Green living is somewhat more difficult in a rented or apartment house than in a house you own yourself, but even in rented space there is still a lot of place for it. If living green is a priority for you, there are many ways to do it, and this article will show you how. Use Energy better. This will help the environment AND help your wallet! Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and reduced vampire power drain will help you most. CFLs help by lasting longer and using a lot less power, compared to conventional light bulbs. The more lights in your house you replace, the better of you (and the planet) will be.

Vampire power usage, or Phantom Drain, is made of small leaks from the mains, into electrical devices that are on stand-by mode, or even turned off. Things like your TV set, phone charger or laptop power adapter can do this, while offering little or no benefits. You are better off plugging them out, thus reducing the wear and tear on them and any fire hazard, should they malfunction when you're not home. You can save around 10% on your power bill if you fix this issue in your home. Better heating in winter, better cooling in summer. Again, your bills can get lower at the end of the month because of this. Check and fix the sealing of your doors and windows, where necessary. If you use your AC unit for cooling, consider getting a ceiling fan as well. They are more environment-friendly and cheaper to run, compared to an AC unit.

Make better use of water. Great solutions here are low-flow shower heads and aerators in your faucets. Other sources say cut your shower time in half, but that's hard to do and no fun at all. Getting a low-flow shower head has the same result while keeping your fun time. Installing an aerator on your faucet will also reduce water used for washing. In case you use a dishwasher, you can make things more efficient by only running it at full load. Dishwashers use the same amount of water and power to complete a wash cycle, whether full or empty, so it paays to only run them when full. Try to do the same when doing your laundry, as the same rule holds true.

Grow indoors! You can start to grow several things inside your home or balcony, one of the simplest being organic lettuce. Plant lettuce in one or several bowls, and once grown you can start to trim the top 1/3 and make your salad. The lettuce plants remain healthy, and will grow right back. Also peppers and various spices and vegetables can be grown indoors. Aeroponics or subirrigation boxes are great ways to grow, and you can also build them yourself. Grow boxes grow plants more successfully than regular plant pots, and are also a great DIY project to get your hands on. You can even make organic compost close to, or inside your home. Thanks to modern compost bins you can even make this in your kitchen with no funny smells involved.

Recycle your waste. Either your home or apartment building offers recycling service, or it doesn't. If it does, great. If not, you can talk to other tenants and if they are open to recycling, take it to the landlord. If getting recycling in your building is not an option, talk to neighbors from other buildings about using their recycling bins. Stop using plastic bags and switch to biodegradable ones instead. Cutting down on plastic waste helps a lot on the long run. Try switching to organic materials in bedding and towels. Rugs, table cloths and other decorations can be switched to organic materials. They will improve your mood and provide a warm comfy environment you can call home.

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