IOGEAR has a long standing commitment to going green, planting over 390,000 trees across America already, with intentions to plant even more! And to help boost the number of trees we will plant, we are asking for your help, in return you’ll be entered in a contest to win a $50 prize! From simply becoming our Fan on Facebook, to inviting your friends, to taking a photo of what you’re doing that’s green could make you a winner. More information on how to enter can be found here.


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Winning the contest will be awesome of course, not only for you but for the environment! But you don’t have to wait for the contest to end to start Going Green today nor should you stop your green efforts when Earth Day is past. We’ve put together a list of 49 extremely helpful, energy saving and earth friendly tips for you to [link to previous tips article here]. As if that’s not enough, IOGEAR has Green technology built into several products, filling two needs at once — providing a better planet to live in and fulfilling your technology needs.

If you have more than one computer setup in your home or office, stop using two separate computer monitors for them. The electrical draw on them costs both the environment and your wallet monthly. Instead, try one of IOGEAR’s KVM Switches, designed to share one keyboard, video display and mouse between two or more computers. These economical and highly efficient devices will save electricity, boost productivity and clean a monitor off your desk, giving you more room to work! And while you are at it, donate that extra monitor to your favorite charity.

Because our busy lives are always on the go and technology isn’t just around us in the home or office, IOGEAR has products aimed to help fill your mobile needs too. The Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit is designed to keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road. Since the device utilizes solar technology, there is not need to plug into your cigarette lighter for power so the device doesn’t put a strain on your cars alternator or battery, which would result in a lower miles per gallon average. As if that wasn’t cool enough, the Solar Bluetooth Caller Announce Hands Free Kit downloads your phone’s contact list via Bluetooth and then, on an incoming call, will announce who it is. This again keeps you focused on the road and not fumbling around with your phone. Like The Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit, this device too is solar powered to be environmentally friendly.

Going Green does not mean a sacrifice in how you live your life or how you do business; in many ways green technology will enhance your day-to-day life. Don’t forget, take a photo of yourself Going Green and it could win you a $50 prize!

Until a few years ago, the term Going Green didn’t mean much; today it’s a standard by which many of us try to live our lives. Going Green is not all or nothing, it simply involves the choices you make in how you live on a day-to-day basis, and you’ll be surprised at the impact it makes on the environment, and in many cases, your wallet too. Additionally, Going Green means bringing back traditions that your parents and their parents used to do, so if these tips below aren’t enough, ask them! The positive impact you can make on the environment by implementing even a few of these will be profound if everyone joins the cause.

Without further adieu, on to the tips:

1. Plant a Tree – It’s good for the air, can keep you cool and can increase your property value.

2. Don’t Pre-Heat the Oven – Unless needed, just turn the oven on after you put the dish in it. Also, to see if it’s finished, just look through the glass instead of opening it.

3. Adjust Your Thermostat – Every degree lower in the winter or higher in the summer is a 10% decrease on your energy bill.



4. Stop Paper Bank Statements – Why waste paper getting your bank statement mailed to you when you can just check it out online.

5. Use Rechargeable Batteries – Even though it will take a good investment to buy these, you will find yourself gaining your investment back in no time.

6. Purchase Local Produce – Consider how much energy it takes to ship the produce around the country or the world. If you have the option to buy local, do it.

7. Energy Efficient Windows – Installing the right windows in your house can reduce energy consumption and energy costs.

8. Reusable Bags – Next time you are at the gas station or local retailer, tell them you don’t need a bag for your purchase or bring your own reusable one.

9. Use Less Napkins – When dining out, only take napkins you will use. Too many people throw away unused napkins when they are done eating out.

10. Donate Food – Go through your pantry once a month and collect what you will not use that will be expiring soon. Donate the food to a local food pantry or homeless shelter.

11. Change to Fluorescent Bulbs – If every house in the United States changed all of their light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs in their house, it would be equivalent to taking one million cars off the streets.



12. Don’t Rinse – Skip rinsing your plates before putting them into the dishwasher. On average you will save 15 gallons of water per load. Plus, you will save time.

13. Hang Clothes Outside to Dry – Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes. Your clothes will last longer and you will save money.

14. Turn Off Computers at Night – You will save an average of four cents a day which adds up to $14.60 a year. Even better, unplug electronics before you go to bed at night to save even more.

15. Use Both Sides of Paper – If you have a printer with a double sided print option then you should use it. You will save half of the amount of paper you would have normally used. Then when you’re done, take it to the recycle bin.

16. Get Rid of Baths – Instead of baths take showers. On average you will save about half the amount of water that you would have if you were taking a bath.

