LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –  Thinking about going green in the Natural State to celebrate Earth Day on April 22?

Strategies to decrease your environmental footprint are relatively straightforward and often easier than people expect.

RECYCLE

One of the first and most accessible things someone can do is recycle, which reduces waste to landfills while reducing use of resources, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Little Rock’s recycling program offers guidelines on how, what and when to recycle. The webpage has links to other central-Arkansas recycling programs, including the Pulaski County program.

Remember to check out the Little Rock electronic recycling program. Pulaski County also has an e-recycling program, with several more centers across the state.

The state maintains a list of recycling centers for e-waste and household waste.

Also, the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment recommends an Earth911 app to find nearby recycling locations. The department also has an app of its own for reporting and finding environmental resources in the state.

LIGHTING

A shift to LED lights can save money while reducing environmental impact. The U.S. Department of Energy states LEDs use 75% less energy while lasting up to 25 times longer than residential incandescent lighting.

DRIVING

And while going to the recycling center or the store to pick up some LED bulbs, it is a good time to think about driving and its impact on the environment.

According to the EPA, burning gasoline or diesel fuel releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases lead to atmospheric warming that leads to weather extremes which are becoming more common in modern times.

One of the cures for this is to drive less, the first of a six-point plan the EPA has in place to reduce vehicle emissions. Walking, bicycling, or ride sharing and mass transit are all encouraged alternatives to support driving less.

The agency also recommends what it calls “driving wise,” primarily by going easy on the gas pedal, choosing fuel-efficient vehicles and reducing the time your vehicle spends idling. Finally, the recommendation runs to optimizing home deliveries by combining orders into one shipment and using more efficient lawn and garden equipment.

BATTERIES

Batteries come up repeatedly in go-green strategies. Batteries are important, helpful and full of things that are not good for the environment.

The first step is recycling your old batters. The Energizer batteries website has a handy search tool from Earth911 to find battery recyclers near you.

A second website, Call2Recycle, also has a search tool for finding battery drop-off and recycling locations near you.

The EPA has a number of suggestions on its website for people interested in going green.