If most people were asked to do a quick word association about air pollution, chances are strong words like “city” and “traffic” would be among the first to come to mind. However, while large cities with heavy traffic are certainly susceptible to air pollution, city dwellers and drivers aren’t the lone culprits.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), what we do inside our homes, regardless of where we live, can be polluting the air both indoors and out. To do your part, consider the following tips for reducting air pollution:
- Recycle. One of the easiest ways to help reduce air pollution is to participate in your community’s recycling program. Recycling helps reduce air pollution by reducing production emissions. Plus, recycling helps to conserve valuable – and expensive – energy.
- Proper stroage and disposal of common household items. Many items around the house can be very harmful to the environment if not disposed of or stored properly. One easy thing you can do to help the environment is to make sure your paints, pesticides and solvents are stored in airtight containers.
- Inspect your appliances regularly. Inspecting heating and cooling systems (filters, in particular), can help reduce the emissions of harmful gases into the air both inside and outside your home. Have a professional (like us!) check your home comfort system in the Spring and Fall. If your system isn’t operating efficiently, it could be costing you significant amounts of energy dollars.
