Time’s running out but there’s still a few days left to take advantage of some good tax breaks for greening your home, commute or car. Forbes compiled a handy list of 10 ways to save money while saving the planet.

1. Home Improvements – a 10% tax credit is available for many energy efficient upgrades such as replacing windows, improving insulation and certain a/c and heating units. See the Alliance to Save Energy for a straightforward explanation of details.

2. Electric Cars – receive a $7500 federal tax credit when you buy a new Chevy VOLT, Nissan Leaf or Ford’s forthcoming Focus Electric.

3. Residential Charging Station – although you don’t absolutely need to have one  to go with that e-car, they can make your life a little easier and Uncle Sam will provide a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of installing a charger (up to a maximum of $1000). not too shabby.

4. Car Conversion – convert your gas-guzzler into a plug-in with an electric car conversion kit and the feds will credit you for 10% of the cost, with a maximum credit of $4000. Act now – this credit will expire at the end of 2011.

5. Low speed electric vehicles – love this one, too. Sport about in a street legal golf cart or moped and get a federal tax credit of up to 10%, up to a maximum credit of $2500. Act now – only available through Dec 31, 2011.

6. Green Commuting – bus, train, subway and van-pooling commuters can save $240 a month pre-tax to pay their commuting expenses, provided their employers offer a pretax plan. (This is expected to become $125 per month, effective Jan 1, 2012.)

7. Home Solar - receive a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost to install home solar panels to generate electricity of heat water (excluding your pool). This credit will be available through 2016. 

8. Home Geothermal – just like solar, you can snag a 30% tax credit for the cost of geothermal heat pump system. Also available through 2016 and, like solar, it can be used to offset the amount and carried forward to the next year if you can’t use it all at once.

9. Wind Energy – receive a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost to install a basic residential windmill. (Credit can also be carried forward to the next year if you can’t use it all at once.)

10. State Incentives – for the most complete list of state and local tax breaks and incentives available, take a look at North Carolina State University’s Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency.

photo credit: electric car charging image via shutterstock.com

• Replace your sink faucet and with a low flow faucet. Some have water saving features that use 30% less water!
• Plastic is toxic for our planet and takes up to 500 years to decompose. Install a water filter system for your cooking and drinking water and avoid drinking from plastic bottles whenever possible.
• Use LOW VOC or NO VOC paints. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds which are toxic gasses that are emitted and released into the air by a wide range of products, including paints, lacquers, adhesives and carpets.
• There is now a large selection of environmentally-friendly materials available to choose from when deciding on a kitchen countertop. Some of them are unique and very beautiful like this tile made with post-consumer recycled glass and concrete. Always ask where the product is manufactured and buy locally to cut down on your carbon footprint!
• Tiles made of recycled glass are fabulous for the kitchen. There are wonderful styles and a variety of patterns and beautiful colors available. Be sure the adhesives used are formaldehyde free, low emitting *GREEN SEAL certified.
• Love a clean kitchen? Look for cleaning products that have * GREEN SEAL certification. Natural cleansers may contain white vinegar and even parsley!
• Buy local produce or grow your own to reduce your carbon footprint. Grow an herb garden on your kitchen window sill. The leaves naturally purify the air through their tiny filters; they smell good and taste great.
• Water is a precious resource so fix all leaks and update your kitchen plumbing. When purchasing a new dishwasher choose one that is **Energy Star rated.

Related: more EcoChi previously on The Alternative Consumer by guest contributor and author, Debra Duneier.

If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, you don’t have to go far. Many consumers don’t realize how much energy is lost due to holding onto old refrigerators or running your dishwasher half – full. Thankfully, our friends at yourhome.ca have given us 10 Steps to an Eco-friendly Kitchen. Here are a few highlights:

Dish it Up
Save energy and run your dishwasher only when it’s completely full. Make sure you use the right detergent. Look for plant-based detergents and avoid synthetic products. (We love GrabGreen‘s dishwasher detergent.)

Nuke ‘Em
Using sponges to wash dishes and countertops is fine, but you must make sure to keep those sponges clean. You can kill bacteria by placing sponges in the microwave for about 90 seconds.

Be Good to Your Garbage
Bacteria and odor can build up in your garbage disposal over time. To get your disposal clean and green, grab a handful of ice and a few lemon wedges, place them in, run the cold water and turn on the unit. The ice will help keep the blades sharp and the lemon will disinfect and provide a fresh smelling kitchen.

Counter-Top Clean-Up
No more chemical cleaners or paper towels. Instead, choose microfiber cloths, they’re made out of microscopic fibers that grip just about anything. You can toss them in the washing machine and use them over and over. If you buy off-the-shelf cleaning supplies, look for ones with ingredients derived from plant enzymes for green cleaning. (Better Life or Seventh Generation are couple of our favorite brands.)

Makeover Your Kitchen
Go with low-or no-VOC paints. When choosing your countertop, it’s important to understand the impact. Granite is mined causing land and soil erosion. A sustainable option is a counter-top made of recycled glass and a mix of concrete.

