Considering the fact that the average person produces 4.5 pounds of waste per day according to the EPA, we would be remiss not to address the question of household waste in our exploration of what it takes to make a green home. Thanks to more widespread public and private recycling programs and increased consumer awareness, Americans are definitely learning to tighten their ‘waste-line,’ but we still produce a phenomenal amount of garbage on a daily basis. Before we can talk about reducing, re-using and re-cycling, Green Home 101 needs to talk trash.


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Post tags: efficiency, Environment, Green Home 101, landfill, plastic recycling, recycling, reuse, trash, trash talk, waste management, Waste reduction

The kitchen is the heart of any home. The average American spends three to five hours a day in the kitchen – preparing food, eating, hanging out, entertaining, standing in front of the fridge (with the door closed, of course) trying to figure out what to make for dinner. For our readers who have been inspired by our Green Home 101 series and are interested in doing some serious “greenovating” starting in the kitchen, we’ve gathered a few useful tips to consider. Your goals should include extremely efficient appliances, low-VOC and healthy finishes, and surfaces that are durable, easy to clean, and of course, aesthetically pleasing.

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Post tags: bosch appliances, energy efficient refrigerator, Green Home 101, green kitchen, greenovating your kitchen, kitchen cabinet, kitchen countertop, sustainable design, sustainable housewares

Inhabitat is proud to present our readers with the world’s most exciting developments in future-forward design. Still, the stunning array of beautiful green furnishings and stylish products available today presents certain questions about the responsible consumption of green goods. The time has come address these challenges and take an in-depth look at our collective green habits. Read on for a list of seven bad habits of Eco-Design driven consumers, and the first steps that begin the road to recovery.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", bad habits of eco-consumers, green design, green design critique, Green Home 101, sustainable design, sustainable transportation, Waste reduction

Its 9am on a Wednesday morning and you find yourself preparing for your day with a cup of coffee in hand and your daily Inhabitat Digest open on your desktop. But today is no ordinary day. Today when your boss catches you in the act of reading our blog instead of working, you can tell him or her “Don’t worry, I’m researching a new green office strategy, which will save us money and create a better working environment,” or something to that effect. While this may seem like a convenient excuse, we know our suggestions for creating a greener workspace will help you do just that: to take your love of environmental issues and infuse them into your work routine, those of your colleagues and the practices of your company.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", bosch, Green Home 101, green office, green working environment, greening your office, sustainable office, sustainable workplace, Waste reduction

We can’t all be dark greens but, as Inhabitat’s Green Home 101 series shows, the sum of many small choices can make a big difference in the long run. Consumers might be criticized for belonging to the holy church of the organic but with spending on organic products going from about $744 million in 2005 to $938 million in 2006 according to the Organic Trade Association, green consumerism is at an all-time high. To help consumers make better choices, a new generation of green lifestyle experts has emerged. Committed environmentalists in their own right, these experts share their insight and offer consumers a myriad of practical tips to make better, greener, healthier choices as they wade through all the products at Whole Foods, Walmart, and Home Depot. As part of our Green Home 101 series, Inhabitat caught up with Danny Seo, Starre Vartan and John Picard to see how they emerged as leading green lifestyle experts.

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Post tags: bosch, green experts, Green Home 101, green lifestyle, Meet the Green Home Experts, sustainable lifestyle

This blue planet we call home is covered in water – from majestic mountain lakes, to expansive seas, to windy creeks, to home faucet flows. With a seemingly endless supply of fresh potable water coming through our pipes each day, its easy to remember that the Earth’s Surface is 71% H2O, but difficult to articulate how our individual consumption habits contribute to worldwide water shortages and pollution. With the average US citizen consuming between 100 gallons per day, according to the EPA, we continue to drink up, soak up, and waste up, this finite resource, even as one third of the world’s population live in countries experiencing moderate to high water stress. But don’t fret just yet. Read on to find out how you can minimize your water consumption through smart choices in appliances >

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Post tags: Buying water saving appliances, Green Appliances, green design, green dishwashers, Green Home 101, sustainable design, water efficient, water saving

What does it take to lead a good, green lifestyle? With more and more ‘green’ products hitting the market, the conscientious consumer now faces a veritable morass of choices; small important everyday choices that can make a big difference in the long run. This fall, Inhabitat launches a special 8-part series will explore various aspects of the “green lifestyle” – what it means, what to look for, and where to look for more in-depth expert insight. We’ll start close to home with something as seemingly mundane as house cleaning.

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Post tags: eco cleaners, Green Cleaners, green cleaning, Green Cleaning 101, Green Home 101, healthy cleaners, Inhabitat series