17. Don’t Get Bottled Water – Instead of bottled water, get a reusable container to carry your water. Also, you can get a filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water.



18. Turn the water off when you brush your teeth or shave.

19. Shorten Your Shower – Every minute you cut from your shower is roughly 5 gallons of water.

20. Recycle Glass – If you do not recycle glass, it will take a million years to decompose.

21. Use the Warm or Cold Setting on the Washer – instead of the hot cycle. This will save a lot of energy each year.

22. Turn Off Your Lights – when you are not using them, especially in the daytime when you can simply open a window.

23. Get Rid of Junk Mail – There are many services that can help you get rid of junk mail responsibly. That will lead to a lot less trees being cut down to take up room in your mailbox.

24. Use Matches Instead of Lighters – Lighters are usually considered disposable so they will most likely end up in landfills. Instead, use the cardboard matches which are much more eco-friendly because they are made of recycled material.

25. Don’t Get a Paper Phone Book – Instead of getting a paper phone book, use an online directory instead.

26. Give Things Away – Take things that you are not going to wear or use and give it to a charity or someone who will use it. Post it at craigslist.com or freecycle.org. Especially during this recession, there are many families in need of items you may be throwing away.

27. Go To a Car Wash – Going to a car wash is a lot more water efficient then washing your car at home.

28. Pay Your Bills Online – If every house in the US did this, we would save 18 million trees every year.

29. Get a Reusable Bag – You can’t recycle plastic bags, instead get yourself a reusable bag so that you won’t have to worry about carrying your groceries.

30. Do Errands in Bulk – Make a list of the things you have to do and see if you can fit a couple of those things together in one ride.

31. Inflate Your Tires – If your tires are inflated to their recommended levels at all times your fuel efficiency will increase.

32. Wrap Presents Creatively – Without going out to get wrapping paper, you can use newspaper or an old map. Just get creative!

33. Walk or Ride Your Bike When You Can – If you have to go somewhere close, consider riding your bike or walking there instead of your car. It’s better on the environment and healthier.

34. Install Solar Panels, Fuel Cells, or Wind Turbines – Produce renewable energy for your home or business. Many states offer tax credits.

35. Install a Water Runoff System – Collect runoff from rain and reuse it to water your landscape or garden.

36. Buy Hybrids or Electric Vehicles – When buying your next vehicle, consider fuel efficiency or an electric option. Prices are dropping for these eco technologies.

37. Get a Recycle Bin – Place a recycle bin next to your trash. If your trash service does not take recyclables, find a recycling center near you.

38. Reuse – Find items around your house to use in art projects or redecorating. There are many creative ways to reuse.

39. Reupholster Furniture – Find a company to reupholster your furniture instead of buying new. You’re current furniture may be built better than newer furniture and will save you money while giving your room a new look.

40. Plan Your Meals – Cook only what your family will consume or make enough for leftovers. Avoid throwing away food. Consider the amount of energy it takes to get all those items on your plate. Fertilizers, fuel for growing and harvesting, fuel to transport to your local grocer, fuel to drive to and from the store and fuel to cook your food.

41. Use Towels or Cloth Napkins – Clean up your mess with a cloth towel instead of paper towels. Use cloth napkins while dining at home instead of paper towels.

42. Buy Cloth Diapers – It may be messier and more of a hassle, however, a newborn will use close to 3,000 diapers in their first year of life.

43. Buy Green – When considering purchases of similar products, go with the company with a green initiative.

44. Alternative Transportation – Plan your next vacation using a train rather than a plane. Trains use less fuel per person than a plane and can be cheaper.

45. Public Transportation – If you live near a subway or bus stop, use it instead of your car. Also consider the health benefits of walking.



46. Are They Open? – If you think a store might be closed, make a phone call or check online first before driving there.

47. Condiments – When the cashier at a restaurant asks if you would like condiments, tell them how many packets of the condiment you need rather than being given more than is needed.

48. Avoid Paper/Plastic Plates/Cups/Silverware – Use reusable utensils and dish-ware to save on resources.

49. Stop Smoking – It takes energy and resources to grow, manufacture, package and ship tobacco. Plus cigarette butts take time to decompose, filling our landfills.

50. Grow Your Own Food – Build a garden. No fuel needed to transport across the country or the world. Besides, it just tastes better and costs less.

How many of these are you already doing? More importantly, how many do you plan on incorporating into your life? Please add your tips in the blog comments below or on Facebook.

