Winter in central Ohio means higher energy use, but a few small changes can make a big difference. Sealing drafts around windows and doors, using window coverings at night, and changing furnace filters regularly can help keep homes warm while lowering energy bills. Setting your thermostat a few degrees lower and wearing layers indoors also saves energy without sacrificing comfort. When it comes to driving, remember that modern vehicles don’t need to “warm up” for several minutes like older cars did. Idling wastes fuel and increases emissions. Starting your car and driving gently is usually all it takes to get going efficiently.
Hosting a New Year’s Eve or Football Watch Party?
There are lots of reasons to celebrate this time of year, from the ball drop to the playing field, but if you’re going to host a party, make sure that you’re celebrating as sustainably as you can. Here are some tips to help you kick off the new year right.
- Use reusable tablecloths and washable or BPI-certified compostable dishes and silverware.
- Be sure to have clearly labeled receptacles for Recycling, Compost, and Landfill. You can find customizable signage at the Recycle Right Signmaker Tool.
- Plan ahead to avoid food waste– don’t buy more than you need, send leftovers home with your guests and store leftovers properly so they don’t go bad. Click here for a video recipe for making broccoli-cheese soup from a leftover party platter.
- Get creative with decorations- use paper lanterns instead of balloons and try out some biodegradable confetti.
- Click here for SWACO’s Green Holiday Guide, chock full of tips and tricks to tackle sustainability or ring in the new year with recycling.
Check Out A Special Year-End Episode Of The WastED Podcast
The latest version of the SWACO WastED podcast brings the whole journey into focus: a million pounds of food headed to the landfill every day, plastics evolving from confusion to circular products, and a community that keeps asking sharper questions about what belongs in the bin. In it, Joe Lombardi and Hanna Greer-Brown revisit the year’s most popular WastED episodes, from food waste work with local partners to a behind-the-scenes tour at the Columbus Zoo.
It all adds up to what those downloads reveal about what matters most in central Ohio, and you won’t want to miss it. Click here to listen today or find it wherever you get your podcasts.
