Green Gaming: How to Save the World and Still Rock Faces

So you’ve decided to yank the plug on your PS3 when you’re not gaming because it uses enough energy to power your fridge. But you don’t have to stop there; there are plenty more ways to lead an eco-friendly gaming lifestyle.

Sure, you could rig up a solar-powered Wii (pictured), or you could buy into a rather dubious PR ploy. But Yahoo Games has posted a few convenient tips to save waste and energy (highlights below):

Recharge ‘em: Investing in charging stations for your Wii or Xbox 360 will liberate you from having to drive to the 24-hour Walgreens at 3 a.m. to buy a pack of double-A batteries because you want to play one more turn on Civilization: Revolution. (Yes, it will happen to you.)

Recycle ‘em: If you can get past the fact that the leading gaming retailer exacts a high profit margin on used games, buying and selling titles is a good way to save on packaging and keep a few dollars in a your wallet. Alternatively, you can scope out eBay and Craigslist.

Donate ‘em: Bring your little-used games or consoles to Goodwill or Child’s Play. Do it for the children!

Of course, nobody said that green gaming could be cheap. If you’ve got the cash, consider buying an energy-efficient TV (if you don’t have one already), or trading your energy-guzzling desktop PC for a sleek laptop.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some kind of extreme environmentalist. But knowing that Nintendo isn’t the greenest of companies, gamers should think of ways to help protect the planet, even if it’s a little step. Let’s hope that in the near future, we’ll just download our games and save on the costs of packaging, shipping and production (and we won’t have to be asked if we pre-ordered, if we want a strategy guide or a membership card).