Chill Out
If you want your fridge or freezer to run more efficiently, make sure the freezer is full. Where your fridge is concerned, if it’s over 10 years old, it’s time to replace it. Older models use excess energy.

Innovations in rubber recycling have allowed RubberRecycle to provide a safe, effective, eco-friendly alternative to your everyday bark or gravel mulch. RubberRecycle’s rubber mulch is made from 100% scrap tires.

These old tires and rubber chunks are converted into long-lasting rubber mulch that is perfect for a playground or a garden. The company’s Playground Rubber Mulch, which is composed of tire chips, obeys all CPSC safety guidelines and has earned ADA approval. This long-lasting, non-toxic, safe alternative to wood-chips allows parents to feel comfortable when their children are messing around on the playground.

Landscaping Rubber Mulch is another product produced by RubberRecycle. This is a great investment for all those gardeners gearing up for the summer. The long-lasting rubber mulch keeps weeds out, doesn’t absorb valuable water and nutrients and insulates your garden in both summer and winter.

All of the RubberRecycle mulches come in a variety of colors.

What a great use of wasted space! I’d store old photos in them.

Anyone with some DIY capabilities could probably replicate the concept. It doesn’t look that difficult to execute …famous last words. Word of caution – I’d make sure there was a way to ensure that they were locked/latched in place safely – wouldn’t want to encounter an open drawer on the stairs unexpectedly.

Although it looks like they’re Unicraft Joinery Step Drawers, I can’t find where to buy – anyone with ideas, pls jump in.

via trendhunter.com

Tip #16: An important part of greening our world every day is making sure we conserve the blue – water. Do you know what your water footprint is?

Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s free and easy to use water conservation calculator – compute your use and see how much you can save by using WaterSense products. Find recommendations on efficient shower-heads, bathroom faucets, toilets and more – as well as rebates offered in some cities. Visit epa.gov/waterSense.

All set in the water fixture department? Go a step further by getting a rain barrel to capture every drop; plant native plants in your garden and water your plants during the early morning or evening; and take shorter showers – the shower’s not the place for long meditations or self gratification:)

Related: more green tips of the day

Here’s an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional porcelain or stainless steel sink. Arizona-based, Premier Copper Products, has just introduced a new range of ‘Old World’ copper vessel sinks – each one hand forged from one solid block of recycled copper.  Other green attributes: in addition to each sink’s unique handcrafted look and character  – copper sinks will last a long, long time and possess natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties thus eliminating the need to be disinfected.

Premier Copper’s craftsmen use old-school fire and hammering techniques to produce ‘hand forged’ decorative sinks made from blocks of 99.7% recycled copper, each weighing approximately 10 pounds.

The block is beaten flat by five men who, standing in a circle around the copper, take turns hitting it with a hammer until the desired thickness is reached; the piece can then be manipulated into its final form. The thickness of the copper gives these sinks a unique and luxurious look.

The sinks come in several different shapes, ranging in size from 15” to 20” across, making them suitable for use as well in a bathroom or powder room.

Here’s a cool way for families to filter their tap water, grab a bottle and go!  This new water filtration system, by 3M, comes with four reusable plastic bottles that snap under the docking station and can be filled simultaneously.  The bottles are BPA-free and dishwasher safe.  The replaceable carbon filter removes sediment, chlorine taste, and odor. The Filtrete Water System is available now on amazon.com starting at under $37.50.

Save some green – filter that tap water and kiss those disposable plastic water bottles goodbye!

GE, however, may have seen the light — they’ve recently unveiled a hybrid light bulb that is due to market in 2011. This light bulb combines the instant brightness of a halogen bulb along with the efficiency and longer rated life of a CFL bulb. When turned on the halogen capsule turns on instantly, giving off bright light; and once the CFL bulb is in full brightness, the halogen capsule shuts off!

Moreover, these bulbs have a life 8x longer than incandescent bulbs, which means fewer replacements, saving money, and reducing landfill waste.

It was just announced that Begley’s hitched his wagon to Oshaway, Ontario-based Sancor Industries to help promote both the Envirolet® and Santerra Green composting toilet systems as economical and environment-friendly alternatives to traditional sanitation systems.

“Sancor’s composting toilets are the best I’ve seen on the market today,” said Begley. “I firmly believe in both the products and feel that composting toilets are a tangible way to help reduce your impact on the environment by transforming waste into usable compost.”

According to the company, “Both Envirolet and Santerra Green systems have more features than competing composting toilets, such as the patented Automatic Six-Way AerationTM, which speeds up the composting and evaporation process through forced air, heat and natural microbe action. Each product line comes in non-electric, 12VDC battery and AC electric models and offers both waterless and low water options.”

They’re perfect for:  homes, cottages, cabins, work shops, basements, garages, pool cabanas or any location where sanitation is required.

Last year, Envirolet FlushSmart VF models were selected for the “25 Products That Might Just Change The World” by Bloomberg Businessweek and revolutionized the industry by changing the perception of what a composting toilet looks like.  Find more info @ Envirolet.com or SanterraGreen.com.