The environment - it's yours to keep!

It's a New Year and a good time to add new "green" promises for the coming months ahead. Here are a few easy tips to help conserve resources and save you money.

More information on going "green" March 2008 - Seniors "Go Green" Corporate Responsibility Report - Keep watching Senior K for the report's downloadable link. More and more, consumers trust companies like ours to care about the things they care about. Kellogg Company will release its first report addressing the growing range of social and environmental concerns and how the company is addressing these issues in 2009.

1. Avoid letting your car idle. Don't let your car engine idle for long periods of time. If you are waiting for someone, turn your engine off. Idling wastes fuel, adds to pollution and costs money.

2. Cut down on trash. Recycle newspapers, glass bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard. Ask your trash carrier for a curbside recycling container or call your city or county offices to get the location of a central drop-off recycling center. Give away old magazines to local hospitals and senior centers.

3. Don't throw away the rotten cabbage! Toss old food and table scraps into a compost bin. Use the rich mulch to freshen your garden. Building your own composter can be easy. Check out Better Homes and Gardens for tips and ideas.

4. Properly dispose of old medicines. Throwing old medicines in the trash or flushing them down the toilet has caused contamination of our soil and water supplies. Contact your pharmacist to see if they have a drug-recycling program. If they do, they may take it back at anytime, or will hold periodic drives to collect expired medicine. If they don't, another pharmacy may have a program in place.

5. Share the ride. If several neighbors or friends are attending the same event, like church or even grocery shopping, car pooling is a great way to share the fun and save money on gas. Check out this article on carpooling, "Carpooling tips can help you make smart decisions for sharing your daily commute."