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Every step you take to reduce, reuse and recycle DOES matter! Over the coming months, watch right here for information about how you can make a difference. If you want to stay connected, we encourage you to friend Sheldon B. Greene, our mascot, on Facebook and sign up to receive our 365 Every Day Counts e-newsletter that will be delivered directly to your email inbox. We will be distributing our e-newsletter and presenting articles twice a month. We will cover a wide range of topics including electronic waste, household hazardous waste, composting, unwanted medicine disposal and recycling tips and basics. Recipes on how to make your own green cleaning products, links to reuse craft ideas and demonstration videos will also be featured. You can sign up for the e-newsletter below.
Over the coming weeks and months we will offer local information centered around the District's mission of promoting waste reduction, reuse, recycling and the proper disposal of household hazardous waste. We will present video demonstrations, green cleaning recipes and much more.
Every Day Counts: E-waste Wave
Why Does it Matter?
Electronics compose an ever increasing proportion of what we dispose of. The District has seen a 350% increase in the amount of electronics received at our Tox-Away Days in the last seven years—and that’s with many more recycling options available across the county!
Electronics are such a significant part of our daily lives. We seem to be engaged with a cell phone, tablet, television or computer nearly every minute of the day. In 2010, an estimated 52 million smartphones, 30 million laptops and 37 million TVs were sold in the US alone! Total spending on electronics in the US that year was $165,000,000,000!
With so many devices being produced, packaged, shipped, used and discarded each year, the concern the companies that manufacture these electronics have for the environment is critical. Read on to learn more about how various electronics manufacturers rank and what you should know before you buy.
What Should You Do?
The next time you’re in the market for a new device, consider supporting a company that embraces the protection of our environment.
Greenpeace recently released its annual Guide to Greener Electronics. The grading criteria used for the study scores each company’s level of energy efficiency, the durability of products it produces, the number of hazardous substances used in production and whether or not the company offers a recycling programs.
While no company scored higher than 5.9 on the ten-point scale, here are the top ten results:
1.HP (5.9)
2. Dell (5.1)
3. Nokia (4.9)
4. Apple (4.6)
5. Philips (4.5)
6. Sony Ericsson (4.2)
7. Samsung (4.1)
8. Lenovo (3.8)
9. Panasonic (3.6)
10. Sony (3.6)
Dig Deeper.
ElectronicsTakeBack.com publishes a report card that rates the recycling and take back programs of many electronic manufacturers. The website also has in-depth information on the e-waste problem and how you can help.
If you are looking to compare how specific products rate, Epeat.net has good product-specfic information.
Another factor to consider whenever you’re making purchasing decisions related to electronics (and appliances, building materials, plumbing, HVAC equipment, etc.) is the energy those devices utilize to operate. Visit energystar.gov to learn more.
NEXT EDITION
Did you know that flushing your old, expired drugs is no longer the proper way to dispose of them? Next month we'll spend some time explaining the challenges unwanted pharmaceuticals pose to our environment and the correct ways to handle those medicines when it's time to get them out of the house. Stay tuned!
Every Day Counts: Season’s Greenings
Why Does it Matter?
Happy Holidays to you and yours! We hope you are simply having a wonderful time with your family and friends.
Perhaps now that some of the hustle and bustle of the season has died down, you find yourself with questions about what to do with all of the boxes, decorations, duplicates and of course, the Christmas tree.
We are here to help you work through some of the chaos that may ensue when the last of the egg nog has been drained, the presents unwrapped, and it’s time to clean up, box up and get ready for 2012.
This is also a good time to think about the new year, old habits you would like to break and new ones you would like to begin… Consider resolving to do more in 2012 to reduce, reuse, recycle and protect and conserve the resources we all rely on. Read on to learn more!
What Should You Do?
Here are some tips to help you as you recover from the last few weeks and transition to the new year:
·Live trees can be recycled after the holidays at our Yard Waste Recycling Centers—visit our website for more information.
·Compost your natural holiday décor like wreaths, holly, pine cones, etc.
·If you wrapped your gifts in brown (grocery bag) paper, kids’ artwork, newspaper, or other recyclable paper, please bring it to us at one of our Recycling Drop-off Centers. Please note: printed commercial gift wrap is not recyclable.
·Not going to use the same decorations next year? Ask your neighbors, friends or place of worship if you can bless them with your cast-offs.
Dig Deeper.
A new year equals a new start. Consider rolling these simple lifestyle changes into your 2012:
·Begin recycling or, if you’re already an avid recycler, work to include another item or two.
·Nix the bottled water! Tap water is just as safe, you’ll save lots of money and generate less waste.
·Plant a garden. It’s a great way to connect with nature and your family. It also provides an easy way to compost your food waste.
·Begin taking reusable shopping bags to the store. Some retail stores even reward you for doing so.
NEXT EDITIONElectronic waste (unwanted or unusable computers, TVs, cell phones, laptops, etc.) is the fastest growing segment of the waste stream. And these items cannot by law be disposed of with your household trash. We'll cover this issue in our January editions of 365 Every Day Counts.
Every Day Counts: Season’s Greenings
Why Does it Matter?
During the holidays, Americans throw away more garbage than at any other time of the year. In fact, between the food waste from parties, the wrappers, boxes, bows, tags and packaging we throw away, we are creating a Grinch-sized Mt. Crumpit to the tune of about one million tons of trash generated between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. But, fear not! Those Whos down in Whoville still had a wonderful holiday without the tinsel and trappings of the season…and so can you.
Making this season a bit greener is not difficult to do and it just might help you remember the parts of this time of year that are really important. Instead of focusing on the hustle and bustle and getting “more, more, more,” focus on spending time with friends and family and making memories—doing so will be much more satisfying than another sweater, electronic gizmo or space-saving kitchen gadget-o-matic...
What Should You Do?
Making your own decorations can be both inexpensive and a way to make memories with loved ones. Here are some ideas to get you going:
·Decorate with nature—use holly, twigs, pine cones, acorns, pussy willows, native grasses, etc. Then you can compost the decorations when you’re done.
·Reuse grandma’s old ornaments to make a wreath.
·Use last year’s Christmas cards as gift tags.
·Kids can make salt dough or cinnamon applesauce ornaments—these are wonderful keepsakes.
·Copy pictures of loved ones and paste them to frozen juice lids and decorate to use as ornaments.
·If you are buying any new decorations that light up, shop for those made with LED lights—they save energy and last much longer.
Dig Deeper.
Most wrapping paper, bows and ribbon cannot be recycled. This is an area where you can make a huge difference.
Get creative and wrap gifts in pillow cases, newspaper, wallpaper, crossword puzzle pages, children’s artwork, grocery bags, toilet paper tubes, Pringles cans, chip bags turned inside-out, baskets, fabric scraps, blankets…the list could go on forever. And, instead of trying to wrap those “impossible to wrap” gifts, how about not wrapping them at all? Give the receiver a scavenger hunt to find his/her treasure.
The internet is a great place to find more green holiday ideas. Here are some of our favorite sites: pinterest.com , ehow.com , newdream.org and familyfun.com.
next edition
In our next edition, we'll give you more ideas for making the holidays easier on the environment. Until then, enjoy this wonderful time of the year!
