You’ve always been concerned about the environment and you do your best to protect it. You recycle cans and newspapers, car pool when you can and pick up your trash, but with Earth Day approaching, you’d like to do more, especially at home.

While recycling, carpooling and avoiding littering are good steps to take, there are many more things you can do. Some of these include:

• Reduce paper waste. Buy e-Edition subscriptions of newspapers and magazines, email whenever possible and pay your bills online. Throw old papers into a box and use the backs for scrap paper.

• Cut down on trash. Donate stuff you don’t use to charity or have a yard sale. Revamp stuff you do use and keep it.

• Recycle everything possible, including aluminum, paper, plastic and newspapers. Contact your local recycling center for further information.

• Conserve water. Take shorter showers, turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth and irrigate the lawn only when necessary.

• Make your home energy efficient. Caulk holes on the exterior and replace weather stripping on doors and windows. Replace old appliances with energy-efficient ones and install a programmable thermostat on your furnace that will control power use while you’re away.

• Redesign your landscape to make it more environmentally friendly. Add borders and groundcover to reduce mowing time, use mulch and organic fertilizers to eliminate the need for pesticides, and install an efficient irrigation system.

• Use water-based products rather than solvent-based products. Skip the sealer with a solvent base in favor of one with a water base.

• Take all hazardous materials, like paint and motor oil, to special disposal sites. Contact your local solid waste division for details.

• Keep your vehicle serviced. Have frequent tune-ups and oil changes and consider purchasing a hybrid for your next vehicle.

• Use manpower whenever possible. Pull weeds and rake up leaves the old-fashioned way and leave the weed cutter and the leaf blower in the garage.

These are just 10 of the hundreds of steps you can take to protect the environment. For more ideas, conduct a search online or contact a local environmental agency.

With a little bit of work, you can give the environment a boost and protect it for years to come. Don’t delay it another day. Learn what you can do to protect the environment and encourage your friends and family to do their part, too.

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