All Plastic Bottles . Orgneed a little help find a place to drop off recyclable items?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
This is BIG, news to me.
Nike Recycles 
Although there may not be enough tread left on those sneakers to use them for your aerobics class, they can still be put to good use. Dig out them out of the closet and ship them off to Reuse A Shoe. Nike uses the rubber to refurbish basketball courts across the country.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pre cycle! .
Pre cycle!
What a wonderful thought, what a wonderful discovery!Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Compost ......................................now I learn of a new word precycle, a new term, seems to me like it should have come first. How could we skip the most important part?Have you ever purchased something just for it's packaging?example; the color of it? the shape of it? It's ability to be reused? I buy wine bottles for their unique color and or shapes, I also purchase items that I can reuse over & over again.1) those nylon like netted bags that they package; lemons, apples, onions, avocados, and so much more of in. *They sell that material preformed as scrungies for the bath, scouring pads for tough kitchen clean up, and you can also use them to bundle your own gift baskets! (I personally hate bread ties made of wire. Plastic clips I hang onto for reuse with the netted nylon like bags!Forgive me because I get so excited over reinventing ways to save money and mother earth. How can you go wrong accomplishing both task with an item that usually goes to a landfill or maybe worse burned with coal for energy.2) Glass jars and bottles, if your not collecting them why not store them for; *milk, juice, tea, ? *the larger ones are great to give dry ingredients for cookies, breads, ..... with recipe of the wet ingredients to finish it up. When layered just right they are pretty. Labels are fairly easy to remove and I've found them to be impressive.3) Styrofoam (meat & veggie) containers. I place mine in the dishwasher to clean & sterilize them. *They make great insulators for my husband's lunch pail when I need to seperate hot from cold. Easy to cut down to fit any lunch pail, bag, or box, and can be used many times before disposal! *Crafters who use glitter, confetti, and other multiple small items find them very handy to collect the excess which would normally be waste. Not to mention great for easter egg coloring time, great to mix paints on, great to use as a disposable plate.4.) shopping bags from grocerie stores, reuse then recycle when possible. Dead weight conversation here, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. There was a time when I collected them much like currancy from shopping, if only they had as much value as an alluminum can! Funny thing, they do, just not to us the consumer. Now days I use my own as much as possible. Here I go getting wordy again. However you catch yourself off guard shopping without your green bags. *I keep a stash for packing, (blow air in them, or just wrap with them), use for texturized paint techniques (just crinkle tie off or rubber band and dip lightly into paint), the rest I take to my local grocery store for recycling along with bread bags and other plastic bags curb side won't pick up. If you take the time to start to collect, you might be amazed at how fast they stack up, I was.
What a wonderful thought, what a wonderful discovery!Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Compost ......................................now I learn of a new word precycle, a new term, seems to me like it should have come first. How could we skip the most important part?Have you ever purchased something just for it's packaging?example; the color of it? the shape of it? It's ability to be reused? I buy wine bottles for their unique color and or shapes, I also purchase items that I can reuse over & over again.1) those nylon like netted bags that they package; lemons, apples, onions, avocados, and so much more of in. *They sell that material preformed as scrungies for the bath, scouring pads for tough kitchen clean up, and you can also use them to bundle your own gift baskets! (I personally hate bread ties made of wire. Plastic clips I hang onto for reuse with the netted nylon like bags!Forgive me because I get so excited over reinventing ways to save money and mother earth. How can you go wrong accomplishing both task with an item that usually goes to a landfill or maybe worse burned with coal for energy.2) Glass jars and bottles, if your not collecting them why not store them for; *milk, juice, tea, ? *the larger ones are great to give dry ingredients for cookies, breads, ..... with recipe of the wet ingredients to finish it up. When layered just right they are pretty. Labels are fairly easy to remove and I've found them to be impressive.3) Styrofoam (meat & veggie) containers. I place mine in the dishwasher to clean & sterilize them. *They make great insulators for my husband's lunch pail when I need to seperate hot from cold. Easy to cut down to fit any lunch pail, bag, or box, and can be used many times before disposal! *Crafters who use glitter, confetti, and other multiple small items find them very handy to collect the excess which would normally be waste. Not to mention great for easter egg coloring time, great to mix paints on, great to use as a disposable plate.4.) shopping bags from grocerie stores, reuse then recycle when possible. Dead weight conversation here, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. There was a time when I collected them much like currancy from shopping, if only they had as much value as an alluminum can! Funny thing, they do, just not to us the consumer. Now days I use my own as much as possible. Here I go getting wordy again. However you catch yourself off guard shopping without your green bags. *I keep a stash for packing, (blow air in them, or just wrap with them), use for texturized paint techniques (just crinkle tie off or rubber band and dip lightly into paint), the rest I take to my local grocery store for recycling along with bread bags and other plastic bags curb side won't pick up. If you take the time to start to collect, you might be amazed at how fast they stack up, I was.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Here are several suggestions for easy ways to become ‘more green’:
SO SIMPLE
Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Each bulb, on average, saves $25. in electricity per year. Changing five or more bulbs will save you $100 or more each year.
Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Each bulb, on average, saves $25. in electricity per year. Changing five or more bulbs will save you $100 or more each year.