With an established commitment to Going Green, IOGEAR wants to reward you for the choices you make, and give you a chance to win a $50 prize! Currently IOGEAR has planted 400,000 trees, nearly half way to their goal of 1 million trees to help better our environment. We need your help to plant many more trees. Entering the sweepstakes is simple and IOGEAR will plant trees because of it, so what are you waiting for, enter today.

If you have been following our blog, you already know IOGEAR’s commitment to going green. So it’s no surprise that this year we are again looking for ways to make this earth a greener place.



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So far, we have planted almost 400,000 trees through our Road to a Million Trees initiative. This year, we ask you to join our Earth Day celebration with our “You Play, We Plant” sweepstakes!

In partnership with Trees for the Future, not only will we plant trees on your behalf for FREE, we will also be giving away a $50 gift card to use at www.shopIOGEAR.com!

There are three ways that you can get trees planted and gain entries into the sweepstakes:

1. Become our Fan on Facebook

Simply become our fan on Facebook, enter your email (We only use your email address for sweepstakes tracking purposes. You will not be added into any IOGEAR mailing lists.) and you will gain entry to the sweepstakes and we will plant one tree. If you are already our fan, no worries, check out options 2 and 3 for more ways to enter. Note that to be officially entered, you will still need to input your email address.

2. Invite your Friends

After signing up for the sweepstakes, you will reach a page that asks you to invite your friends. Regardless if your invited friends enter the sweepstakes, we will plant an additional two trees and give you one entry for the $50 prize! In addition, for every friend that signs up, you will be awarded another entry for the $50 prize.

3. Post a Photo of You Going Green

If you upload a photo of yourself performing some green activity (e.g. donating, recycling projects, volunteering, etc…) to your IOGEAR’s Facebook page, we will plant five trees.

The sweepstakes will run from April 18 to April 30, 2011. When the sweepstakes are over, we will have a random drawing to determine the winner of the $50 prize. We will also announce how many trees you helped plant. The Gift Card is only valid at ShopIOGEAR.com and cannot redeemed for cash value. Before you get started, please take a look at the official sweepstakes rules.

Good luck and thanks for helping us make Earth Day a little more green

Even though Earth Day has come and gone, no need to let your new-found green ways of life slip! At IOGEAR, we are committed to “going green” year round, and we love the culminating buzz and attention Earth Day generates. It’s all too easy to miss the good ideas in the flood of information around the holidays – but never fear, IOGEAR is here to remind you to stay green!

In this post, we’ll look at some of the more interesting (and in some cases … humorous) green initiatives for 2010. We hope you will be enlightened, entertained and most importantly, motivated to incorporate more green activities into your lifestyle.

CES 2010 – Green Technology goes Mainstream

We started the year at CES 2010 and were pleased to note that “going green” was a hot-button topic among most vendors. As the L.A. Times notes, “For years, the technology industry has been ‘going green.’ At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, most business have finally gotten there.” We certainly hope this trend continues and at IOGEAR we will continue to lead by example and continue showing the way in green tech.

Luxury Cars Get the Green Treatment

With all of the turmoil going on in the auto industry, it’s was good to see continued attention on high-end greener vehicles at this year’s New York Auto Show. Let’s hope that these trends take a firm hold and spread as a standard throughout all of the brands. Kudos to Ford Motor Co., Porsche and Hyundai Motor Co. for leading the way! To find out more about the news from the New York Auto Show and check out the show’s iPhone app, click here.

Energy Shoes!

For those who prefer to walk never fear – scientists and engineers are working on solutions for your steps to create valuable clean energy, and even to charge your mobile devices on the go! This technology will not power energy intensive devices just yet, but it could certainly support low powered portable electronics. Unfortunately this technology is not available for consumers just yet … so go ahead and grab a portable GearPower Mobile Pocket Power Portable Battery while you wait

Fast Tracked Green Patents

Despite all the innovation in the green tech space to date, much more innovation is needed to make green energy sustainable across the board. The USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) is helping us to catch up with a pilot program that helps fast track green technology patents. The goals of the program seem noble: contribution to environmental quality, finding or developing renewable energy resources, improving energy efficiency or cutting greenhouse gas emissions. With so many resources at hand, it may be time to take that idea off the shelf and get to work!

Green Goats?

Leave it to Google to find a way to reduce their carbon footprint with goats! Instead of using lawn mowers to eliminate grass, Google is using goats to take care of the job. To return the favor, Google’s new hooved friends are eliminating mower emissions, reducing noise pollution and restoring plant species. What are you waiting for? Get on over to your neighborhood goat dealer and return that expensive mower, no matter how cool!

TPS Reports = TP Reports?

