Buying secondhand clothes at thrift stores or consignment shops isn't just good on the wallet, it is also 95 percent more efficient than buying new. The amount of energy used to make new clothes is obviously significantly more than the energy used in reselling clothes. A bonus tip: When you shop at a consignment store and find a pair of pants, a jacket or other tailored item that fits you perfectly, ask the store to hold items for you the next time that seller brings in clothes to sell. This seller is a perfect match for your body size and type, so future items should fit you perfectly, too.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When shopping for pet toys, there are no added health benefits when choosing organic vs. conventional cotton toys. But there is comfort in knowing that no harmful herbicides, fertilizers or pesticides were used to grow the cotton when you do choose organic. One thing to avoid is toys made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can be harmful to pets if they tear apart the toys and accidentally ingest small pieces. Look for natural rubber or recycled plastic "indestructible" toys.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

While not printing anything is the greenest option, there are times when you absolutely must print documents. So what can you do to save paper and ink when you have to print? Try decreasing the margin size to 0.75 inch instead of using the default mode, which is typically 1 inch. You can also select “draft mode” in your print options, which reduces the amount of ink used. And choosing ink-efficient fonts like Century Gothic, Times New Roman and Calibri can help extend the life of your printer cartridges.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION