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Don’t Forget “Reuse” In “Reduce, Recycle, Reuse”

brock — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:04:42 +0000

When I was a kid, the big phrase in living green was Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. I have always kept that thought in my head as I read the various articles about ways to be more green. While there is a ton of information about recycling and reducing your waste, people seem to have forgotten about reusing.

Maybe people don’t like the idea of reusing things and would rather simply throw it out or recycle it, but there are many ways to can live green and save money by reusing some of your common household items.

Who Needs Tupperware?

Why spend money on expensive Tupperware when you can reuse food containers that would otherwise be thrown away? Butter, cottage cheese and other plastic containers can easily be washed and reused again for storing leftovers. Just make sure you label each one or else you can open your fridge to a sea of cottage cheese containers and have no idea which one actually holds the cottage cheese.

Scrap Paper

I have a lot of different kinds of paper in my house: plain paper, construction paper, lined paper, and so on. Most of this is because my children like to draw and scribble. This often leads to several wasted pieces of paper that have some type of indecipherable writing on it. I also receive tons of junk mail and fliers in the mail each week. Don’t let this paper go to waste. Cut it up into squares and use it for scratch paper at your desk. You can scribble little notes and not have to pay for stationary again.

Grocery Bags

If you still use the plastic or paper grocery bags, then don’t fill the landfills before getting at least one more good use out of them. If you have any small trash cans, then line them with the bags and save money on garbage bags. When they are full, tie them off and place them in the large kitchen garbage bag. Paper bags are much sturdier, but can’t handle getting wet. Use them for storing things in cabinets for for crafts. They are perfect for making a variety of masks for children.

It’s important to recycle the things we can’t reuse, but it’s also important to reuse as much as we can. There is a cost of waste even with recycling, but when you reuse all you are doing is saving money and Mother Nature.

3 Simple Ways To Live Green After Christmas

brock — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:00:50 +0000

OK, I swear to you this is the last Christmas post of this year, and we can get back to normal tomorrow, but I can’t not mention the negative green implications of post Christmas.

The presents have been opened, the boxes ripped open and the tree…is still probably sitting in your front room. Landfills fill up fast every Christmas as people choose to simply throw everything away when there are plenty of alternatives.

Wrapping Paper. Odds are, every present you got was wrapped in some kind of paper. Many times it gets ripped and thrown on the floor, only to be stuffed into a trash bag. Instead of ripping it up, simply peel off the tape and fold it for reuse. This not only saves you money on wrapping paper, but also saves the environment. If you’re not into reusing, then you should separate it and place it into recycling. Throwing it into a plastic bag, just wastes space in a landfill.

Gift Bags. Gift bags are easy because you don’t need to take the time of wrapping. Just stick it in the bag, add a little tissue paper and — voila! – you have a ready-made present. Much like wrapping paper, these bags just get thrown into a bag and sent to the landfill. Gift bags are sturdy and made to be reused. If they aren’t specifically Christmas colored or decorated, then they can be used for birthdays and other holidays. If they are Christmas decorated, then stick them in a box until the next year.

Shipping Boxes. With the Internet, people are doing more and more of their shopping online. Millions of gifts are sent to homes across the world in shipping boxes of various sizes. Don’t just throw them away. These boxes are great for storing items. My wife and I use these boxes to store clothes, knicks knacks and anything else that will fit into them. If you have any shipping you need to do, then you can reuse them. If you do choose to throw them away, then break them down and put them in recycling.

We can all do our part for the environment by taking a few extra minutes to think before we simply throw away. Don’t take the easy way out and and don’t fill our landfills with anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.

Power Your Home With A Personal Wind Turbine

brock — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:17:24 +0000

When I get my power and gas bills in the winter, I can’t help but do a double take. It seems every year my bills keep getting bigger and bigger, but I’m not using any more heat or electricity. I live in a 100-year-old home that’s drafty and takes a fortune to heat.

If this sounds familiar to you, then maybe you should look into a personal wind turbine for your own electricity generation. Unlike the monoliths you see in a traditional wind farm with blades the length of a football field, a personal turbine isn’t designed to power an entire city, only a small home or farm.

A personal wind turbine is considerably smaller than their large counterparts and looks like a futuristic windmill. It generates enough kilowatts — if you have the wind — to at least alleviate electric bills.

