Five ways to green your apartment

A friend of mine likes to say that you only need one tool to fix anything in an apartment: A telephone to call your landlord with.

I live in an apartment, and it's true that fixing anything in here is not my responsibility; it's my landlord's. In fact, I'm not supposed to make any alterations to the walls, windows, etc. While I like this lack of responsibility most of the time, one of the challenging things about it is making my apartment more eco-friendly. For example, I can't replace the windows, don't want to spend the money on a new shower head, and can't do anything about my water heater.

But, there are still things that I can do, and I wanted to pass them on if this is something you, my fellow apartment-dwellers, face as well. Thank you to ApartmentTherapy for several of these suggestions.

1. Recycle (and compost): I live in San Francisco and recycling and composting are mandated by the city. We have three separate bins downstairs. This is wonderful, but you still have to take the time to set up the systems in your own daily life; make it a habit!

2. Switch to green power: You may be able to elect to have your apartment's power come from a green source, depending on if your power company supports this option. Find out from the EPA.

3. Retrofit your toilet: For $59.95 you can get a universal retrofit that should allow you to drastically cut the amount of water you use for each flush, without getting a new toilet.

4. Get a new shower head: This guide is a great place to start. You should be able to save a ton of water just by getting something that shoots out less water at a higher pressure. Still a great shower!

5. Walk or bike: One of the biggest personal culprits (apart from airplane flying) is the exhaust from a car. One of the huge advantages city-dwellers have over sub-urban folks is that we don't have to use a car. Whenever you can, walk or bike to where you need to be.

Image courtesy of Bitman via flickr