Eco-friendly ‘SAVER’ tips help Earth and conserve money, too

In honor of Earth Day, Tina Pepe, director of merchandising for The Company Store, offers her eco "SAVER" tips.

Seal drafty windows and doors: A home can lose about 50 percent of its heat or cool air through drafty windows and doors. While adequate insulation also plays an important role, the quickest way to start saving on your energy bill is to reseal all doors and windows in your home.

Avoid running water: Fresh water is a big concern in many parts of the world. Help do your part by turning water off while you brush your teeth, taking showers instead of baths and by only using the dishwasher when it is at its maximum capacity.

Vow against plastic bags: According to data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2001, upwards of 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide annually, and it can take months to hundreds of years for these bags to breakdown. By bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store you can do your part to minimize waste produced from plastic bags that seep into soil, lakes, rivers and oceans.

Energy-efficient appliances: The average household can save up to $400 annually by using energy-efficient appliances. Though there is an initial investment if you're upgrading, that cost will be recouped through energy savings over the life of the appliance.

Replace light bulbs: If we replaced just one light in every American home with an energy-efficient one, we could save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year. To break it down more, one fluorescent bulb can save approximately $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in six months. While the initial investment may seem steep, this is one change that continues to pay you back every time you flip the light switch on.

In addition to offering tips for ways to be environmentally responsible, The Company Store is launching its new Green Earth collection today .

Information courtesy The Company Store