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Before you Leave Home
Turn water heater to "Vacation" or lowest setting.
Turn off AC/heat or adjust the thermostat to protect plants, etc.
Turn water off at outside connection (to prevent flooding should a pipe break while you're gone). When you return, turn on the water slowly and check for problems.
Appliances, such as TVs and cable converter boxes, should be unplugged because they can draw or "leak" as much as 40 watts per hour even when they're off.
Turn icemaker off (lift wire) to prevent flooding should it break while you're away.
Lower the temperature of waterbed heaters at least ten degrees.
Stop your newspaper. You may be able to donate it to a school.
Travel
Purchase electronic-tickets for airline travel whenever possible. Less waste. If paper tickets are lost, they may cost $75-100 to have replaced.
Enjoy walking tours. Walk where sensible.
If you're driving, turn your motor off when idling. Encourage tour/bus drivers to turn the motor off when idling.
Don't allow anything to be thrown out of your car windows--ever.
Hotel Stays
Participate in hotel linen programs, or let the hotel know that it's not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day.
To keep track of which towel belongs to which family member, pack a handful of safety pins and small colored beads. Attach a pin and bead to each towel, using a designated color for each family member. Remove the pins before checkout.
Reduce the amount of water used for bathing or showering.
When you leave your hotel room, turn off the AC/heat, lights, TV and radio. Close the drapes.
Participate in hotel recycling programs by placing recyclables in appropriate bins.
Carry a dry cleaning or grocery bag with you in which to carry dirty laundry home.
Leave little bottles of amenities in the guestroom if unopened.
Pack a permanent marker and write each person's name on the cups in the hotel bathroom. It's also handy for writing names on water bottles and lots of other things.
Keep bar soap wrappers and take used bars of soap home.
Let hotel management know, by speaking directly to management or writing them a note, that you want them to conserve and that you want to participate.
Patronize hotels, airlines, tour operators who support "greening" programs.
Instead of leaving bathroom lights (and fans) on all night, it's wise to pack night lights for hotel stays.
If the hotel provides complimentary newspapers, pass yours on to someone else, or leave it in the lobby for another reader. Ask the hotel to see that it's recycled.
Be sure to turn off exercise equipment, sauna, whirlpool, Jacuzzi or tennis court lights when you're through.
Check out of the hotel via the hotel's electronic program available on the TV in some hotels. You can view your bill, approve it, and help reduce paperwork.
Environmental programs or events may be listed on "things to do in the area" portion of the in-house TV programming.
Food / Restaurants
Carry bottled water with you. Refill as needed.
Reduce fast food waste whenever possible.
Pack a few plastic bags. They come in handy for saving half-eaten treats, used hotel bar soaps, keeping salt and pepper packets dry in the cooler, and many other uses.
Avoid styrofoam. Carry your own cup.
Avoid room service and carryout.
When offered individual packages of condiments, take only what you'll use.
If you commonly take home leftovers from restaurant meals, carry a container, a square of aluminum foil or waxpaper with you. You'll be responsible for putting less styrofoam into the waste stream.
Ecotouurism
Take only the brochures or maps necessary. Return others to the brochure stand.
Don't buy endangered species products such as tortoise shell, ivory, animal skins or feathers. Don't purchase star fish or turtle-shell related souvenirs or any creature that may have been put to death for the sake of a gift shop sale. These animals may have been killed specifically for tourist trade. Sea shells are questionable. The U. S. Customs office offers a list of items which cannot be imported or brought into the country.
Make a pledge to yourself not to maim or kill any living creature other than enemy or pest insects. Educate yourself as to which are "beneficials" and which are truly "pests."
Use binoculars and cameras to "hunt" animals.
Take only photographs. Do not take "souvenirs" from natural areas, historical areas or hotels.
Leave only footprints. Take everything out that you brought with you. No graffiti, no litter.
Support conservation programs.
Pick up at least one piece of litter every day-especially at national tourist locations which are vulnerable to huge tourist populations.
Other
Take photos with a digital camera. Disposable cameras are very wasteful and expensive.
Buy rolls of film with 36 shots rather than 12 or 24. Packaging waste is reduced, and you'll save about 40%.
Write legibly on your film package. Kodak discards 400,000 rolls of film annually because the return address is illegible.
Expensive cosmetic bags are unnecessary and often do not prevent or control spills. Use zippable plastic bags for cosmetics. Separate bath needs and makeup needs.
Rather than buying small size toothpaste tubes, squeeze some toothpaste into a clean contact lens case or contact lens cleaning capsule. These are also handy for carrying salves or pills. Be sure to mark appropriately.
Give yourself a pat on the back for doing all you can to help protect the beautiful destinations we all love to visit and Mother Earth!
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