Green Your Cell Phone: Unplug It

Are cell phones taking over our lives? Sometimes it seems like it. But you can wrangle back some control by keeping your phone use as green as possible. This week’s tips tell you how.

Tip #1: Unplug it.

Most of us keep our phones plugged into our chargers for too long. The typical device needs just an hour or two of wall juice to keep it going another day. So instead of keeping it plugged in during all the hours you sleep, plug it in when you wake up in the morning. By the time you’ve showered and are ready to walk out the door, your phone should be nearing a 100% charge. And remember: To avoid vampire energy suckage, don't just unplug the phone from the charger, but also the charger from the wall.

Tip #2: Make it multitask.

Tip #3: There's an app . . .

Tip #4: Don't trash it.

Tell us: How do you green your cell phone use?