1. Eliminate junk mail.
To stop current junk mail, send a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512. Include your complete name, address, zip code and a request to “activate the preference service.” This will stop mail from all organizations that belong to the Direct Marketing Association that you have not specifically ordered products from. Requests are kept active for five years. For more information, visit www.dmachoice.org.
To stop future junk mail, be aware of who you give your address to and always look for an option to not be included in future direct marketing, or write clearly “Please do not sell my name or address.” Product warranty cards, charity solicitations and contests are common ways that address lists are created and subsequently sold to other businesses.
To stop credit offers, call 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688). Provide them with your current address, former addresses within two years, and social security number. The service contacts all the credit agencies; however, if you make changes to your credit plan or open a new account, your information is again made available ó in essence, you are “opting in.” Simply call the Opt Out phone line again and re-register your information.
2. Reconsider catalogs
If you receive unwanted catalogs, call the toll-free ordering number and request to be removed from the mailing list. Have the address label handy to ensure you give them the name and address that appears on the label.
3. Pay bills online
Not only does online banking save paper, it reduces the amount of paper floating around with your name and account numbers. Of course, this requires resisting the urge to print every statement that is delivered to your e-mail inbox. If you fear that you’ll need the statement later, save it in a special folder and remember to back up your files at least once a month.
Look for secure site features such as “https://” in the address rather than the usual “http://” and a closed padlock or key at the bottom of the page. Banks and reputable companies have taken extra security precautions to ensure the safety of your financial information. If you are hesitant to bank online, discuss security measures with your bank.
4. Print smart.   
Always Print Preview. How many times have you attempted to print a web page and ended up with only one or two lines of unimportant text or a full-color map or graphic you didn’t need on the last page? The Print Preview option can help you select only the pages you want to print.
Use double-sided printing. It’s not difficult to figure out the proper orientation to successfully print on the back of a printed page. This can be practiced with new documents, printing consecutive pages on front and back, or it can be a recycling method for printing on the back of single-sided documents that are no longer needed.
Use draft quality or black and white printing.These options can usually be found in the “Properties” of the Print menu. Both provide an opportunity to save ink while still producing readable copy.
5. Avoid disposable dishes and containers.Advertisers have convinced Americans to equate “disposable” with “convenience.” Often, the convenience factor of disposable items is questionable. “Disposable” plastic containers are one such item. Most people wash and reuse them, but when they accumulate or become stained or damaged, they are thrown away. High quality stain-resistant plastic or glass containers are durable, easily cleaned and can be used over and over again. Also, look for creative ways to reuse plastic food containers such as margarine tubs and whipped topping bowls.
6. Take what you need, use what you take.
How many napkins do you need to maintain acceptable cleanliness when eating a meal in a fast-food restaurant? Two? Three? Or a handful? Even if you leave the unused stack on the table, most newcomers would consider them unsanitary trash.
7. Reduce bathroom water use.One way is to install a water-efficient shower head. Inexpensive and simple to install, low-flow shower heads (2.5 gallons per minute or less) can reduce home water consumption as much as 50 percent, thereby reducing the energy cost of heating water.
Practice water-wise flushing by placing a one-quart plastic bottle filled with water in the toilet tank. (Don’t use a brick since it can deteriorate and damage the flushing mechanism.) This doesn’t affect the efficiency of most toilets and can save five or more gallons per day for a typical family of four ó a savings of 1,825 gallons per year.
Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. A household of four people, brushing twice a day for one full minute with a faucet running at 2.5 gallons per minute results in a waste of 600 gallons of water a month.
8. Avoid overpackaged items.
Buy in bulk to achieve the best product-to-package ratio. Buy concentrates, which use less packaging per volume of the consumer product. Avoid single-serve containers if possible ó buy larger packages and divvy up portions yourself in reusable containers. When possible, choose items with less packaging.
9. Use common services.
Use the library, for example, or rent seldom-used tools instead of buying them. Join a gym or enjoy outdoor recreation rather than accumulating bulky exercise equipment.
10. Give your discards a chance at a second life.Have a yard sale, consign items or donate to charitable thrift stores. The Rowan County Swap-Shop cabinets at the Recycling Convenience Centers also accept items such as clothes, books, toys and small appliances.
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Megan Bame is a freelance writer and avid recycler who works hard to reduce her carbon footprint.