Tips from Good Housekeeping to help you live greener, on Earth Day and all year round:
For every 10 minutes you shower, you may be using up to 25 gallons of water. If every GH reader used a WaterSense-rated showerhead (epa.gov/watersense), 120 million gallons could be saved in just one day -- that's 182 Olympic-size pools -- and $88 million a year.
Configure your office printer or copy machine so it prints on both sides of the page.
Pay bills online, or set up automatic check paying from your bank account. No envelopes, no postage -- and no late fees, if you're on an automatic plan.
You probably know that compact fluorescent bulbs are more energy efficient -- in fact, ones that are Energy Star qualified use about 75 percent less electricity and last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescents.
Spritz spray cleaner on cloth, not surfaces. You'll use less.
Water your yard wisely Be sure sprinklers are placed so you're not also watering pavement. It's best to water early in the morning to minimize evaporation and allow plants to absorb moisture before the day heats up
Switch to a front-loading washer from a top loader. In a recent GHRI test of front loaders, they used less than half the water traditionally used by a top loader for a full load.