This one is a great read on many diets out there that can indirectly influence conservation of resources and lessen the impact of your carbon footprint.

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With the event right around the corner, I did an informal poll to see how “green” people were thinking for Trick-or-Treat. Why, you ask? Last year, I saw many people carrying around small plastic pumpkins. Think of the amount of plastic used and/or discarded for that event.

I conducted this informal research to see if folks were thinking about alternative containers more this year than last. After all, capturing all of that candy treasure during the spooky quests is fun, but why not be green in the process.

Here are the top 5 alternatives to using a plastic pumpkin:

• Shopping Bag (made from recycled plastic or cotton)
• Pillow Case (wowie! a bountiful feast of candy and/or cavities awaits the person who can fill one of those. I say, go for the King pillowcase for the added challenge)
• A plastic shopping bag/Halloween bag (reused from previous years)
• A woven basket
• A backpack (I thought that was creative – they also liked carrying their bottled water, warmer layers if it got cold, and a flashlight)

If you elect to use a plastic pumpkin and do not wish to keep it, see if it can be recycled or give it away. Keep in mind that many are made from plastics that can not be placed in the good ole recycle bin. Have fun and be safe.

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While the choice is yours, companies like PrePlayed Discs are helping folks put their “old” CDs and DVDs back in the pipeline (and will likely put money in your pocket while doing so). Using this service helped to rake in $64.51. That’s cash that I had sitting in a well-packed box in the closet.

Wow! They even reimbursed me for the shipping.

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Yes, I understand not all have a vehicle and may walk to the club or bike. In addition, I understand that some enjoy the atmosphere and motivation a club can evoke. No, I am not suggesting you give up health clubs. Rather, I am pausing to reflect on choices we make.

I recently started the Beachbody Shaun T Insanity workout, which is one of the most intense training workouts I have participated in (at home or at a club).  And, in my quest to find additional ways of being green, I know that I am getting fit and saving resources.

Here are just a few things that would normally be utilized because of a membership I have to a local health club:

• Water used to wash the towels (if I forgot to take my own)
• Electricity used to power the building, the dryer/washing machines that process the laundry I may create there
• Detergents used to sterilize the facility or wash towels. These may be more harmful to the environment than my personal choices that minimize their impact with use
• Fossil fuels used to power my vehicle to travel to and from
• Paper statements and other marketing material that slipped through to me despite my request to remove me from snail-mail lists.
• The plastic that was used to make my membership identification
• Etc.

Okay, it may seem like a stretch with the above (no pun intended), but working out at home can be just as successful and rewarding with the added benefit of eliminating the car ride and doing a small part in helping reduce the impact on the planet and its resources.

Stay healthy and green!

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Hope you have been well!

I will blog every day this week with green tips related to the fall.

Feel free to post a comment on what you would like too hear more about.

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You can log on to your account and go paperless. And, it is easier than ever. Every utility company, credit card, or other service I interact with now offers this as a convenient option. That is a magic word for humans right? “Convenient.”

This is not necessarily something folks didn’t know, but have you acted on it yet? I have taken advantage of it in the past and recently. Some offer automatic billing and/or they will email you an e-copy of your bill with plenty of lead time before it is due. There are often many options from which you can select. I love it.

Some companies like AT&T will even plant a tree in your honor for going paperless.

Try it…you’ll like it.

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It was very interesting to see how quickly people were ready to contribute when provided with a recycling opportunity within close proximity to where they worked.

The picture below is from one of the break rooms at a large corporation after a week of collection. Everything you see in the box would have made it into the trash and our landfills.

The organization already recycles paper, aluminum, and plastic bottles. For the week-long challenge, people were encouraged to recycle their paper cups and glass bottles.

There would likely have been more on any other week. The reason? Most people also brought in a mug or cup for their favorite beverages to reduce the resources used. Every little bit makes a difference.

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Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.

Notable U.S. landmarks such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando, the strip in Las Vegas, New York’s Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral, California’s Santa Monica Pier and the Space Needle in Seattle are among the hundreds of sites that will turn off non-essential lighting for the hour, in what is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change.

Are you willing to make the 1 hour commitment? Join here (pretty please).

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