1 | STYLISH SPACE-SAVERS
Hunt no more for a spot for your recyclables. Ikea comes to the rescue with the perfect recycling bins! These space-saving, stackable containers come in a variety of sizes and have convenient flip-top lids. Keep a set right next to your trash can and never forget to recycle again! Two sizes shown are $9.99 and $12.99, available at Ikea stores.
2| HEALTHY H2O
Tired of lugging those bulky cases of water home from the grocery store? Give your back a break and invest in a Brita filtration pitcher. One filter effectively replaces as many as 300 standard bottles of water—that’s a lot of plastic that will stay out of the waste stream and money that will stay in your pocket! Tap water never tasted so good! Pitcher shown retails for $32.99 and includes 2 filters. Replacement filters retail for $7.99. Available at Target stores.
3 | ENERGY EFFICIENT
If your house is anything like mine, you have surge protectors everywhere. I was thrilled when I discovered the Belkin Conserve Smart AV strip. Plug all of your entertainment components into the strip and you’ll conserve enough standby power to save an average of $76 on your electric bill per year! Sold at Home Depot for about $30.
4 | A BETTER CUP OF JOE
Keurig coffee machines are a fast and convenient way to get your morning caffeine fix, but the disposable K-Cups are no friend to the environment. Enter the Ekobrew. Simply fill this reusable cup with your favorite ground beans and watch the savings pile up – not the trash (Note: a pound of loose coffee gets twice as many brews as a box of 24 K-Cups). Ekobrew available at Sam’s Club stores for $9.99.
5 | GREEN CLEAN
Cleaning floors was a chore until I found the Libman Freedom Spray Mop. Simply fill the detachable bottle with your favorite eco-friendly floor cleaner, attach a machine-washable pad, and mop away! No disposable cleaning pads or batteries means less waste. Everyone can be an environmentalist with this mop! Available at Lowe’s and Kmart stores for about $20.
BY SABRINA FERNANDEZ | PHOTOS BY TANIA COLAMARINO, AMA PHOTOGRAPHY
