Camphill Village Kimberton Hills News

Being Eco-Friendly

Camphill Kimberton will be participating in the August 4th Phoenixville Green Earth Festival from 9am - 2pm.

We have won numerous awards for our many years of sustainability efforts across our village, most recently the Chester County Citizen's for Climate Protection (4CP) Gene Wilson Award and the PA Horticultural Society's Community Greening Award. 

People at Camphill Kimberton have learned many ways at home to tread more lightly on the earth.  Here is a comprehensive list of things they do and some things you can try at home. If you have any other suggestions, please send them to Lyla@CamphillKimberton.org.

Things We Kimberton Hillians Do to Be Eco-Friendly

as of July 3, 2012

I. Reduce

1.    Turn off surge strip when not in use

2.    Unplug unused equipment from surge strip when in use for something else

3.    Retain used hot water (sinks;bath) in winter for heat/humidity value and retain cold water likewise in the summer as a coolant

4.    Sweep rather than vacuum whenever possible

5.    Use washable area rugs (can shake out) rather than carpeting

6.    Use smallest workable amount of tap water

7.    Use least amount of heated water possible, i.e., plug sink for dishwashing

8.    Hang laundry rather than use dryer

9.    If it’s yellow, let it mellow! (in the toilet)

10.  Turn off shower water when soaping up.  Don’t linger.

11.  Shade windows in summer heat, opening windows when it is cooler outside and closing them when it is becoming warmer outside than in

12.  Biking when possible rather than driving

13.  Use reel lawn mower when feasible

14.  Regularly inflate tires to proper pressure

15.  Combine errands

16.  Cook on woodstove in winter

17.  Use renewable wood as heat source in winter

18.  Wipe off butter/fat/food from utensils/plates before washing – saves soap/detergent

19.  Only full loads for washing machine and dishwasher(if/when used)

20.  Wash laundry in cold water

21.  Set thermostat at 60-65 for winter days and 55-60 for winter nights

22.  Use CFL’s for almost all lighting

23.  Buy cars that get good gas mileage

24.  Least possible use of disposable products (cloth napkins; handkerchiefs; rags)

25.  New appliance purchases are “Energy Star”

26.  Use bathroom vent fan as little as possible

27.  Turn off lights when not needed

28.  Close heating vents of unoccupied rooms

29.  Keep wood stove damper closed when not in use, in the winter

30.  Promptly call in leaky faucets to maintenance

31.  Take short showers and no baths if possible

32.  Make sure storm windows are used properly in winter

33.  Keep south-facing windows clean in winter (and dirty in summer! ;-))

34.  Keep foods covered in refrigerator (moisture loss makes compressor work harder)

35.  Make sure gas flames are blue and not yellow.  Get them adjusted if they are yellow

36.  Keep stovetop heat reflectors clean for more efficient heating

37.  Use efficient, covered electric kettle to boil water for drinks and cooking

38.  Use cookware larger than diameter of flame

    39. Make cookware is centered over flame

    40. Use toaster oven (when big enough) instead of stove oven

     41. Use pressure cooker as often as practicable

     42.In winter, let hot leftovers cool in the house before refrigerating

43. In summer, let hot leftovers cool outside before refrigerating

44. Don’t use cars for in-village life/business

45. Communicating by e-mail rather than paper when sensible

46. Use clothing as many times as you can stand before washing

47. Reduce junk mail via Catalog Choice or calling the opt-out number on the catalog

48. Heat up water in the sun before finishing boiling for cooking

49. Use fans instead of dehumidifiers

50. Practice hypermiling while driving

a.    minimize braking as much as possible by looking as far ahead as possible and coasting as needed to make as many green lights as possible

