Thanks to everyone who entered the Earth Day giveaway to win a set of five reusable grocery bags.

I asked for eco-friendly ideas and wanted to mention a few of the most clever ideas  submitted before announcing the winner.

In honor of Earth Day, I'm giving away a set of five reusable grocery bags from Harris Teeter.

Leave a comment or question below and you'll be entered to win.

I'd love to hear your eco-friendly tips, of course, especially those that save money and help you tread more lightly on the planet.

I'll pick one winner at random on Tuesday evening.

Good luck and happy Earth Day!

Do yourself and the planet a favor and take advantage of this year's Earth Day freebies.

There's everything from free compost to free reusable shopping totes. You can even  visit a national park for free or tour a local green community observing Earth Day.

Here's the line up:

N.C. State University and the N.C. Solar Center will open four new electric vehicle charging stations later this week.

The charging stations are located at the McKimmon Center and the E. Carroll Visitor Center. Ribbon cuttings for both locations will be held Thursday, at 10 a.m. at the McKimmon Center on Gorman St. and at 10:30 a.m. at the visitor center on Varsity Drive.

The two McKimmon Center charging stations and their installation were provided by Progress Energy as part of a grant the Raleigh utility received from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The visitor center stations were financed by a grant program, the N.C. Solar Center's Clean Fuels Advanced Technologies, which is funded by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

With Earth Day less than a week away, it's a great time to join Recyclebank, a website that rewards you with a little green for being green.

Through a points system, Recyclebank members earn coupons, gift cards and merchandise from companies like Kashi, Harris Teeter, Macy's and Home Depot -- all in the name of being more environmentally aware.

Recyclebank, which has more than three million members, is free to join, by the way.

Financial rebates for buying energy-efficient home appliances will expire Monday under North Carolina's latest Energy Star rebate program. State officials are urging those who bought high-efficiency appliances on or after Jan. 1 to claim up to $300 in rebates by 5 p.m. Monday.

The program, launched in February, pays between $50 and $300 for purchases of air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters and other efficient appliances. The money comes from the federal stimulus package that is now wrapping up as the funds are depleted.

North Carolina has offered several Energy Star rebate programs in past years, distributing more than $11 million for nearly 80,000 appliance purchases. The current program will disburse an additional $1.2 million.

To claim a rebate residents are asked to go to www.ncappliancerebate.com/ or call 1-855-208-6242.

In celebration of Earth Day, Target will be giving away free reusable shopping bags to customers on April 22.

But in the meantime, the big box store has issued a set of coupons on natural, organic and earth-friendly products. There are 38 coupons with a combined total of more than $50. The coupons are valid through May 5.

If you've got old electronics that you want to get rid of properly take advantage of WingSwept's Technology Spring clean on April 21.

The Garner company will recycle computers, phones, fax machines, printers, wires and the like at the event which will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the North Parking Lot of Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner.

The annual event is particularly worth taking advantage of this year because it is now against state law to throw electronics into landfills.

Wingswept is an information technology company founded in 1995. Last year, 22,458 pounds of equipment was collected and recycled at the event.
 

The N.C. Solar Center in Raleigh is offering a 40-hour renewable energy management training course that the organization bills as the only non-degree program of its kind in North America.

And at $1,798 per student, the course is a bargain, according to the organizers.

The Solar Center's Certificate in Renewable Energy Management will require a group project to complete the course and graduate. The course will include online and on-site instruction in the technology, financing and policy of renewable energy.

Raleigh private equity firm Cherokee Investment Partners is dipping its toe in the accelerator business.

This year's "Cherokee Challenge" will involve hosting up to three environmental business startups that Cherokee will nurture and take an equity stake in, said senior analyst J.T. Vaughn.

Cherokee will provide three months of free space, $20,000 in seed funding, basic back-office services such as accounting, and free counseling as needed.

Cherokee is looking for "business models that turn environmental liabilities into assets."

That's in keeping with Cherokee's early strategy on investing in contaminated property, although in recent years it has branched out into other real estate.  Cherokee has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 525 properties.

Cherokee also has assembled an advisory committee that includes, among others: Jud Bowman, founder and CEO of Appia; David Jones, a partner at venture capital firm Southern Capitol Ventures, and Merrette Moore, founder and managing partner of investment firm Lookout Capital.