[ Enviro Learning Center ]

Simplify: Simplify your life as much as possible. Only keep belongings that you use/enjoy on a regular basis. By making the effort to reduce what you own, you will naturally purchase less/create less waste in the future.

Reduce Purchases: In general, think before you buy any product - do you really need it? How did the production of this product impact the environment and what further impacts will there be with the disposal of the product (and associated packaging materials)? When you are thinking about buying something, try the 30-Day Rule -- wait 30 days after the first time you decide you want a product to really make your decision. This will eliminate impulse buying

Bulk Purchases: Avoid products that are packaged for single use (i.e., drinks, school lunches, candy, cat and dog food, salad mixings, etc.). Instead, buy in bulk and transfer the products to your own reusable containers. Many health food stores have bulk bins where they sell everything from grains to cereal to cleaning products.

Shopping Bags: While shopping, if you only buy a few products skip the shopping bag. For larger purchases, bring your own.

Green Paper: In general, try to buy products/containers made from recycled material as often as possible to support the recycled product market. When purchasing paper products (toilet paper, etc,), look for paper that has been recycled using a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste. Also, purchase from companies that do not use chlorine to bleach their paper products

Recycle E-Waste! BE GREEN! An electronics recycling event will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Balboa Tennis Club (2221 Morley Field Dr.) Please bring for recycling any old Computers, Monitors, Laptops, TV’s, Printers, Cell Phones, FAX machines, VCR and DVD players, Stereos, Cameras, Scanners, etc. Free and easy drop-off. Proceeds Benefit Chaz Griffin Recovery. Please do not bring any appliances or batteries. They will not be accepted for recycling.

Check out vintage clothes: Second-hand clothes are more environmentally friendly than new clothes. When you buy something passed down from someone else you avoid consuming new resources and the energy used in producing and shipping new clothes, avoiding the carbon emissions that would have been produced. If you don't like to shop in second-hand stores, invite your friends over for a clothes swap, asking each person to bring a few items to trade.  Have some fun and finish the party with a new wardrobe!

Make a date to ride the trolley: Call up a friend or ask a partner to try out the trolley or bus system in San Diego, making a date out of testing an earth friendly transportation source. Visit a museum in Balboa Park, visit a new part of downtown, or ride to the next sports event you attend. Check out the San Diego Metropolitan System's website for how to use system. [ More >> ]