Does the word “Report” send a shudder down your spine or evoke fits of rage across your company’s cubicles? We thought this recycling program may just put a smile on your face. We don’t want to spoil it … go ahead and click for yourself

Conclusion

If you are now motivated to take action, a great start would be to check out CNET’s energy efficiency guide. We’d also love to hear some of the more interesting green initiatives that you’ve come across this year. Please take some time and share your experiences here on the blog, on Twitter or FaceBook.

New Contest!

Be sure to take a moment to check out our brand new Mystery Photo Contest on Facebook for a chance to win exciting prizes.

In all the flurry of green activity for Earth Day this year, we didn’t forget our loyal Twitter followers. Read on for the results of our BIGGEST giveaway to date!

Congratulations to our Earth Day Twitter winner Sarah, who this week took home our biggest prize haul ever – a Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free car kit, a USB Laptop KVM Switch, a GearPower – Portable Battery for Mobile Devices AND the grand prize of a Wireless Audio/Video Kit! We hope you enjoy your new green technology toolkit, courtesy of IOGEAR!

This competition wraps up nearly three months of giveaways in the run-up to Earth Day, so many thanks to all those who took part!

For those who weren’t as lucky as Sarah, don’t lose heart. Stay tuned for upcoming news of an extra-special ‘Name that Product’ Facebook competition, and enter for weekly chances to win!

Thanks to all those who celebrated Earth Day, whether your action were big or small. Together we’ll make a difference!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

Earth day is just around the corner, and as companies across the world jostle to prove their ‘green IQ’, it’s always useful to know how to separate the green pretenders from the genuine contenders. Living and learning green is a priority for us here at IOGEAR, and through this post and our actions, we hope to motivate everyone to contribute in some way towards a greener future.

Green Policy

While there’s no benchmark to measure a company’s green policy, it is a good starting point. Whether it’s our own personal goals or at the corporate level, the first step towards green success is establishing high level goals that are attainable.

For example, here at IOGEAR, we combine current innovations in environmental technology and apply them to our everyday business activities and products whenever possible. Our goal and philosophy is to enhance your day-to-day life by using IOGEAR products, while minimizing our eco-footprint.

What is your green policy?

Energy Conserved

Conserving energy means reduced consumption of energy services and the replacement of non-renewable with renewable resources. Reduced consumption can be measured by taking a look at your energy bill, while using renewable energy can be measured by simply looking at the various energy sources you are currently using in relation to your energy consumption.

At IOGEAR, we actively conserve energy through our technology and innovation. Our core product, the KVM Switch, reduces energy consumption by eliminating the use of multiple computer monitors. This year, IOGEAR is striving to achieve a 100% Energy Star or CEC compliance for all of our eligible products.

Recycling Levels

There are many things that can be recycled – some more obvious than others. Determine which items you will focus on recycling and measure how much of that item you actually recycled.

For our part, IOGEAR’s product packaging uses recyclable post-consumer paper materials. We are also transitioning from traditional ink to soy or vegetable based ink and we use eco-friendly corrugated cardboard material for product displays instead of non-recyclable plastic trays.

Here are IOGEAR we want to make it easy for you to take that first step – and our latest green event is a great place to start! If you are in the neighborhood, join us April 22, 2010 on Earth Day in Orange County for our free electronics recycling drive.

Water Conserved

Saving water is something we all can do. If you need some ideas, check out the 100 ways to conserve water. As with energy conservation, you can measure your progress by taking a look at your water bill each month.

Waste Reduction

It may not be easy, depending upon your provider, to measure specifically how much waste you are producing; however, you can easily measure the amount of waste you recycle. Recycling is one of the best ways to help reduce waste and is a good place to start as you start to measure your ‘green good deeds’.

Our priority is to use environmentally friendly materials whenever applicable. In our commitment to green business practices, IOGEAR continues to work with industry suppliers to research new ways to restrict the use of environmentally harmful materials in our products.

Trees Planted

In an effort to offset damage already done to our ecosystems through the removal of vast amounts of trees, many companies are making an effort to actively re-grow these resources. Measuring this initiative is as simple as counting the amount of trees planted. You can go one step further and measure how many trees survive over time, even if it’s a rough estimate.

We at IOGEAR have committed to planting one million trees around the globe through our Road to a Million Trees program. This commitment has resulted in over 228,000 trees planted since April 22, 2008 – truly something to celebrate!

How are you “going green” in 2010? Do you have any particular action plans for Earth Day? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, on Twitter or FaceBook.

Don’t forget to participate in our current Twitter contest where you have the opportunity to win green IOGEAR goodies simply by following us on Twitter.