GREEN FRIENDLY TIPS
Do you change your motor oil every 3,000 miles or less? According to the "Check Your Number" Campaign sponsored by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), automakers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000 or even 10,000 miles for some vehicle models. By changing your vehicles motor oil only when it's needed, you can save money and time while doing your part to save millions of gallons of oil from being wasted in California.
To determine the recommended oil change intervals for your vehicle, check your owner's manual or visit CheckYourNumber.org.
Tips for a Green Neighborhood
Air Quality
Current air quality and forecasts courtesy of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Also provided are links to useful information on reducing your personal exposure to toxic air pollution and reducing air pollution at home.
Smart Gardening Workshops & Composting Info
Composting is nature's way of recycling. It is the biological decomposition of organic debris such as leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable trimmings and other organic material commonly found in the trash. Compost refers to the stable humus or soil-like product of decomposition.
Home composting is another way Santa Clarita residents can reduce their waste, save resources and protect valuable landfill space. Composting is the optimum way to turn organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Soil conditioned with compost drains better, needs less irrigation and resists surface crusting and erosion.
In Santa Clarita, a significant amount of the garbage disposed of annually is organic green waste. To get more information about how you can compost and find out how to attend a free Smart Gardening Workshop, please visit www.smartgardening.com.
Fire Safe and Sustainable Landscapes
Trails
The trails are calling for you! Explore more than 60 miles of picturesque trails and paseos in Santa Clarita designed for commuting and recreational use, including walking, running, biking, and skating. Help reduce carbon emissions, traffic, and your gasoline costs by utilizing our local trail system.
For a trail map and more information go to: trails on www.santa-clarita.com
Think Green When You Clean
Take the extra step to go green when you clean by using eco-friendly cleaning products and finding a new life for items you no longer need.
Many common cleaning products are hazardous to the environment when flushed or thrown away and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fumes from household cleansers and other products may make indoor air in the typical home two to five times more polluted than the air outside. Today, many cleaning products have reduced toxins and are made with natural ingredients. And you don’t need to go to a specialty store to get them. Many of these less harmful cleaning products can be found at your local grocery store or retail chain.
Green cleaning products can also be made at home using baking soda or vinegar and lemon juice. Some examples include:
- Baking soda can be used as a gentle, non-abrasive cleaner for kitchen counter tops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and fiberglass. It is a useful air freshener and carpet deodorizer. Because it neutralizes or absorbs odor, baking soda can also be added to litter boxes, left open in the refrigerator or freezer, or included with laundry detergent.
- When white vinegar is mixed in equal parts with salt, it removes mildew, and added to water it is a good floor cleaner. Used straight, white vinegar can remove stains from the coffee pot, and is a good fabric softener.
For more information on “green” household cleaners, visit http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/hhw/alternative.cfm.
For more tips, visit the City of Santa Clarita’s Environmental Services Environmental Education webpage.
Water Quality & Conservation
Conserve Water at Home
FREE workshops for growing a beautiful and water-efficient garden. Topics include: The Edible Landscape, Saving Water, The Less-Grass Landscape, A Shady Deal, and much more!
These FREE workshops are held one Saturday per month from
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA),
27234 Bouquet Canyon Road. To register for CLWA classes or for a full schedule of workshops,
call (661) 513-1230 or visit CLWA.org
- Santa Clarita Valley Family of Water Suppliers: http://scvh2o.org/
- To get even more ideas for saving water around the home, you can also visit the "Virtual Home" website at www.H2ouse.org
- The Watering Calculator - How much water does your garden / landscape need?
WaterSense
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Explore this site to learn about water-efficient products, saving water, and how businesses and organizations can partner with WaterSense.
Santa Clarita's Smart Water Irrigation System
In order to save millions of gallons of municipal water, the City of Santa Clarita is taking on its irrigation water management system. Read more at Green Technology
