Things you, as an individual, can do today to
help reduce your impact on the environment

• Recycle junk mail and magazines
  • SHRED OR BURN CREDIT CARD OFFERS
• Compost waste food products
• Support politicians that will change federal, state and local policies for to benefit the environment
• Use reusable shopping bags
• Use a handkerchief instead of kleenex
• Find a store that sells milk in reusable, returnable glass bottles
  • Health and Nutrition in NP Plaza sells Ronny Brook
• The Plastic Loose Fill Council (PLFC) seeks to develop, promote and implement the original use and subsequent recovery, reuse and recycling of packing peanuts.
• Bicycle or walk whenever possible
• Cut shower by 2 minutes and save 10 gallons of water
• The Best Control 2 by Stephen Tvedten details nontoxic pest control strategies.
• Borrow books, magazines, and movies from your local library
• Request donations to environmental or charitable organizations for holidays, weddings and birthdays
• Decrease the margins on papers you have to print out
• During cold weather, close drapes and curtains at night for insulation and open them during the day for passive solar heating
• Don't print emails
• Sign up at YellowPagesGoesGreen.org to avoid receiving new telephone books
  • AnyWho is very useful for people
  • The Yellow Pages are also available online
• Park instead of using drive-thrus
• Before making purchases, check used sources
  • HV Craig's List
  • Freecycle
  • Ebay
• Don't smoke
• Unplug inefficient appliances and power supplies
  • Especially older stereo equipment and TVs
  • Any chargers which get warm if left plugged in but unused
  • Kill A Watt
• Shop locally, buy local and organic produce
• Reusable containers
  • Fill bottles from the tap or a waterfountain, avoid bottled water (All About Water.org)
  • Wash and reuse glass jars and plastic containers
  • Bring your own coffee mug or thermos
• Use washable rags in lieu of paper towels
• Park once when running multiple errands and walk from store to store
• During warm weather, open drapes and curtains at night to cool the house and close them during the day to block passive solar heat
• Track spending and cut down on superfluous purchases
• Carpool
  • NYS Park and Ride
  • HV Craig's List Ride Share
• Reuse partyware such as tableclothes and plastic utensils
• Only run dishwashers and washing machines when fully loaded
• Turn computers off overnight and when not in use
• Use an outdoor clothes line when the weather is nice
• Remove lint from dryer often to improve it's efficiency
• Fill unused fridge space with jugs of water to improve it's efficiency
• Register at DirectMail.com and DMA Choice and visit Obviously.com/junkmail to cut back on the amount of junk mail you receive
• Turn lights off
  • Open curtains during the day
  • Eat dinner by candlelight
• Turn water heater down to 120°F or 50°C
• Plant your own garden
• Avoid pestacides