When doing back to school shopping make sure to purchase environmentally conscious school supplies. Make back to school shopping a green experience. -R.G.

Support cigarette recycling in your area. Visit the website of your local assembly member and let him or her know about New York State’s assembleman, Michael DenDekker, and his Bill- New York A02147. Maybe we can get a national effort going to support cigarette butt collection and recycling. A grassroot effort could actually lead to a viable recycling idea and an implementable plan to recycle cigarette filters. Let’s take it to Twitter too!

Become familiar with the plastic resin identificaiton codes found on the packaging of the foodstuffs and personal care items that you purchase. Purchase products with recyclable and/or compostable packaging. Be leery of packaging made from mixed plastic resins; this packaging is not recyclable. Oftentimes, you can purchase the same or similiar items packaged in highly recyclable glass or tin instead of mixed plastic. -R.G

Support industry in its effort to provide greener products through green chemsitry solutions. Purchase green cleaning agents (citrus-based cleaners are an example), non-volatile water-based paints, and foods packaged smartly in recyclable packaging. Our buying power does make a difference. -R.G.

Let your friends and neighbors know that there is a crucial Bill in the House of Represtatives, H.R. 54 The Gulf Restoration Act. Please convey that everyone needs to let their representatives know that America wants this Bill to be passed. Without this legislation, the Gulf Coast region will not receive any of the many billions of U.S. dollars the government will collect from fines imposed under the Clean Water Act for the deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. The Gulf Coast region needs help; our support is crucial. -R.G.

Take a moment to think about how many books you read monthly. If you are the type of person who has two or three books going at a time, you may want to consider purchasing an E Book. Not only are E Books very portable, they are paperless. Using less paper is good, green living. -R.G.

Spread the word that plastic resin recycling symbols are missing on most blister-packed goods. Tell your friends and family to get the word out that plastic resin identification should be mandatory for all blister-packed goods. Let industry and government know we want blister-packs to be recycled. Let them know that mandatory plastic resin identification on blister packs is the first step toward making blister pack recycling a reality.

Make greener holiday choices this Halloween. Before choosing your costume or any decoration ask yourself, “Can I recycle this?” Let your neighbors know you are trying to make greener choices, so they wil make greener choices too. Don’t throw away your Halloween, recycle it!

Help to decrease energy waste and lower CO2 emissions by making sure your PC has a spam filter. Use the power settings on your PC to power it down when appropriate. Every PC user who wisely manages their power usage will contribute greatly to saving energy and decreasing green house gas emissions. -R.G.

Getting a school recycling program off the ground seems like an easy task, but all sorts of issues can arise. To help make your effort seamlessly implementable and successful, I’ve put together a few pointers (or at least a few questions you can hash over) before you start. (more…)