There are so many ways that we can choose to stay environmentally contentious when we travel that there really is no excuse for not doing it.

Here are a few ideas for families that are traveling and still want to stay in their recycle-conscious state of mind.

Recycling facts to know when going on a vacation:

Before you even leave your home there are ways that you can help save energy and waste. Turn your thermostats down on your home and your hot water heater.

Some heaters have a “Vacation” setting right on them that can be used to set the temperature when no one will be around to need the heat.

Just keep in mind the plants that are left behind and as long as they will not be killed off due to the temperature change, you’re set.

Be sure to turn off your outside water source, in the event that there is a pipe break while you’re away, this will minimize the damage.

When you return home, turn the water back on slowly, where you will be able to be aware of any issues or leaks that may have occurred.

Are you planning a trip? Whether it is a trip for business or pleasure; you have options and with just a little research you can find a hotel that is environmentally friendly! There are “Green” Hotels in which the hotel does all it can in order to recycle, reuse and reduce.

Recycle hotels are environmental friendly:

Some of the ways hotels are becoming environmentally friendly are by letting guests know that they will only clean the room upon request; that cuts down on the amount of laundry that needs to be washed, electricity that needs to be used to vacuum and the man power itself, that it needs in order to accommodate for daily cleaning.

Steps carried out by hotels to recycle:

Hotels can also request that you re-use your towels rather than having them laundered every day. There are programs in some hotels that have bins to recycle glass, plastic and aluminum set up for easy recycling by the guests as well as the employees. Just by making these bins available gives no excuse for why recycling can’t be a success.

The idea to recycle is to reuse an item rather than toss it into the trash and have it end up filling space in a landfill, right?

Here’s a thought; why not have the waste in the first place? Are you with me? How can this be accomplished, you may be asking yourself, and that’s good because I have a few ideas I’d like to share.

How to prevent wastage and to recycle?

Be aware of the items you purchase and how they are packaged. Some manufacturers use layers of wrapping that will just get tossed into the trash because there isn’t another use for it. Try not to purchase such items.

Do a little looking, a little digging and little research and find items that have less packaging and stick to only buying them.

I believe the manufacturers will get the hint when consumers start paying attention to the waste one product makes and opt for its competitor.

A good way to utilize this kind of thinking is to buy in bulk. Buying in bulk cuts way down on the packaging and more often than not, it is a better buy just by the price. That’s a win-win, in my book!

Have you been bombarded with advertisements and news stories about the desperate shape our planet is in and thought to yourself, “I’m only one person, I can’t even put a dent in what needs to be done to make things better?”

With all of the media coverage on issues like, acid rain, loss of rain forests, endangered animals, the depleting ozone layer and even former Vice President Al Gore’s pet project, global warming, it’s an easy thing to feel over-whelmed and small on this great space. But the reality is this; if not you, then who?

Make an Impact by recycle:

As an individual you can’t control factories pouring toxins into water ways or prevent oil leaks that endanger some species, but you can make an impact, none the less.

How? First, by not adding to the madness and wasteful ways others are handling items and materials that can be recycled and secondly, and maybe more importantly, you can make an impact by being a leader in the crusade to save the planet by doing the right things.

It’s a well-known fact that when we are parents we are the top role-models for our children and that they will imitate what they see us do.

New York City, in just its five boroughs, has a population of over 8 million and in an area smaller than most states; you can just imagine how much waste is created on a daily basis.

New York City recycling is mandatory and has been since July 1989.

Before that date, starting in 1986, New York City recycling was voluntary and as it began to catch on, recycling-educating materials from pamphlets, decals to TV and newspaper advertisements flooded the area up until 1997, when all five boroughs and all 59 districts were recycling all of the same materials.

By this time an impact was being made in recycling waste right up until the events of September 11th, 2001. After the 9/11 tragedy forced budget cuts were implemented for the Department of Sanitation.

The history behind New York City recycling:

It’s hard to believe that a city as populated as New York City has always been, that it took until 1881 before the first sanitation collection agency was formed.

The agency was formed in an effort to clean up the city’s littered streets and to stop the general population from disposing of their waste directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

Loon Mountain is located in New Hampshire, right in the middle of the state and as a part of the White Mountains.