b.    drive as close to optimum efficiency speed for the vehicle as possible

c.    take inside curves on highway whenever possible

d.    be gentle on the accelerator – avoid quick surges and maintain steady pace

e.    coast in neutral on the downhills as much as possible

51. Cooking in a hay box (cooler)  

52. Make our own yoghurt and granola

53. Bring own utensils/plates to potlucks

54. Carpool

55. Swim in creek rather than showering

56. Go to bed when it gets dark

57. Minimize electronic entertainment use

58. Home canning/preserving

59. Use TJ, KWF and Lionville donations

60. Use vinegar and baking soda as a detergent

61. Plant bushes/trees to shade house for the summers

62. Buy extremely local (in the village) when possible

63. Hand-grate when possible rather than using food processor

64. Make sure everyone has a working bike

66. Minimal soap and water with microfiber sponge for dishes

67. Buy Costa Rican (closer) coffee rather than Sumatran (farther away)

68. Always buy in bulk

69. Eat raw and fermented foods

70. Bicycle-powered coffee grinder and food processor

71. Tell stories instead of watching TV  

72. Use a wash basin rather than filling a sink for dish wash

73. Plant trees

II. Reuse

1.    Re-use plastic wrap by washing in the dish wash water.

2.    Re-use plastic (and paper and, of course, cloth) grocery bags

3.    Give unused items to Goodwill

4.    Re-use used envelopes for internal mail (and some external mail)

5.    Buy or get donated used furniture and other household items

6.    Use reusable plastic containers for leftovers

7.    Re-use string from the weaver

8.    Make placemats out of cloth scraps

9.    Make use of “hand-me-down” clothing

10.  Re-use leftover hot tea as cold tea

11.  Try to fix/mend clothing, appliances, etc. before replacing

12.  Use bakery oven to cook/bake

13.  Use ball jars as “water bottles”

14.  Clean aluminum foil for re-use

15.  Give excess plastic bags to CSA and paper bags to weavery

16.  Make our own soap from animal fat

17.  Use egg cartons for light fixtures (see Kerria for explanation)

18.  Use bacon fat for cooking

19.  Make broth from leftover bones

20.  Make tires out of old sneakers and hus out of old tires

III. Recycle

1.    Compost all possible organic waste

2.    Recycle used printer and copier ink cartridges at Staples

3.    Use Recycling Services, Inc. for all possible recyclables – 1-7plastics, cardboard,

glass, Styrofoam, metal, toilet paper rolls, batteries, old clothes, appliances, 

electronics, flower pots, etc., etc.!

4.    Recycle paper at Abitibi collector in farm yard

IV. Other

1.    Use bar soap to wash dishes instead of detergent with surfactants

2.    Clean only with natural products – baking soda, borax, vinegar, etc.

3.    Vigorously lobby legislators for sustainable policies/programs

4.    Tend nice gardens around house to welcome happy elementals

5.    Use hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine bleach

6.    Consume only teas grown in KH

7.    Use all the CSA veggies

8.    Make our own board games, and from locally harvested trees

9.    Make our own cheese

10.  Use only biodegradable body products

11.  Make our own hand wash/moisturizer

12.  Use leaves instead of toilet paper

13.  Respect all animal life

Things we Intend to do:

1.    Use rain barrels for garden and toilets

2.    Drain a quart of water from hot water heater every 3 months or so (removes settled

silt which decreases heater efficiency)

3.    Install tight-fitting, insulated window shades

4.    Defrost freezers more regularly

5.    Test and, if necessary, change/repair refrigerator and freezer seals/gaskets

6.    Get a solar cooker

7.    Get a solar food drier

8.    Use outhouse by estate shed more often

9.    Use car only for essentials

10.  Make our own paper

11.  Make our own candles from old ones

12.  No lights during the day

13.  Drink filtered creek water (there are better, easier ways – MTB)

14.  Use LED light bulbs

15.  Find eco-friendly substitute for natural gas

16.  Drive hybrids

17.  Plant 300 trees in 2013

18.  Replace gas stove with pilot lights with one that has electronic ignition

Add your own and new ones and share them with everyone!