Get Organized To Make Recycling Easy

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
International Recycle Symbol

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Many people won’t recycle because they perceive it to be too much of a hassle. If you live in a community that doesn’t provide you with a recycling box or barrel, then it’s easy to just blame it on the local government and throw all of your recyclable goods away.  With a small investment and a little organizing, anyone can do it.  Here are a few tips for going green with your trash.

What Can Be Recycled?

Just about anything besides some food waste can be recycled. However, you may live in a community that’s limited in what it can receive, so start with the basics.  You can recycle your non-animal food waste with a compost pile or barrel, and you can recycle aluminum cans, glass, and numbers 1 and 2 plastic. Most recycle centers will take cardboard, paper and old metal, too. That’s quite a variety!

How Do You Organize and Store This Stuff?

For each product you chose to recycle, buy yourself a large plastic trash can. Even a tall kitchen can will do. As you dispose of each type of product, throw it in its respective can. When you’re ready to take everything to the recycling center, it’s as easy as picking up your cans and putting them in the car. Keep the compost barrel away from the house. As you fill it, turn it occasionally. When you plant that spring garden, you’ll have a rich, natural fertilizer.

By recycling, your county makes money and the cost of trash pick up is reduced. You save the environment and your tax dollar.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Greener Lifestyle Tagged With: , ,

It’s Hard To Prove the Truth About Global Warming

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
El Niño Conditions. Warm water pool approaches...

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As the Northern Hemisphere goes through massive floods and tornadoes, there is a flurry of speculation about these events and the relationship between global warming and El Niño. Although most scientist will admit there is a connection, all will say it is difficult to prove.

El Niño is a periodic weather event where the ocean waters are warmer than normal, thus causing heavy rains in the north and stronger hurricanes in the South Pacific. In the last 120 years, scientists have been able to track it as a recurring phenomenon. However, there have been more El Niños than predicted in recent years. Although it’s not definite proof of a relationship between nature and global warming, it’s hard to ignore that weather patterns seem to be mirroring human activities.

Since no one can empirically prove that global warming effects El Niño, we have to take a leap of faith and simply commit to going green. It won’t hurt us, and maybe it will help us. If the idea of buying expensive natural products turns you off, try the old fashioned practice of re-using grocery bags, plastic containers and bottles. Our grandparents did this to be frugal, and this is certainly a generation that could benefit from that! On the other hand, a reduction in production of the plastics, used in the many containers we buy, could only have a positive effect on the carbon cycle throughout the planet. If everyone on earth made one simple change to their lifestyle, that was green, then over time, we could probably scientifically prove that humans can have a positive effect on the environment, too.

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Eco office tips – save the planet while you’re at work

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Earth flag is not an official flag, since ...

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The growing threat of global warming has many people incorporating eco-friendly concepts into their homes, including recycling bins and chemical-free cleaners.

Yet, a large portion of the day is spent outside the home in an office. Can people still maintain a green lifestyle while at work? They can as long as they commit to making small changes to their desks and big changes to their office buildings.

Here are some tips to help you save the planet during your 9 to 5 life.

  • Use Less Energy – When leaving the office for the day, turn off all electronic devices, especially computers. Reports have shown that half of workers in the U.S. neglect to shut down their computers at night. Not only does this waste energy and increase carbon emissions, but it costs businesses $2.8 billion a year. During the day, use the energy-saving settings, such as sleep modes and dimmer screens, on your devices.
  • Go Digital - Unless absolutely necessary, avoid printing documents by keeping them in a digital format. Send all correspondence via email and share documents with co-workers through an internal network. Replace your file cabinets with digital folders on your desktop. Try to digitize as many operations as possible. For example, if you process numerous contracts, have clients start signing documents electronically to reduce paper use and gas consumption.
  • Reuse Paper – If you must print, consider using the other side of paper that’s already been used. Conversely, save anything that you print for later uses, such as notepaper or package filler.
  • Buy a Plant – If you really want to make your desk green, buy a plant or two. Plants naturally absorb pollutants in the air, including the radiation emitted from computers. While taking in all the bad stuff floating in the air, plants will release some much needed oxygen into the office.
  • Pack a Lunch – By bringing a lunch from home, you are less likely to use disposable utensils and containers. Delivery and carry out lunches often come with Styrofoam containers and plastic utensils that aren’t easily biodegradable. With a lunch from home, you can bring your own silverware and reusable Tupperware containers.
  • Travel Green – Your daily commute can have a big impact on the environment. Traveling alone in a car is a major carbon contributor. By carpooling with co-workers, you can take multiple cars off the road. If available, use public transportation, some of which run on electricity, for your work commute. Even better, consider riding a bike if you live and work in a city.
  • Make Building Requests – The amount of resources that office buildings consumer can make them major pollution contributors. Offer recommendations to the building supervisor or owner to make it more green. Installing green products like LED light bulbs and waterless urinals will not only help save the environment, but help save the building money.

The same eco-friendly steps you that take to make your home green are just as applicable to the office. How green is your workspace?

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Greener Lifestyle, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Saving The Planet

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As we move forward the threat of global warming looms. You have seen the stats by now, and you have heard compelling arguments on both sides of the equation. The truth is that the camps are very divided on how much the global warming is really effecting the economy. That’s why if you are one of the people who believes that there is global warming then it is time for your to start making significant changes to your home in order to support the movement for a greener America.

Start by shopping at the local farmers market. This feeds into a larger need to help the farmers of America. You can also do something small so that at the end of the night you just have to shut down your computer properly.

Some of the electric companies has something called Green Power. This is an energy efficient plan. If you go ahead and give your insurance company a call you might found out that can get the green plan. Speaking of calling companies. You might be receiving paper bills in the mail. This is a true waste of money. Don’t worry about being the guy who gets everything at your place. Just go online and you can get auto bill pay. It’s easy and the paperless statement help with the cutting down of free and saving the resources that we use when we send out a bill.

So don’t look at this as a way to save the environment but a start for a better life for you. Saving the environment will not only take you down in your monthly expenses, but it will help you to get the most out of your planet down the road.

Filed Under: Environment, Greener Lifestyle Tagged With: , ,

The Green Rules

March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Making changes can be hard or it can be easy. It’s really up to you. When it comes to making changes in your environment  you have to be smart and do the things that you think are best. So here are some things you can do to help you get a leg up on the go green movement that begins in your home.

The first thing you can do is keep the lights to a minimum. If you are leaving a room, just shut off the lights. If you are in a room where the natural light is heavy then open the shades and let the massive amount of natural lights come in and try and fill the room.

When you are tending to your needs for the week make sure that you are doing the things necessary to save on the cost of gas. This is not nearly as easy as it may seem, but failing to do so is a real time and energy suck for the environment. So make sure that you drive the speed limit. Also see if you can combine your errands into the same trip. It’s important as that kind of consolidation will make things easier on your stress level, your car, and the world around you.

Of course you are probably glued to your car, but if you can go without it, like a bike or just walking then do so. This is so good for not just the environment, but also for your health. Any thing that can be done to help burn some calories and keep you in shape while saving the planet is something that should absolutely be considered. You have to do what you can to help the environment. In 50 years from now there is no telling how the world will look and what they world will consist of, but what you really need is to do your part now. That will mean more than you think. At least it will someday.

Filed Under: Green Business & Marketing, Greener Lifestyle Tagged With: , ,
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