Green tips for a healthier lifestyle

Easy everyday actions can make a big difference

From habitat restoration events and treatment plant tours, to hazardous waste disposal events, to tips for smart purchasing from our own "Ecoconsumer” Tom Watson, King County can show you how “It's Easy Being Green.” Join King County this summer at one of our many events.

Whether it's participating in a habitat restoration event, safely disposing of household hazardous waste, or even taking a tour of one of several King County facilities that help keep our region healthy.

Residents can help with the County's efforts through individual actions, such as:

Making smart transportation choices for trips to work, home or school by taking transit, carpooling, walking or biking
Greening up your commute;
Continuing to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Continuing to reduce, reuse, and recycle;
Reducing your carbon footprint;
Reducing your carbon footprint;
Considering the environmental impacts of purchases and choosing sustainably manufactured, efficient alternatives
Greening up your home and garden by purchasing environmentally friendly products

Choices at School

Choices at School Your school can participate in the King County Green Schools Program to receive assistance, recycling containers and signs, and ongoing support to help students and staff take action to reduce waste and recycle, decrease energy and water use, and other conservation practices. Join 150 schools throughout the County that have been recognized as King County Green Schools.

To increase student awareness of waste prevention, recycling and resource conservation, schools can request classroom workshops on topics such as biodiversity, over-consumption, and habitat and resource stewardship. These hands-on workshops are available for both elementary and secondary grades. An assembly show is offered at the elementary level and assistance in forming Green Teams to carry out environmental projects is offered at all levels.

Photo by Mithian


News and Resources

What can I do? 10 steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
It’s now easier than ever to get to parks and other great places in King County. Use the popular destinations page to help you fill in the online trip planner and be on your way. Choose from Parks and Recreation or other destinations and start planning your trip today.

What can I do? 10 steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
872KB PDF or learn more about how you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Puget Sound starts here
King County continues its commitment to safeguard Puget Sound and protect human health by joining forces with the newly organized Puget Sound Starts Here campaign.

King County Family Fun

King County Family Fun King County shows kids, parents and educators many simple ways for families to make environmentally smart and healthy choices.

Household Choices

Household Choices Eco-Cool Remodel Tool provides remodeling tips for healthy, comfortable spaces that can save you money, increase your home’s value and help protect the environment.

King County’s GreenTools Program helps builders, residents, businesses, governments and others create green buildings and sustainable infrastructure. GreenTools also provides technical assistance, hands-on training and grants.

Using fluorescent bulbs and tubes are great ways to save energy but they contain dangerous mercury and must be properly recycled.

 

Commuting Choices

Commuting Choices Ride the bus instead of driving alone and you’ll reduce greenhouse gases and the amount of green leaving your wallet.

Join or start a Metro vanpool Metro’s Vanpool Program has low monthly fares that include gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside service.

Try carpooling Share the ride with neighbors and friends to save gas and other commute costs–and use the carpool lane to zip past traffic. It’s easy to find a rideshare partner.

 

Consumer Choices

Recycle electronics at a Take it Back Network location. They will take back products such as computers, TVs, cell phones and certain other household electronics. You can recycle computers, monitors, TVs and e-readers for free at E-Cycle Washington (external) locations.

Consumer Choices"What do I do with?" website offers information on how to recycle, re-use or properly dispose of nearly 100 categories of items—from electronics to propane tanks.

King County’s EcoConsumer Program offers resources to help balance consuming with conserving.

Safely dispose of your left over or expired medications at a pharmacy or law enforcement office.

Choosing environmentally friendly, biodegradable household cleaning and personal care products minimizes the entry of harmful chemicals into the environment.

Careful what you flush. The label might say "flushable," but disposable wipes and other products are clogging our sewer lines and damaging pumps and other equipment.

 

Leisure Choices

Leisure Choices Volunteer to restore habitat in a King County park or natural area. Learn about and explore the nature that lies just outside your door.

King County offers plenty of pesticide-free outdoor places where kids and pets can play worry free.

Plant right for your site using native vegetation that looks great and requires little or no maintenance. You save both time and money when you use native plants and trees, plus they need fewer potentially harmful pesticides.

Learn how climate change could impact your forest and discover solutions for your property on our Forestry Climate Preparedness and Response website.

Choose from more than 700 environmentally responsible businesses, including landscapers, car repair shops, dry cleaners and dentists that display the EnviroStars decal.

 

Food Choices

Food Choices Food scraps and food-soiled paper make up more than 30 percent of residential garbage. Learn how to recycle food scraps in your curbside yard waste cart.

King County grow fresh food year ‘round with nearly 1,500 farms across the County and more than three dozen farmers markets. Buying locally supports King County’s agricultural community.

 

Choices at Work

Choices at Work Consider creating an office supplies exchange at work. Reusable office supplies reduce the purchase of new supplies and prevents old supplies from being sent to landfills.

Take the stairs! Getting out of the elevator and taking the stairs keeps you active and cuts energy.