Ways to Go Green You Haven't Thought of Yet

Recycling paper is just one half of the equation. To be truly effective, you need to reduce your recycling use. Two of the biggest paper wasters are the catalogs and magazines automatically sent to your home. If you get a magazine you didn't subscribe to, you can call the publisher directly and ask that they not send you anymore "tester" editions.

For catalogs, phone books or coupon mailers you can use the Catalog Choice service. This is a free service and pretty simple to use. All you need to do is register on the Catalog Choice website and lookup the companies sending you unwanted mail and then opt out. Catalog Choice will contact them and stop the mailing service.

Green Your Everyday Household Products

You may be buying organic cleaners, natural makeup and local produce, but what about your toilet paper, facial tissue or trash bags? It is these everyday products that we often overlook on our quest to better the planet.

Green friendly items are gaining popularity and becoming a lot easier to find. For example, CVS makes a line of natural and organic household products including trash bags made from recycled plastic, biodegradable paper plates and natural room sprays. The organic brand, Seventh Generation makes environmentally friendly toilet paper. Even the grocery store, Win Dixie, has gone in to the green friendly makeup with their line of "Win Dixie Naturals." The line has everything from organic canned food to biodegradable coffee filters made from renewable sources.

Reduce Your Power Use

According to Energy Star, a compact florescent light bulb uses 75% less energy then a traditional light bulb, and chances are you already have them installed around your home, but do you really need all those bulbs? Large ceiling light fixtures can have six or more light bulbs, and you can get buy with one or two less without noticing a difference in lighting. Try removing some light bulbs in your fixtures for even more power savings.

Another overlooked source of power waste is vampire energy. Vampire energy is the term for the energy sucked by an appliance that is plugged in but not in use. Every appliance in your home constantly eats up a small amount of energy. You can eliminate vampire energy by purchasing a smart strip. Smart strips are intelligent power strips, when an appliance hasn't been used in awhile, the smart strip cuts the power off at the source, eliminating any wasted electricity.

Light Bulbs, Energy Star