Sure, New Year’s was a while ago, but that shouldn’t stop you from making a late resolution that’ll make a big impact on the world around you. When you next upgrade, get rid of clothes you never wear, or need to remove a whole lot of stuff from your life, make one change. Donate them instead of dumping them, and keep them out of the waste stream.

America is known everywhere in the world for being a society that throws just about everything away. Each of us throws away about four and a half pounds of stuff daily, and that adds up to about two hundred and forty-five million tons every year. Some of that really is garbage, but a lot of it is stuff that could still be used by people who can’t afford to buy new.

That’s why donating to your favorite organization can be a real help. Sometimes it’s even easier than throwing it away – the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and other charities will come pick up usable furniture from your home for free or at only a small cost, while the trash pickup charges a lot to get rid of that old couch.

Most towns have a collection center for toys, books, clothes, furniture and more, either at the thrift store itself or in another location. Materials must be in good shape and clean – don’t drop off broken electronics or soiled sofas – but almost anything will be taken as long as it’s in good enough shape for someone else to use.

These aren’t the only places to get rid of unwanted stuff, either. Women’s and homeless shelters will take many items, especially unused toiletries, cosmetics and other personal items. Local food banks are a good place to send food you don’t need in your pantry, as long as it’s not past expiration, and many communities and churches hold neighborhood garage sales and are looking for donations.

You can also share directly with the community using online classified ads like Craigslist (which has a section for free items) and groups like Freecycle. This is a web group that allows people to post requests for items they want and list items they have but don’t need. If you’ve been cleaning the garage and have things to get rid of, someone else probably needs them.

You’ll be surprised by what you can Freecycle, too. Everything from electronics to vehicles to kids’ toys to old taxidermy have found new homes through this incredibly useful list. Just be sure to follow the rules of your local group carefully. Most will not allow the Freecycling of firearms or illegal materials, and some don’t allow pets or food to be given away, so read carefully.

That’s not to say that the ceramic doesn’t have its own set of flaws. The energy invested to make one ceramic cup means you’d have to use the ceramic cup 640 times before it would equal a single polystyrene cup and 294 times to equal a paper/cardboard one. Factoring in the cost in air pollution, it takes 1,800 uses to beat the polystyrene and 48 to beat paper or cardboard. Additionally, you would have to drink 126 and 99 cups respectively for the ceramic to compete with them on the waste issue. And just the use of a ceramic cup totals more than the entire life cycle water consumption of the other two kinds. Grim statistics, indeed. But fortunately like a like a good book or movie, there is always a twist at the end.

In this case, the ceramic cup is the “good guy” and actually wins hands down in the functional use category. Designed to have a long and durable life it can be used for well over 3,000 drinks before it might need replacing. The other types of cups are intended for just a single use, meaning that their lightweight, non-durable, disposable construction can perform well, measured against the other environmental criteria. This was all worked out using a method called Life Cycle Assessment/Analysis (LCA). It tracks the full life of a product or service from its inception to the end of its useful life.

To combat this problem, there are several methods that a consumer can employ to reduce the waste caused by this consumption. For example, where ever possible, only purchase cold drinks that are sold in recyclable glass or plastic containers. As soon as the beverage is consumed, the bottle may be safely recycled. Try to avoid using the one-use cups whenever you purchase beverages from coffee shops and university food services. It’s smarter to use ceramic or glass containers for your tea and coffee, because plastics can leach out small amounts of potentially toxic chemicals over time, particularly pthalates and bisphenol A. If you feel that the potential for breakage is high where you work and for on-the-go uses, consider using stainless steel, instead. An added incentive is that many coffee shops and university food services offer discounts for consumers who bring in their own reusable containers. Starbucks, for example, offers a 10-cent discount to those who bring in their own mugs, and this encouraged 13.5 million customers to help keep 586,800 pounds of paper from landfills in 2003.

To reduce waste, stop the use of Styrofoam or paper cups. Encourage the use of refillable mugs—anything that you can rinse and reuse a million times. Just get a mug that suits you, and use it. Be sure to keep a few extras at the office that you can use for visitors. You can probably find useful cups at places like discount stores, or even use “recycled” items that you find at thrift stores or garage sales. It’s not rocket science to think about how much waste you’ll be keeping out of the landfill with this single, simple act.

Start by fixing those leaks, then take a look at other options, too. If you have air leaks in your home (around windows and doors, in the attic, or in other areas), you’re losing heat in the winter and gaining it in the summer. That causes your energy bills to rise and more fuel to be used, no matter how you heat and cool your home. Take a look at your options for sealing those windows, doors, and other leaks. You’ll save a lot of money and energy just by making a small change.

