#1 Less is More – the fewer materials that go into making a product mean that fewer materials will be disposed of at the end of the products life.

#2 Many electronics suck “phantom power” out of the electricity grid even when they are turned off or when nothing is plugged into a charger. To avoid this, unplug, don’t just turn off, electronics when they are not in use. Even better, put all your electronics on one surge protector or power strip so you can just turn off one switch for multiple electronics.

#3 Recycle old electronics when you are done with them. There are many websites that allow you to send in your laptop, cell phone, printer cartridges or other gadget for recycling, and sometimes will even give you money back for them. Or if you do dispose, dispose responsibly – give your electronics to a local e-waste recycling program to ensure that that the product is safely taken apart and recycled.

#4 Set all electronics to go to sleep or go on standby in the shortest reasonable time. Use the sleep mode on your computer, not the screen saver, to save energy.

#5 Look for products that are Energy Star certified, EPEAT certified, or RoHS certified. Energy Star certified products are highly energy efficient. EPEAT, or electronic product environmental assessment tool, certifies the greenest products. RoHS is a restriction on hazardous substances in Europe that restricts toxic chemicals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead.

#6 Buy used electronics. They are often in good condition and much less expensive than newer electronics, and by reusing, you are protecting the environment. Check out EBay or Craigslist.

#7 Go digital! Every IPod and digital camera user has helped reduce one facet of electronic waste without even realizing it! By going digital, you decrease the CD’s and film that have to be produced and disposed of. Remember to use rechargeable batteries as well

#8 New studies are coming out that connect cell phone radiation to brain cancer. Use your cell phone cautiously with the following tips: (excerpted from environmentalhealthtrust.org)
• Try to use your cell phone on speaker, with a headset or blue tooth. Keep it away from your head.
• Don’t charge your phone where you sleep at night. Keep it at least 6 feet away.
• Try to keep the cell phone away from the body as much as possible. The amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and fifty times lower at three feet.
• When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, limiting the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.
• Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
• Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for “sar ratings cell phones” on the internet.