1. Pack items such as dish soap and laundry detergent (preferably phosphate and bleach free varieties) into small refillable containers that you can take on each trip so that you don’t have to purchase new larger containers on each timeshare vacation. This will save you money too!

2. Make a local farmer’s market one of your stops at your timeshare destination. Eating locally grown food not only tastes fresher, it lessens the impact on the planet and supports farmers in the area. Mass food transportation is a very energy intensive process.

3. Turn off the lights! When you leave the timeshare, turn the lights off. Try to keep the lights on only in the rooms you are using when you are in the timeshare.

4. Unplug electronic charging devices after the electronics are finished charging.

5. Use the microwave or toaster/toaster oven instead of the larger oven in the timeshare whenever possible.

6. Don’t run the central heat or air conditioning when the windows or doors are open. Turn the thermostat up a few degrees when you leave the timeshare and use ceiling fans in the occupied rooms to lessen the need for air conditioning in nicer weather.

7. Hang bath and beach towels to dry and reuse them until dirty.

8. Use the dishes and dish towels provided in the timeshare instead of disposable paper or foam products.

9. Walk or bike wherever you can. Doesn’t a little exercise on vacation feel good? Leave the car or SUV for farther outings.

10. When renting a car, ask if a hybrid is available. This can save you quite a bit of money on fuel costs. Hybrid cars typically get better gas mileage in stop and go traffic that is often encountered in many popular timeshare destinations. Not only do hybrid cars emit less carbon dioxide, but other toxic pollutants as well.

11. When you buy products, buy only what you will need or have enough room to take with you home. If you are driving to your timeshare vacation, you may want to take some condiments that are close to empty from your home so you can finish them on vacation without having to buy new full bottles that cannot be finished during the week.

12. When buying items, choose products that are in recyclable containers or have less packaging than similar brands.

13. Recycle. If your timeshare does not have a recycling program, ask to have one started. In the meanwhile, if you are driving, you can take your recyclables home or you may find a recycling station at the local waste disposal facility.

14. Be conscious of your water usage. Use only the water you need and don’t let the tap run when you are not directly using it.

15. You can encourage your timeshare property management to use environmentally sensitive products including, natural cleaning products, recycled paper products, compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy star appliances.

16. As a timeshare owner you may want to encourage green building practices for new construction projects on the property or for remodeling. To learn more about green building, visit http://www.usgbc.org/ or http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

These ideas also translate well into daily life. When the timeshare vacation is over, you can keep the momentum going and do something really good for yourself and the planet. For more ideas on how to live greener, visit one or all of the following links: