There are many ways to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. You can use DMAChoice.org or Catalogchoice.org to unsubscribe from advertisements, catalogues, and other types of unwanted mail. You can also contact customer services of businesses you have purchased from to unsubscribe from their catalogues, and opt out of many credit card and insurance offers using OptOutPrescreen.com, a service offered by the major credit bureaus.

Before discarding and replacing any broken appliance, electronic device, clothing, or other durable possession, investigate options for repairing it. In addition to local professionals, the internet offers guides and video tutorials for fixing a wide variety of complex items.

Fruits and vegetables must be stored in a wide variety of ways, depending on species, in order to delay spoilage and minimize waste. Food Revolution Network offers a comprehensive guide.

There are many ways to “upcycle” household items, from clothes to drawers to garden rakes, making new uses of broken or unwanted possessions. The New York League of Conservation Voters offers some suggestions, and the “Repurpose” section of the website DIY & Crafts offers a vast but easily-searched archive of suggestions and tutorials.

Make sure that all items you send off to be recycled are recyclable and clean. Contamination by non-recyclable substances can endanger processing-facility workers and often causes shipments of materials to be landfilled as garbage. Items accepted for pickup or curbside recycling, and preparation requirements, vary by municipality, so check your local rules. Tompkins County residents can check the county Department of Solid Waste Management.

Composting is arguably one of the easiest waste to cut down on waste in your home while simultaneously taking part in nature’s beautiful cycle of growth and decomposition. Kitchen food scraps and other yard waste from your home, if done correctly, can undergo decomposition and turn into nutrient-rich humus that in turn feeds the soil and all of it’s microbial and invertebrate inhabitants. Whether you have a garden or a showy flower bed, let microbes do what they do best, and turn unused food scraps into delicious plant food. You will also benefit from knowing your food scraps are staying out of landfills and saving you money.

Compost at Home: The Compost Education Program over at Cornell Cooperative Extension has developed a treasure trove of resources to help you become a master composter at home and in your community. Learn how to manage your own food scraps and other organic discards! Everyone from the Central New York region is invited to use these resources and participate in educational programs.

Donate your Food Scraps: The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management offers free drop off spots for anyone wanting to donate their kitchen scraps for compost. Visit their website to learn more about drop-off times and locations and about the composting program!

For our Rochester friends, make sure to check out Impact Earth’s curbside composting program!

There’s a right way to dispose of everything! Earth 911 is an online database created to help connect you to your local sanitation, public works, or environmental health department. Just search by product and zip code to find out about hazardous-waste collection days and facilities in your area.

Many household products are toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive, and require special handling and disposal. Many municipalities offer Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events and programs. Submitting expired or unneeded medications to a take-back program, for incineration in secure facilities, is safer and more environmentally friendly than disposing of them with garbage or flushing them down a toilet. You can search for permanent drop-off sites on the FDA’s database of drug take-back locations, or seek out periodic local events. Some states also offer programs accepting donations of certain fresh, unopened, usable medications for redistribution to medical care providers. Tompkins County offers nine permanent collection sites for pharmaceutical disposal.

Many electronic devices can be recycled or donated to charities, recovering their materials and averting the spread of their toxic contents. Depending on product and location, options may include take-backs by manufacturers or retailers, statewide recycling programs, local take-back events, local and national organizations, and more. Consumer Reports offers an overview, with links to other resources for identifying your options.

The company TerraCycle partners with many brand manufacturers to take in and recycle a wide array of hard-to-recycle used products and packages.

On plastics, the labels “compostable,” “biodegradable,” and “biobased” have different meanings. Only plastics labeled “compostable” are certified able to break down within six months, leaving no toxic residue, in commercial and industrial composting facilities. No plastic should be disposed of in home composting systems.

City infrastructure has boomed in the last few decades, and more time and money is being spent reimaging what a city that is not reliant on cars and roads could look like. More walkable cities and towns are increasing in popularity as well! According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 63 Percent of millennials and 42 percent of boomers want to live in a place where they don’t need a car. Cities that are less auto-mobile dependent have been proven to be better for small business, better for public health, and better for the planet.

The Ithaca Mobility, Accessibility & Transportation Commission is charged with analyzing matters related to bicycle and pedestrian access and infrastructure and many issues related to public transportation. They meet on the 4th Monday of every month, and you can reach them at MAT@cityofithaca.org to voice your concerns about accessibility and transportation issues in Ithaca.

Want to know your neighborhood’s walkability score? Check out this awesome tool that will calculate how walkable your neighborhood is.