Plug Air Leaks: It has been suggested that all leaks around windows, doors and in basements be plugged either with caulking or stripping. There are new products on the market that will not only help accomplish this and save you money, but will do it with a green footprint.
Reduce Water Use: Add aerators to your sink faucets, and replace your shower head with a low-flow unit. Both of these projects take less than fifteen minutes each, and in less than thirty minutes you can expect to conserve water enough water to save about $100 on your water bill.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes: Insulating hot water pipes will save you up to 15% on your hot water heating bill. Sounds like a good candidate for a weekend project
Consider a Push Mower: More quiet for you and your neighbors, no pollution contributed to the environment, and more exercise for you!
Reduce Water Use: Add aerators to your sink faucets, and replace your shower head with a low-flow unit. Both of these projects take less than fifteen minutes each, and in less than thirty minutes you can expect to conserve water enough water to save about $100 on your water bill.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes: Insulating hot water pipes will save you up to 15% on your hot water heating bill. Sounds like a good candidate for a weekend project
Consider a Push Mower: More quiet for you and your neighbors, no pollution contributed to the environment, and more exercise for you!
Four Earth-friendly Cleaning Solutions
An entire industry has been built on developing natural cleaning products - everything from nontoxic bathroom cleaners to environmentally friendly dish soaps. If you want to save money, are feeling creative, or don't have access to commercial natural cleaning products, try some of these non-toxic cleaning suggestions:
Baking soda: An all-purpose cleaner; especially effective on glass coffee pots and glassware; removes red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver; the paste also can remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a Castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets and tubs. Coarse salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, and then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off.
Grapefruit-seed extract: Add to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew.
Lemon juice: Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from your stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.
Baking soda: An all-purpose cleaner; especially effective on glass coffee pots and glassware; removes red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver; the paste also can remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a Castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets and tubs. Coarse salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, and then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off.
Grapefruit-seed extract: Add to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew.
Lemon juice: Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from your stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.
10 Ways You Can Improve Earth's Health
1. Change light bulbs
There are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light.
There are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light.
2. Drive differently, or drive a different vehicle
Drive less. Telecommuting and public transportation are great options-once a week saves a ton of carbon dioxide a year-but even piling multiple errands into one trip helps. If you can walk instead of drive, even better.
Drive less. Telecommuting and public transportation are great options-once a week saves a ton of carbon dioxide a year-but even piling multiple errands into one trip helps. If you can walk instead of drive, even better.
3. Control your temperature
Tune up your heating system. This one thing every couple of years can reduce your heating costs by 10 percent a year.
Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in the vents.
Add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter.
Make sure windows and doors are sealed.
Ceiling fans, instead of AC, can reduce your cooling costs by more than half.
Tune up your heating system. This one thing every couple of years can reduce your heating costs by 10 percent a year.
Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in the vents.
Add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter.
Make sure windows and doors are sealed.
Ceiling fans, instead of AC, can reduce your cooling costs by more than half.
4. Tame the refrigerator monster
Refrigerators are the single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity you use each month. Turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat and be sure that the doors are sealed appropriately.
Refrigerators are the single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity you use each month. Turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat and be sure that the doors are sealed appropriately.
5. Twist some knobsYour hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher.
Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Here are some things to try:
Turn the hot water heater down a couple of degrees, or turn on the "energy conservation" setting. Insulate the pipes Install a timer on your water heater to turn off at night and just before you wake up in the morning. Wash a few dishes by hand. Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher. Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. The clothes will be just as clean, and you'll cut energy use by 50 percent.
Turn the hot water heater down a couple of degrees, or turn on the "energy conservation" setting. Insulate the pipes Install a timer on your water heater to turn off at night and just before you wake up in the morning. Wash a few dishes by hand. Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher. Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. The clothes will be just as clean, and you'll cut energy use by 50 percent.
6. Plant smartly
Choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in. When you mow your grass, make sure you do it smartly-with sharp blades, and only when the grass needs cutting. Finally, make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve energy.
Choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in. When you mow your grass, make sure you do it smartly-with sharp blades, and only when the grass needs cutting. Finally, make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve energy.
7. Invest in green energy
Many utilities now give consumers the option to buy "green power." Ask for it!
Many utilities now give consumers the option to buy "green power." Ask for it!
8. Go organic
Eat locally grown food. If the food doesn't have to travel far, there's less carbon dioxide from the trucks that ship it. Eat fruits and vegetables in season. This saves the enormous transportation costs. Plant your own vegetable garden. It's not as hard as you might think.
Eat locally grown food. If the food doesn't have to travel far, there's less carbon dioxide from the trucks that ship it. Eat fruits and vegetables in season. This saves the enormous transportation costs. Plant your own vegetable garden. It's not as hard as you might think.
9. Buy recycled
Recycled is often considerably cheaper than non-recycled, so it's cost-effective as well as conservation-minded. For instance, recycled paper can be as much as a third cheaper than non-recycled paper.
Recycled is often considerably cheaper than non-recycled, so it's cost-effective as well as conservation-minded. For instance, recycled paper can be as much as a third cheaper than non-recycled paper.
10. Be a minimalist
Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise. It's a simple equation.
Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise. It's a simple equation.
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