Read it online.

About a year ago, all at once, I got several offers to turn my unused frequent flyer miles into free magazine subscriptions. I redeemed my miles for magazines and started getting all sorts of new reading material. It was great except that it generated so much more paper waste! I was always running to the recycling bin! (I should have done what my mother does: donate them to a waiting room and ask them to recycle them.) Nowadays I donate my miles to charity and read more online. You can too! Here's how:

* Read newspapers online. Many newspapers make much of their material available on their websites. Often it's free, requiring only a free registration. This is a great way to keep up on news outside of your region. I read the Arkansas Times online, and often send my parents articles from the Atlanta Journal Consitution. Kwadjo reads the Christian Science Monitor online. I also sometimes check out the New York Times, the Washington Post , and non-US newspapers. It's helpful to have another perspective on events. Don't be limited by language; use Google to translate articles.

* Read magazines online. Many magazines make material available online. Check out the sites of your favorite magazines and journals. Also, consider subscribing to and reading those that publish only online.

* Read books online. Several organizations offer free online libraries which you can use to read books for free. In most cases, the books are in the public domain in the US, and so are older. This is a great way to check out some of the classics.

So browse the vast resources on the internet and read online. It's often free. Plus, you'll learn more, be entertained, and produce less waste.

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." - William James