1. Having house plants not only look nice and add to your decor, they release oxygen and some of them actually clean the air of toxins. For example, Gerbera Daisies will absorb benzene (a known carcinogen found in plastics) and Golden Pothos will reduce formaldehyde, which emanates from new furniture and carpet. One thing to be aware of is that some plants (such as Aloe Vera and English Ivy) have defenses, and can be poisonous and so they should be used in places that small children and pets can't access.

2. Fireplaces are beautiful, but most are not energy efficient. About 85% of the heat a standard fireplace creates goes up the chimney. How can you fix this? Block the chimney, put in a gas fireplace and get some cement fireplace "logs." They look great , they even have glowing "embers," and with a direct vent all the heat stays in the house. This can save you money and is definitely easier on the environment.

3. Fix it, don't trash it. Obviously, sometimes something wears out and needs to be replaced, but is there is only one small part that needs to be fixed, it will often be cheaper to get the replacement part than to buy a new one. Check the cost of repair, before your throw it out. This can save you money and it will help keep many items out of the waste stream.

4. Giving gifts is fun. Filling landfills with gift wrapping isn't good for your wallet or the environment. So when you give a gift, wrap it with creativity. Use the colorful comics in the newspaper or consider left-over wallpaper or even kitchen cupboard paper. If you get a gift bag, re-use it. You can even recycle greeting cards into gift tags. Save money and go green. When you show people your creatively wrapped gift, and explain how you're helping to save the Earth, you'll find they appreciate the gift more and maybe they'll become a little "greener" too.

5. If it's broken, stained or wrecked, it still might not be trash. Don't fill your garbage containers with re-usable stuff. A stained shirt, can still be a cleaning cloth. A broken lamp can usually be repaired. An old-fashioned suit can be given to Goodwill. A broken baseball bat can be used as a garden stake or to prop up a saggy fence. Think twice before you throw it away and you'll be amazed at the uses you find for trash.

6. Donate things you don't use any more. Instead of throwing out items you don't use anymore, give them to charity. Old clothing, shoes, home dcor items, sporting goods and toys are all happily accepted by charities such as the Salvation Army. You'll have less clutter in your garage and your donation will help families in need.

7. How many trees are cut down for junk mail? Who knows - but who needs it? Not me and probably not you. Tell the post office you don't want junk mail and if it still gets through, tell the marketeers themselves to take you off their list. This archaic way of doing business is hrmful to the environement and if enough people tell them to stop it, they will.

8. Use rechargeable batteries. If yours is like most households, you have a lot of things that run on batteries. Everything from the TV remote to your camera. And if you have children you can add a seemingly endless number of toys to the list! Do the environment a favor and use rechargeable batteries. They cost more upfront but they generate significantly less waste and in the end will save you money. Solar powered battery rechargers are even available online.

9. A little education about what your community's garbage collector actually recycles will help you to make better decisions about what to buy and what to put in the recycle bins. Ask your garbage collection company for a list of exactly what they can recycle and, if something is not clear ask them about that. Soon you'll know which product and product containers can be recycled in your community and this can help you with your purchase decisions.

10. All households have some hazardous material that will eventually be thrown away. It is important that old tires, paint thinner, broken electronic items and even mercury filled thermometers be disposed of properly or they will pollute the landfill and can even pollute the water table that supplies drinking water. Fortunately, most communities have hazardous waste disposal days or drop off points and all citizens should use them. It's smart and it will really help save the world for your kids and grandkids.

These suggestions are only a few of the methods that yo can use to reduce your personal impact on the environment. There are many resources on the internet that can give you many more ideas.

Rylan Waverly has been "going green" for over 15 years. He writes blogs and participates in online forums and "real world" conventions that help create a green future. One of his favorite websites is gogreen.com-webnews. He says it has the most up-to-date news, timely information, blogs and videos that can help anyone who is seeking real knowledge about living a green life.

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© 2010, Rylan Waverly. All rights reserved.

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