Living Green at Your Vacation Home

During the week you do all the right things to encourage a green lifestyle. You diligently separate your garbage, recycle what you can, add to a backyard composter, use energy saving lightbulbs and use a programmable thermostat. Then, the weekend comes and off you go to your lakeside cabin and all of this green thinking goes out the window. Out come the paper plates, you crank up the electric heat, BBQ twice a day and throw all your recyclables into the garbage.

Green living, means thinking green whether you’re at home, at your weekend getaway, or even on holiday in Hawaii. Here are some tips to help keep you on the straight and narrow, even when you’re on vacation.

Use biodegradable detergent in your dishwasher and washing machine. A good rule of thumb is to find products guaranteed to break down in less than 30 days. When washing clothes, use cold water and use the clothes line for most drying.

Cut back on the barbecuing (even a little), to reduce CO2 emissions. Keep in mind that propane pollutes less than charcoal.

Save fuel by planning your meals and shopping only once on your trip. In fact, try to do your shopping on the way to your weekend getaway. Keep the reusable shopping bags in your car so you don’t forget them.

Wherever possible, buy produce from local growers at farmers markets or roadside stands. Often small stores will carry food from local sources. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at how many products are produced locally. Some farms even keep gardens going part way through the winter.

Just because you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean the disposable plates and cutlery have to come out. When you do use them, choose the biodegradable varieties.

Install water saving showerheads up at the cottage and opt for a dip in the lake instead of a bath everyday.

Use energy efficient CFL’s or LED lighting. Use motion lights outdoors to cut back on usage.

Use recycled toilet paper and bring up extra towels to replace paper towels. In fact, take a tip from Martha Stewart and keep a rag pail in your kitchen for quick wipe ups.

If your getaway is a regular escape, consider installing a composter for your organic waste, otherwise, capture it in a pail and bring it home. Bring extra containers for your recycling as well.

Get blinds or heavy currents and close them while you’re away to keep the heat in and the cold out. Use a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature and not waste energy while you’re absent.

Consider installing solar panels for a supplemental source of energy.

When furnishing your getaway with appliances, look for those with Energy Star rating.

Is your vacation home located in a wet area? If so, you may want a rain barrel to capture some of that valuable water for your plants.

This second home is your relaxing getaway, you’ve got no one to impress here. Let your grass grow longer or replace some of it with mulch or native plants. Set your mower to three inches and mulch the cut grass.