DIY Beauty - Waste Reduction Style

These are some excellent beauty tips for back-to-school so you can be looking your best for Welcome Week! These products are less wasteful than your drugstore cosmetic products because they require far less processing, packaging, and shipment. Who says beauty can't be painless?

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Redmond Clay (it'll come in a dry powder form, you can buy it here).
• 3/8 cup boiling water (preferably purified)
• 1/4 tsp. Real Salt (or really any kind of unrefined salt)
• 15-25 drops Stevia (liquid or powder is fine)
• 10-12 drops Peppermint Oil
• 4-6 drops Tea Tree Oil

This photo was retrieved here.

How to DIY:

1. Combine the powdered clay and salt into a bowl.

2. Pour in the boiling water.

3. Mix the contents with a hand mixer. The consistency should be toothpaste-like. 

4. Add in the Stevia, Peppermint and Tea Tree oils until you are happy with the flavor.

5. Give it one last mix.

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Almond or Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Beeswax
• (optional) 1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
• (optional) 2 tablespoons Shea Butter of Cocoa Butter
• (optional) Peppermint/Tea Tree Essential Oil
• (optional) Vanilla Extract

How to DIY:
1. Combine ingredients into a mason jar. Make sure it's pint-sized, at least. 

2. Place a medium saucepan filled with a couple inches of water over medium heat. 

3. Put a lid on the jar, loosely, and put it in the pan with the water.

4. Watch as the ingredients in the jar start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally. When all         ingredients are completely melted, put them into a jar you'll use for storage.

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 1 bar (4.5 ounces) of shaved bar soap (Dr. Bronner's, Ivory, ZOTE, etc.)
• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of washing soda

How to DIY:
1. Shave the bar soap, if not already shaven.

2. Stir the ingredients together.

3. Store in a sealed container. 

4. Use 1. Tbsp. per load.

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. Coconut Oil
• 4 tsp. Aloe Vera Gel
• 1/2 tsp. grated Beeswax
• 1-2 capsules of activated charcoal
• a clean Mascara Container (just clean out an old one)

How to DIY:
1. Put coconut oil, aloe vera gel, and grated beeswax in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until beeswax is completely melted.

2. Open 1-2 capsules of activated charcoal (depending on desired color, about 1/4-1/2 tsp.) and pour into oil mixture. Stir until completely incorporated. Remove from heat.

3. Pour into a small plastic bag, pushing the mixture down to one corner. Then cut a very small hole in the opposite corner of the bag.

4. Fold the corner with the cut whole until you have a small tip that you can push into the empty mascara tube. (It's much easier if you have an extra set of hands nearby to hold the tube in place!) Make sure the tip goes far enough into the tube or you'll have a big mess on your hands!

5. Keep the small-hole-end securely in the tube (or get your helper to hold it in place). Begin pressing the mascara mixture toward the tube. Don't move too quickly or it will come out and you'll have to mess deal with. (I highly recommend doing this with a paper towel or napkin underneath.) Keep moving the mixture into the tube until it's all in.

6. Place the inner cap in place and then twist the wand on tightly. 

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 5 tbs. coconut oil
• 1/3 cup baking soda 
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
• 15 drops of grapefruit essential oil

How to DIY:
1. Mix baking soda and arrowroot together.

2. Add the oils and mix well.

3. Pour into a clean jar.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbs. heavy cream, or sour cream
• 3 tablespoons oatmeal powder

How to DIY:

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon or spatula.

2. Apply immediately on face using a clean brush or fingers.

3. Gently massage into skin.

4. Lay down, and leave on skin for 15-20 minutes.

5. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs. arrowroot powder
• hibiscus powder
• (optional) cinnamon 

How to DIY:
1. Combine the hibiscus powder, one teaspoon at a time until desired color is reached, with the arrowroot powder. 

2. (optional) Add cinnamon for a little "depth and glow."

While I have provided links for you to purchase these ingredients online, to cut down on pollution from transportation and waste from packaging, try to gather these ingredients from local sources: Trader Joe's, World Market, any local shops which provide these.

This photo was retrieved here.

