Green Tips: Greening Your Internet Use

In an age where the internet is becoming easier for everyone to access, our ability to use this medium as a tool for reducing waste is also becoming much more convenient. Here are some ways you can use the internet to reduce paper and waste:

1. Emailing: Nearly everyone has an email address, so this should be an easy way to eliminate the need for paper mail. Emailing not only can reduce paper waste, but it will save money, trees, and is quicker than regular mail.

2. Eliminate the need for disks: After disposal, CDs and DVDs end up polluting landfills, and manufacturing them releases greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. There are many websites that make it easy to download or stream movies and music online.  Taking these small steps to reduce the use of disks can make a big impact on the environment.

3. Switch to e-books: Books, newspapers, textbooks, and magazines can usually be found online. Downloading these or viewing content on websites reduces paper waste, and also are more convenient to buy and easier to carry around.

4. Electronic invitation: For your next event, send invitations through email, using websites such as greenenvelope.com and evite.com, and eliminate the need for paper invitations. They are less expensive than paper invitations and are also very easy to send and customize.

5. Paperless billing: Many companies now offer the option to receive and pay bills directly on their websites or in apps. This gives consumers the ability to access their bills anywhere, and pay them more easily. It also eliminates clutter and saves paper.

6. Conserving power: Closing tabs and apps you aren’t using, bookmarking pages instead of leaving them open, lowering brightness, and enabling power save options are all ways to make your battery last longer and save energy. This will mean a less frequent need for charging and less electricity use.