Eco-friendly tips:

• Each year, eight million tons worth of trees are used in the production of paper catalogs. www.catalogchoice.org is a free service that helps you unsubscribe in three easy steps.
  
  
• www.greendimes.com - For a small fee, GreenDimes can help eliminate most of the junk mail you receive, will continue to monitor your list and will plant trees on your behalf.
  
  
• Get green on the road by using less gas: remove excess weight from the trunk/rear of your car; use cruise control on longer trips; check your tire pressure regularly; don’t drive over 60 miles per hour; use the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil.
  
  
• While you’re getting organized and disposing of things you don’t need or want, consider others who may be able to put those items to good use. Here are some resources:
  
  
1. www.freecycle.org - a grassroots and nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free and reducing what goes into landfills.
   
   
2. Goodwill Industries, www.goodwillsp.org (they may also take your old computers)
   
   
3. www.1800cleanup.org. Enter your zip code and explore the options for recycling items including electronics.
   
   
4. National Kidney Foundation of NC, www.kidney.org/site/support/index.cfm?ch=208 (household items – will pick up at your home, car donation program)
   
   
• You may want to sell items that have more value. Here are two options:
  
  
1. Ebay: www.ebay.com (national auction program)
   
   
2. http://charlotte.craigslist.org (local classified advertising)
   
   
• http://earth911.org/north-carolina, an excellent listing of all recycling efforts in North Carolina and the Charlotte region.