Home Eco-Party Checklist

Please fill this out with regard to your home, and bring it to the eco-party.

Waste Reduction and Recycling:

One out of every $11 spent for food pays for packaging. 

Packaging accounts for about 40-50% of household waste.

Those who take their own bags and containers to the store can avoid over 500 packages per year.

1. ___  Do you have a durable, reusable shopping bag?

2. ___  Is it with you when you need it?

3. ___  Do you reuse veggie and bulk items plastic bags?

4. ___  Do you reuse your containers for bulk supplies of oil, honey, peanut butter, shampoo, body lotion, detergent?

5. ____ Do you buy primarily large rather than individual servings of items such as raisins, chips, yogurt?

6. Here are a bunch of disposables. Which have you not purchased in the past year?

            (the paper can be composted; the aluminum foil, recycled)

            __ Paper Plates                        __ Coffee Filters                     __ Paper Napkins       

            __ Disposable Cups                 __ Paper Towels                     __ Plastic Wrap

            __ Aluminum Foil                   __ Sandwich Bags                   __ Garbage Liners

__ Disposable Diapers            __ Baby Wipes                        __ Disposable Razors

7. ____ Are any of your paper products made of recycled fiber?

__ paper towels           __ toilet paper   __ facial tissue           __ stationery

8. ____ Have you reduced your “junk” mail so that you generally receive only what you want?

* Write to the following service to have your name taken off all marketing lists:

            Mail Preference Service                                   * To eliminate credit card offers call:  1-888-567-8688

            Direct Marketing Assoc.                     

            P.O. Box 9008                                               

            Farmington, NY 11735

9. ____  Do you print/write drafts and take telephone notes on used paper?

10. ___  Do you recycle all items that can be recycled?  What would you like to recycle that isn’t eligible?

11.___ What portion of your garments were purchased used rather than new?

12.___  Do you maintain a compost pile for yard debris? see fact sheet

13.___ Do you compost food scraps in a worm box, compost pile or by burying in the soil? see fact sheet

14.___  Do you use the compost?

15.          How much garbage does your household discard each week?

__ Up to one grocery bag (5 gal.)      __ Up to a tall bag (13 gal.)

__ Up to a 32 gallon can                    __ Over 32 gallons

Toxics Reduction:

16. ___ Is most of the produce in your kitchen organically or locally grown?

17. ___ Do you raise some of your own fruits and/or vegetables?

18. ___ How many meatless dinners do you eat per week?

 Which of these toxic cleaning supplies are not found in your house?

FYI – LABELS:  caution means 2 Tbsp. to a pint could kill you; warning means 1 Tbsp. could kill you; danger means 1 tsp. could kill you

__ Drain Cleaner 

__ Chlorine Bleach

__ Carpet Cleaner

__ Tub Cleaner

__ Spot Remover

__ Oven Cleaner

__ Ammonia

__ Metal Polish

__ Deodorizer

__ Furniture Polish

__ Toilet Bowl Cleaner

__ Floor Cleaner

Non-Toxic Substitutes

Vinegar:  windows, floors 

     Baking soda: sinks, tubs, toilets, tile, drains, ovens

Borax:  When baking soda isn’t strong enough.

Bio-Pak products: for dishwashers and washing machines (available at  local food co-ops)

20.       Which of the following pesticides are not found on your premises?

           __ Weed Killer                        __ Flea Collars            __ Insecticides

           __ Wood Preservatives           __ Slug Bait                 __ Moth Repellent

21. ___ How many garments have you dry cleaned in the past year?

Energy/Water Conservation:

23. ___  Do you walk, bike, bus, or carpool to work (or other regular trips)?

24. ___  Have you had an energy audit from your utility company and implemented the recommendations?

25. ___  Do you turn your thermostat down at night and when you are gone during the day?

26. ___  How many compact fluorescents are in your home?

27. ___  Is your water heater set at 120°?

28. ___  Does your shower head emit 2.5 gallons/minute or less?

29. ___  How many minutes are spent in the shower per person, per week? OR  How many inches of water are filled in the bathtub each week?

30. ___  How many loads of laundry per person, per week?

31. ___  Do you use cold water for the wash and rinse cycles?

32. ___  How many dishwasher loads per person, per week?

33.___  Do you hang your clothes to dry at least 1/3 of the year?

34.___  Is your lawn mower a hand-push type?

35. ___  Do you have/practice any of the following?

           __ A displacement device in your toilet tank? __ A dual flush system?

           __ A low flush toilet?                                      __ Minimal flushing?

36. ___ What was your electricity use in KWH last month? In VT this is .3# CO₂/kilowatt hour.

37. ___ How much fuel did you use to heat your house last winter? Heating oil is 22# CO₂/gallons

38. ___ How many cars per adult?   ___         Average miles per gallon?

39. ___ Total miles driven per household per year? Divide miles driven by miles/gallon x 20# CO₂/gallon of gas

40. ___ Number of airplane trips per household per year? 1# CO₂/mile of air travel

For information about hosting an Eco-Party contact Vermont Earth Institute

 (802) 333-3664     vei@valley.net     P.O. Box 466, Norwich, VT 05055      www.vtearthinstitute.org

The average UK motorist produces 2255 kg of CO₂ in one year

A one way trip from London to Miami produces 2415 kg of CO₂ per passenger.

40. source: Aviation and Global Climate Change, a report published on 2nd May 2000 by Friends of the Earth, the Aviation Environment Federation, the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection and HACAN/Clear Skies.