Toilets

Although American toilets are using less water per flush now than they did in the past, there's still much room for improvement. Many of the hardcore greens are moving to the admirable "if it's yellow letter it mellow" movement. But I'm sure many of us are a little hesitant to dive right in at that depth.

If you are building a house or remodeling or just have the money to install an improved toilet, consider installing a dual flush model. Popular throughout the rest of the world, dual flush toilets give you two flush options: one for liquid waste (uses a small amount of water) and another for solid waste (uses more water). Here in America, you can try them out in Ikea restrooms. For examples, see Caromausa, Kohler, or ToTo.

There are also a few different kits you can purchase to retrofit your current toilet. Check out Aquanotion's TwoFlush kit. It's highly recommended across the green internet.

Of course, you can also do more low-tech solutions to make your toilet more water saavy. Green Is Sexy's article A New Resolution for an Old Toilet recommends, "To reduce the amount of water your toilet consumes, try filling up a half-gallon plastic bottle with stones or sand and water, seal it shut and place it in your toilet tank. This will make the toilet tank seem more full and will require less water to fill ‘er up (think of your bathtub with you in it). Keep the bottle away from the operating mechanisms and make sure your tank has enough water left to flush properly. By making this teeny change, you can save up to 60% of the water you were using before."