Ingredients:

• Arrowroot powder (1 tsp. for dark skin, 1Tbs. for light skin)
• Add one or a combination of:
• Cocoa Powder
• Ground Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• (optional) Jojoba, Olive, or Almond Oil

How to DIY: 
1. Start with a base of arrowroot powder. 
2. Add in one or combination of the cocoa powder, cinnamon, or nutmeg until you reach your desired tone.
3. Want a more "compact" foundation? Add some jojoba/olive/almond oil to the mixture and press down into a compact. (Start with 5 drops and keep adding until it reaches your desired texture).

Works Cited
Langford, Stephanie. "Homemade Clay Toothpaste - Keeper of the Home."Keeper of the Home. N.p., 2013. Web. 11 June 2014.
Katie. "Homemade Lotion Recipe- How to Make Your Own Lotion." Wellness Mama. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 June 2014.
Jabs, Matt. "The Original Homemade Laundry Detergent." DIYNatural. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.
"Homemade Mascara: All Natural and Eye Friendly." Thank Your Body. N.p., 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 June 2014.
Cottis, Halle. "How To Make Your Own Deodorant With Only 3 Natural Ingredients!" Whole Lifestyle Nutrition How To Make Your Own Deodorant With Only 3 All Natural Ingredients Comments. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 June 2014.
"Homemade Deodorant with Coconut Oil." Family Sponge. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.
Cheryl. "Chocolate Oatmeal Face Mask." Gourmande in the Kitchen. N.p., 26 July 2013. Web. 11 June 2014.
"All Natural Homemade Foundation." Thank Your Body. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 11 June 2014.

Animals Recycling

We all know of the constant loop of nutrient recycling that happens in the massive ecosystem that is our Earth. But did you know? Numerous animal species have adapted their survival skills in order to recycle waste we leave behind. Check out these recycle-maniacs!

Elephants 

The photo to the left is of Thabo-Umasai, an elephant calf at Germany's Dresden Zoo munching on a used Christmas tree. Camels, deer, and sheep also participate in this recycling of Christmas trees. "Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch consisting of about five Christmas trees each," said Ragnar Kuehne of the Berlin Zoo. Kuehne also noted that the pine trees' unique oils actually help some animals' digestion.  

Sponges

Sponges such as the Halisarca caerulea grow in deep cavities underneath coral reefs. Scientists at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (RNISR) discovered that every day, these sponges consume half of their own weight in dissolved organic carbon. Where is all of that food energy going? As it turns out, the sponges shed cells produced from processing the carbon, which other residents of the reef then consume. "Halisarca caerulea is the great recycler of energy for the reef by turning over energy that nobody else can use into energy that everyone can use,' explained Jasper De Goeij, who worked on the RNISR study.

Orb-Weaving Spiders (We spared you the photo on this one.)

Some orb-weaving spiders decorate their webs with bits of leaves, twigs and other plant matter. Sometimes these creepy crawlers add ribbons, fluff and silk tufts in order to make their webs as enticing as possible for prey. Not only are they reusing materials left behind by humans, but many orb-weaving spiders rebuild their nests every day, so they are always busy recycling. This helps keep both their webs and their surrounding environment clean!

Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs don't grow their own shells, so to protect themselves they have to salvage shells abandoned by other sea life, or in this case abandoned by us humans. But really they'll use whatever they can find, which often includes glass bottles, cans or shotgun shells. If you have a pet hermit crab you can provide it a recycled shell! Just remember that as a crab grows, it will seek out new shells in order to find the best fit.

Birds

Similarly to the orb-weaving spiders, many birds will incorporate everything from lint and string to human hair in their nests. Seriously, leave your hair clippings outside for the birds to use; they'll even accept your pets' hair! Bowerbirds from New Guinea and Australia collect colorful trash (mostly bottle caps and plastics) and re-purpose it for nest decoration. Some species of city-dwelling birds line their nests with discarded cigarette butts, which have been known to deter parasites from entering the nest. 

Corals
Though very sensitive to variations in their environment, these corals can adapt shipwrecks, undersea pipelines, and oil rigs into surfaces to develop reefs on. By re-purposing this human wreckage, they also provide habitats for twenty-five percent of marine life, and 4000 fish species alone.