Pay attention to your habits, too. We all know not to stand with the refrigerator door open, but many of us leave our television receivers or computers on constantly. While a computer uses less power in “sleep” mode, it’s still drawing electricity. Turning it off will make a small, but noticeable, difference in your power bill. Don’t believe the nonsense about appliances using more power to start up than to run, either. That hasn’t been true for decades, if it ever was. Even the most efficient appliances and electronic devices use less energy when they’re off.

Don’t forget about phantom loads, either. Many devices have features that allow them to start up more quickly. However, this also requires them to draw power. When you’ve turned your television off, do you still see a light on? That means it’s using electricity to remain partially on, so it won’t take as long to be ready for use. If you care about waste, unplug the television when it’s not in use. It really does make a difference.

If the time’s come for you to buy new electronic equipment, fixtures, or appliances, pay attention to their labels. We’re probably all familiar with Energy Star appliances, computers, and similar devices. However, you should do more than just look for the logo. Try to find out the numbers on how much power the device really uses, and plan accordingly.

Likewise, check out the EPA’s WaterSense labeling for products and services. Plumbing equipment with this label must use less water than usual. For instance, the WaterSense label on a toilet means it uses twenty percent less than the standard models do. You’ll find low flow faucets and shower heads, and you don’t need to avoid them for fear of low performance. Water saving fixtures have come a long way since the early days, and can now measure up to their water hogging cousins.

A combination of replacing old energy and water hogs with more efficient devices and making simple changes and repairs could make your entire life a lot easier on the environment. The little stuff really does count, and you’ll notice a difference in your bills and in your environmental footprint. So get out there and fix that leak.

Did you know that a twenty mile daily trip to work produces nearly a thousand pounds of carbon dioxide per year- even if your car is brand new?  That’s like a dozen twenty pound bags of charcoal.  To neutralize that carbon contribution, you’d need to plant around a hundred and fifty sugar maples, and that doesn’t count the rest of your driving.  Think about how many trees you’d need to neutralize the carbon emissions caused by the travel of everyone in your family, or your whole neighborhood!

This kind of impact is referred to as the ecological footprint.  It’s how much damage you do and how many resources you use up during the course of a year.  For most people, it’s an enormous amount, and a lot of us are trying to reduce our ecological footprints.  However, this can be tricky, since heating and cooling our homes, transportation, and what we eat are the biggest contributors to this footprint.  Those are difficult areas for many people to change significantly.  However, if you think about it, changes can be made.

For instance, you could cut the CO2 emissions of your morning commute in half, just by taking the train.  Plus, you’d get to skip dealing with traffic jams, stop lights, crowded intersections, and all the other hassles of commuting.  Let someone else do the driving, and take the bus, or the train.  People all over America are using public transportation more and more, with the number of trips taken rising by about six and a half percent.  We drove about four and a half percent less in the last quarter of 2008.

Buses are far more efficient than driving as well.  Did you know that mileage for a bus is around 146 miles per gallon per passenger?  That’s more than almost all other methods of transportation.  Around fifty cars could be eliminated from the already crowded highways in the morning and evening if their drivers simply chose to take a single bus.  That makes it a good idea to investigate the cost and convenience of your city’s bus program.

Communities with increases in light rail usage included Baltimore, Minneapolis, Sacramento, the entire state of New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas and Fort Worth among others.  Bus riding was up over seven percent overall, with Orange County in the lead with increases of nearly a quarter.  Riders increased in Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, and the Northwest, too.  Use of commuter rail and subways is up as well, offering significantly greater efficiency than cars.

Don’t forget about non-motorized options, too.  If you happen to live within a mile or two of working, walking is an option on most days.  This may take a little longer than a drive, but it’s healthier.  You could give up your gym membership and a significant portion of your gas costs.  If work is a little further away, biking is an excellent driving alternative that’ll get your heart rate up and keep your muscles healthier.  While weather can be an influence on these modes of travel, they’re a good choice for a large part of the year.  Think about your morning commute, as well as your other travel, and see what you can do to make your ecological footprint a little bit smaller.

Every remanufactured cartridge put back into use will save nearly 3.5 pounds of solid waste from being deposited in landfills. You have the power to cut down on this amount of waste because some inkjet cartridges can be used more than once.  There are several outlets where anyone can buy a refill kit. Refilling and reusing ink cartridges is a simple way to reduce tons of waste. There are now major stores like Walgreens which offer a cartridge refilling service.  You leave the cartridge at the photo department and in a day or so, you can pick up the refill.  Other such trusted service providers besides those previously mentioned can ensure the print and quality produced by your printer is maintained.

