You may think that just because you live in a condo or apartment, you can’t live as green as you would like. The good news? You can live a green lifestyle anywhere. There are eco-friendly alternatives for every home, says green expert and condo-dweller Glenda Anderson of Details International. 

Light. LED lighting is now widely available, extremely efficient and longer lasting than CFL light bulbs. “There’s an LED bulb for most existing light fixtures,” Anderson says. “My neighbor recently switched to LED and has seen tremendous savings.”

Cook. In the kitchen, switch out older appliances for energy-efficient ENERGY STAR® models. Anderson is a big fan of induction cooktops. They cook food quickly without heating up the kitchen, resulting in less need for air conditioning. Another way to get heat in a hurry—in the form of hot water—is with the Chili Pepper on-demand hot-water pump. It can be installed under the sink (if you have a hot water heater in-unit). Visit chilipepperapp.com for more info.

Cool. Fans use less energy than air conditioning, so opt for ceiling fans or even portable fans. When it comes to air conditioning, there are greener options for window units. “There are a lot of new ENERGY STAR® units now,” Anderson says, “and most have timers to prevent overuse.” Condos with central air can utilize a programmable thermostat.

Conserve. Even if you can’t make the switch to water-saving kitchen and bath fixtures, Anderson advises using a little common sense. “It doesn’t matter what kind of showerhead you have. If you still let it run and run, you’re not going to save much,” she says. Instead, she suggests turning the water off when shampooing or shaving.

Recycle. Anderson recommends taking advantage of your building’s recycling program. If your building does not have one, see if you can do anything to persuade the association to start, or dispose of recyclables off-site. For a list of community recycling locations, check out earth911.com.
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