Octupi 

Several species, such as the veined octopus (as seen on right), have been observed building shelters out of discarded debris. Some of these debris include cracked coconut shells, abandoned sea shells, glass jars and other waste whose fate is the bottom of the ocean. 

Dung Beetles
Dung beetles move, eat, lay eggs, and even LIVE in poop. Hey, somebody's got to do it! Every resource needs to be put to good use, even poop! Commonly referred to as "rollers," their waste-collection strategy is to roll feces into balls so that it can be easily wheeled away. It's estimated that dung beetles save the United States' cattle industry $380 million annually by livestock feces recycling alone. Their recycling abilities  have even been proposed as a way to help curb global warming. 

Decorator Crabs

Decorator crabs are covered with hooked hairs, nobs and spines to which they attach bits of sponge, seaweed, and even anemones. They do this to create an ideal camouflage appearance; their goal is to blend in with the coral reef. The Marine Education Society of Australasia says they’re only noticed when they move. Some crabs will even wear anemone hats with stinging tentacles to deter predators.

Burrowing Owl

Did you know burrowing owls nest underground? They also hang out during the day. Let's just say they're oddballs for an owl species. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they are capable of digging out their own burrows, but they’ll also use homes left over by prairie dogs or ground rodents. They also recycle animal dung, making a kind of 'Welcome' mat out of it. 

Have you seen any animals recycling on U of M's campus? Perhaps you've observed one of our notorious Diag squirrels recycling a plastic water bottle, or a bird at the Arb using bits of plastic to create a nest? If you have any photos, please send them to recycle@umich.edu. Lastly, we hope you're inspired by these recycling champions. Get out there make a house from dung! Don't forget your stinging tentacle hat!

Works Cited
Chamberlain, Ted. "Photo in the News: Baby Elephant Eats Christmas Trees."National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 June 2014.
Viegas, Jennifer. "Top 5 Animals That Recycle : DNews." DNews. DNews, 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 26 June 2014.
Nelson, Bryan. "6 Animals That Recycle in Their Everyday Lives: Corals." MNN. Mother Nature Network, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.
Langley, Liz. "St. Patrick's Day: "Green" Animals That Recycle." National Geographic. National Geographic, 14 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 June 2014.

Acknowledging the Haters

Recycling is an environmentally-friendly behavior commonly accepted in society today. Even the most basic of actions can cause controversy, however. There exists a large group of recycling critics - people who believe recycling has an overall negative effect on the environment. Here at WRRO, we've looked a bit closer at some of their arguments against recycling.

Above is a photo of paper sludge. This photo was retrieved here. 

Firstly, the disbelievers argue that recycling causes an increase in air pollution because of the amount of energy it takes. In an article for ListVerse, author Andrew Handley mentions that a recycling plant in Northwest Washington is among the region's top polluters. Amy Westervelt, in an article for Forbes, compares recycling to any other business, "It’s neither altruistic nor completely self-serving; it comes with clear societal and environmental benefits–perhaps more so than many other businesses–but it also comes with some costs and cannot be considered a perfect solution to the United States’ large and ever-growing consumption and waste problems." Sure, recycling takes energy, and that energy comes from fossil fuels. But so does almost everything else we do as a society, except recycling also saves precious natural resources such as iron ore, limestone, and tin. In addition, Handley failed to acknowledge the amount of energy recycling saves. We've all heard the fun facts, such as this one: "Recycling just one can saves enough electricity to light a 25 CFL bulb for 14 hours." Or this one, from Rachel Cernansky's Forbes article, "It takes two-thirds less energy to make products from recycled plastic than from virgin plastic." Another argument against recycling is that it creates a lot of waste. It is called paper sludge, and it is created when you let recycled paper sit in water and some ink-removing chemicals until the ink comes off. According to Handley, the sludge is then "either burned or sent to a landfill, where it can leach dozens of toxic chemicals and heavy metals into groundwater." Landfills also create "garbage juice," which is a toxic liquid that can also seep through the landfill linings and contaminate our groundwater. The fundamental idea behind recycling is that it prevents landfills from growing considerably larger (despite the sludge) and therefore is keeping groundwater contamination to an absolute minimum.

