Having a meatless meal can make a big difference.

We carefully separate our bottles and other recyclables and load them into the collection bin each week. We take our reusable grocery bags whenever we shop. Every time we do something green, we feel great — which is why we decided to search for other ways to help the Earth. Below are three new favorites that save time, money and natural resources. Check ‘em out:

1. Weed your mail. What could be better than helping the planet and de-cluttering at the same time? When you log onto Catalog Choice, this free service will tell the companies you specify of your mailing preferences, so they can better target their mailings. This saves money and trees, and reduces energy consumption.
2. Have at least one meat-free meal per week. We love to barbecue, so cutting back on our carnivorous ways didn’t sound appealing at first. Then we read some recent research from the University of Chicago, which says the average American diet requires the production of an extra ton and a half of carbon dioxide-equivalent compared to a strictly vegetarian diet! If every American had one meatless meal a week, it would be the same as taking more than 5 million cars off our roads. (For more information, check out our story on carbon impact awareness in our March/April issue.)
3. Be a strategic driver. And speaking of cars, we’re now planning all of our trips with the same attention to detail we give our weekly meal planning. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, cutting just one 20-mile trip a week out of our schedule can reduce global-warming pollution by more than 1,200 pounds and save more than $100 in gas annually. Thinking ahead helps us eliminate multiple trips to the same area and gives us time to coordinate carpools, whether we’re hauling co-workers to the office or making a date with our partner to hit the gym.

We’re having fun discovering simple ways to save the planet and pad our pocketbooks. Can you think of any green ways to save green? Come on, share the wealth!

Photo credit: Elena Elisseeva

Tags: Design for X, Elena Elisseeva, Environment, Maintenance, Recycling, Sustainability, Waste management