They are not cheap though, and it will take several years for it to pay for itself, so if you have the extra income and want to say goodbye to electric bills, look into a wind turbine. Even a small unit will cost about $5,000 to purchase and set up, and it just gets higher from there. The more electricity you need, the more expensive the unit.

If you want to hook up the turbine to the main power grid, then you can actually sell excess electricity to the power companies. You won’t get rich doing this, but at least it’s a little something extra, and we could all use that.

As an incentive, there are government tax credits for people who use renewable energy. While they won’t help in buying the system, they will help alleviate some of your tax burden each year. These credits have been around for a few years, but check with your local representatives and power companies to see what is available in your area.

Turbines are not for people living in urban areas. Most municipalities have zoning restrictions on how high something can be within the city limits. Townies may want to stick to the less efficient solar power, but if you are a country person with plenty of land and good wind, then a personal wind turbine is a viable option.

Green Living: Reduce, Reuse And Recycle Those Plastic Bags

brock — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:34:53 +0000

While several cities, especially in California, are banning plastic grocery bags to help clean up the environment, there are many places that still use plastic bags, and the last thing we want to do is simply throw them in the trash.

Plastic bags are called urban tumbleweeds because they are found blowing in the wind almost everywhere. Millions of bags fill landfills throughout the world, and since they are not really biodegradable, they are not going anywhere.

A single grocery trip can net you several bags, so why not reuse them? If you have any small garbage cans for the bathroom or your desk, use a plastic grocery bag to line it. When the bags fills up, then grab it by the handles, tie it up and place it into a regular size garbage bag. While this isn’t ideal because the bags are still making their way to the landfill, at least they are serving a purpose.

Plastic bags can also be recycled to make – wait, what? – plastic bags! Many grocery stores have receptacles to accept plastic bags for recycling. This saves the grocery store money, and if it saves the grocery store money, then it saves you money. If they can get some money back through recycling, then maybe their prices will stay a little lower.

When it comes to reusing anything, don’t be afraid to use your imagination. Plastic bags are great for liners, but they aren’t always water proof, so keep that in mind. The important thing to take from this is that plastic bags are bad. Sorry if you’re impartial about this environmental disaster, but between the landfills, litter and the stuff floating in oceans, plastic bags are an ecological nightmare.

We may have no choice sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep reduce, recycle and reuse. The one advantage plastic bags have is they are easily stored. You can fold them up and keep several dozen in a small space for easy use. Use cloth bags when you have the opportunity, but at least make the most out of plastic bags when you can.

Self-Sufficiency: Creating Your Own Home Energy Resources

brock — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:38:42 +0000

I have talked of ways to save energy and how you can increase your energy savings through proper equipment, but another aspect of environmentalism is self-sufficiency.

We take for granted how the electricity that enters our home is actually made. The primary ways of electricity production are the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, as well as nuclear. While cleaner than in the past, each of these ways pollute the atmosphere or create hazardous waste. Fossil fuels are also a limited commodity and while there is no danger of shortage now, that may not be the case for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Self-sufficiency means creating enough electricity yourself through renewable energy and relieving your dependence from large scale power plants. What most people don’t realize is that this isn’t a dream or something we will be able to do in 30 years. The technology is there, but there is a substantial financial investment.

Wind, solar, geothermal and other small scale electrical production methods are available for residential use, but it costs thousands of dollars to install these systems. Yes, there are tax breaks and it pays for itself in the long run, but in an economy where people can barely keep food on the tables, it’s just not feasible.

The installation of these systems is also difficult in urban areas that may have zoning issues with putting up a wind turbine or lack the land needed for solar panels. I’m saying that, yes, there are obstacles, but don’t count self-sufficiency out just yet. It can be done if enough people make it a commercially worthwhile endeavor.

It may take decades for self-sufficiency to become a reality, but it just takes a few determined people willing to step forward and take the plunge to create a movement that will sweep the nation. If enough people take interest, the government and companies will take notice and pretty soon there will be no more rolling blackouts on hot days, or people worrying about having their gas turned off because they can’t pay their bills during the winter.

The excess energy you create from your self-sufficient home can be sold back to the power companies to help lighten the load on their own plants. Self-sufficiency may seem like a dream, but it’s one that can be accomplished.

Going Green Only Takes a Few Minutes a Day

brock — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:03:53 +0000

Trying to live green may seem like a daunting task, but it only takes a few minutes a day to make a positive impact on the environment. We all have a responsibility to make the world a better place for our children but, all too often, each generation winds up cleaning up after the ecological messes of those before it.