There is also a macroeconomic argument against recycling. In the Listverse article, Handley argues that demand for most recycled products is too high for their supply to keep up. This is not an argument against recycling; it is an extremely excellent motivation to recycle! Handley also claims that paper companies harvest 15 million acres of forest each year and plant 22 million. He says that this will decrease the demand for recycled materials. This is also not a negative effect of recycling, however, since the demand is already too high. The Listverse article explains that in the United States it costs $4000 to recycle one ton of plastic bags, but a ton of recycled bags only sells for $32. According to Handley, as a result of this low-rewards scenario, about 300,000 tons of the plastic bags end up in a landfill every year." As the technology for recycling plastic becomes more and more sophisticated in the coming decades, the cost for recycling plastic bags will decrease. In addition, the demand for recycled materials is high and will continue to grow, which will drive up the price for recycled bags, making the recycling of plastic bags profitable.

Recycling "haters" also criticize the technical process of recycling. They claim it has contamination issues which lower the quality of products made from recycled materials. A contamination is not just a plastic chip bag (clearly meant for trash) being put into a recycling bin and then someone on the recycling line picking it out - it could be an aluminum can containing lead paint becoming a soda can that someone drinks out of. In an article for Discover Magazine, Rachel Cernansky argues that any contamination will compromise the strength and durability of the recycled material that is produced. Contamination is a serious issue in the realm of recycling, but Materials Recovery Facilities work hard to make sure contaminations are so few they become nonthreatening. 

This photo was retrieved here.

The recycling of plastics in particular is frowned upon by the community of anti-recyclers. According to the Discover Magazine article, only about 6.8 percent of the total plastic used in the U.S. actually gets recycled. The Forbes article also discusses how the stats on plastics recycling come from the American Plastics Council and the Society of the Plastics Industries, Inc. (SPI), both trade associations representing the plastics industry. Thus the Discover Magazine article proves that any data about plastics recycling is skewed and therefore irrelevant. Recycling plastics is tricky because every container is made of a unique blend of dyes, chemicals, and molding agents to give a different "marketable" look. As a result, they cannot all be melted down and recycled together to make a new product. As was previously mentioned, the technology for plastics recycling will improve and more facilities will be able to accept wider varieties of plastics for recycling.

A recycling bin on U of M's Ann Arbor Campus Diag. 
This photo was retrieved here. 

Lastly, the doubters argue that recycling negatively impacts consumer behavior with respect to the environment. Handley argues that recycling allows us an excuse to be more wasteful in other areas of our lives, and that it encourages consumption. As someone who continues to strive toward a more sustainable life with each passing day, I believe practicing sustainable behaviors has a positive re-enforcement effect. The more you do, the more you want to do. Or in consumption's case, the less you buy, the less you want to buy. Recycling is the 'gateway drug' of sustainable behaviors. It is easy to do, everyone has products that can be recycled, and most people have access to a recycling bin. On U of M's campus you have access to a recycling bin near every trash can! Overall, recycling is an excellent method of education for conservation of natural resources and living sustainably. 

What do YOU guys think? Is recycling good for the environment and our society? I think the benefits (education, positive reinforcement, conservation) outweigh the cons (energy use, paper sludge, inefficiency). I also think that it would be nearly impossible to calculate the value of recycling in comparison to its costs. One would need to consider the energy used by recycling facilities and compare it to another calculation of how much energy is saved by recycling.  The value of the material and energy saved from recycling would need to be incorporated, as well as the value of the property that will not become a landfill as a direct result of recycling. Lastly, one would have to consider the value recycling adds to the economy, considering it creates jobs across all sectors.

Just remember, folks. Haters are gonna hate, but keep on recycling.

This photo was retrieved here.

Works Cited
Westervelt, Amy. "Can Recycling Be Bad for the Environment?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 July 2014.
Handley, Andrew. "10 Ways Recycling Hurts the Environment - Listverse."Listverse. Listverse, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 July 2014.
Cernansky, Rachel. "July/August 2014." Discover Magazine. Discover Magazine, 26 July 2009. Web. 29 July 2014.
"Recycling Saves Energy." Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. State Government of Pennsylvania, 2014. Web. 30 July 2014.

Celebrities - Leaders in Sustainability?

Many celebrities involve themselves in various philanthropic causes. Some (including those listed below) have even jumped on the environmental bandwagon! The Waste Reduction and Recycling Office has taken time to assess the commitment of each of the following celebrities to this movement.

