How can you travel green?

Before Leaving Home

 Fill reusable containers with shampoo, soap and other necessities rather than buying small, travel-sized toiletries.

 Reuse plastic or paper shopping bags to pack items for your trip and recycle them afterward. Plastic shopping bags are perfect for keeping dirty shoes and wet articles of clothing separate from other items in your suitcase, while paper bags are great for packing snacks for the car.

 Book flights with airlines that offer electronic tickets to reduce paper waste.

 If you change your own motor oil before driving, recycle it at a "quick lube" shop, gas station or auto store that accepts used motor oil for recycling.

On the Road

 Take it easy. Slamming on the brakes and accelerating too quickly can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 33 percent.

 Replace clogged air filters. A clogged air filter can reduce a vehicle's fuel efficiency by 10 percent.

 Get a tune-up. Routine maintenance can increase fuel efficiency by 4 percent, while fixing more serious problems can improve efficiency by up to 40 percent.

 Check the air pressure on your tires and inflate any that are lower than the pressure recommended in the owner's manual. Properly inflated tires can increase fuel efficiency by 3.3 percent.

 Idling for just 30 seconds burns more fuel than turning off the car and restarting it. Turn the ignition off at long stoplights and other lengthy hold-ups. Rather than using the drive-through, just park and go in.

While on Vacation

 When you leave your hotel room, turn off the air conditioner or heater, lights and TV to reduce energy use.

 While on your trip, remember to take only the amount of products that you need from restaurants or lodgings. Take only napkins, condiment packets, free brochures, maps or coupons that you will actually use.

 If you’re traveling during the summer months, remember to include lots of thirst quenchers, and be sure to recycle the used beverage containers. Consider putting a filter on your water tap and refilling bottles with the filtered water. Instead of buying many small drink bottles, buy drinks or drink mixes in bulk and fill reusable bottles.

 When visiting rest areas and parks, be sure to take out everything you bring in, so that you leave places clean and undisturbed.