One of the best ways to reduce your GHG emissions is swap out short-distance trips with a bicycle! By doing this, you could be reducing your carbon emissions by almost 75% according to the Our World in Data Project. There are also many local bike co-ops that offer used and new bikes, and often provide helpful resources to new riders like road safety tips, bike route maps, and cycling gear (Check out BikeWalk Tompkins, Reconnect Rochester, Ithaca Bike Rental, Recycle Ithaca’s Bikes, and Ithaca Carshare.)

The Ithaca Mobility, Accessibility & Transportation Commission is charged with analyzing matters related to bicycle and pedestrian access and infrastructure and many issues related to public transportation. They meet on the 4th Monday of every month, and you can reach them at MAT@cityofithaca.org to voice your concerns about accessibility and transportation issues in Ithaca.

Did you know that Tompkins County residents have access to one of the most robust public transit systems in the state? The TCAT Bus (or Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit) boasts a broad and diverse service area with 34 routes. Access to the TCAT enables Tompkins County residents to save on fuel costs, reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the need for parking lots and facilities. Supporting the TCAT means supporting independence and empowerment for the community while fighting climate change in the process. More information about bus fares and routes can be found on the TCAT website.

For many families, having a vehicle is essential, and alternative transportation options just aren’t feasible. Enter the electric vehicle! There is a growing argument in favor of electrifying personal-use vehicles. Every year, new EVs enter the consumer market. Simultaneously, more and more power grids are making the shift towards replacing coal and gas powered electricity with renewable alternatives. A fully electrified vehicle produces no tailpipe emissions, and as power authorities across the states start to permanently shift their grids away from coal and gas, the choice between an EV and a gas powered car becomes an easy one.

We are lucky to live in a state that is on a mission to get more electricity powered vehicles on the road. Charge NY is New York state’s initiative to help new EV owners get rebates, tax credits, access and information about charging stations, infrastructure installation, and more.

If you are thinking of buying and EV, take advantage of the Drive Clean Rebate by purchasing or leasing an electric car through a participating New York State new car dealer. This rebate provides up to $2,000 off the price of an electric car at the time of purchase. Buyers can also take advantage of the federal tax credit for electric cars, which provides up to $7,500 for the purchase of new electric cars. That’s almost $10,000 off a new electric vehicle!

Already own an EV or HEV? Be sure to check out EV Tompkins, a local program supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of the Charge NY Initiative. They are working with public and private sector leaders to provide the necessary infrastructure, educational outreach, coordination, and commitment from local businesses to guide the expansion of EV infrastructure in the county. Also check out the EV Infrastructure Plan for Tompkins County put together by the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC).

Be sure to check out the Alternative Fuel Data Center created by the U.S. Department of Energy which offers extensive information on all forms of “alternative” (non-gasoline) vehicle fuels and “advanced” vehicles, including an easy-to-search database of all related federal and state laws and incentives.

These tips come from Global Stewards. Be sure to check out their site for more ways to operate your vehicle with gasoline efficiency in mind.

Slow down your acceleration time (accelerate 0 to 60 mph in 15 seconds). Average improvement in fuel economy: 31%. That’s huge savings for your wallet and for air quality!

Drive the speed limit. Hmm.. That one might seem obvious, but the benefits to you and your car are significant. In general, the optimum miles per gallon are when you’re driving 35-45 mph. So slow down and converse gasoline!

Use cruise control. This is best for long stretches of flat road. Avoid using cruise control if you’re driving through a winding, mountainous areas.

Avoid carrying unnecessary, heavy items around in your car. The extra weight requires extra gasoline to power the engine forward! When possible, you can also save big when you avoid using roof-racks, car-top packs or towing a trailer for shorter trips. Every one hundred extra pounds in the vehicle increases the amount of gas used by 4% per mile. So pack smart when you’re getting ready for that road trip!

These tips come from Global Stewards. Be sure to check out their site for more ways to operate your vehicle with gasoline efficiency in mind.

Keep your tires inflated at the maximum recommended pressure and make sure they are properly aligned. It’s recommended you check the tire pressure once a month, and get your alignment checked by a mechanic every 5,000 miles.

Combine errands and plan out the shortest route possible. The heaviest car emissions occur during the first two miles that a car is driven (while the engine is still cold). Yikes! Time to start thinking about buying that bike…

Keep up on your car maintenance, especially ignition timing, spark plugs and wiring, and idle speed setting. A healthy car = healthier air. A poorly tuned car can lose up to 20% of its fuel efficiency. Those car repair costs will start mounting if you don’t stay on top of maintenance!

If you’re stopped for more than 10 seconds, turn your car off instead of idling. Even in very cold weather, letting a car “warm up” for more than a minute is unnecessary. Contrary to common belief, this does not prolong the life of your engine, in fact, it decreases it by stripping away oil from the engine’s cylinders and pistons. Learn more about the emission impacts of vehicle idling and what you can do about it.

Food labels claiming all natural content, ethical production or low environmental impact have a wide variety of meanings, some with more detailed definitions and higher accountability than others. Labels like “Pasture Raised” and “Free Range” often don’t guarantee that the animal had access to an open field. And you can usually just ignore the “100% Natural” label as it is overused and actually does not certify any evidence-based conclusions about the food. It’s important to know what these labels mean, so the Sierra Club made a guide to decoding ten such labels. Read more about how you can spot bogus claims of environmental and moral superiority in the grocery store.

Pesticide residues are often found on most store-bought fruits and vegetables, even organic ones which are permitted to be grown with a wide variety of natural and synthetic chemicals. They can be largely removed with solutions of baking soda, salt, or white vinegar. Food Revolution Network offers a detailed guide to effectively washing produce, along with the Environmental Working Group’s lists of the most-contaminated and least-contaminated types of produce.

One thing the Finger Lakes region can proudly lay claim to is the abundance of farms spread out across the fertile hills and forests. There are more than 7,600 farms in the region, making up about 46 percent of total land area as described by this Life in the Finger Lakes article. That includes the hundreds of dairy, livestock, crop farms, and greenhouses that all contribute to the Finger Lakes food system and beyond. The long list of choices can seem overwhelming, but food-system minded folks have created resources to help communities get connected to local farmers and practice local food-sourcing.

The Buy Local Food NY initiative set up by Cornell Cooperative Extension provides an online guide to help individuals and families find farm fresh food that is financially and geographically accessible. Check out their website to find farms and businesses that sell locally grown food near you. Also checkout Headwater Food Hub, a food collective who’s mission is to support local farmers, source quality food, and cultivate community through creating a local supply chain. They make ordering groceries from their online catalog easy and efficient with pick up at stations around Ithaca and Rochester and option for delivery!

Another great way to search for local farms, co-ops, farmer’s markets and food hubs near you is to check out the Sustainable Finger Lakes Map.

There’s nothing like unpacking your weekly CSA box full of fresh greens, fruits, and vegetables to feel like you’re doing right by yourself, your community, and the planet. So what is a CSA? CSA — or Community Supported Agriculture — is an arrangement between a farmer and customer where you buy a subscription to a local farm in advance of the growing season. The farmer uses the up-front funds for everything needed to grow food. In return, the farmer delivers your weekly “share” of the harvest. Participating in a CSA is the most powerful way we can support our local farmers, but there are also many benefits to you and your community. Farmers give their CSA members the very best of what they produce, and have a deep sense of responsibility to keep their food healthy and safe. They may even offer things like flowers, honey, or eggs in addition to the crops. Joining a CSA also saves you money! Many folx spend less on a CSA than they do shopping for produce at a store. Many CSAs also come with recipes and newsletters which explain what’s been going on at the farm and what to do with lesser known veggies. Lastly, there are few things more fulfilling than getting to know the people who grow your food. Joining a CSA means you’ll be building personal relationships with local farmers while also helping support their business and a sustainable food system model.

In Finger Lakes, you won’t need to look far to find a farm that offers a CSA share near you. Check out the Full Plate Farm Collective, The Youth Farm Project, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension CSA Directory and get signed up asap! The Sustainable Finger Lakes Map can also connect you with farms offering CSA’s in the Finger Lakes region.

We’ve known for some time now that Western food consumption patterns are causing irreparable harm on the planet. High protein diets popularized by western food are spreading to other countries, intensifying the environmental pressures created by the land, water, and carbon needs of meat production. That is why many researchers have focused their efforts on studying the effects of global meat consumption. According to this study published in the journal Nature, in addition to GHG emissions from livestock, deforestation and water shortages from current food production are imposing serious consequences on the planet. However, many researchers are now arguing, with evidence supported by their studies, that one way to curve the worst effects of a global catastrophe is to greatly reduce our intake of meat. 

The argument is not that every citizen completely removes meat from their diet, rather, given that we know animal-based foods tend to have a much higher carbon footprint than plant-based foods, day-to-day meat consumption must be cut back. We all know the terms “vegetarian’ and “vegan,” but there’s a new diet in town. A “flexitarian diet” involves only occasionally eating meat, being conscious of the environmental cost of the land, water, and pollution that went into producing it. Consider how much meat you consume, and think about switching to a flexitarian diet. Maybe talk to your friends and family about trying it as well! And don’t forget, plant-based foods like tofu, beans, peas, and nuts contain lots of protein and are better for your gut and the planet.

Unfortunately, many companies will claim their products are green when in reality, they are selling a false ideal. Watch out for unqualified claims that a product is ‘environmentally friendly’ or ‘eco-safe’.

When buying products for your home, make sure you look beyond the “organic,” “natural,” and “eco-friendly” labels. Check for reduced packaging, quality and durability, locally sourced, and stay educated on the products you choose to buy.

There are many resources that support green purchasing efforts in Finger Lakes regions. This Buy Green resource page created by the Recycling and Materials Management of Tompkins County and Sustainable Tompkins is a great place to start.

When buying toilet paper, facial tissues, or paper towels, look for those made from recycled material, with the highest available percentage of post-consumer waste. For products containing virgin pulp from boreal forest or monoculture plantations, Forest Stewardship Council certification indicates the highest current standards for environmental impact management and social responsibility. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a downloadable report with a buyer’s guide ranking many brands of these products by the sustainability of their sources and manufacturing process.

Did you know that in addition to reducing GHG emissions, and being easy on your wallet, secondhand shops and thrift stores generate $200 billion dollars of annual revenue in the U.S? According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, that money creates jobs, and contributes to maintaining a healthy local economy. Tompkins County has a wealth of thrift stores and exchange sites that buy, sell, and trade used clothing, books, music, electronics, housewares, sports and outdoor equipment, sewing supplies, furniture, and much more. Find them all at the Reuse Trail’s Second Hand Shopping Directory — put together by Get Your GreenBack Tompkins and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County.

Despite recent regulations and manufacturing changes, toxic and ineffective flame retardants are often found in many products, including upholstered furniture, carpet padding, baby products, and electronics. When acquiring these products, look for labels (required on furniture) or other information indicating the presence or absence of added flame retardants. When living with products containing them, avoid direct exposure to foam parts and minimize buildup of the dust particles they shed. The website “My Chemical-Free House” offers extensive additional guidance, as do other websites.

For barbecuing, propane grills emit far less carbon dioxide and toxic pollutants than charcoal grills. To reduce the toxicity and environmental footprint of a charcoal grill, avoid petroleum-based lighter fluid and use charcoal made from sustainably harvested wood or plant waste material free of synthetic chemicals. 

The refrigerant chemicals most commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners to keep air cold are long-lasting and extremely powerful greenhouse gases. And they are warming up the planet right now. Household refrigerators and freezers manufactured before 1995 typically contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant. Many window air-conditioning units and dehumidifiers contain hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant. CFCs and HCFCs are both known to destroy the ozone layer. They also happen to be potent greenhouse gases — thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Reducing the presence of CFCs and HCFCs from cooling appliances may be the most impactful step to tackling the climate crisis.

Luckily, many alternatives to refrigerants and the systems that use them are starting to become more available. But you can keep the refrigerants currently in your refrigerator and car air conditioner out of the atmosphere by having a technician test for and repair the tiny leaks that very often form. Car air conditioners are especially prone to leaking, and can be checked by a mechanic every time your car is serviced.  

Baby wipes, diapers, feminie hygiene products, condoms, produce stickers, plastic garbage, and anything that says “flushable” (spoiler alert: it’s not actually flushable).

Proper Disposal: throw it in your trash, or search for product on Earth 911.

If you are flushing a cleaning liquid down the drain, it will make it into the water supply. Many chemicals cannot be treated at the sewage treatment plant and end up in our lakes and rivers. It’s best, when you can, to switch to all-natural cleaners for cleaning messes in your home. Safer substitutes, like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, salt, and borax, can get the job done just as well as their more hazardous counterparts.

Cooking grease, fats, and oil are one of the main causes of home plumbing overflows and of city sewage system problems. These substances builds up in sewer lines, restricting the capacity of the pipes. Eventually, the pipes can become blocked completely, leading to overflows of raw sewage into streets, storm drains, and our waterways.

Proper Disposal: Let the oil cool, pour into a container, place in a plastic bag and throw in the garbage. See this article for detailed instructions and a how-to graphic. Alternatively, search for “cooking oil” on Earth 911 to find local drop-off sites near you.

These should never be disposed of through your household water system. Motor oil is known to damage and kill underwater vegetation and aquatic life. One gallon of used motor oil can contaminate 1,000,000 gallons of water.

Proper Disposal: Take used motor oil to a disposal site. Many auto shops and stores will accept used motor oil. You can also search for “motor oil” on Earth 911.

Washing paints down the drain is a serious problem, and can have serious effects on water quality. In fact, most localities have rules and regulations about the disposal of water and oil-based paints to prevent the number of toxins and chemicals entering the water supply.

Proper Disposal: Depending on your area, you may have to dispose of paint at a hazardous waste facility. You can also search for “paint” on Earth 911.

There is growing concern about the presence of pharmaceuticals in our water bodies and drinking water. In addition to human excretion, many drugs enter the water system simply by people flushing them down the toilet. It is incorrect to think that wastewater treatment centers will take care of it. According to the USGS, pharmaceuticals and antibiotics have been detected in a significant portion of the United States groundwater supply.

Proper Disposal: Many pharmacies, government agencies, and community groups have the means to dispose of medications properly. You can find a local take-back or mail-back program for unused medications on Earth 911. It’s also important to follow any disposal instructions on the medication package which will have the most current recommendations.

Don’t be fooled by a box that says “flushable kitty litter.” This stuff has been known to clog drains and cause huge problems for septic systems. Furthermore, the litter can pick up harmful bacteria from the cat feces and make its way into the water supply where it can be a threat to animal and plant life.

Proper Disposal: Toss it in the trash bin!

When replacing a faucet, showerhead, toilet, or sprinkler body, look for models bearing the EPA WaterSense label, which indicates verified high water-efficiency. See the WaterSense website for more information and listings of certified products.

Car washes, whether full-service or self-service, use far less water than you would be likely to use in washing your car at home with a garden hose. They may also prevent pollution if their used water is collected and sent to a wastewater treatment plant, filtering out the soap, dirt, and automotive fluids which would contaminate the soil and waterways around or connected to the location of a car washed at home.

When is the right time to plant? What type of soil do you need? How much room do the plants need to grow? Where do you find seeds? For all of your beginner to advanced gardening questions, there’s no better place to look than Cornell Cooperative Extension. If you are outside Tompkins County, you can find your local office here, or visit the Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County food gardening site to get started.

You can also call the Growline for expert support at (607) 272-2292, or learn the basics of growing food through the Seed to Supper training. And don’t forget to sign up for the local Garden Post newsletter for timely gardening advice and links to upcoming gardening classes and resources.

Composting is arguably one of the easiest waste to cut down on waste in your home while simultaneously taking part in nature’s beautiful cycle of growth and decomposition. Kitchen food scraps and other yard waste from your home, if done correctly, can undergo decomposition and turn into nutrient-rich humus that in turns feeds the soil and all of it’s microbial and invertebrate inhabitants. Whether you have a garden or a showy flower bed, let microbes do what they do best, and turn unused food scraps into delicious plant food. You will also benefit from knowing your food scraps are staying out of landfills and saving you money.

Compost at Home: The Compost Education Program over at Cornell Cooperative Extension has developed a treasure trove of resources to help you become a master composter at home and in your community. Learn how to manage your own food scraps and other organic discards! Everyone from the Central New York region is invited to use these resources and participate in educational programs.

Donate your Food Scraps: The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management offers free drop off spots for anyone wanting to donate their kitchen scraps for compost. Visit their website to learn more about drop-off times and locations and about the composting program!

For our Rochester friends, make sure to check out Impact Earth’s curbside composting program!

Gardening and landscaping with native plants, adapted to local conditions and often beneficial to local wildlife, can improve your property’s environmental impact. Several nurseries in our region specialize in diverse native plants; to see a list of them, search for “Nursery” in the Sustainable Finger Lakes Map.

If you have a yard full of fallen leaves and don’t use them in a home composting system or as mulch on garden beds, leaving them on the lawn will provide fertilizer to the grass and shelter to overwintering insects, including the caterpillars or pupae of many butterfly species. If they pile up too much, mow them with a mulching blade to reduce their volume. 

When planting trees, whether for shade, wildlife value, carbon sequestration, or personal enjoyment, carefully select the species that will best suit their intended purposes and thrive where they’re planted. The Arbor Day Foundation offers extensive online resources for identifying the right trees based on shape, size, growth rate, purpose, and growing conditions. Medium-growth trees are recommended for carbon sequestration.