Here are some ways you can take a few minutes of your day to make things a little better on this big blue marble (a.k.a. Planet Earth) of ours:

Recycling

Put out several bins next to your primary garbage can, each appropriately labeled for glass, paper, plastic, etc. When you go to throw out that two liter bottle, take a second to put it in the proper place. It takes just a few extra seconds to put it in the correct bin and set it outside on recycling day. It saves recyclable material from filling up landfills.

Grocery Bags

Plastic shopping bags have been called urban tumbleweeds. It takes years for them to decompose, and they end up littering the landscape. Next time you go to the store, spend a few bucks on reusable shopping bags that you can keep in your car. The only maintenance is the occasional wash. Many places are enacting plastic bag bans that keep them off the streets.

Cover Up Your Cracks

When it gets cold, take the time to go around your house and place blankets at the bottom of doors to cut down on drafts. This not only saves you money, but cuts the amount of resources used to heat your home. It only takes a few minutes, and if everyone would do it, then it could save a lot of energy overall.

Cut Down On Paper Plates and Plastic Utensils

I know when it comes to kids, it’s easier just to put everything on disposable plates and use disposable silverware. Who wants to do all those dishes? The problem is when you toss out all those products, they head straight to the landfill. Take a few minutes to wash the dishes after meals and cut down on waste.

Living green isn’t about changing every aspect of your life. No one expects you to put up solar paneling and live off the land. You will be surprised how much of an impact you can have on the environment just by taking a few extra minutes out of your day to make greener decisions.

Go Green: Grow Your Own Food

brock — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:06:25 +0000

My mother-in-law is a prolific gardener of everything from flowers to tomatoes. She spends hours every day tending to her mammoth garden and, when it’s all been harvested, she jars it up and sends it to the relatives.

Those jars are then frozen, and for the next six months no one has to buy a vegetable from the grocery store. The fact is that growing your own vegetables isn’t just a good financial decision, it’s good for the environment as well. I know, I’m a bit biased, but the truth is that the golden days of farming are over.

When you go to the grocery store, you are buying produce from a corporation that has spent millions of dollars on creating the best product possible. It’s green. It’s large. It’s filled with pesticides and hormones and anything else they can fit into a test tube. Every time I compare my irregularly shaped tomatoes with the GQ model equivalents of the supermarket, I cringe. Sure, my veggies may not look the best, but they taste 10 times better.

That isn’t the case for all of them, but as a consumer, how are you going to know what was and wasn’t grown two feet from a laboratory? When you grow your own vegetables, you know exactly what’s going into them. They may not be perfect looking like the mutant veggies from the lab, but they get the job done.

Imagine how much pesticide and herbicide are washed into the ground, lakes and streams in this country because of large corporations that care more about the bottom line than what’s good for the environment…or their customers.

I know that when I defrost a can of tomatoes for spaghetti or Spanish rice, what’s going in me and my family members’ stomachs is made with more TLC than pesticides. I’ve been growing vegetables for many years, and the knowledge that I am feeding my family with my own home-grown food fills me with pride.

I know it’s easy to choose a quick trip to the local supermarket for a can of creamed corn or bag of spinach, but life isn’t always about convenience. It’s about doing what is best for your family and the planet.

Bright Idea: Save Electricity with New Lighting

brock — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:15:46 +0000

Saving electricity does a lot for the environment. Only a fraction of the power created in the United States is from a renewable energy source, such as solar, wind and water, which leaves the bulk of the generation from coal and natural gas.

This translates to potentially ecologically unfriendly mining and deforestation, as well as pollution from burning the fossil fuels. Until renewable energy becomes a mainstream, cost effective way of making electricity, we are going to have to save electricity ourselves. That gave me a bright idea. (Ok, that’s a bad pun, I take full responsibility). Switching from standard to a different type of light bulb can save considerable energy over time.

1. CFL bulbs. You have seen these little pig-tail-looking light bulbs in the stores for years and probably thought about buying them. Most likely, you saw their price and thought, eh, I’ll just stick to the ole faithful. The bulbs cost more than standard bulbs, but use about 1/2 the energy and last considerably longer — about 10,000 hours.

In fact, it is estimated that they pay for themselves after the first 500 hours. So, a small investment in the beginning can lead to big dividends in the end. You end up saving not only electricity and the environment, but money as well.

