EPA Conversations Browse Popular ideas

Around the country and around the world, from Aspen, Colorado to Seattle, Washington to Delhi, India, communities are making a choice and banning single-use plastic grocery bags. Reducing these single-use items can decrease our resource consumption and energy use. In 2009, the United States used 102 billion plastic bags, an enormous amount of fossil fuel resources were required to make those bags which consume extravagant... more »

If we start requesting people to bring their own reusable bottles of water if they need water this will save money and the environment. Just for convenience bottled water is being served at every events and meetings. I am organizing an event Earthday@Loudoun Family Festival and we decided not to provide it. We'll have water to fill up reusable bottles and bottles to give away if people need it.

School districts all across the USA are serving school food on Styrofoam (also known as polystyrene) lunch trays. These trays, composed of the chemicals styrene and benzene, are used for about 30 minutes only, then most commonly incinerated or transported to landfills where they take up an enormous amount of space. In New York City alone, 850,000 Styrofoam trays are used per day, which are exported to out of state to... more »

Every property owner has a huge opportunity to protect the environment by practicing environmentally friendly gardening. Green Gardeners make a huge difference to the environmental health of the planet.

MAKE RECYCLING MANDATORY IN AMERICA. My town recycles yet all of the property managed buildings do not. How can we fight to make people recycle world wide? Our trash consumption is ludacris.. help EPA, I am currently going to school for a degree in Environmental studies, so I hope to join you in the fight to save our Earth..

Ordering lunch to-go in your own, reusable container (like Tupperware) can prevent a ton of plastic waste from ending up in landfills, gutters, and the ocean. 93% of plastic in the U.S. is NOT recycled, but rather ends up in the landfill.

The Lunchbox Project is simple and effortless. Leave a reusable container at the office and there’s no forgetting. The Lunchbox Project promotes your local economy by encouraging people... more »

Hydraulic fracturing uses a ton of the public water supply and laces it with chemicals that fracture the rock in order to capture the gas. As much as 40% of this chemical/water mixture is lost, leaving it to seep into the ground where it travels into the aquifer, contaminating the groundwater supply, harming wildlife and aquatic life, and potentially harming humans. According to the EPA, 70 to 140 billion gallons of... more »

Use gallon of vinegar on weeds instead of using pesticides. Vinegar kills weeds dead, is exceedingly cheaper than toxins and does no harm to groundwater.

Mix grass clippings with equal parts shredded newspaper, keep moist and "toss" frequently for a compost salad mulch to sprinkle around and nutufe your garden.

Offices and showrooms should turn off lights etc. in sections where these are not required and when the working hours.

Judiciously use the 5 P's (Petrol, Paper, Plastic, Power, Potable Water)

Embrace the 5 R's (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Be Responsible, Refuse).

 

Rajiv Sinha: Griffith University Prof.

We should use more public transports to work, home or travel in order to reduce the green house gases emission and fuel consumption. I know it is really hard for the car dependent city - like where I live - Plano, TX, but we should make a start.

Five easy and quick ways to make sure your car runs a little more eco-friendly!
1. Proper tire inflation. Keeping your tires properly inflated will allow your car to track down the road evenly and safely. Less drag from under inflated tires.
2. Clean filters. Change your air filter and fuel filters at regular intervals. Your engine needs clean air to breathe and clean gas to burn. Efficiency comes from both.
3. Run... more »

Buidlings account for ~ 40% of CO2 emissions & 72% of electrical consumption in the US !
All existing buildings, especially Federal buildings should be benchmarked with EnergyStar and be operated to meet at least a rating of 75. Then the building operators should keep on improving the EnergyStar rating , New buildings should designed to meet an EnergyStar rating of at least 80, with the help of Target Finder.
It’s... more »

My number one reason for cycling to work is that it’s fun. My route includes a long stretch of a bike trail nestled above the Potomac river, where instead of a crowded metro car or traffic I enjoy early morning scenes of mist rising off the water, local crew teams gliding in rhythm to the “stroke, stroke, stroke” of the coxswain, and the occasional glimpse of a beaver or other critter.

But there are plenty of other... more »