If this solution seems too messy for you to handle by yourself, take your empties (from other machines like copiers and faxes, as well) to the nearest drop off center to be reused or recycled by others. (you can plug your zip code into Earth911.org for the location of nearby collection places.). Many companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, take them back for free. They provide mailers or labels so you can ship them back to be recycled or refurbished.  Several stores like OfficeMax and Staples also offer mailers that you can get free of charge to ship your used cartridges with. If you don’t live close to a reseller of used cartridges, it is possible to find stores or other companies online which specialize in refilling used cartridges or selling recycled ones.  One note of caution here: be sure to check out your source carefully.  There are still a few unscrupulous outfits that are making a profit from using unsuitable quality ink in the refills.  Be sure to check out these sources with the Better Business Bureau in the city where the company is located.  If there is no land address given, or only a post office box, avoid these companies and look for one that is more reputable.

Refills are an excellent source of savings for your home or business needs.  They can cost up to 50% less than new ones do. It takes about 80% less energy to remanufacture plastic for cartridges than to produce it new. Also, remanufactured laser cartridges use about half the amount of oil (It takes about a gallon of oil to make a new toner cartridge,
a nonrenewable fossil fuel) needed to manufacture those that are brand new. So refilling will help save oil, especially with the current gas/oil situation. If you buy recycled cartridges to begin with, you’ll save large amounts of energy and keep spent ink jet cartridges from entering the waste stream.

Of course, if you still have a fully functioning CRT, you may want to wait a while.  However, most of these older monitors are beginning to experience flicker or other problems, too.  That means that if yours is showing performance problems, you may want to think about an LCD.  As much as sixty-six percent more energy efficient, eighty percent smaller and lighter, and a lot handier, an LCD is an excellent choice for your next monitor.

That energy efficiency will help you save money on power and reduce fuel consumption.  The lighter weight and smaller size make your monitor easier to move around and more efficient to produce and to ship.  Plus, your LCD uses less heat, so you won’t need to run the AC or fan as much in the summer.

There are also health benefits to an LCD monitor.  They’re lower in intensity and produce a steadier light pattern that allows them to be easier on the eyes and create less fatigue than you’d experience if you spent the same amount of time looking at a CRT.

Remember to buy a new monitor that meets the Energy Star requirements put out by the EPA, and investigate options for the disposal of your old monitor.  There are many organizations that now recycle or responsibly dispose of old computer equipment.  Since electronics contain many dangerous substances, including heavy metals, it’s important to make sure that they’re dealt with properly.

Remember to get into good habits at home, too.  Don’t leave your computer on at night, and you’ll save money and use less power.  You might have heard that computers use more power to turn on than to stay operational.  This is nothing more than a myth, even with newer models that have automatic sleep modes. 

You’ll use the least by turning your computer off, and the Department of Energy says you ought to shut off at least the monitor if you’re going to be away for twenty minutes or more.  If you’ll be out for at least two hours, turn off the entire system.  You’ll not just be saving power, but you’ll also be extending the life of your machine by reducing wear and tear.

As big a part as computers play in our daily lives, it’s important to think about how we use them and what we’re using.  Choosing environmentally friendly components and remembering to turn off our workstations can make a small, but appreciable difference in our environmental impact.

Pay attention to your speed, for one.  It’s easy to feel like you’re in a hurry to get everywhere and be tempted to drive at high speeds.  However, you should avoid driving over fifty-five miles per hour if you want better mileage.  This means you’re less likely to end up in an accident, and you’ll get a better fuel efficiency. 

Just going up to sixty-five means you’re burning ten percent more fuel, and at seventy miles an hour you’ve lost seventy-five percent of fuel economy, with numbers getting worse from there.  As engines heat up at higher speeds, they burn gas more quickly, and they have to deal with greater air and road resistances. 

Just remember to stay in the right hand lane if you’re on the highway, to be polite to others who haven’t realized the benefit of driving slower.  If everyone drove fifty-five, we’d save a billion barrels of oil per year. 

All the fuss about tire inflation is a good idea, too.  Keeping your car’s tires inflated to the right pressure could extend their lives and improve your fuel efficiency, too.  You’ll have more money in your pocket and there’ll be less impact from your driving.  Every three pounds below the recommended pressure your tires are at, you lose one percent of your fuel efficiency. 

That means that as a country, we’re losing money and increasing greenhouse gas emissions by not filling up the tires, too.  This is because of rolling resistance.  Tires roll down the road more easily when they’re fully inflated, and less easily when they’re soft.  There are even tire models made to minimize rolling resistance, making them even more energy efficient.

Other things you can do are as simple as changing your driving habits.  Do you hit the gas to get up to full speed between stop lights, only to have to brake at the next one?  Why bother, when you can accelerate more slowly and coast through the light by taking a little longer to get there?  The wait time is actually less when you do this. 

