and lower at night when you are snug and warm under your blankets.Send questions and comments on green matters to Louie Gilot on her blog, www.lagreenga.com.