Sustainable Habits

There are many ways to build sustainable habits. Check out the list below for some of our favorites. Some of these tips offer some cost savings, too.

Even if you can’t commit to everything on this list, small changes add up fast. These actions can make a big difference, especially when a lot of people join-in.

Each category has one extra “bonus tip” with a quick fun fact.

Cost Saving = $

Transportation:

The transportation sector generates the most greenhouse gases in Redlands. These sustainable shifts make big differences.

  • Use public transit
  • Bike or walk to your next destination $
  • Carpool with colleagues $
  • Do multiple errands in one trip, limiting your vehicle miles traveled $
  • Buy local, reducing the amount of miles your goods have to travel
  • Consider an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid when buying your next car
  • Bonus tip: Take direct flights when possible
    • Take offs and touchdowns use more fuel. Skipping these will reduce your CO2 emissions. Plus, you can avoid

Energy Use:

This section includes tips to lessen the use of natural gas, gasoline, and electricity.

  • Install solar on your home, or encourage your property manager to consider solar $
  • Turn off lights when leaving a room $
  • Unplug devices that aren’t in use $
  • Put your devices on low power mode $
  • Opt for energy efficient appliances when buying new $
  • Trade out your incandescent bulbs for LEDs $
  • Only run fully loaded dishwasher cycles to reduce cycles $
  • When boiling water, use a lid so it boils faster $
  • Cook items more efficiently, i.e. cook multiple dishes in one use of the oven $
  • Weatherize your home to prevent cool air or heat from escaping $
  • Hang dry your laundry $
  • Bonus Tip: Use a rechargeable lighter. $
    • Disposable lighters are filled with petroleum based fuels, and are designed to be thrown away. These will exist in our landfills forever. Matches are biodegradable but needlessly use trees. It’s best to use reusables. Rechargeable lighters come in all different shapes and sizes, and can be quite chic.

Waste:

Limiting our waste not only reduces the amount of trash going to the landfill. Using less also sends a message to manufacturers to produce less. Everything we own comes from finite resources, making less uses less.

  • Try to buy everything secondhand $
  • Share, trade or borrow with your community instead of buying new $
  • Try composting! Learn more here.
  • Use your local library $
  • Switch to paper-free billing and mailing
  • Find creative ways to use less disposables, for example, use bar soap instead of soap dispensers
  • Use reusables whenever possible $
  • Donate useable and good-quality items instead of throwing them away
  • Learn about your local recycling regulations and follow them.
    • We get it can be confusing. Recycling guidelines are different depending on your region. This is because different areas have access to different recycling facilities. For example, flimsy plastics might be accepted in another jurisdiction because they are closer to a recyclers that can process those plastics. California recently passed a law that will attempt to standardize recycling practices across the state.
  • Bonus Tip: Reduce microplastics generated in your washing machine.
    • The leading source of microplastics is washing your clothes using a conventional washer. Reduce these by:
      • Washing in cold water
      • Doing laundry less often
      • Using less detergent
      • Try handwashing
      • Look into products that capture microplastics and/or prevent garments from shedding fibers

Water:

Using less water is a direct way to save money on your water bill. Check out the full scoop on water conservation in Redlands here.

  • Use the water-saving incentives offered by the city $
  • Water outdoor plants at night $
  • Plant drought tolerant plants and trees $
  • Replace your outdoor turf $
  • Use a broom to clean driveways and other outdoor surfaces instead of a hose $
  • Take shorter showers $
  • Don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth or shaving $
  • Fix leaks $
  • Use high efficiency toilets when possible $
  • Use full dishwasher loads to reduce water consumption $
  • Bonus Tip: Collect the water from washing fruits and vegetables or waiting for water to warm up and use it to water plants or manually flush the toilets
    • The EPA estimates that about 280 million gallons of water is wasted each day while waiting for water to heat up.

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