Ever Make an Earth Day Resolution?

We've all made resolutions for the new year, but how about trying to make a resolution for Earth Day this year? Try to make some changes in your daily life to help out the planet. Plus, many Earth Day resolutions you could make are good for you, too, like buying organic, local produce, cutting back on meat, and using an alternate form of transportation, such as your bicycle or feet.

1. Buy organic produce from a farmer's market. Find a farmer's market near you here. Benefits for the planet? Organic produce isn't sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals which are bad for the environment, and they weren't hauled in a truck a thousand miles to the grocery store, wasting fossil fuels and polluting the environment. Benefits for you? Organic produce is healthier for you, and the prices aren't what you might think. Besides, you can be proud of yourself for supporting independents instead of huge corporations like Wal-Mart.

2. Recycle your electronics. Recycling isn't just paper, aluminum cans, and glass. You can recycle unwanted electronics - that phone charger you happened to find in the back of your closet to a phone you got rid of eight months ago, empty cartriges for your printer, or videotapes if you've made the switch to DVDs. You can also recycle batteries, old computer monitors you're not using, or telephones (maybe the battery in that portable phone is shot or a couple of buttons are screwed up, but the rest of it is fine and can be recycled).

3. Don't buy disposable. Going on a camping trip? Consider buying plastic plates that can be washed and reused rather than buying paper or worse, styrofoam. The plastic utensils that people buy for trips such as this can also be rewashed and packed away for the next camping trip as well. Package leftovers or work/school lunches in tupperware that can be washed and reused rather than in baggies that are thrown away.

4. Buy in bulk. Not only will you save money, but you will cut down on packaging that is thrown out. Buy the box of cereal that's much larger so you're only throwing away one plastic bag instead of two for the same amount of cereal. Instead of buying the individual bags of chips for a dollar, buy a large bag and seal it with a chip clip until it's gone. Don't buy things that come in a large package but are individually wrapped.

5. Paper, not plastic. This is an easy and free change to make. At the grocery store, ask that your groceries be bagged in paper. Better yet, bring cloth shopping bags of your own that can be reused hundreds of times. They're inexpensive and cut down on your plastic and paper consumption.

6. Many people buy individual bottles of water. A more economical AND environmentally friendly way to drink clean water is to A. buy a water filter or B. buy gallons of water, rather than individual bottles. Both of these methods cut down on packaging and save money. If you want individual bottles for the convenience, reuse them. After you drink the water that came in them, refill them. A better way to do this is just to buy a water bottle to take to work or wherever that is more durable and can be washed more easily.

7. Done with the tub of butter or the huge tub of yogurt (you know, since you're buying in bulk now)? Turn them into tupperware instead of throwing them away. Not only do you get free tupperware out of the deal, but you also can cut down on how much garbage you're producing.

8. Use rechargeable batteries. This not only cuts down on the batteries you throw away, which are terrible for the environment, but it also cuts down on how much you spend on batteries in the long run.

9. Dispose of environmentally hazardous wastes properly. Find out how to do this in your area at Earth 911.

10. Recycle your motor oil. Oil is a very valuable resource, and motor oil that's disposed of improperly is horrible for the environment. Learn more about recycling motor oil here.

11. Join a carpool. Chances are, you commute to work every day or maybe you drive to school every day. Organize a carpool to work or school, which will save gas (and allow you to take the HOV lane). It's also more enjoyable than riding an hour into work alone every day. You can organize carpools on icarpool.com or any other carpool/vanpool website. Just do a Google search.

12. Take public transportation. Not only do you save on gas by riding a bus from a Park and Ride to work, but you're helping the environment out by helping to cut air pollution. Just ride your car to the Park and Ride, and then ride the bus to work.

13. Compost. Just about any biodegradable waste can be composted and used as fertilizer in flower beds and gardens. And if you don't want a huge unsightly pile in the corner of your yard, you can designate a large plastic garbage can as a compost bin. For more information on composting, click here. Take a good look at the list of composting materials they provide. You'd be amazed at the things you can recycle this way, from eggshells to dryer lint to used coffee filters. Try seeing how much you can cut down on the garbage you're putting out each week.

14. Cut back on fast food. Not only is fast food bad for your arteries, but they buy from factory farms and use loads of chemicals in everything. Plus, you end up with a lot of packaging to throw in the garbage. And you might think to yourself that it's just paper packaging, and therefore not a big deal, but the paper and cardboard that fast food is packaged in is treated with chemicals so that the grease in the food won't soak through it. If you want to eat out, go to a restaurant. The price difference isn't that much. If you buy a large burger meal at Jack-In-The-Box, you could easily be looking at around six bucks. A burger with fries at Chili's is less than a dollar more. Not only is it enough food that you'll have leftovers for later, but it's better quality and more filling anyway. Besides, many restaurants will have lunch specials or daily specials that even beat fast food prices, and healthier options than a burger and fries anyway.

15. Shop and donate at second-hand stores; recycle your clothes. Exasperated because your five-year-old rips and stains everything you buy him or your ten-year-old grows out of new clothes in just a few months? Why pay full price, then? Kid's clothes are the best deals at thrift stores because many times they've just been outgrown before they get a lot of wear and tear. Hopefully all of you already donate clothing you don't want anymore; why don't you actually try shopping at Goodwill or the Salvation Army? You can save money, and besides, there are some really good deals at thrift stores. Take advantage of someone who's gotten too big or small for their clothes and take used stuff that's still in good condition.