1. Support local and sustainable businesses. The Toledo area is full of locally owned businesses that provide goods and services needed by our community. The Toledo Choose Local website is a great spot to find out more about buying local.
2. Encourage and support green policies in the workplace. By recycling, turning off lights, turning off computers, etc. you
will be leading by example in the workplace. These practices save your company money and are just plain common sense. For more information about how to become more sustainable
in the workplace, hop over to the Energy Star Green Your Business page.
What about a first step? Well, consider this. If you allow the computers and monitors in your office to hibernate (no screensaver) after being inactive for 20 minutes, your energy
consumption per computer will decrease significantly. Some groups have utilized this simple power management technique and saved $25-$75 per computer annually.
The U.S. EPA Energy Star website has a series of case studies on this topic.
3. Donate unwanted office furniture, computers, etc. to a local non-profit or charity. See our list of local non-profits and charities here.
4. Support businesses who have green policies. By spending your money at businesses who adopt green practices you are encouraging a greener economy.
5. Reduce plastic and paper bag use. Bring your own cloth bags to the store - or consider whether a bag is necessary with the products you purchased. Politely declining a bag because the gallon of milk you purchased has a handle isn't a bad thing!
