50 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment

50 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~Aldo Leopold

IN YOUR HOME

1. Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, scrap metal, etc.
2. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand, such as opening cans.
3. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.
4. Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic bags. Re-use bread bags and the bags you bring your produce home in.
5. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
6. Save wire coat hangers and return them to the dry cleaners.
7. Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop.
8. Don't leave water running needlessly.
9. Turn your heat down, and wear a sweater.
10. Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out of a room.
11. Flush the toilet less often. (If you cut flushing in half, you'll save up to 16.5 gallons a day.)
12. Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you leave for vacation.
13. Recycle your Christmas Tree.


IN YOUR YARD

14. Start a compost pile.
15. Put up birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.
16. Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.
17. Use only organic fertilizers. (They are still the best.)
18. Compost your leaves and yard debris, or take them to a yard debris recycler. (Burning them creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space.)
19. Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.
20. Plant short, dense shrubs close to your home's foundation to help insulate your home against cold.
21. Use mulch to conserve water in your garden.


IN YOUR CAR

22. Keep your car tuned up.
23. Carpool, if possible.
24. Use public transit whenever possible.
25. On weekends, ride your bike or walk instead.
26. Buy a more fuel-efficient model (such as a hybrid or electric) when you're ready for a new car.
27. Recycle your engine oil.
28. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
29. Keep your wheels properly aligned to save your tires. (It's safer too.)
30. Don't litter our roads and highways. Save trash and dispose of it at a rest stop.

AT YOUR BUSINESS

31. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc. whenever possible.
32. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.
33. Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
34. Use smaller paper for smaller memos.
35. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders.
36. Hide the throw-away cups, and train people to use their washable coffee mugs. Use washable mugs for meetings too.

WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING

37. Avoid buying food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers whenever possible. (They cannot be recycled and do not break down in the environment.)
38. Think twice about buying "disposable" products. (They really aren't disposable and are extravagant wastes of the world's resources.)
39. Buy paper products instead of plastic if you must buy "disposables." They break down better in the environment and don't deplete the ozone layer as much.
40. Check the energy rating of major appliances you purchase. Buy only the most-energy-efficient models.
41. Ask questions. Don't buy products, such as styrofoam, that are hazardous to the environment or manufactured at the expense of important habitats such as rain forests.
42. Buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible.
43. Don't buy products made from endangered animals.

PERSONAL EFFORTS

44. Join a conservation organization. Browse the JustGive Guide or search by keyword to find an environmental organization you would like to support.
45. Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
46. Give money to conservation projects.
47. Switch to a vegetarian diet. (Raising animals for food consumes vast quantities of natural resources, including water, land, and oil; destroys habitats; and generates a tremendous amount of water and air pollution.)
48. Convert by example. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to save resources too.
49. Learn about conservation issues in your community or state. Write your legislators and let them know where you stand on the issues.
50. Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Take them on hikes or camping. Help them plant a tree or build a birdhouse. Teach them by example.