The volume of information we receive every day about the environment can be overwhelming, and sometimes leaves us feeling helpless. But the good news is that we can all choose to make a difference through our daily actions. By making even small changes in our behavior, we can have a powerful impact on our environment and our resources.

To help the Meredith community make daily choices that are beneficial to the environment, Angels for the Environment (A4E) have compiled a year’s worth of tips for greener living. These tips will be published weekly through Enews starting in mid-August. We encourage the entire Meredith community to implement these tips – throughout this year of special environmental focus and beyond.

August 18: Carry a water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
According to Earth911.org, 8 out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste, where plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose.

Green Tip for the Week of August 25
Save all the paper you print on and use the reverse side for notes, or even reprint on it.

Green Tip for the Week of September 1
Avoid idling by turning off your car when you aren’t moving. You’ll save up to 550 lbs. of CO² emissions per year. In addition, keeping your car tires inflated will save 250 lbs. of CO² and $840 per year.

Green Tip for the Week of September 8
Publicize events through E-news rather than printing flyers.

Green Tip for the Week of September 15
Encourage your professors to open the blinds in classrooms instead of having the lights on during class.

Green Tip for the Week of September 22
Check and report water faucets and toilets for small leaks, which can waste gallons of water.

Green Tip for the Week of September 29
Buy organic foods as much as possible. Organic soils capture and store higher levels of CO².

Green Tip for the Week of October 6
Buy a plant and grow it in your residence hall or office window. NASA research suggests that indoor plants help reduce the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) found in homes and offices.

Green Tip for the Week of October 13
Fill up a water jug and keep it in the refrigerator for cold water and make your own ice.

Green Tip for the Week of October 20
Reduce the environmental impact of mail by paying your bills online, signing up for online bill statements and recycling your junk mail. Visit environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/junkmail.htm for information on getting rid of junk mail altogether.

Green Tip for the Week of October 27
Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit whenever possible. Remember, Meredith students, faculty and staff can ride Raleigh’s CAT bus for free.

Green Tip for the Week of November 3
Reduce waste by bringing your lunch in a reusable lunch box.

Green Tip for the Week of November 10
Install compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use 60 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Green Tip for the Week of November 17
Save the amount of energy it takes to print 5,300 sheets of paper by turning off your computer monitor every night. You can also save up to 40 percent more energy by turning appliances off instead of leaving them in standby mode.

Green Tip for the Week of November 24
When using the dryer, only dry full loads.

Green Tip for the Week of December 1
Reduce gas usage by minimizing braking and increasing braking distance between your car and the next car.

Green Tip for the Week of December 8
Reduce waste during the holidays by giving gifts that don’t come with lots of packaging and wrapping.

Green Tip for the Week of December 15
Take shorter showers, don’t run the water before getting in and turn the water off while shaving. Also consider installing low flow shower heads at home to conserve water and save up to 350 lbs. of CO² per year.

Green Tip for the Week of December 22
The next time you get ready to throw away something, think twice. Can the item be recycled?

Green Tip for the Week of December 29
Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.

Green Tip for the Week of January 5
Buy school and office supplies that have been made from recycled materials. Reuse supplies when possible.

Green Tip for the Week of January 12
When shopping, opt out of getting a bag when buying only a few items that can be carried by hand.

Green Tip for the Week of January 19
Use blinds, curtains or shutters to keep rooms warm in winter and cool in summer.

Green Tip for the Week of January 26
Reduce waste by using refillable binders instead of notebooks.

Green Tip for the Week of February 2
Recycle old magazines. Meredith’s magazine recycling bin is located near Carlyle Campbell Library.

Green Tip for the Week of February 9
Save energy, raw materials and landfill space by using reusable shopping bags.

Green Tip for the Week of February 16
Bookmark web pages instead of printing them out for research.

Green Tip for the Week of February 23
Implement an eco-program in your residence hall or office.

Green Tip for the Week of March 2
Choose to eat a vegetarian diet a few days of the week.

Green Tip for the Week of March 9
Donate your used and unwanted clothing items to a local shelter or foundation.

Green Tip for the Week of March 16
Don’t use the toilet as a waste basket; throw tissues and trash in the garbage to minimize flushes.

Green Tip for the Week of March 23
Wash clothes in cold or warm water. Not using hot water saves energy and reduces wrinkles.

Green Tip for the Week of March 30
A car wash uses unnecessary amounts of water, so conserve by washing your car at home.

Green Tip for the Week of April 6
If you have to get plastic bags while shopping, reuse them as trash bags.

Green Tip for the Week of April 13
Buy locally grown and produced foods. An average meal in the U.S. travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate.

Green Tip for the Week of April 20
Using the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full saves energy and water.

Green Tip for the Week of April 27
When moving out of your residence hall room, take your unwanted furniture and appliances to a local thrift store rather than throwing the items away.

Green Tip for the Week of May 4
Find the size of your ecological footprint by visiting www.myfootprint.org.

Green Tip for the Week of May 11
Support local farmers’ markets. Buying locally reduces by 20 percent the energy it takes to grow and transport food.

Green Tip for the Week of May 18
Use windows and vents in your car instead of air conditioning.

Green Tip for the Week of May 25
Use digital sticky notes on your desktop instead of paper ones.