Where I live in the south of England recycling is compulsory, every two weeks I have to put out 4 boxes for paper/cardboard, glass, metal and plastic. Is it similar where you live in the world? What sort of other things do you do (if any) to save the planet? For example do you walk to the local store as opposed to driving or maybe use reclaimed materials for home improvements?
If you are environmentally friendly and feel that you are doing your bit, does it annoy you that others blatantly don't?

I am kind of a mixed bag...... I recycle as much as possible, but, drive a gas guzzling 3/4 ton truck...... It is impractical to walk anywhere, as the nearest store is 8 miles away. I drive as little as possible though, and try and make sure my trips into town are for multiple purposes. Doesn't always work that way... My truck may just sit for a week at a time. All of us here regularly patrol the roads, to pick up the various crap that others simply toss out. I must say, the roadsides here look a HECK of a lot better than when we moved in. (two years ago.) Of course, getting cash for the scrap metal we picked up doesn't hurt either. (about 100 bucks for a weeks worth of work. Granted, that only happens once.... then the area is clean. )

We recycle most of our waste and I'll usually walk rather than drive if it's practical to do so. We've also revitalised the garden through some heavy planting of shrubs so it's no longer turning into a desert. Probably other stuff too, it's not something I spend huge amounts of time thinking about.

I guess I get irritated both by people who are needlessly and conspicuously wasteful as well as the holier-than-thou types who probably aren't anyway.

How green am I?

Well, my wife collects recyclables and then takes them to the MUA (the local dump) to put them in the recycling bins. But if I take stuff to the MUA that goes in the landfill and she tosses the bags of recycling in with the dump stuff she'll tell me, 'Make sure that stuff goes in recycling.', to which I reply, "Ok,.", but will put everything in the landfill anyway.

The whole, " Saving the planet " thing has absolutely nothing to do with saving the planet. It's about prolonging the inevitable. When this works is done with us it will shake us off and we'll be replaced with something else. So, going green and saving the planet is a joke.

I don't partake in this ridiculousness. I drive a truck with twin turbos that drinks gas like water. I have halogen lights and standard bulbs in my house and whenever my wife brings home "green bulbs" that their off 0 light they mysteriously break and get replaced by the so called evil stuff. I don't care about being green or saving the planet.

I recycle, that's pretty much it.

As the OP, I recycle every week and I try to sell stuff on or donate it on freecycle, such as mattresses and dryers, and to charities that take clothes.

At work, I avoid burning extra fuel to play my part in reducing carbon emissions, so I tend to land in Config 3 rather than with full flaps (so there is a lot less drag and therefore the engines don't burn as much), and I taxi with only one engine when it is sensible (so when taxiing out, I'll start the second engine just before takeoff, and after landing I'll shut the second engine down once the APU has started). So I like to think I do my bit. I don't judge others, though. That's their decision.

Yes, it annoys me that the developing world refuses to stop developing. If they'd got their industrial era out of the way 100 years ago like we did, then they'd now be ready to power their cities on farts and good intentions like we do.

Which is to say, I don't think we can do much to improve the environment when half the planet is just gearing up to start using resources heavily, but at the same time, it would be mean to expect them not to do it after we already did. At least with better technology nowadays we can start switching to cleaner nuclear fuels. I'm a bit sceptical of solar and wind energy considering the cost of upkeep with that infrastructure, but solar seems more effective and less intrusive on an individual home and building basis than carpeting the countryside in huge solar plantations.

On my own, no, I only recycle stuff. I'm not wealthy enough to worry about insubstantial things like how carbon free my house is or crap like that. I'm more concerned with the wrecking of the countryside, deforestation and excessive building in green areas.

I got greener as I got older (no, not from mold). In the old days, I tended to be dismissive of ecological stuff, but I've changed in that regard. My girl and I have insulated our house with hemp rather than PUR or rockwool, which is more expensive, but healthier and much better for the environment, and we're going to invest heavily in solar energy. Recycling is pretty much mandatory over here, but I also try not to take the car too much. When my knees heal I'll probably even cycle to work.

It's nobody's right to be annoyed if others don't put in effort to preserve the environment, really. After all, it's very hard for people to be ecologically conscious when they also have to worry about paying their mortgage, getting their kids to school, trying to keep their jobs and so on. You can't really fault people for putting ecology low on the priority list when they're trying hard to stay above water in this horrible economy.

Yes, I guess these types do deserve everyone's annoyance.

That you don't participate in being ecologically conscious (and even, for some reason, sabotage other people's efforts to be) is one thing - that you're actually proud of it and feel like a big man for it is another.

Not very green. I would rather recycle, but forget. Half the stuff in my room isn't environmentally friendly. Especially the TV that has a psuedo off mode. And the computer, and the PS3. The PS2 is only a friend to the environment because I have turned it off wrong since the beginning. I haven't had a single issue with it, but I've heard of people having huge problems that involved that particular shut down button. I don't randomly turn it on and off, though.

I don't really seek out stuff that has been recycled when buying paper. Used to be terrified of buying bamboo based products and also don't like taking Ibuprofen much because of the fish. I take anti-depressants in pretty high doses, so I don't think taking less of anything else will help. Fish are pretty much swimming in anti-depressants these days, which sounds cool, but the stuff just makes them more aggressive and messes them up in other ways. Sadly, I need the medication, so the fish have to swim in the stuff I take, as well.

I was terrified of buying bamboo products because I thought bamboo only grew in China for years. Turns out, pandas do not dictate where bamboo grows. I do completely refuse to ever eat shark. I was at an aquarium years ago and there was a presentation on sharks. The part where the line was had shark facts and one included how shark fin soup was made. That particular fact actually disgusted and horrified me so much, shark is one of the things I completely refuse to eat.

I do help wildlife and make sure to not buy painted shells for my hermit crab. The painted shells thing is more because if a hermit crab wear those, it can be dangerous. They also can be completely uncomfortable for the hermit crab. Would you want paint on a wonderfully smooth, beautiful shell, anyways? That sounds wasteful and pointless. Painted shells also look ugly. Not sure if helping wildlife is environmentally friendly. I one time saved a baby bird from being trapped behind a box. This bird thought I was its mom at first and I actually almost went to look for worms. I decided that would take too long, so I just got more stuff out of the way and scared it a bit to get it moving. Used a broom to make it fly in a straight line and it was out of the garage. It stared at me before leaving with its mom almost like it was thankful for my help.

Remember, if a baby bird shows up behind boxes in the garage and it begins clacking its beak together, be a good mom to it and scare it out so it can hopefully find its actual mom.

I make an effort in recycling as much as possible and I don't have a car, so I pretty much always walk or use the bicycle if I'm going somewhere.

I also won a price a few years ago for having one of the lowest energy consumptions in the city, which surprised me considering my desktop computer was on 24/7 back then.

A couple of years ago a british newspaper (The Independent I belive) claimed this city to be the greenest city in Europe, and since then we had a lot of international visitors about it. CNN was here doing a report about it too, wonder if their video is still online.

CNN once did a report about the adverse weather in our village. I forget if it was rain or snow, but it showed a bus driving by in at least 4" of snow or water.

We're next to the Thames. Sometimes it floods.

Not much. Just recycle the soda cans or water bottles.

I cuddle loads of trees everyday and roll around naked in grass fields, I'm very green.

Recycling, Not littering and walking everywhere are the only real "green" things I do, I guess.