8 Rules of Eco Etiquette

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Emily Post, circa 1940

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Never brag about your hybrid’s amazing gas mileage

Yes, those of us still driving vehicles that only run on gasoline are secretly jealous that you don’t have a weekly date with the gas pump (which is the most germ-filled surface on the planet, or something like that). But bragging that you haven’t had to fill up since Memorial Day is just bad form.

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Always order tap water at a restaurant

Sure, we’re ordering more and more of it these days due to the crappy economy. But you should really be ordering tap water anyway. The stuff in the bottle is no healthier than what comes out of the tap, and you’ll be contributing less garbage to our already overburdened planet.

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Send Electronic invitations (unless it’s a really important occasion)

Paper invites might make you feel fancy, but let’s face it: an evite just makes it easier for us to put the event in our smartphone calendar. They also mean one less piece of paper being flung in the trash. But before we get bum-rushed by a pack of screaming Bridezillas, let’s be clear about one thing: paper invites are still perfectly acceptable for those Major Life Events, like weddings, bar mitzvahs, and Super Sweet 16s.

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Never forget to let your host know ahead of time that you’re a vegetarian (or vegan, or militant locavore, or whatever)

We’re 100 percent on board with changing the way our society eats. But your friends might not be as hip to your food needs as you are. Always let the dinner party host know about your dietary restrictions well in advance of the meal.

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Always choose shelter pets over breeders

No, you don’t need that super-elite purebred from the fancy-shmancy breeder in the country (besides, at least a quarter of all pets available for adoption at shelters across America are purebreds). By choosing a shelter adoption, you’ll be helping to give a home to an animal that has a good chance of being euthanized if it can’t find a loving home.

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Never bring handouts to a meeting

We’re just going to ask you to email them to us afterwards, anyway, so save the paper. Plus, it gives us a great cover story when we’re actually playing Angry Birds in a meeting. “Oh, me? I was just reading through the memo...”

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Never admonish someone’s poor food choices

Sure, you may know that stuffing your gut full of processed foods is bad for your health and the planet. But no one likes a smug foodie. Let them eat their Egg McMuffin in peace (and maybe post a link to an article like this one on your Facebook wall later—you know they’ll see it).

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Emily Post, the creator of the self-titled etiquette bible of manners and etiquette, would have celebrated her 139th birthday had she lived to see 2011. And while her own guide is hot off the presses with its 18th edition, we figured we’d suggest our own essential do’s and don’ts for living in the 21st century.

8 Rules of Eco Etiquette

Emily Post, circa 1940

Photo: Getty Images

Never brag about your hybrid’s amazing gas mileage

Photo: Getty Images

Always order tap water at a restaurant

Photo: Getty Images

Send Electronic invitations (unless it’s a really important occasion)

Photo: Getty Images

Never forget to let your host know ahead of time that you’re a vegetarian (or vegan, or militant locavore, or whatever)

Photo: Getty Images

Always choose shelter pets over breeders

Photo: Getty Images

Never bring handouts to a meeting

Photo: Getty Images

Never admonish someone’s poor food choices

Photo: Getty Images

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