Are you tired of receiving those countless credit card offers, coupon books, and flyers stating that you have won the grand prize in a contest that you had never entered? There are a few different solutions to this problem, all of which will save you stress and save the world from excess waste and time spent on processing items through recycling. Try some of these tips to rid yourself of unwanted junk mail:

1. With your current address, other addresses from the past 2 years, and social security number(s), you can call the credit reporting industry's toll-free number at 1-888-567-8688, 24 hours a day, to stop receiving unsolicited credit card and credit card related offers. Be sure to make a separate call for each social security number and listen to all of the options (the last option should allow you to permanently remove your name from the list). Once you accomplish this, you should receive a letter in the mail asking that you confirm your request.
2. It is likely that your credit card company and any other company that you make regular purchases from (ie: banks, magazines, and phone/gas/electric companies) sells your name to other companies, who then send you unwanted junk mail. Feel free to contact them and request them to stop selling your name. This should free up some space in your mail box.
3. Be sure to contact the Direct Marketing Association to be removed from many companies' mass marketing mailing lists for up to 5 years. Visit www.dmachoice.org to find out how.
4. Many unsolicited mail items that you receive will have a toll-free number printed on them somewhere. Never hesitate to call this number and request to be removed from their list. 

The next time that you go to pack a lunch for yourself, for your children, or for anyone else that you care about, do it in a waste-free way. So here are some tips to reduce the waste caused by packed lunches so that you can start saving the Earth every day.

Let's start with that lunch bag. When we picture a lunch bag, more often than not, we picture the traditional brown paper bags. While many of these bags are now made from partially or completely recycled material, there is an even more eco-friendly option: the reusable lunch container. You can find these everywhere now and, whether it be a cloth bag or a lunchbox made from 100% recycled material, you will be eliminating a lot of waste every day by switching to one of these.

When it comes to what is contained in your lunch, think about alternatives to goods packaged in plastic, paper, or styrofoam. Instead of buying those individual servings of yogurt that come in their own plastic containers, buy a large container and take individual portions in a reusable container. You'll be saving money and reducing waste. The same concept applies to drinks. If you take water, juice, or even soda, try using a reusable thermos instead of bottled water, boxed juice, or canned soda.

If you bring napkins in your lunch, why not make them cloth instead of paper? If you need to bring utensils, why not make them reusable/washable instead of plastic? The goal of packing your lunch should be producing the least amount of waste possible. When you visit the trash can at the end of your meal, all you should have is maybe a banana peel, peach pit, or apple core.

Men, do you shave your face? Here is an Eco Tip for you: When shaving, if do not already, use the stopper in your sink to hold about a gallon of water instead of letting the water constantly run down the drain. The water in the sink will still both rinse off your razor and apply the necessary heat to the blades. By following this simple tip, the amount of water used is about 1 gallon compared to the 15 gallons used while letting the water run, all while still providing a little water to rinse out the sink. I have been doing this for about two years now and I can only imagine that amount of water that I have wasted over the years of shaving with running water. Most modern sinks in the home today have a sink stopper installed in them, so why not use them? What a concept! It is already installed, so we just have to use it! If you just take a second to do the math you will see that saving 14 gallons of water a day, multiplied by 365 days per year, multiplied by the number of shavers in the world, we are talking about millions of gallons of water every year that could be saved by simply plugging up our sinks. So, the next time you shave, stop up that sink.

Watering all of your landscaping with a slow, deep, and penetrating irrigation system could save you between 750 and 1,500 gallons of water per month. Most plants do best when they are allowed to dry out in between waterings. This is a great way to save our natural resources, and at the same time, save you money in the cost of your water bill. By using this irrigation system, your plants will flourish for the entirety of their lives.  

By using a broom and not the hose on your driveway, you could do two things at once: Save, on average, 80 gallons of water from going down the drain, as well as getting a small physical workout at the same time by using that broom. We all need be sure to use our natural resources more wisely. Doing things like this are necessary to help us save on our water bills, help us save the supply of water for tomorrow, and give us hope for the future.