Pick 5 for the Environment | US Environmental Protection Agency

Water Close / Save these Choices
	1. Use only the water you need, and reuse when possible.
	2. Help keep water clean by using biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning products.
	3. Dispose of solid and liquid wastes and medications safely.
	4. Protect your local water source from pollutants, excess pesticides and garbage.

Air Close / Save these Choices
	1. Use human powered modes of transportation to get from place to place! Walk, jog, skip, ride a bike instead.
	2. Pass on gas! Take public transportation, carpool, plan your day to reduce trips and vehicle emissions.
	3. Make sure your home's air is healthy. Test, Fix and Save a Life from Radon, a colorless odorless gas, this January 2012 during National Radon Action Month.
	4. Buy locally, or grow your own! Reduce air pollution caused by food and goods transport.
	5. Reduce your potential for exposure to mercury.
	6. Plant a tree. Or plant many trees!
	7. Prevent additional air pollution by finding alternatives to burning your waste.

Land Close / Save these Choices
	1. Use pesticides safely! Reduce or eliminate where possible.
	2. Learn about composting, try it out!
	3. Learn about 'Greenscaping'! Try it out at home and promote it in your community.
	4. Learn about the native species and the negative effects of non native plants and animals in the environment. Plant native species in your gardens, encourage important pollinators such as bees and birds by planting gardens full of their favorite plants. Join a team in your community that removes non-native species.

Energy Close / Save these Choices
	1. Save energy at home. Choose energy-saving appliances if they're available. Look for Energy Star!
	2. Go renewable! Create your own power from wind, the sun, water, or biofuels.
	3. Find alternate ways to reduce use of diesel and other fuels for transportation, production and energy.
	4. Find out how much of your home's energy is supplied by renewable sources, seek to increase it. Research or contact your local power provider.

Waste Close / Save these Choices
	1. Reduce. Cut back on the amount of 'stuff' that could later end up as waste.
	2. Reuse. Upcycle! Take something that is disposable and transform it into something of greater use and value.
	3. Recycle metals, plastics and paper.
	4. E-cycle. Recycle and/or properly dispose of electronic waste such as computers and other gadgets.
	5. Don't litter! Properly dispose of trash and waste.
	6. When purchasing goods, opt for sustainable, recycled or reused resources. Choose items in less packaging.

Advocacy Close / Save these Choices
	1. Participate in a local environmental festival or event.
	2. Organize a local event! Start a recycling competition at work Organize a cleanup day in your community, share the before and after photos with Pick5!
	3. Establish a Green Award program in your community.
	4. Talk to a friend about Pick5!
	5. Find a 'Green Mate' across the globe, double up to make a difference. Pair up through Pick5 on Twitter, Facebook, let us know how you found each other!
	6. Share your commitment on social networking sites.
	7. Join or start a green club in your community.
	8. Bring environmental education to your local schools and community.
	9. Raise Awareness! Talk to others about the state of the environment, locally or globally.

You're on your way to a healthier environment! Keep it up!

Privacy Policy

Pick 5 is an international environmental connection effort brought to you by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of State.
Brought to you by the US EPA and the US Dept. of State

Contact the Pick 5 Program Manager to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Water

Use only the water you need, and reuse when possible.
Used household water, or "grey water" is being re-used in Zambia for gardening.
- Learn more about water conservation and a water saving program in the United States.
Dispose of solid and liquid wastes and medications safely.
Take advantage of medication take-back programs or household hazardous waste collection programs that accept medications, pharmaceuticals, oil, paint and other liquid wastes.

If there are no take-back programs near you, contact your state and local waste management authorities and ask about how to dispose of unused medication.

Follow any specific disposal instructions that may be printed on the label or accompanying patient information
Protect your local water source from pollutants, excess pesticides and garbage.
Everyone lives in a watershed -- the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, aquifer, or even the ocean -- and our individual actions can directly affect it. For example, watch the weather and apply necessary chemicals when the rain won't wash them away, and dispose of livestock or pet's waste appropriately or litter off the ground.

Air

Pass on gas! Take public transportation, carpool, plan your day to reduce trips and vehicle emissions
- Learn more about how EPA is helping to promote cleaner fuels and vehicles worldwide!
Make sure your home's air is healthy, learn about indoor air pollutants from indoor energy use and toxins.
Reduce your potential for exposure to mercury
Plant a tree. Or plant many trees!
Prevent additional air pollution by finding alternatives to burning your waste

Land

Use pesticides safely! Reduce or eliminate where possible.
Learn about composting, try it out!
- More on composting
Learn about 'Greenscaping'! Try it out at home and promote it in your community
- What's greenscaping?
Learn about the native species and the negative effects of non native plants and animals in the environment. Plant native species in your gardens, encourage important pollinators such as bees and birds by planting gardens full of their favorite plants. Join a team in your community that removes non-native species.
- More information on invasive species
- EPA's Watershed Academy on non-native species
- The Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, CA leads community hikes to find new invasions of exotics and remove infestations before they get out of control.

Energy

Save energy at home Choose energy-saving appliances if they're available. Look for Energy Star!
- Learn more about Energy Star in the United States
- Energy Star in Europe!
Go renewable! Create your own power from wind, the sun, water, or biofuels.
- Embassy Lusaka is using 500 liters of used cooking oil a week to power their generators and vehicles!
- Teen's Do-It-Yourself Energy Project Gives African Village New Hope
- Check out the Geneva United Nations Solar Energy Project!
- Fact Sheet U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva Solar Energy Project
Find alternate ways to reduce use of diesel and other fuels for transportation, production and energy.
- United Nations Environment Program Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles

Waste

Reuse. Upcycle! Take something that is disposable and transform it into something of greater use and value.
Embassy Lusaka in Zambia is donating its rubbish to upcyclers who create useful or artistic things from them. Examples of the types of items made from this rubbish are grocery bags, wine bottles, soda bottle tops, cardboard, paper and shredded paper.

Widows and single moms of Chikumbuso, Zambia crotchet strips of plastic grocery base into indestructible reusable bags to support a school for their children and community orphans.

Soda and beer bottle tops are transformed into furniture and other décor!
Recycle metals, plastics and paper
Zambia - Collecting and delivering glass to make beads, generating income for a community school for impoverished children.
E-cycle Recycle and/or properly dispose of electronic waste such as computers and other gadgets
- Learn about EPA e-waste projects in Africa!
- More about E-Waste (PDF) (4 pp, 988K, about PDF)
Don't litter! Properly dispose of trash and waste
- Check out the weekly eco-gram at the Tirana, Albania Embassy!
- See this EPA Kids page for where litter can end up!

Advocacy

Share Your Commitment
- Share tips and stories on Facebook
- Share thoughts on Twitter (use hashtag #p5e)
Raise Awareness! Talk to others about the state of the environment, locally or globally
- See what government leaders discussed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen, Denmark
- See this interview with Bishop Desmond Tutu on climate action