The Dave Matthews Band offset their tours' carbon emissions by running their own Bama Green Project, a project focused on planting trees and building wind turbines. Power generators for each of their concerts are fueled by biodiesel, and recycling (yay!) and composting (double yay!) is a must at every show. The band also founded a large coalition of environmentally-minded musicians and music industry leaders called the Green Music Group. Members include but are not limited to Linkin Park, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow. 

Natalie Portman

This photo was retrieved here.

Natalie's environmental activism seems to be much more personal than just an activity to fill extra time, or a strategic marketing move. It is deeply rooted in her core; Portman has been a strong advocate of environmentally-friendly behaviors for decades. Natalie is a proud vegan, raising her vegan image to new heights by introducing a chic line of shoes composed of all man-made materials. She also works aggressively to conserve the wild silverback gorilla population through her involvement in the Animal Planet documentary "Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Brink."

This photo was retrieved here.

Shailene Woodley
is a symbol for self-sufficiency and the belief in natural beauty. Her lifestyle is inspiring to all earth-lovers out there. For example, she collects her own drinking water by lugging 5-gallon jugs up into the mountains. She then drinks that water out of glass Mason jars because "she doesn't want to expose herself or the planet to the chemicals used in plastics." Next, Shailene buys exclusively used clothes. She also makes her own lotions, body oils, and toothpaste. In the coming weeks there will be a blog post on making your own beauty products. But if that's not your style, there's a company called Earthpaste who will make all-natural toothpaste for you. 35% of her diet is from wild foods; Shailene goes into the mountains and finds herbs and other plants she can use for food and medicinally. Lastly I'll leave you with a closing quote from Ms. Woodley herself: "I'm going to be a citizen of this planet, and I'm going to do my responsibility and live in stride with nature instead of constantly fighting against her."


Cate Blanchett

This photo was retrieved here.

"It makes me furious when you're in the line in the supermarket and people just put everything into [new] plastic bags. I very self-righteously pull my crumpled plastic bags out, you know. It's such a joke amongst my friends, me and my plastic bags." This is a quote from our latest Oscar-winning actress, who does much work toward sustainability in her professional life as well as her personal one. Aside from equipping the Sydney Theatre Company building with solar panels, she also assisted in adding rainwater collection systems for the Theatre. Under her guidance, the theater also started reusing and recycling costumes and props (yay!)  Cate is an inspiration. About her environmental goals, she stated "I’m an optimist. I believe we’re ready as a generation to seize this opportunity to make profound environmental changes for the better. After all, what’s the alternative?"

Leonardo DiCaprio

This photo was retrieved here.

In 1998 our good friend Leo started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote awareness of environmental issues. The Foundation lobbies for forest preservation, healthy oceans, access to clean water, and renewable energy. Another significant portion of his environmental efforts is that he co-writing and production of the global warming documentary "11th Hour", which you can watch here. Apparently he is executive producing an eco-friendly reality program called "Greensburg," which chronicles the green rebuilding of a Kansas town that was destroyed by a tornado. Oh, and not to mention he has donated hundreds of millions of dollars of his personal earnings toward conservation efforts.

Edward Norton

Norton's approach is unique; he focuses his work on specifically-focused programs and organizations. For example, Norton set up the BP Solar Neighbors Program in 2003. The goal of the program is every time a celebrity purchases a solar energy unit, BP donates solar panels in low-income Los Angeles homes. The Fight Club star has also been vocally supportive of The Wilderness Society and Earthjustice. Norton, like Leo, hosted a National Geographic series called "Strange Days on Planet Earth," which aired on PBS.

In your opinion, what is the most important action a famous individual can take to help a movement such as the environmental one? Are their individual behaviors important? Or is it their grand gestures, such as starting a foundation or hosting a documentary? Would education about these celebrities' efforts help encourage recycling and sustainability at U of M?

