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27 Ways to Live Green While You Play

Check out this Great Green Guide "Going Green and Saving Green"

Think you can’t live green while enjoying some leisure time. Think again, here are 27 ways to live green while enjoying your leisure time.

  1. Drink tap water at restaurants. Tap water is more strictly regulated than bottled water and there's no need to add tons of plastic and glass bottles and jugs — about 60 million a day — to landfills. And recycling them takes energy, too. You could save as much as $7 for a bottle of water and it may be safer to drink. If everyone drank tap water instead of bottled water in the U.S., it would save about $8 billion.
  2. Download music. Download tunes instead of purchasing them at the store. Each month, more than 45 tons of CDs become obsolete — outdated or unwanted — and end up in landfills. The average price of a CD is about $15, whereas an album download is only about $10.
  3. Rent, don't buy, movies. With programs like NETFLIX you can watch as many movies as you want for as little as $8.99. One hundred thousand DVDs and CDs are thrown away each month. So you won't be contributing to the trash pile.
  4. Subscribe to online newspapers. Cancel your paper subscription altogether and get your news — often from the same newspaper publisher — online. Each year, 10 million tons of newspapers are tossed into landfills and aren't recycled. If just half of these were recycled, it would save 75 million trees. Picking up the daily rag at a newsstand or machine will cost you $225 to $300 a year.
  5. Turn off your entertainment center. Electronics, including TVs, cable boxes, DVD players, computers, music systems and gaming consoles, consume up to 40 percent of their full operating power when switched "off" or left in standby mode. They also continue to produce heat, which increases home cooling loads. Turn them completely off all at once with a common surge protector. They'll last longer and you'll reduce your electric bill. You'll likely recoup the investment in a surge protector ($6-$10) on your first two power bills.
  6. Host a 'green' party. Play cards or board games: They're fun, interactive, mentally stimulating and don't use a single kilowatt. Classic card games include cridge, canasta, cribbage, hearts and rummy. If you're stuck for players, there's always solitaire. Monopoly may be the king of board games, but Risk, Scrabble and Life have their devotees. For a 1980s flashback party, there's always Trivial Pursuit. A deck of playing cards costs $2; a board game ($25-$35).
  7. Get Kindle. Do all your reading electronically. With over 360,000 books, and growing, you should be able to find enough good books to keep you busy while reducing paper use significantly. Read more…

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15 Tips for Ways to Live Green at Work

There are many ways to live green at work. Get started today and save money while helping to save the planet.

  1. Turn off the lights. When leaving the office or classroom, a simple flip of a switch conserves energy. Yet a surprising number of empty offices, conference rooms, restrooms and lobbies are lit for hours each day (and night) while going unused. Better yet, use daylight to your advantage by sitting near a window; artificial light consumes about 40 percent of electricity in a typical office building. If your in a warehouse or factory and can do without lights in certain areas, do so. The savings can be enormous. The electric bill is where the savings are found. Lower utility costs can mean more money spent in other areas.
  2. Use electronic communications. Submit and distribute assignments and reports electronically. E-mailing a document allows for easier, from-anywhere reference for a teacher or colleague — and provides proof that it was sent on time. For in-progress documents, electronic transmission also makes it easy to collaborate. Whether it's a 100-page thesis or a 10-page policy statement distributed to 10 employees, sending electronically saves trees and the cost of paper — as well as copying, collation and distribution. A bonus of the written documentation: possible "he said, she said" arguments won't kill productivity.
  3. Fax smart. Sending faxes directly from the computer avoids using paper altogether. But if a traditional fax is the only option, either avoid using a cover page or create a reusable cover by laminating the page and using an erasable marker. In addition, avoid the automatic activity report function to save another page. It may be "just a single sheet" of paper, but if everyone followed these green rules, it would really add up.
  4. Pack a waste-free lunch. Eliminate plastic bags, plastic utensils, disposable containers, paper napkins and those brown bags. Instead use a lunchbox, reusable drink container, cloth napkin and silverware. Find odd pieces of used silverware at a second-hand store so you don't lose parts of your good set. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, vegetables and treats packaged in reusable containers are healthy alternatives to cafeteria and prepackaged foods. They can also be bought in larger quantities, saving money and packaging. You could save $250 a year and a pile of waste that weighs as much as the average 9-year-old.
  5. Teleconference, don't travel. Today's technology expands the definition of face-to-face contact, making a quick meeting with a client or colleague across the country, or the world, possible. Online professional development options abound, as well — from Web seminars to entire conferences being held virtually. The planet is spared CO2 and other emissions caused by travel. With hotel, airfare, local transportation, meals, entertainment expenses and tips, business travel certainly adds up. While typically it's a company footing the bill, individuals may find themselves paying out-of-pocket for souvenirs, non-work-related sightseeing or entertainment, or an expense for which the receipt is misplaced.
  6. Little things mean a lot. Keep reuse in mind with desk supplies. Refillable pens and pencils help reduce waste, and items such as paper clips, folders and binders can be saved and reused. The key is staying organized, collecting used supplies of like kinds in the same spot and keeping them within easy reach. It's a no brainer. Reusing supplies means you'll buy less of them. Saving trips to the office supply store will also cut back on impulse purchases.
  7. Save packing materials. In other words, what comes in should go back out. When having to buy boxes and other packing supplies, look for products made from recycled material or those that are biodegradable. Buying these materials less frequently creates an obvious cost savings.
  8. Use recycled paper. Compared to other paper, it takes a lot less energy and water to make. And thanks to increased demand, manufacturers have been able to match quality and performance. Speaking of paper, it's got two sides, so when possible, use them both. Costs of recycled paper have come down. According to the Recycled Paper Coalition, many paper grades are cost-competitive with virgin papers or even cost less. While recycled copy paper still tends to cost more, the price difference is usually only a few percent. Read more…
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