Most of us can remember renting our first home. We celebrated the good (independence! junk food in the pantry! a double bed!) and, of course, lamented the bad (monthly bills, leaky faucets, and crazy neighbors). But along with the many freedoms granted to us in a new house, apartment, or sublet, there can be limitations laid out in the lease by the landlord or the building's managing agent: Don't paint the walls. Don't play loud music. Don't complain about your energy-inefficient honker of a fridge.

Let's face it: If you rent but don't own, it's not easy to find ways to make your home eco-friendly-especially when you don't have a say with regard to the kinds of appliances in the kitchen, the fixtures in the bathroom, or the source of your hot water and electricity. As always, you can talk to your landlord about home improvements. But if you'd like to fight the good fight against climate change on your own, here are some ways to get started.

• Get rid of phantom loads by unplugging or by using a power strip. More than half of the electricity used to power your home electronics is consumed while the devices are not in use, which means your television, stereo, and phone chargers are drawing energy even when they're turned off or not charging anything. Since it can be difficult to remember to unplug every device before you leave the house, purchase a power strip or surge protector that you can easily switch off.
• Set a programmable thermostat to control heating and cooling in your home. On hot days, you can save up to 16 percent on your energy bill if you set the temperature about six degrees warmer while you're away.
• Nuke your food. Microwave ovens are two-thirds more energy-efficient than conventional ones. Save time and money by zapping that leftover pasta.

For a darker shade of green:

• Find out if there is green energy available in your area-either from 100 percent renewable sources or in the form of offsets available from your current energy provider. In the latter case, the extra few dollars you'll spend per month may not be rerouting alternative energy directly to your home, but it is offsetting the ill effects of a carbon-belching coal plant somewhere.

Water

• Shrink the capacity of your toilet's water tank with some old soda bottles. Here's a great do-it-yourself trick. Chris Neidl, education and outreach director at Solar One, recommends filling a pair of 2-liter soda bottles with stones and water-making them heavy enough to stand steadily-and placing them in the tank of your toilet. Conventional toilets use about four to six gallons of water per flush (compared with low-flush toilets, which use less than two). By placing soda bottles in the tank, you'll displace some of the water that the toilet thinks it needs to get a good flush, saving tens of gallons a day.
• Take shorter showers. If you cut your shower from eight to four minutes, you'll save close to thirty gallons...per shower. Think about it.

For a darker shade of green:

• If you can't stand the idea of shortening your precious get-clean ritual, consider installing a low-flow showerhead. Contrary to popular belief, getting one of these won't affect the pressure of your water: Air is added to the stream to give it a high-velocity flow-and to give you the impression that you're using more water than you are. But you will save you up to 20 gallons per eight-minute shower.

Air quality

• Get a green thumb and add some houseplants to the decor. Studies show that English ivy and peace lilies can act as natural air filters, extracting harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from your environment.

For a darker shade of green:

• Replace any synthetic rugs and rug pads with floor coverings made from natural fibers, such as organic cotton, wool, jute, or sisal. Synthetic fibers, which are made from petroleum, can emit volatile chemicals for several years.

• Why buy Tupperware? Wash and reuse those takeout containers instead. You'll keep the plastic out of the landfills, and you won't have to spring for containers at the next potluck party.

• Find out if your building recycles. If it does, remember to separate your recyclables, including plastics (numbers 1 and 2 are the most commonly recycled types in the U.S.), as well as glass bottles and aluminum and steel cans. If your building doesn't recycle, try to locate your local recycling center and see what they'll collect.

For a darker shade of green:

• If you're feeling adventurous, try composting, which involves separating the organic waste from the nonorganic and allowing it to biodegrade naturally, sometimes with the help of worms. Composting allows the matter to decompose (something unlikely to happen if it gets buried), keeps more trash out of the waste stream, and provides you with top-quality nourishment for your garden or houseplants.

Food

• When you're at the grocery store, shop responsibly. Look for certifications such as Fair Trade and USDA organic, and read labels closely-there's a lot of greenwashing out there.
• Alternatively, locate your local farmers market or co-op and try to get as much of your produce, meat, and other grocery needs there. As the seasons progress from summer to winter, it does get more difficult to find just what you need. But every local item you do buy means one less thing that had to be shipped across the country or halfway around the world.

For a darker shade of green:

• Buy shares in your local community-supported agriculture farm (CSA), and receive weekly bags or baskets of fresh, locally grown (and typically organic) produce in return for your investment. This is how it works: You purchase a share of the season's harvest, which covers the cost of seeds, fertilizer, equipment, and labor. The CSA grows, to the best of its ability, produce to satisfy the needs of all of its supporters, usually from late spring through early fall, and often longer in milder climates.

Cleaning

• Switch to nontoxic cleaners, such as Mrs. Meyer's, Method, and Ecover. These companies use biodegradable, plant-derived ingredients as often as possible, and some offer concentrated formulas to reduce packaging. Less packaging means less plastic. And less plastic is good.

For a darker shade of green:

• Mix your own cleaners using natural ingredients from around the house, such as vinegar, baking soda, and borax. You'll save money and impress your guests with your sparkling, lemony-fresh countertops and floors.

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