Celebrate Earth Day with Tips and Tools on How to Stay "Green"

Monday's Tips:

• If every American home replaced just one conventional light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes a year. Consider switching out your bulbs to save energy for the earth and money on your power bill.
• Save up errands and shopping trips so you need to drive fewer times. If you commute to work, ask if you can work from home at least some days, and you'll reduce air pollution and traffic congestion - and save money.

Tuesday's Tips

• Keep your appliances in good working order and follow the manufacturer's suggestions for operation and maintenance. Shop for products with high consumer satisfaction and fewer breakdowns. If kept in good working order, your appliances should last a long time and not end up as waste before their time.

Wednesday's Tips

• Try making your own compost. Food scraps and kitchen waste also make good compost, and you save money on fertilizers or other additives.
• Help protect the environment when you shop. Keep reusable bags on your car seat or near your door so they are easy to grab when you go.

Thursday's Tips

• Recycle your aluminum cans-1 can saves enough energy to run a computer for three hours.
• Recycle your old magazines-give them to doctor or dentist offices, gyms or friends.  

Friday's Tips

• Make it a full load! Run your dishwasher only when it's full. Don't pre-rinse dishes - tests show pre-rinsing doesn't improve dishwasher cleaning, and you'll save as much as 20 gallons of water per load.
• Buy fixtures and products that are water efficient - you can use less water to get the same job done just as well. When you go shopping, look for the WaterSense label to find water efficient products.