Save 50%

Sometimes just knowing what to is the hard part when it comes to energy and resource savings. Take a quick look over this short list, you may already know some of these saving techniques but we're willing to be at least one will be new to you.

Shopping
Next time you get the urge to shop, grab your laptop and browse the online aisles. Shipping a 10-pound package overnight by air uses nearly 50% less fuel than you'd use going to and from the mall. Do even more by opting for ground shipping which uses 20% less energy than air shipping. Many online stores such as ABSTRACTmall also use drop shipping which means they don't stock items, instead they are shipped direct from manufacturer and that saves even more energy!

In The Home
Attaching aerators to your faucets can significantly cut down on water use. The savings in gallons-per-minute that you create will be close to 50% and most aerators cost under $5.

In The Kitchen
Next time you want to heat up a TV dinner or a leftover casserole, use a toaster oven instead of a conventional oven. As long as it's got enough room for air to circulate around it, the smaller appliance will consume about 50% less energy.

At The Office
Did you know that paper account for more than 50% of all trash? Cut down on the amount of paper you're using by paying attention to what you send to the printer. The next time you print a document through Microsoft Word, change your layout settings to print 2 or more reduced-sized pages per sheet. You can also make your printer's ink cartridges last a little longer by using Ecofont - an environmentally friendly font that uses up to 20% less ink. Developed by SPRANQ, the font is totally free and compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.

On The Phone
If you still have a landline, make sure you're using a corded phone. Because corded phones don't need to spend any time in a recharging cradle like their cordless counterparts, corded phones cut down on energy use by over 50% and are much less harmful on the environment because they don't require batteries.

Washing Clothes
Filling your washing machine up with cold suds instead of hot ones will cut down on your energy usage by at least 50%. Combine this with non-toxic, biodegradable laundry detergent like Natural 2x Concentrate Laundry Liquid from Seventh Generation and you can get clean clothes with a clean conscience. When you do eventually wash your clothes or do the dishes, do it late in the evening when the electrical grid is less packed, during the day electricity is more expensive and more limited because everyone is using it all at the same time.

Laundry Detergent
Pay careful attention to the amount of liquid detergent you use and pour only the recommended amount. Most people use twice as much as needed. Using less can save 50% of the product, which equals 50% less packaging.

Drying Clothes
If you're throwing a half-sized load of laundry into the dryer, only use 50% of a dryer sheet. And when the load is done, you can repurpose the used dryer sheet as a duster. Keep one in your glove box to wipe down your dashboard or use it around the house. The antistatic properties of the laundry sheet will attract dust.

Grocery Trips
Try to plan your grocery shopping trips so that your purchases will keep you from going back as often. 50% of the pollution it takes to transport food comes from your drive to and from the store.

Removing Stains
Instead of spending money on stain removers that could be environmentally toxic, do a search for helpful home remedy tips. For instance, you can get rid of sweat stains on laundry by soaking the garment in salt water for an hour, then rubbing the area with a mix of 50% white vinegar and 50% water before washing it.

Outdoor Grilling
With summer coming up, some of you will be investing in a new grill. Consider purchasing a gas grill which produces 50% less CO2 than charcoal grills and about 1/3 as much as electric grills. This also goes for your indoor stove! If you are going camping consider this biomass powered solar camp stove that doesn't require any fuel aside from a few twigs you can pick up along the trail, the unit also weighs less than a conventional camp stove.

At The Table
Your diet has an effect on greenhouse gas emissions. Start substituting only one meal a week with a vegetarian option, and you can reduce your carbon footprint. If you take the plunge and go completely vegan, your diet will be 50% more effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions than switching to a hybrid car. Vegetarian options are usually cheaper, require 1/10th of the energy that livestock use, and livestock in the US are fed nearly 50% of the fresh water produce across the country so you'll save water too!

In The Home
Opt for a universal phone charger instead of one designed for your specific wireless phone and you'll save yourself some hassle, plus use about 50% less energy. Don't forget to recycle your old charger. You might also consider a portable solar charger which can cut 100% of the energy you use to charge your ipod, phones, and other electronic devices.

In The Shower
Install a low flow showerhead and use 50% less water every time you shower. These shower heads come in many different styles and can actually feel better than traditional high flow shower heads. You will probably spend between $15 and $50 depending on the style you choose, while you're at it, fix that leaky sink or toilet and save even more water!

Leaking
Got a leaky faucet? Fix it! A dripping faucet can leak enough in one month to provide enough water for one person for two weeks. Fix that faucet and use 50% less water. You can call a plumber or depending on the situation you can buy Teflon Plumber's Tape for less than $5 and try to fix it yourself.

Energy
Swap out your conventional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents and you'll use at least 50% less energy in every room. Plus, you'll have to change them much less often; fluorescents last up to 10 times longer than their traditional counterparts. These days you can get many different styles, even dimmable CFL's!

Printing
Buy recycled paper for your printer and your school or work notes. A ton of paper made from recycled material saves 17 trees and uses 50% less water.

Dust
Dust your light bulbs frequently and you'll get better use out of them. A coat of dust on a light bulb can prevent 50% of light from illuminating your room. When you are cleaning or first installing lights, try to keep your fingers from touching the glass as it can heat up and cause the bulb to burn out faster.

Water Pollution
Recycle all your glass products and purchase products made from recycled glass when possible. Recycled glass produces 50% less water pollution than glass made from non-recycled materials.

Landfill Waste
Recycle all your paper products. If every American recycled all their paper products, landfills would be filled with almost 50% less waste.

Lawn Watering
Water your lawn as little as possible. Most people water their lawns twice as much as needed. One way to know how much water is enough is to place an empty tuna can in your yard. When the can is full, turn off your sprinkler and you'll use about 50% less water. You should also try to water your lawn and other plants in the evening or shady times of the day so the water seeps down into the ground instead of evaporating.

Buy Aquafina And Biota Bottled Water Or Use A Nalgene / CamelBak Bottle
Many of the "Save 50%" tips shared here are courtesy of Aquafina which has cut the plastic used in their water bottles by 50% since 2002. Biota uses biodegradable compostable plastic made of corn for their product. Using a Nalgene or CamelBak style bottle will save over 50% and if you don't want to pay $10 for one of these, just use a glass bottle from a drink like Snapple.

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