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Automate light use with sensors, motions detectors, and timers

5/23/2025

Having both indoor and outdoor lights with light sensors, motion detectors, or on timers automates turning lights on only when you need them, saving energy and money.

PECO estimates that you can save up to $15 per year by installing wall-mounted light sensors in your house and putting devices on timers so that they are turned off during the hours that they are not needed. You can save another $25 per year by installing outdoor lights with light sensors, so that they only turn on after dark, and motion sensors, so that they turn on just while you need them to see while you unlock your door. You get the benefit of security lights while minimizing the use of these higher wattage lights.

Read more from the Department of Energy.

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Buy sustainably harvested wood

5/16/2025

For your building projects, buy wood harvested from sustainably managed forests by choosing FSC and SFI certified materials.

When shopping for wood for building and projects, look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification labels. When you see these labels, you can be confident that the wood was harvested from sustainably managed forests.

SFI promotes responsible forest management in the US and Canada while the FSC operates worldwide. The certifications offered by FSC ensure that forests harvested for wood are “being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability.” SFI certification requirements “include measures to help protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and forests with exceptional conservation value.”

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Reuse glass jars for food storage

5/9/2025

Glass is safer than plastic for food storage: give used glass jars a new life by using them to store food.

This is especially the case for hot food which can cause chemicals to leach from the plastic container into the food. You can buy canning jars and re-usable screw-on lids, or even better, wash out jam, peanut butter, or spaghetti sauce jars and use them for storing leftovers. They are also great for storing food items that you buy in the bulk section, like dry pasta, dried beans, and rice. Another advantage to glass for storage is that you can see the contents so that you can remember what leftovers need to be eaten (link to other tip). When your glass jars are no longer useful, recycle them at the Swarthmore Recycling Center.

Extend the life of fresh asparagus

5/2/2025

Spring is the season for fresh asparagus! Cut down on food waste by following these steps to keep your asparagus fresh longer:

When you get your asparagus home, trim off about 1 inch of the bottom ends.
Stand them upright in a jar or other container filled with about 1 inch of water.
Cover the tops loosely with a plastic bag
Store in the refrigerator
Change the water if it gets cloudy
They should stay fresh this way for at least 3-5 days.

Read more here:
Southernliving.com
Foolproofliving.com

Automate light use with sensors, motions detectors, and timers

Buy sustainably harvested wood

Reuse glass jars for food storage

Extend the life of fresh asparagus

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