It's not hard to aid the 'green' solution

I enjoyed July 20 editorial regarding the wastefulness of parked idling vehicles.

But you were wrong when you said that traffic jam idling was unavoidable. When we drive our Toyota Prius, the engine frequently shuts itself off automatically when we are stopped in traffic, even at red lights.

We average about 47 miles to the gallon, and it's far less polluting than the large SUVs that people think they have to drive to navigate the rough terrain of the Chicago and suburban streets.

It's just as important to conserve gas because of the negative impact on the environment, not just because of the skyrocketing gas prices.

We all can also recycle everything out of our trash. Believe it or not, there are still people who are too lazy to separate out recyclibles.

Everyone should also look at the products they purchase every day and check for the highest amount of post-consumer recycled materials. There is often a small notation on the packaging, such as cereal boxes, toilet paper and some glass and plastic containers which gives you this information.

If it's not there, call the company's 800 number and inquire about the post-consumer content.

Last year, I called every major toilet paper and paper towel company and asked that question. Can you believe that they were all made from zero percent post-consumer content?

I was fortunate to find that the Jewel store's President's Choice "green" toilet paper is 100 percent post consumer recycled content. This means that it is made totally from the cardboard and paper that we put at the curb in recycling bins.

It's not that hard to make a few changes to your daily routines that will make you less wasteful. You might actually feel good knowing that you're a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

Cathy (Manhart) Pszczolkowski

Hoffman Estates