Take Your Green Living Outside

‘Tis the season in central Iowa to start thinking about enjoying time outside after a long winter.

If you’re thinking about making some changes on your patio or deck to enjoy the warm weather, check out these environmentally friendly ideas.

• When looking for outside furniture a good option is 100% recycled post-consumer high density polyethylene, reclaimed primarily from milk jugs. No maintenance or seasonal storage is needed and best of all it does not fade.
  
  
• Add some solar lighting to your back deck and save on your energy bill. Try some paver sized or bricklike solar lights that fit into the ground. There are no wires or conduit required, all of the technology is contained with each waterproof light. Just replace a brick, paving stone or cut a section in your deck.
  
  
• If you are building a new deck, look for composite decking which is a combination of wood waste and recycled plastic, it’s a great alternative to regular lumber. It offers superior strength, lasts longer than most wood decks, and there’s less maintenance. And besides being green because it helps recycle plastic and no old growth trees are cut down, it also won’t warp, crack, rot or splinter like wood.
  
  
• Do you need to do a concrete stain? Use soy concrete stain, it’s made with eco-friendly renewable source materials. You won’t have the disposable concerns normally found with paint because it’s acid-free and contains no hazardous materials. It’s ideal for indoor or outdoor use because it as ultra low VOC (volatile organic compounds).
  
  
• Need to add some pavers? Check out permeable pavers, they are stylish and can be used in driveways, patios, and sidewalks. Pavers help to filter the water back into the ground rather than run off to a storm sewer or pooling up in the backyard.
  
  
• Having a barbeque? Outdoor grills take less energy than electric kitchen stoves and they also keep heat out of the house, putting less stress on your air conditioner in the summer. Stick with grills that use propane or natural gas, they emit 5.6 pounds of CO2 per hour while a charcoal grill belches out twice that amount.
  
  
• While you’re enjoying your outdoor environmentally friendly living, be sure to dine on reusable plates, not disposable paper ones…same for cups and silverware. You’ll save money, trees and waste.