If you know anything about New Hampshire, you’ll know that some of the country’s best winter sports take place in the loon Mountains.

When you think of skiing; recycling probably isn’t your first visual, but Loon Mountain is looking to change that perception.

Loon Mountain has started a new way of doing things in regards to recycling and energy conservation that should not go unnoticed and will hopefully pave the way for other resorts, all over the world, to follow.

Recycling steps on Loon Mountains:

When you think of New Hampshire, the loon Mountains, or even the northeastern area of the United States and you picture the area during the winter time, you probably have visions of yummy hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows, hats, mittens and scarves covering as much of a person from Old Mr. Frost, a roaring fire and a foot and a half of snow.

Most of that image is accurate, except, unfortunately, for the snow part. For more than a decade or so the northeast region has not been able to enjoy Mother Nature’s usual assault of blizzard upon blizzard, resulting in a snow-globe fantasy of winter sports.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make, especially in the time when their family is young, is to over spend and buy more kids toys than children can possibly play with before just feeling overwhelmed.

When children are in a play room, overflowing with kids toys, they often will retreat, feeling there are too many to choose from, and will not play with any of them.

It is important to purchase kids toys that will last for a long time, too. Fewer well made kids toys will be a much greater gift than more kids toys that are made without lasting quality.

Children, who are already feeling that they don’t have any control over their environment, will just become more frustrated when a kids toy breaks in their hands because it is poorly made. Always keep in mind the age and physical development of the child when buying kids toy.

There is nothing worse than a child picking up a toy that is out of their age-range and they end up breaking it because they’re not developed enough to regulate their hand strength. Children are not capable of making the right choices for their own age group, so it is up to the adults to do that for them.

In an average week how much junk mail comes to your home? For the average American family, with two adults and two children, they could probably weigh their junk mail at the end of any given week to equal the weight of a small animal.

An average American home can get items from; clearing houses, credit card offers, insurance offers, lottery winnings, mortgage advertisements and promises of lowering monthly mortgage bill, college flyers from schools all over the United States, entries into contests that had never been entered in the first place, solicitations from charities and the ever present retail catalogs!

Avoid unnecessary junk mails:

Along with the simple fact that all of these items are unnecessary and annoying, the amount of waste they create is drowning the average American family in misused, unread paper.

How can this issue be dealt with and the waste be reduced, or never produced, for Americans all over the country?

The answer to that question is, yes, there is something we can do to stop the madness of junk mail that litters our mail delivery every single day! There is a group that has done all of the work for us, and they have all of the information needed to put an end to the junk mail that we are assaulted with in just a few easy steps and with the patience of a few weeks.

We all have appliances that break down or stop working with any kind of efficiency and the question becomes, where do we turn from here? Well, I have some suggestions and these suggestions will keep in line with the idea of energy conservation and recycling.

There are home products and products for the office that have been rated and earned the ENERGY STAR rating, which means that they are within the efficiency guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) as being cost effective and/or producing less waste.

Energy star mark items are energy savers:

These agencies have deemed certain products as energy efficient and where ever you purchase appliances or heating and cooling systems, electronics and office equipment, by choosing a product that has the Energy Star mark, you are purchasing a product that is going to work with the efforts to recycle, reuse and reduce.

Many newer homes start off with energy efficient appliances and systems that are a savings right from the start, but not every one is that lucky to have brand new equipment.

In today’s world, where the idea of recycling is not an option, but a necessity, having your own compost pile is a great activity and resources in keeping with the mandatory recycle laws.

The bonuses of composting heavily outweigh any negative connotations compost piles have had to defend themselves against; mainly, the smell.

Making your own compost pile:

Because food waste, when compiled properly and maintained can create rich soil that can be reused on lawns and gardens, it seems the thought of not having one is the poorer choice.

We have to eat and there is inevitably an excess and waste, that it seems like a no-brainer to put our scraps and law clippings to good use.

To begin your project of making compost pile you will need a compost bin. Compost bins can be built or purchased.

Before putting out any money for this project, check with your town hall to see if they sponsor a program that will provide residents with the bins.

If your town doesn’t provide bins specifically for composting, you should check with local hardware or home improvement stores. These bins can also be found online or via gardening center websites or catalogs.