The right way to think.

1. Did you know if people would recycle 70% of the bottles they purchased for a year, greenhouse gases could be reduced by 20,000 metric tons of carbon equivalence?

2. The seven numbers associated with recycled plastic represent what that product can be recycled into. Learn more about Plastic Identification Codes

3. Planning your route before driving can potentially minimize your driving time and save fuel consumption. UPS discovered that waiting for left-hand turns cost their delivery trucks an additional 51,000 gallons of fuel than creating routes that led to an average of four right-hand turns for every left. UPS tested the same strategy with average citizens running frequent errands, and it still worked. So take some time to figure out the shortest and quickest route possible to your destination.

4. Phones, computers, televisions, VCRs, copiers, fax machines, or anything with a battery or a plug are considered as E-wastes. E-wastes can release toxic metals such as mercury and lead into the environment when incinerated.

5. Cell phones can be returned to your service provider to be reused or recycled.

6. Bamboo, a quick-growing grass known to grow several inches in a day, can remove dangerous carbon dioxide.

7. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a watchdog agency comprised of scientists, engineers, and policy experts search for potential risks to people and environment.

8. Earth Day, celebrated in many countries each year on April 22, is both held annually during spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. The Earth Day celebration is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for our environment.

9. Roughly 50% of our household energy consumption goes to heating and cooling. Just by lowering your thermostat 2 degrees in the winter and raising it 2 degrees during the summer, you could save up to 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

10. Visit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.

11. A compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl) uses 60% less energy than a regular light bulb. This simple adjustment will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in America made the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds!

12. Every year, United States is responsible for producing 6,049,435 thousand metric tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions.

13. Try to use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible. You will save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

14. Hang dry your clothes. Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. Your wardrobe will maintain color and fit, and you’ll save money. Your favorite t-shirt will last longer too.

15. Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow shower head (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

16. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!

17. Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule outlined in the vehicle owner’s manual for tune-ups and oil changes. These precautions should keep your vehicle in healthy condition. However, once you noticed a drop in fuel economy, rough engine operation, have a complete check up for the vehicle, because when fluid levels drop, it’s good for neither your car or for the environment.

18. Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.

19. Almost one third of the carbon dioxide produced in the United States comes from our cars, trucks and airplanes. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit whenever and wherever possible.

20. Use public transportation or carpool. You’ll end up saving on money on gas, maintenance, and parking!

21. Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas, and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy meal and unique stomachs cause cows to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

22. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen. To keep food frozen, stores often use 10 times more energy to preserve.

23. Recycle! You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.

24. Spread the knowledge! Tell your friends about the importance of our environment and how s/he can help in making an impact. If every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal!

25. If possible, avoid running the swimming pool pump constantly. Eight hours a day should be sufficient.

26. Keep doors closed. Shut the door or trying to minimize the number of times that doors to the outside
are opened and closed. Each time you open the door warm air enters the house.

27. Pay Your Bills Online. Studies have shown if all households in our nation paid their bills online and received E-statements instead of paper, we would save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, and  1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

28. Turn Off Your Computer. By shutting down your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save 40 watt-hours per day (4 cents a day, or $14 every year). If you don’t want to wait for your computer to boot up in the morning, configure it to turn on automatically a few minutes before you get to work. Also, you could
leave your PC to restart while you pour your morning cup ‘o joe!

29. Recycle the Newspaper. Some 63 million newspapers printed each day in the United States; and of these, 44 million (roughly 69%) of them will be thrown away. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than
half a million trees every week.

30. Avoid Bottled Water. Our current technology takes thousands of years to decompose those plastic bottles. In fact, nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled. Look for a reusable water container and fill it with tap
water (a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health). You may be surprised to know that the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) has more stringent standards for tap water than FDA’s (US Food and Drug Administration) standards for bottled water.

31. Plant a Tree in the Yard. It’s good for the air and the land. It can shade your house and save on cooling if you plant the tree on the west side of your home. Additionally, they can also improve the value of your property.

32. Use Rechargeables. Most of the 15 billion batteries produced and sold annually were disposable alkaline batteries. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of those are recycled. Given that rechargeable batteries require
upfront investment, but it is one that should pay off in no time!

