Use Power Strips to Avoid “Phantom Load.” A phantom load is the energy sapped by appliances when they are plugged in but not turned on – in the average home this accounts for 40% of the energy bill! Plug your appliances into power strips to turn off your TV, DVD, stereo, and cell phone charger in one quick swoop.

Soy Candles Promote Green Living! Looking for a cleaner burn? Soy candles are free of petroleum, unlike conventional wax candles, and are nearly soot-free so they won’t pollute the air in your apartment or leave those nasty smoke marks on your walls. They burn up to 50% longer than wax candles and cost about the same – good for those of us who don’t exactly have money to, um, burn.

Purify the Air Naturally. We’re not talking about plugging in those noisy and energy-sucking air purifiers – get the right plants to do the dirty work naturally. Plants like Philodendrons and Peace Lilies absorb airborne pollutants, but cat-owners beware—some of these plants can be poisonous to your pet. One plant for every 10 square yards will purify your home naturally.

Say "No" to Junk Mail. Junk mail is more than just annoying, it’s wasteful. If everyone in the U.S. was able to reduce the junk mail they receive each week (average 10.8 pieces per person), we could save nearly 100 million trees each year. Check out www.directmail.com to get online forms to remove your name from junk mail lists.

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs for a Bright Way to Go Green! Swap out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. CFs use about 66% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

Only run FULL loads in the dishwasher and the laundry machine. You use the same amount of energy to power these machines if you have a 1/2 load or a full one- so wait a couple of days to make sure you have a full load.

Use Greener Cleaners. There are great alternatives to the toxic bombs we buy at the grocery store every day. Brands such as, Seventh Generation and Begley's Best, both sell a range of super toxin-free cleaning products.

Dry Cleaning Dangers. If you dry clean your clothes with traditional cleaners, air out your clothes outside for as long as possible before bringing them inside. Most dry cleaners use a harmful chemical called PERC in the cleaning process.

BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag. Did you know that 380 billion plastic bags are used annually in the U.S., each bag is used for about 25 minutes, less than 3% are recycled and they never biodegrade? Paper bags are not a good option either - we cut down 14 million trees per year to produce 10 billion paper bags in the US. So the next time you go to the store, bring your own bag (or two or three), or buy reusable bags.

Shop Till You Drop - Online! The best part about internet shopping is that you can find just about anything, there is no waiting in line and you can shop in your pajamas. Online shopping also saves energy, resulting in enormous environmental benefits. On average, e-commerce warehouses use 1/16th of the energy of that used to operate a traditional retail store. It also saves transportation energy.

Use Power Strips to Avoid “Phantom Load.” A phantom load is the energy sapped by appliances when they are plugged in but not turned on – in the average home this accounts for 40% of the energy bill! Plug your appliances into power strips to turn off your TV, DVD, stereo, and cell phone charger in one quick swoop.

Soy Candles Promote Green Living! Looking for a cleaner burn? Soy candles are free of petroleum, unlike conventional wax candles, and are nearly soot-free so they won’t pollute the air in your apartment or leave those nasty smoke marks on your walls. They burn up to 50% longer than wax candles and cost about the same – good for those of us who don’t exactly have money to, um, burn.

Purify the Air Naturally. We’re not talking about plugging in those noisy and energy-sucking air purifiers – get the right plants to do the dirty work naturally. Plants like Philodendrons and Peace Lilies absorb airborne pollutants, but cat-owners beware—some of these plants can be poisonous to your pet. One plant for every 10 square yards will purify your home naturally.

Say "No" to Junk Mail. Junk mail is more than just annoying, it’s wasteful. If everyone in the U.S. was able to reduce the junk mail they receive each week (average 10.8 pieces per person), we could save nearly 100 million trees each year. Check out www.directmail.com to get online forms to remove your name from junk mail lists.

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs for a Bright Way to Go Green! Swap out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. CFs use about 66% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

Only run FULL loads in the dishwasher and the laundry machine. You use the same amount of energy to power these machines if you have a 1/2 load or a full one- so wait a couple of days to make sure you have a full load.

Use Greener Cleaners. There are great alternatives to the toxic bombs we buy at the grocery store every day. Brands such as, Seventh Generation and Begley's Best, both sell a range of super toxin-free cleaning products.

Dry Cleaning Dangers. If you dry clean your clothes with traditional cleaners, air out your clothes outside for as long as possible before bringing them inside. Most dry cleaners use a harmful chemical called PERC in the cleaning process.

BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag. Did you know that 380 billion plastic bags are used annually in the U.S., each bag is used for about 25 minutes, less than 3% are recycled and they never biodegrade? Paper bags are not a good option either - we cut down 14 million trees per year to produce 10 billion paper bags in the US. So the next time you go to the store, bring your own bag (or two or three), or buy reusable bags.

Shop Till You Drop - Online! The best part about internet shopping is that you can find just about anything, there is no waiting in line and you can shop in your pajamas. Online shopping also saves energy, resulting in enormous environmental benefits. On average, e-commerce warehouses use 1/16th of the energy of that used to operate a traditional retail store. It also saves transportation energy.