How many shades of green are you?
Use this guide to help lighten your impact on the Earth and the animals that share it with us.  

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• Adjust and/or monitor your thermostat
• Turn off lights when not needed
• Reuse bags
• Use old or mismatched socks or worn out t-shirts to clean
• Adjust the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer
• Choose draft or toner saving option when printing
• Drink tap water when available
• Don’t release pets into the wild – they can cause havoc to the natural balance of an ecosystem
• Turn water heater down to 120 degrees F
• Pack your lunch in a reusable container and use a cloth napkin




• Borrow books from a library or your friends rather than buying new
• Use both sides of a piece of paper when printing
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and doing dishes
• Boil only as much water as needed
• Run your dishwasher only when full
• Do not choose exotic pets for a companion animal – they are often taken from the wild
• Choose to bypass your washing machine’s pre-wash cycle and opt to wash in cold water
• Displace the water in your toilet tanks to conserve water when flushing
• Take short showers
• Place old towels under your doors to prevent drafts




• Decide what item(s) you want before opening the fridge
• Don’t pollute storm drains with liquids or litter
• Check tire pressure often to make sure they meet manufacturer’s recommendations
• Obey speed limits to increase gas mileage
• Donate old books to libraries and friends
• Recycle or refill ink cartridges
• Turn off the TV when it is not in use
• Recycle at home
• Use natural lighting when possible
• Purchase a reusable coffee filter




• Wash your car at home using a bucket to conserve water
• Take reusable bags to the store
• Use cloth napkins and dishcloths
• Fix leaky faucets
• Choose energy efficient appliances
• Purchase shade grown coffee - it is grown under the canopy layer of trees rather than in clear cut fields
• Opt for a low-flow showerhead
• Choose to wash clothes only when necessary and when you have a full load
• Opt to utilize a reusable water bottle
• Use rechargeable batteries




• Use a push mower for your lawn
• Bring a reusable container from home to store uneaten food when dining out
• Purchase recycled toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissue
• Support organizations that buy land to conserve it
• Donate used items instead of throwing them away
• Only replace décor when necessary
• Purchase products with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled materials
• Participate in community clean-ups
• Buy environmentally safe cleaning products
• Buy in bulk- to reduce packaging




• Line dry your clothes
• Start and maintain a compost pile
• Purchase certified sustainably harvested wood that is old-growth free
• Weed by hand instead of using pesticides
• Start a recycling program in a local school or at your workplace
• Use natural insect control in gardens
• Purchase carbon emission credits
• Buy electronics that contain recycled materials, have high energy efficiency, long life expectancy, ease of upgradeability and can be recycled at end-of-life  
• Don’t buy disposable products
• Insulate your home with environmentally friendly products




• Purchase a fuel efficient vehicle
• Take eco-vacations – enjoy your time off while contributing to habitat restoration and conservation
• Adopt a pond or stream and pick up litter to help revitalize the habitat
• Travel by train instead of by plane
• Recycle old appliances
• Choose not to water your lawn
• Create a Backyard for Wildlife on your property
• Recycle old tires
• Walk, ride your bike, or use public transportation to get around
• Buy local produce that is in season




• Use alternate sources of energy to power your home
• Grow your own fruits and vegetables
• Install flow restrictors in your home
• Reduce the number of cars that your family owns
• Collect rain water and use it to water your lawn and garden
• On hot days, wait until dusk to drive, fill up your gas tank, or use power equipment
• Avoid products that are over-packaged
• Purchase cradle to cradle products that never enter the waste stream because they’re designed to be upcycled
• Purchase an on-demand water heater
• Research all products before purchasing

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