33. Go Paperless. Some banks will pay you a dollar or donate money on your behalf when you cancel the monthly paper statements you get in the mail. If every household took advantage of online bank statements, the money saved could send more than seventeen thousand recent high school graduates to a public university for a year.

34. Download the Software. Followed by the rapid expansion of broadband services, many software companies today are offering options for quick purchase and quick download. Not only will you get your purchase quicker, you will also reduce the environmental waste generated by more than thirty billion sales of Compact Discs
annually.

35. Pastic Bags are Awful. Each year, Americans use more than 100 billion plastic bags, according the Worldwatch Institute.

36. Recycle Aluminum cans and glassware. Twenty recycled aluminum cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one; and every ton of glass recycled saves roughly nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

37. Support Local Businesses. Think about the amount of greenhouse gases you created while having food from a
remote farm shipped to your table. When you buy from your local farmer or farmers’ market, not only are you
supporting your local economy, but at the same time you are reducing the amount of pollution that would otherwise be generated.

38. Reduce Shower Time. Every two minutes of your shower consumes roughly ten gallons of water. If everyone in America can save one gallon from their daily shower over the course of one year, it would equal twice the
amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.

39. Ban Baths Occasionally. Have a no-bath week, and take showers instead. It was estimated that baths require twice as much water as showers do. By reducing the number of baths you take, not only will you reduce water
consumption, but also the energy costs associated with heating the water.

40. Launder in Cold or Warm Water. If all the households in the U.S. switched from hot-hot cycle to warm-cold, we could save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day.

41. Use Both Sides of Papers. American businesses throw away approximately 21 million tons of paper annually (about 175 pounds per office worker). For a quick and easy way to halve this, set your printer’s default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). And when you’re finished with your documents, don’t forget to take them to the recycling bin.

42. Give It Away. Before you throw something away, think about other people who might need it. You can donate them to a charitable organization or post them on a website designed to connect people and share things, i.e.,
www.Freecycle.org.

43. Use “draft” mode for printing saves more than 50% of the ink compare to “normal” mode.

44. Use Matches Rather Than Lighters. Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel (both petroleum products). Since most lighters are considered “disposable,” over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most
cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

45. Use Your Cruise Control. You paid for these fancy buttons in your car, so put them to work! Cruise control can potentially boost your mileage up to 15%. Think about our gasoline prices, this is great not only for the
environment but your wallet as well.

46. Go through your house every six months and check underneath the sinks, and listen for running water from your toilets. An enormous amount of water can trickle out of faucets and toilets when we are not paying  attention, wasting resources. They are easy and relatively inexpensive fixes, that can also save you lots of money.

47. Keep your Tires properly inflated and you will save money, the environment and yourself. A simple action like checking your tire pressure weekly, let’s say when you pump gas, can lower your fuel cost and keep you safe on the road.

48. Avoid using hot water to wash clothes and dishes. Washers spend most of the energy on heating up the water. Cold or warm get the job done.

49. Go vegetarian once a week. One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated
from animals raised on rain forest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. By reducing the demand for meat, we indirectly contribute to the preservation of our planet.

50. Studies revealed that average home car washing uses close to 116 gallons of water annually. Although washing the car at home might be cheaper, it’s almost always better to go to a commercial car wash, which uses less water and is more environmentally friendly. Commercial car wash mixes air and water, reducing up to 60% of the water consumption. In addition, US car washes are required to send their used water off for treatment or to take other measures that reduce the impacts of their discharge.

51. Each year, an average adult receives 41 pounds of unwanted mail and catalogs in their mailbox. A group known as 41 pounds stops 80 to 90 percent of this junk mail. Stopping unwanted mail can benefit the environment by reducing deforestation and the consumption of other natural resources. Stop Junk Mail! Save time, save trees, and save the planet!

52. Practice Hypermiling. Change your driving habits a little by avoiding rapid acceleration and maintaining a legal speed. This may contribute up to 30% difference in gas mileage.

53. Unplug appliances – such as toasters – when not in use to save energy. When you’ll be away from the house for more than a day, unplug major appliances, including TVs and microwaves.