10 ways to reduce garbage in the house

1. Compost: That's right. Buy or make a compost bin in your back yard, a place where you can put all your food leftovers and leaves and other degradable natural materials. If you don't have a back yard, see if a friend does. Maybe they would be interested in starting a compost bin, and you could add to theirs. Or perhaps there's a composting group in your area that allows members to bring their stuff to one area? And what does a compost bin accomplish? Put a bunch of earthworms in it and in about a year you'll have a fantastic natural fertilizer for any kind of plants.
2. Recycle: If your area doesn't already have a recycling ordinance, you can still recycle yourself. At the very least you can save up your aluminum cans and sell them at a recycling center. The price for aluminum often varies, but you should get at least a few bucks for a garbage bag full of the cans. Call your recycling center first to make sure you follow their rules.
3. Fresh produce: There's usually not much left over after you cook and/or eat fresh produce, so stick with the fresh stuff instead of the canned, jarred or frozen. Think of all the bags and cans and jars you won't have to throw out.
4. Old clothes: Don't just toss them out. Sell them to a thrift store, or give them away to a shelter or anyplace else that might accept them. Call first, however, because some places won't accept certain types of clothes or clothes that are too worn. The same can go for shoes, too.
5. Buy in bulk: Yes, buying in bulk would still leave you with containers to throw away, but over time it would mean fewer containers to throw away. You'd not only be helping Mother Earth, but you'd have fewer trips to the outside garbage can.
6. Stop the junk mail: If you can get off those junk mailing lists, this alone could save you tons of garbage every year. And who knows? Maybe if more and more people did this, eventually they might just stop making and mailing the annoying stuff altogether.
7. Repairs: This can save on garbage, too. How? Have an old pair of shoes you want to throw out? Take them to a shoe repair shop instead. The same can be said for many electronics. There are always computer and television repair shops in any city and most towns.
8. Eat leftovers: Lots of people throw out food they intended to eat but just got bored with. Stop that. Start eating those leftovers for lunch the next day. Or if there's enough for a dinner, freeze the leftovers until next week.
9. Use reusables: Instead of using paper towels, use rags and towels. You can always wash the rags and towels. Also, a lot of foods come in plastic containers that could easily be cleaned and used for storage or even as bowls to eat out of. Remember those big butter or margarine bowls at the grocery store? That's what I'm talking about.
10. Buy less: Sounds hard, right? Maybe not. Do you really need to buy the latest DVD or book? Why not borrow them from your library? That's less garbage, at least down the road if not immediately.

5 basic benefits of walking

Physical health

Walking burns calories, which can help you keep your weight down. Also, walking builds those leg muscles and strengthens the heart, thus keeping the blood pressure lower. Want to live longer, don't you? Then walk! This exercise is great for decreasing the chances of stroke, heart attacks and other illnesses.

Mental health

When you are feeling blue, very often you just want to sit at home on the couch and eat a bowl of potato chips. But getting out and walking can help relieve stress and depression. So lift your mood with a stroll.

Environmental health

Yep, believe it or not, walking is green. It's good for the environment simply because you're moving your body and not moving a vehicle that uses gasoline and spews out all kinds of fumes. And if you can walk to work, you're helping to reduce traffic congestion.

Economic health

Walking can help you save money. The next time you need to head out to the convenience store for a loaf of bread, walk instead of taking the car. You just saved on gasoline!

Sleep health

Walking can even help you sleep better at night. Walking tires the body while also getting your body in better physical condition. That means you can have a deeper sleep and you'll feel more rested when you wake up.

10 tips for going green at work

1. Pack your lunch in reusable containers, or at least the traditional brown paper bag. Stay away from those plastic bags!
2. Especially if your office uses tons of paper for printer or faxes, make sure the company buys recycled paper. And try to use both sides of a sheet of paper whenever possible.
3. Or better yet, try not to use paper at all. Do as much of your work as possible on your computer.
4. Take a look at the energy settings on your desk computer. Usually those settings can be turned down a notch to help save energy. And don't forget to turn off your computer at the end of the day!
5. Walk to work, or ride a bike. That way you don't even have to start up your car in the morning. Heck, maybe you can talk to your boss and just work from home.
6. Are you in a coffee club at work? Ask all the members to bring a mug from home. That way no one will have to worry about paper cups.
7. Even if there's no aluminum can recycling in your office, you could still set up a collection bag or box yourself. Ask your box if you can set your can collector somewhere near the exit/entrance or next to a garbage can. Then make sure to let the other employees know. Not only are you helping the environment, but often you can sell the cans at a recycling center and make a little money.
8. Instead of buying new ink cartridges, try having the used ones refilled.
9. It's the end of the work day. Make sure to turn off as many lights as possible.
10. When your company decides to buy new computers, ask your boss about getting laptops instead of those big, heavy desk computers. Laptops tend to use much less energy than the desktop variety.