Coasting your car more often is a good idea, too.  Many hybrid owners do this to slow down instead of braking right away, but there’s no reason that people driving conventional cars can’t use this habit as well.  Just make sure you watch the road behind you to prevent accidents or annoying other drivers.  Tap your brakes enough to signal a slowdown (the lights come on before the brakes are engaged), if you want to be safe and courteous.

According to a 2007 report by produced by a coalition of environmental groups, known as The State of the Paper Industry.  One of the most troublesome facts among the report’s findings is that the average American consumes more than 700 pounds of paper a year. Currently, the paper industry is listed as the fourth-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among all manufacturers listed, and thrown away paper accounts for one-third of all landfill waste. It was reported that reducing paper consumption by only 10% would produce savings equivalent to taking 280,000 cars off the road.
 
The problem gets even worse around the holiday season.  That’s when Americans throw away up to 25% more garbage (five million tons more than the average daily amount of 3.5 pounds of garbage we usually throw away) between Thanksgiving and the New Year.  About four million of those tons are made up of used wrapping paper and shopping bags. One website recently included a list of websites that sell cool, reusable bags you can buy that offer savings of some 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees that go just into the making of plastic and paper bags every year.
Some steps you can take to reduce the amount of paper made each year include cutting down on wrapping paper by reusing some gift bags or buying recycled gift wrap. Reuse cardboard boxes to pack things in whenever and where ever possible. You can even take a lesson from our grandparents and reuse wrapping paper taken from off gifts by removing it carefully, rather than just shredding it haphazardly from the packages you receive.
 
At the office or at home you can save by printing on the back of printer paper that doesn’t need to be used for clean copies you have to send out to clients.  This option is especially useful for internal correspondence that will end up being shredded, anyway.  One Hollywood production company has recently indicated that they reuse old scripts by printing new ones on the reverse side of old ones before recycling everything in the form of packing material produced from shredding old documents.  You can also cut up used envelopes to make scrap paper.

Believe it or not, it is possible to find recycled paper products in almost all categories, these days. Other areas besides buying paper with a higher recycle content where you can make savings is in the form of paper towels, napkins and toilet tissue that is made of recycled materials. It may take a little work to find some of these items, but you can get your local stores to carry them.  Ask for, then vote for this change with your wallet by buying as many of these products as you can.

The little changes you make will pay off in the end. Remember that each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, three cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy.   Your feathered friends will thank you, too.

Then the bags have to be transported to stores, using fuel on the way, and purchased or given to customers.  Each year in America alone, over a hundred billion plastic bags are tossed.  Some of them have only ever carried one small item – it’s standard for anything you buy to be placed in one of these bags, and you’ll get one unless you request otherwise.  Throwing away that many bags is the equivalent of throwing out about twelve million barrels, all full of oil.

Only about one percent of the bags we use are recycled, if you look at world numbers.  For the US by itself, that number rises to two percent.  However, almost all bags are thrown away, and they’ll never decay.  Whether they’re spending forever buried in a landfill, or they’ve been tossed by the side of the road and blown away, plastic bags don’t leave us.

They don’t necessarily stay put when landfilled, either.  Plastic bags can be lofted by the wind and carried miles away.  Once they’re in the air, these bags become a nuisance in streets, get hung up in trees and on fences, clog drainage systems, and wash into water systems and eventually out to see.  There’s a huge raft of floating trash – mostly plastic bags and bottles – floating in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s only growing larger.  Right now it’s about twice as big as the state of Texas.  Birds take bits of bags to their nests, animals accidentally eat them or get tangled in them, and bags leach toxins into the water, too.

Some countries are choosing to ban or otherwise take measures against this plastic menace, as are some cities in the US.  In Oakland and San Francisco, for instance, you have to use either paper bags with a high recycled paper content, or bring your own.  Taxes on bags in Ireland have reduced usage, and incentives by some stores (such as a nickel off your bill for every bag you don’t use), have increased the number of bags brought from home.

So what are your options if you’d like to stop using plastic or cut down on how many bags you use?  There are quite a few, and it’s easy to make the switch.  You can make bags on your own (knitted, knotted, or crocheted string bags or sewn totes), or purchase a number of ready made bags.  In many areas, stores are offering more durable bags made from paper or cloth for a relatively low initial cost.  Look for reusable bags that fold up small enough to be kept in a purse, satchel, brief case or car trunk, so you’ll be more likely to remember them.

For situations where a reusable bag doesn’t work, such as a trash bin liner or for pet waste, investigate recycled or biodegradable options.  It’s true that biodegradable plastic doesn’t degrade very quickly in landfill conditions, but it’ll last for fewer years than regular plastic.  Avoid using a plastic bag when you don’t have to, and you’ll be making a real difference for the world around you.