• You really can make the world a better, and more beautiful, place – no matter how busy, stressed, tired or overworked you are. All it takes is a few subtle changes. Glance at the following tips and suggestions and see if you can't fit at least a few into your lifestyle fairly painlessly.

Eco Tips at Home

• Recycle everything you can – you will be astonished at how little garbage you have left to haul out on trash day
• Start a compost pile. It is easier than you think and creates great, free mulch to make your garden simply fabulous. (Use all fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, grass clippings and leaves.)
• Do not bag and throw away yard waste - It is one of the major culprits taking up space in landfills. Compost as much of your yard waste as possible, or offer this premium mulch-making material to your friends.
• Use pretty dishtowels and/or rags instead of all those endless reams of paper towels.
• Switch to cloth napkins instead of paper – they are really so much nicer!
• Wash and reuse re-sealable plastic bags.
• Recycle or wash and reuse containers holding foods such as butter, yogurt, whipped topping and so forth. They are perfect for storing leftovers or transporting lunch items.
• Recycle aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans when you recycle your aluminum cans.
• Reuse paper. Write on the back side of computer paper, junk mail, notepaper etc. before recycling it.
• Before you dispose of old books, catalogues and magazines think of all the other who might enjoy them. Donate them to a nursing home, doctor's office, school etc. (Slick magazines and catalogues can be recycled as mixed paper.)
• Don't throw away boxes or packing materials, like those dastardly Styrofoam popcorn pieces. Someone is always looking for boxes – give them to a friend moving into a new house or a teenager going to college. Offer the popcorn pieces to the nearest package store or mail center. If you can't find anyone in need, recycle.
• Consider using cloth diapers. (Before you pooh-pooh this idea, at least mull it over for a minute.) Cloth diapers no longer require pins – they make nifty Velcro-closure diaper covers that you fold the cloth diapers inside. While the covers may seem a shade pricey, in the end you save literally thousands of dollars (not to mention landfill space). Added benefits include little or no diaper rash and early potty training.
• Never pour grease or oil into the sink or down the storm drain.
• Don't spray pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals on your plants or into the air. (Bend over and pluck those weeds, far better for the environment and your waistline!)
• Plant a tree (or several) – this will delight you, your children and future generations as well.
• Reuse gift bags, wrapping paper and ribbons. The comic section of the newspaper and brown paper bags (that have been cut open) make great wrap as well – add a gorgeous bow and - voila!
• Give your friends and family Earthchic bags as stylish, thoughtful gifts !

Out and About

• Carpool whenever possible to meetings, parties, work – so much more fun and much better for the environment!
• Never, ever throw anything (including cigarettes) out of your car. We want to keep our world gorgeous for everyone!
• Ditto for boat rides – never throw anything in the water.
• Drive the smallest, most gas efficient vehicle you can – very European!
• Ask the dry cleaner to hang all your clothes in one bag.
• When shopping, never take a bag if you can carry your purchases (Why would anyone need a bag for a couple of paperback books or one shoebox ?) If you are on a major shopping spree, either buy or bring along one of those heavy duty shopping bags and put all of your purchases into that one bag.
• Be bold and brazen – if a speedy shop clerk bags an item before you request no bag, bravely give the bag back and suggest it be used for the next shopper.
• Similarly, never take those little plastic bags they dole out at video stores. Chances are that unless you are having your own personal film festival, you can carry the  videos you have rented easily without a bag (afterall, you carried them to the cash register.)
• Bring your own permanent coffee mug or glass to the office – much classier than disposable foam or plastic. Encourage your friends and co-workers to do likewise.
• When eating out, ask for leftovers to be packaged in foil instead of styrofoam. Styrofoam doesn't biodegrade- it lasts forever. Those cute, little foil swans are more delightful  anyway.
• Support any community recycling efforts.

At the Grocery Store

• Use an Earthchic bag (buy several if you are a big shopper) instead of plastic or paper - much more fashionable and easier to carry as well!
• Don't take those little plastic produce bags unless absolutely necessary. If you are buying small, numerous items like cherries or beans you probably need one; if you are buying anything else that has its own peel or will be washed, you don't.
• Select products in readily recyclable materials such as cardboard, aluminum and #1 and #2 plastics. (For example, whenever possible choose ketchup, syrup, salad dressing etc. in a #1 or #2 bottle instead of higher density plastic #6 or #7 bottle, the latter cannot be recycled in some areas.)Look for the number inside the triangle on the bottom of an item. Similarly, buy eggs in cardboard instead of styrofoam.
• Try to cut down on single-use, individually-wrapped or disposable items such as juice boxes, cups, plates, razors etc. Buy the permanent versions instead, they are usually much nicer and last longer. (P.S. Just because it's disposable doesn't mean you have to dispose of it -wash and reuse when possible.)
• Avoid aerosol products altogether! Switch to pumps, sticks etc. Instead of aerosol air fresheners use potpourri or scented oil in a light bulb ring. Aerosol products contribute to urban smog – Yuck!
• Buy organic and local produce and products whenever possible.

Entertaining

• Live luxuriously - use your china and silver – what are you saving it for, if not for company? Mix and match, for a crowd - or invest in a heap of glass plates or good-quality permanent plastic plates in fun colors, you'll be glad you did – buy some great-looking glassware and cutlery as well.
• Consider serving ice water the old-fashioned way - from an attractive pitcher with a tray of glasses, instead of offering up a tacky ice chest full of plastic water bottles.
• If you don't have, and can't borrow enough glasses, rent them – this doesn't cost very much and makes a much better impression. Wine and cocktails look and taste cheap out of plastic.
• When having a party, be sure to label a container for collecting recyclables, and urge your friends and family to do the same at their festivities. (You will be stunned by the amount of cans and bottles that usually just get thrown away.)

Never think that your part doesn't make a difference – it does! And remember, doing something no matter how small is significantly better than doing nothing at all!