Going Green Is Easy To Do: 

• Pass Your Old Phone On to charity for recycling when you really do need a new one. Cellphones contain a cocktail of toxic substances. Recycling keeps these undesirable elements out of the waste stream and saves the mining and manufacturing impacts of making new handsets.
  
  
• Eat your leftover take-out Then save the plastic containers it came in--which can't be recycled in most municipal waste systems--and use them to organize your nails, screws, and leftover paints. Not only does their tight seal help preserve solvents, but the see-through containers stack neatly and display contents clearly. For added strength, double up the thin ones.
  
  
• Freeze your assets Slip a dollar bill between the rubber gasket on your freezer and fridge doors and the frame, then close the door and tug on the buck. Notice any resistance? If not, the seal's not tight enough and cold air is probably leaking out, making your fridge work harder to stay cool. Try this on all four sides of the door.
  
  
• Wipe your feet Equip your exterior doors with a series of mats--or one long "walk-off" mat--so everyone enters with clean shoes. As long as there's room for five steps on the mats, you'll drastically reduce the amount of grime tracked in. That means fewer pathogens that cause disease and less chemical cleanup. It will also mean improved indoor air quality, since dirt embedded in a carpet can become airborne when it's tromped on or agitated by a vacuum.
  
  
• Where should the laundry area be located?If possible, try to avoid putting the washer and dryer in spaces that are heated or air-conditioned. There are a couple of reasons: 1) both the dryer and washer would make your air conditioner work harder because of the heat and moisture produced during use, and 2) dryer vents lacking dampers allow warm, humid outside air to enter the home in summer and cold air to enter in the winter even when the dryer is not in use.If the laundry room is in conditioned space, install a closeable fresh-air intake vent to the dryer, along with a closeable dryer exhaust vent. These will effectively keep unconditioned outdoor air from coming in and keep conditioned air from going out when the dryer is off.
  
  
• For existing windows Using solar screens, shutters, or awnings to shade existing windows can significantly reduce your home's solar heat gain. Reducing air leakage can significantly improve the efficiency of existing windows. Check caulking and weather-stripping around all openings to keep conditioned air in and un-conditioned air out of the home.
  
  
• Purify Air with Houseplants The EPA estimates indoor air to be two to 10 times more polluted than the air outdoors. Building materials, furnishings, carpet backing, cleaning products, computer circuitry and printers continuously release pollutants. Plants are not only nice to look at, they are also great, natural air purifiers. While opting for non-toxic products will help control indoor pollution, populating the house with plants is a fantastic way to "grow" fresh air every day.
  
  
• Manage Your Finances Online Online bill paying and banking help avoid unnecessary energy use from paper production, printing, postage, and waste disposal. And generate a lot less paperwork to clutter up your home.
  
  
• Video Conferencing Next time you're faced with a long journey to a short meeting, think hard about whether you really need to be there in person. Video conferencing saves money and time, and avoids carbon-heavy travel.
  
  
• Buy Secondhand Toys Check out eBay, Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales, or local classifieds for nearly-new bargains.
  
  
• Zap vampire power For true gadget lovers, this may be the most fun tip because you get to green your gadgets with more gadgets. Vampire power is the energy used by devices when they're plugged in but not turned on. Prevent wasted energy first by unplugging any devices not in use or that are fully charged. Then, try using devices like smart power strips that cut the power supply to devices that no longer need it.