• Check and fix any water leaks.
• Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
• Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Install a low-flow shower head.
• Cut grass no lower than 2.5 inches
• Water the lawn before sunrise or after dark
• Turn the water off when you brush your teeth
• Using an energy-efficient dishwasher uses less water than hand-washing a sinkful of dirty dishes

• Use cold water when doing laundry
• Dry loads of laundry consecutively to take advantage of residual heat in the dryer.
• Gas ranges are more efficient than electric ranges
• Don't place refrigerators next to heat sources such as dishwashers, ovens, heat vents etc.
• Buy Energy Star label appliances
• When replacing your refrigerator, remember that side-by-side models use up to 25% more entergy than stacked models
• Refrigerators that are more than 10 years old may be 40% less efficient than newer models
• Compact fluorescent lamps reduce energy used and last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs

• Buy the right amount of paint for the job
• Read labels of household cleaners you use.  Citric acid or hydrogen peroxide is less harmful on the environment than chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite
• Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease
• If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off
• Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers
• Have your home tested for radon
• Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs
• Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment
• Use an electric lawn mower instead of a gas-powered one
• Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil
• Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion
• Use only required amount of fertilizer
• Minimize pesticide use

• Buy items in bulk when possible to reduce the packaging wasted
• Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient
• Buy products that you can reuse
• Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones
• Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates
• Reuse items like bags and containers when possible
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones
• Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones
• Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil or cling wrap
• Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags
• Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently
• Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials
• Compost your vegetable scraps
• Buy used furniture
• Using concentrated cleaners that you add water to will cut down on the amount of cleaner and containers that you use

What to do with items not accepted at recycling centers

Phone Books

• Use the pages as fire starters in a wood-burning fireplace or outdoor fire pit.

• Use balled up or shredded pages as packaging filler

• Shredded pages make great mulch to keep weeds down in your garden.

Cell Phones 

What better way to recycle cell phones than through the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.

Places to Recycle Other Items

Information on recycling computers and office technology products, ink and toner cartridges, cell phones and other personal electronics and rechargeable batteries:

• Staples

• Office Depot

• Office Max

• Copy and print on both sides of paper
• Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips
• Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence
• Use recycled paper
• Use discarded paper for scrap paper
• Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup
• Recycle printer cartridges.