THE CW TWIN CITIES FREE TO BE GREEN CAMPAIGN

MINNESOTA GREEN FAST FACTS*

• MINNESOTA leads the nation in ethanol consumption
• MINNESOTA has the second highest recycling rate in the nation (according to a survey by BioCycle)
• MINNESOTA uses more solar power than any other state in the Midwest
• MINNESOTA was one of the first states to ban TV and computer monitors from landfills

TEN THINGS TO DO TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

• CHANGE A LIGHT - replacing 1 regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year
• DRIVE LESS, DRIVE EASY - Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. Drive easy by staying within the speed limits, this can greatly increase your gas mileage while lightening the load on the environment
• REDUCE, REUSE, THEN RECYCLE - Take Recycling even further! You can reduce waste and reuse a lot of stuff
• CHECK YOUR TIRES - Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%
• USE LESS HOT WATER - Install a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 per year) and wash your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year)
• DO FULL LOADS - Whether it's clothes or dishes, wait until the load is full to wash. It will save you some extra work too!
• SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS - Not only will you keep money in our community, it will reduce the distance our food has to travel to market.
• CHERISH EVERY DROP - Install water saving devices and fix leaks. Use a rainwater barrel to help stop runoff, reduce flooding, and prevent pollution from getting into the stormwater system.
• SLOW THE FLOW OF UNWANTED MAIL - reduce your collection of junk mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association's free Mail Preference System
• BUY THE BAG Grocery shoppers use nearly 40 billion bags each year. Most are only used once* and recycled or thrown away.

*Minnesota Pollution Control Agency