Works Cited
Terlato, Kailyn. "42 Celebrities Who Care about the Environment."Examiner.com. Examiner, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 08 July 2014.
"Green Living Tips." Good Housekeeping. Good Housekeeping, n.d. Web. 08 July 2014.
"15 Green Celebrities." CNBC.com. CNBC, n.d. Web. 08 July 2014.
"Top 20 Green Celebs." Elle. Elle, 28 Apr. 2008. Web. 08 July 2014.
Shumaker, Dresden. "Green Celebrities – 20 of Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Celebs." Babble. Disney, 08 July 2014. Web. 08 July 2014.
O'Connell, Megan. "Top 10 "Green" Celebrities." Beliefnet. Beliefnet, n.d. Web. 08 July 2014.
Weisman, Aly. "The Star Of The Huge New 'Divergent' Franchise Is A Hardcore Hippie." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 08 July 2014.
Jefferson, Whitney. "Who Said It: Shailene Woodley Or Some Old Hippie?"BuzzFeed. Buzzfeed Celeb, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 July 2014.
Jefferson, Whitney. "The 9 Most Wonderfully Hippie Things That Shailene Woodley Has Said." BuzzFeed. Buzzfeed Celeb, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 July 2014.

Have Yourself An Eco-Friendly Road Trip

This photo was retrieved from Camp Davis' website.

In tribute to an upcoming road trip I am particularly excited about, (I am taking a three-day-cross-country drive to UM's Camp Davis in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to study geology for the next month) I've decided to write a post about being green while on the road. Sometimes when we go on long trips we cheat on our green morals - I'm the first to admit I've thrown out a plastic water bottle for convenience. Here are some tips to help you stay eco-friendly while on the road!

1. Bring reusable tote bags

This photo was retrieved here.

Plastic shmastic is right! We're always making stops while we're on the road, picking up snacks and drinks here and there. You ALWAYS bring your reusable tote bags when you go shopping at home ;), so don't slack off just because you're on the road. Also, tote bags can be super handy for storing the random items that end up laying around your car during a road trip - someone's left shoe, a soccer ball, or maybe some old maps.

This photo was retrieved here.

2. Say "No" 
More specifically, say "no" to fast food. You'll be doing Mama Earth a favor if you pack your own lunch. Also, if you avoid purchasing fast food, you reduce the amount of idling you do with your car, which reduces the amount of greenhouse gases you release into the atmosphere.

This photo was retrieved here.

Packing a lunch will also significantly reduce the waste you produce - use tupperware to pack yourself some sandwiches and you're looking at a zero waste lunch.






4. Bring your own coffee mug. 

This photo was retrieved here.

Heaven knows you need caffeine when you have 100 miles to go and the sun has already set. Be sure your cup is reusable. Starbucks has specific goals set in place to increase the amount of reusable cups they sell. Biggby  and Peet's Coffee also offer travel mugs. Au Bon Pain offers a free travel mug if you join their eclub. Caribou Coffee gives a 10% discount to anyone who uses a reusable mug. Tim Hortons is looking more at recycling regular cups than using reusable mugs. The reusable mug situation at Dunkin' Donuts, Gloria Jeans, McDonald's seems less prominent than others.  

5. Recycle at rest areas
This one's pretty straight-forward.

This photo was retrieved here.

6. Set your cruise control

This photo was retrieved here.

Staying on cruise control can help limit your gas usage by preventing sudden stops and changes in speed.






7. No Air Conditioning

This photo was retrieved here.

Ditch the AC and leave the windows open. Maybe you'll catch a pic of your dog doing this!





8. Bring card games,
board games, and other non-electronic entertainment systems. It will save energy, not to mention waste from batteries and excess packaging.

This photo was retrieved here.

9. Avoid excess weight
You don't want to be looking like this poor fellow. Also it will allow your car to have a more fuel-efficient trip. 

This photo was retrieved here.

10. Stay in an energy star hotel
There's a complete list of Energy Star hotels in America.

This photo was retrieved here.

Works Cited
Made Just, Right Team. "10 Steps to an Eco-Friendly Road Trip." Made Just Right by Earth Balance. N.p., 2 July 2013. Web. 11 June 2014.
Admin. "Keeping Waste to a Minimum: Seven Ways to Recycle on the Road."Greatwide. N.p., 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 June 2014.
"ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings & Plants." Energy Star. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.
"Green Seal Hotels & Lodging Properties (listed Alphabetically by State)." Hotels and Lodging Properties. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2014.