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In your kitchen...

• Buy dry goods in bulk e.g. grains, cereals, spices, pasta, flours -- rather than in pre-packaged containers.
• Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
• Avoid highly processed foods.
• Eat foods from low on the food chain.
• Grow your own food.
• Volunteer to start or help with a community garden.
• Be creative and responsible with leftover food.
• Store leftovers and lunches in sealable, reusable containers rather than using plastic wrap or foil.
• Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
• Support local food co-ops.
• Discover where the food and goods you buy come from.
• Buy locally-grown produce and other foods.
• Avoid harsh oven cleansers -- keep your oven clean by wiping up spills right away with baking soda and water.
• Avoid using polystyrene foam.
• Reuse egg cartons and styrofoam meat plates (donate to schools for craft projects).
• Avoid disposable plates, cups and utensils--invest in durable, reusable plastic tableware.
• Save plastic plates from pre-prepared microwaveable meals for picnics or serving small children.
• Avoid products packaged in six-pack plastic rings or cut rings open before discarding.
• Consider having fresh milk, water, or seltzer delivered to your door in refillable bottles.
• Try to buy drinks in containers that can be recycled as part of your recycling program.
• Squeeze your own juices from fresh fruit.
• Use cloth dish towels instead of paper towels.
• Use paper bags, not paper towels, to drain grease.
• Boil cloves and cinnamon on your stove rather than using chemical air fresheners.
• Have refrigerators checked for leaks.
• Clean condenser coils on the back or bottom of refrigerator once a year.
• Keep refrigerator door gasket clean to make certain seal isn't broken by dried-on food.
• Open dishwasher after rinse cycle to let dishes air-dry.
• Plan ahead and leave frozen foods to thaw naturally before cooking.
• A microwave uses only half the amount of electricity as a stove.
• Turn off the stove and elements a couple of minutes before the cooking is finished.
• Keep the lid on pots when cooking. Cooking accounts for around 7% of your power bill.
• Hot water heating can account for 50% of your power bill!
• Fill the kettle from the cold tap and only as much water as you need. It uses less energy to boil cold water than draw hot water from the cylinder.

In your bathroom...

• Put in a water-conserving showerhead.
• Take shorter showers.
• Take showers instead of baths.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
• Put a water-conservation device in your toilet. This can be a brick or a plastic jug filled with water..
• Instead of buying disposal razors, invest in a quality razor or use an electric razor.
• Use a shaving mug and brush rather than a throwaway aerosol foam can.
• Avoid buying personal products that are double- or triple-wrapped (shampoo, deodorant, etc.).
• Refill liquid soap pump dispensers or use bar soap instead.
• Try potpourri and scented candles instead of chemical air fresheners.
• Purchase and use stick deodorants as they don't have the over packaging of roll-ons or sprays. 
• Fix leaking taps.
• Install a dual flush toilet cistern or try placing a brick in the cistern.
• MYTH: Water from the tap is unlimited and arrives at your house free. FACT: Water is an expensive item costing eg. Wellington city $24 million a year. A single streaming tap can waste more than 50,000 litres a year. Leaking taps waste a significant amount of water each year.
• A 3 minute shower uses about 30 litres of water, a bath 100 litres.
• Showers are cheaper to run than baths, and a low-flow shower head will save further.
• Use non-toxic, biodegradable soaps and cleansers.

In your living room...

