People are always trying to find different ways to green up their households and save some money in the process.  One area that gets used the most and ironically can be overlooked the most is the bathroom, more specifically the toilet.  A traditional toilet uses around 2.9 gallons (10.9 Liters) per flush and High Efficiency toilets use approximately 1.7 gallons (6.46 Liters), but there is a new toilet on the market that can further decrease water consumption.

Caroma, a company specializing in high efficiency bathroom supplies sells high efficiency dual flush toilets.  The idea behind dual flush toilets is that there is a button for solid waste as well as a button for liquid waste.  The liquid waste flush uses .8 gallons (3 Liters) and the solid waste uses 1.3 gallons (4.9 Liters), it is estimated that you can reduce water consumption by 40% if you switch from a traditional toilet to a dual flush.  The average dual flush toilet ranges in price from $300 and up.

Earth Day is just two days away, and word is that Drew Carey and the folks over at The Price is Right will be going all-out with their eco-friendly prizes.

Actor/activist Ed Begley Jr. will join Carey to introduce a showcase that includes an electric bike, golf cart and Toyota Prius hybrid car. Wednesday’s show will also feature green prizes including eco-friendly gadgets like cell phones made of recycled materials, solar charging equipment and vacations paired with donations to offset carbon emissions.

“More than ever there are things that we can do that are really simple to do,” Barbara Bloom, senior vice president of daytime for CBS told the AP. “We can do that as people who supply entertainment. We are a powerful tool for messaging. I just wanted to remind people that it’s very easy to keep this in your consciousness as you go through your life.”

It’s around that time when thoughts turn to rainbow colored eggs and life sized chocolate rabbits. What we don’t think about is how our celebrating can have such a detrimental impact on the environment, but we don’t have to stop our traditions all together. Here are a few ideas to making this Easter your greenest yet.

Next to the multi-colored eggs, the basket is one of the cornerstone images of Easter. It is also something that gets used on Easter Sunday and then shoved into the closet to be forgotten about until a week before next Easter. This year, maybe reinvent the basket by placing your goodies in a renewable cloth bag that can be used throughout the year. Not only is this helpful later, but it raises the idea of sustainability in your house.

The next step is filling the bag. A green (literally) alternative to the plastic basket filler is to get the real thing. Take a small amount of grass from your lawn and use that as the as the base for your bag. If the idea of getting on your knees and cutting grass isn’t too appealing, you could always shred old newspaper or magazines and use that.

Now that we have a green basket, it is time to move on to the eggs. The first step is to buy USDA organic eggs, not free range. Not only are the eggs free of chemicals to make the shells look whiter, but the chickens are treated better. You can also use natural materials to dye the eggs, a nice step by step guide can be found here.

Another product synonymous with Easter is chocolate.  It is known that some chocolate farms employ children who are then exposed to the harmful chemicals that are used for very little pay. In order to avoid this terrible problem, only buy organic or chocolate that is Fair Trade certified. There will be a notice on the package informing you if the chocolate is indeed certified.

These are just a few steps that you can take to make this Easter one of your greenest.  And please, don’t bring a live rabbit home for your children.  Animal shelters see a rise after Easter from people who decide not to keep their Easter bunny. Do Peter Cottontail a favor and let him hop free in the environment that you helped save this Easter.