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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Recycling your Old Batteries


You've probably wondered what to do with your batteries if you're an avid recycler, and it's probably one of the more important consumables that you should recycle. The hazardous materials like mercury that are inside some batteries make it imperative to not just toss these in the trash. You can visit Earth 911 for a complete rundown of how to recycle your old batteries. If you're buying new batteries, you may want to consider purchasing rechargeable batteries instead.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

A Dozen Uses for Computer Mousepads (Recycle Them!)


Image courtesy of Willow Designs.

Mousepads...they're necessary, fun, great gifts...but unfortunately, sometimes they don't last forever. If yours is worn out, don't worry, there are a million uses for them as a_willow points out on her Squidoo lens on reusing old mousepads. There's also a gallery of unique mousepads there as well. You can find the tips section near the bottom of the page.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Most Important Fruits and Veggies to Buy Organic


Co-op America has listed some of the most important fruits and vegetables to buy organic to avoid pesticide residue. They've labeled these as the "most important" to buy organic:


  • Apples

  • Bell Peppers

  • Celery

  • Cherries

  • Imported Grapes

  • Nectarines

  • Peaches

  • Pears

  • Potatoes

  • Raspberries

  • Spinach

  • Strawberries



This list of produce may have thin skin making it more susceptible to pesticides, or the fruit/veggie may be prone to pests, hence frequent pesticide use. You can often find local farmers selling organic produce at a much cheaper (and fresher!) rate than the markets. In-season produce also ensures shorter delivery time, therefore less pesticides and risk are used to keep the produce fresh. Support your local farmer and stop by that roadside stand!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Plastic Bottle Numbers -- What Do They Mean?


You've probably noticed those small numbers on the bottom of most plastic bottles with the "recycle" triangle around them, but not sure what the numbers mean. Each number indicates what type of plastic that bottle is, and how it can be recycled. If you have curbside recycling pick up, they will pick up most plastics. If you're headed to the recycling center, you may have to sort out each plastic by number. Find out more about what the numbers mean here:

Plastic Bottle Numbers

Friday, September 19, 2008

Garbage Disposals: A Waste of Energy, Water and Money


Picture courtesy of TreeHugger.com


Garbage disposals might sound good to have in your kitchen, but in reality, they're fairly bad for the environment. Typical garbage disposals use 4 gallons of water per minute, making them very inefficient. Then there's the pollution factor that they cause by mucking up sewers and your own plumbing with old organic matter (which can smell awful once it's stuck!), AND it costs towns money to treat this waste. Combine that with the electricity to run the disposal? Diagnosis: it's a very wasteful machine. A better alternative to using the disposal would be to let food waste naturally decompose outside with composting. It helps gardens grow better, have lighter trash bags, alleviate landfills, and you'll cut down on your own personal waste. You can learn more about composting from composting.org.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Reuse and Repurpose Old Art Supplies, Computer Equipment, Writing Utensils, Sports Equipment and More by Donating Them to Schools


If you don't know what to do with your old art supplies, air conditioner, sports supplies/equipment, pens, pencils, computers, printers, photography equipment, cooking supplies, furniture, coolers, and many other items, a school near you might be in need of those items. You can check www.iloveschools.com to see what schools around you need some help. Just fill out the online reply to the specific item(s) to initiate it. For the best results, try filling out the least options possible for a wider range of results. Teachers should consider using this more often, too! If you know a teacher that might be able to use this site, be sure to pass it along. You'll not only be helping out teachers and kids that need supplies, but you'll be repurposing items instead of trashing them.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Fall Foliage Reusable Canvas Bag from EcoGreenBags


The September Bag of the Month
All this month, EcoGreenBags will be featuring the fall foliage bag as the bag of the month. $5 from the purchase of each Autumn Fall Foliage Map Reusable Canvas Tote Bag (product number 304039051) will benefit American Forests' Tree Planting Project! You can read more about American Forests' project here.

The fall foliage bag features a map of the United States, broken down by peak foliage time for trees in that region. Each color indicates what time of year the area reaches peak. The bag is 100% canvas cotton, has plenty of room for everything you need, and has extra long handles for carrying. Perfect for the grocery store, autumn mall shopping, the office, or to give as a gift! Remember, you're also reducing paper and plastic bag consumption by using reusable bags.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Where do the Presidential Candidates Stand on Green Issues?


Photo: NASA
The Daily Green has an interesting article on John McCain's Energy and Environment Profile, and what his current stance is versus Obama for the '08 election. There are 7 key issues at a glance that you can view, from nuclear energy, offshore drilling, food and product safety, energy costs, global warming, national security to renewable energy. You can read the full article here:

John McCain & Barack Obama on Green Issues

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Sarah Palin on Green Issues

Photo courtesy of the site zieak.com
Where does the new vice presidential candidate for John McCain stand on some of the important green issues facing the United States today? Here are some of recent stories that have emerged indicating her stance on Alaskan drilling, polar bears, energy, oil and global warming:



One of the most memorable quotes of Palin to sum up her viewpoint on climate change is this:

"I’m not one though who would attribute it [global warming] to being man-made."

Surely more will be revealed throughout the campaign about Palin's stance.