• Wear a jumper instead of turning the heater on. Heat only rooms, which are in use.
• Close the curtains soon after the sunsets to retain existing heat.
• Insulate the roof - around 40% of the heat escapes through here. Fix drafts; install thick curtains or attach blackout lining to existing curtains.
• Space heating accounts for around 20% of your power bill.
• Don't let your money go up in steam. Try setting your water heater on "low" -- about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is more than adequate to meet all home uses.
• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Install energy efficient light bulbs, particularly for lights left on for long periods - they use about a 1/4 of the energy and last 10 times longer.
• Lighting accounts for around 6% of your power bill.
• Hang your clothes outside to dry in warmer weather.
• Mend and repair clothes and shoes rather than discard and replace.
• Store clothing in cedar-lined chests or hanging wardrobes rather than using chemical moth balls.
• Donate old clothes to those in need.
• Invest in well-made, functional clothing.
• Sponsor a clothes swap with friends and neighbours.
• Make toddler and infant clothes from fabric of discarded adult clothing.
• Clothes and bedding too worn to be repaired or donated can be used as dusting rags.
• Try washing clothes in cold water and wait for a full load before washing.
• Wash only full loads of laundry.
• Help your clothes dryer work more efficiently -- clean dryer's lint trap after every load.
• Donate old furniture to those in need.
• Avoid wood furniture made from teakwood or other woods harvested from endangered rainforests.
• Use foam peanuts for stuffing in bean-bag chairs.
• Purchase sturdy, longer-wearing products vs. flimsy counterparts.
• Donate old appliances to those in need.
• Select electronic equipment and appliances with good warranties and service contracts.
• Select equipment/appliances with a history of high customer satisfaction and low breakdown rate.
• Maintain and fix appliances rather than discarding and replacing.
• Follow manufacturer's suggestions for proper maintenance of equipment and appliances.
• Avoid stacking electronic/computer equipment -- heat produced may cause equipment breakdown.
• Buy used items and equipment if they will do the job as well as new items.
• Turn off televisions etc when not in use instead of leaving them on standby. Computers, televisions, etc which are put on standby or left running when not in use, are referred to as "phantom load". The phantom load in the USA equals the entire electricity used in Peru, Greece, and Vietnam combined!  (Greenpeace Solar Pioneers Newsletter, Issue 8 Spring '99)
• Buy energy efficient appliances when upgrading. You will save energy and money on electricity bills.
• Use rechargeable items (such as torches) or buy rechargeable batteries and a charger.
• Use latex or water-based paints -- donate leftovers to theatre groups or shelters.
• Purchase cleansers in giant economy-size packages to save money and reduce packaging.
• Purchase concentrated products which reduce waste and save you money.
• Purchase products in refillable/reusable containers. 
• Unclog drains with a metal snake or plunger, rather than with toxic drain openers.
• Use non-toxic pest control.
• Keep hazardous chemicals in spillproof containers.
• Avoid halon fire extinguishers.
• Use rechargeable batteries.
• Use electric appliances rather than those that require disposable batteries.
• Use rechargeable appliances when you do need the freedom provided by batteries.
• Be sure your home is appropriately insulated.
• Weather-seal your home thoroughly.
• Heat your home responsibly, with renewable energy.
• Clean or replace air conditioner filters once a month.
• Have air conditioners checked for leaks.
• Don't burn green wood.
• Choose the long-term investment of solar energy.
• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Turn down your hot water heater.
• Install low-flow faucet aerators.
• Lower your thermostat and wear warmer clothes.
• Buy energy-efficient electrical appliances.
• Install wrapping around the hot pipes (the first metre from the cylinder is the most important).
• Set your hot water cylinder no higher than 60¢X.
• Think about purchasing a solar hot water heating system. The sun can heat 50-80% of your hot water.
• Become involved with recycling/conservation at your child's school.
• Encourage your child's natural interests in the environment.
• Organize or join a neighborhood toy co-op.
• Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
• Teach your children ecological wisdom.
• Purchase and donate environmental education materials to your school library.
• Help plant shrubs, flowers, vegetables and other plants on the school grounds.
• Serve as an environmental advisor to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Environment Club at school.
• Encourage your children to use alternative transport. It saves petrol and helps teach them not to rely on the car.
• Join a "walking school bus", where a group of children are escorted between home and school on foot by 1 or 2 adults. In Auckland and Wellington 37% of children aged 5-17 are driven to school, with more than half of these living less than 2 km from school.
• Plant trees in your community.
• Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
• Buy living Christmas trees.
• Learn about the plants and animals in your region.
• Discover your watershed and work to protect it.
• Oppose the use of roadside defoliants in your area.
• Hold a community potluck to meet your neighbors.
• Pick up litter and recyclable materials along highways and near your home.
• Become involved in community projects and events.
• Learn how your legislators vote and let them know your views.
• Be an active voter and attend Town Meetings.
• Write to manufacturers regarding your praises/concerns about their products and packaging.
• Become an active participant in local grassroots recycling/conservation groups.
• Let your family and friends know the hows and whys of recycling.