2. LED bulbs. These are still relatively new to the market, but they are the future of lighting technology. Light emitting diodes have been around for decades and most of the buttons you see in sci-fi movies and on electronics come from them. They don’t heat up much, which is a definite plus for electronic equipment.

Previously, these bulbs didn’t give off a significant amount of light, so were never really used for lamps or other light sources. Recent technological advancements have changed that. These LED bulbs use even less energy than CFL bulbs and last even longer. And, yes, they are also more expensive than CFL bulbs, but it’s an investment.

Saving electricity and creating a green home isn’t as difficult as you might think. You don’t have to replace all of your bulbs at once. Just one or two at a time will help and, before you know it, they will all be replaced and you’ll be living green.

Water Conservation: Five Easy Ways to Save H2O

brock — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:41:21 +0000

During the summer, many parts of the country suffer from droughts and are forced to conserve water but, the fact of the matter is, even parts of the country with a decent water supply should follow these water conservation methods, as well.

Using water unnecessarily pollutes our lakes and rivers and consumes much needed energy. While the energy use in your home may be negligible, the waste and water treatment plants that process thousands of gallons of water every day use significant amounts of energy. Help Mother Nature out by practicing some of these easy water conservation tips:
1. Fill up your sink with water. I admit that this is one I overlooked for the longest time. I used to run the water constantly when washing dishes for both rinsing and cleaning. I can’t imagine how many gallons went straight from the faucet to the drain. Instead, fill one sink up with soapy water and the other with water for rinsing.

2. Only do full loads of laundry. I have three children, so my life only knows full loads of laundry, but there are many people that want a particular shirt for the day or decide to get a small pile out of the way and washed. You can save thousands of gallons – literally – each month by simply waiting until you have a full load of laundry before using the washer. Why not wait? It’s not like we like doing laundry anyway.

3. Maximize lawn watering. Everyone likes to have a nice lush green lawn but too many people put their sprinklers haphazardly on the grass. You end up with one section of grass being drenched and another not getting enough. Also, how many times have you seen people with sprinklers that hit their house or spray out into the road? All that water is wasted and doesn’t even touch the grass. Maximize your lawn watering by doing it yourself. Stand outside with the house and make sure every part of your grass is sprayed evenly and none of it hits the road or your home.

4. Use mulch in your garden. I have always felt mulch adds a little extra beauty to a flower garden, but a thin layer of small wood chips also helps store water. When watering flowers, you risk evaporation from the sun and inefficient water usage in the soil. A layer of mulch soaks up water and acts as a time delay device providing a constant small amount of water to the flowers. It cuts down on how many times you need to water your flowers, too.

5. Recycle fish tank water. Depending on their size, fish tanks can use a significant amount of water and, when cleaned, typically, that water simply goes down the drain. Instead, recycle that water and use it to water your flowers and vegetable garden. It may sound gross, but weeks worth of fish poop and unused nutrient-rich fish food is actually great for plants.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/tuchodi/2634591844

Going Green: My “Ah-Ha” Moment

brock — Mon, 02 May 2011 06:09:35 +0000

The watch phrase for the world right now is to “live green and save the Earth”. It was something that started in the early 1990s and gained momentum as gas prices started peaking around $3 and oil spills started coating little duckies in a thick layer of sludge on the 6 o’clock news.

We all want to do what’s right, but I admit that I have been more worried about making it through the days and weeks with enough food and making sure the light bill gets paid on time. I always considered living green was a luxury for people who could afford it.

I drive a minivan that’s lucky to get 20 miles to a gallon and I don’t plan on spending what little money I have on a geothermal heating system just so that I can reduce my carbon footprint. I’m cynical. I guess it’s part of being an adult.

I love having my children watch the cartoons that I watched when I was kid. We have seasons of He-Man, Transformers and, recently, Captain Planet. It was while watching Captain Planet that my eldest son turned to me and said “When we recycle, we get those things back, right?” I turned to him and explained that items that are recycled are reused.

I also explained that anything that goes into a dump just sits there. He stared at me and asked me if we recycled. I admit that my recycling has been lax, at best, and nonexistent at worst. It was then, as I stared into my son’s eyes, I realized that I have been doing him – and the world – a disservice. He hasn’t been jaded by years of experience like me and still believes that one person can make a difference.

It reminded me of myself as a young adult. I was ready to take on the world and make it a better and brighter place. That light still shines in his eyes and I realized that by not doing all I can to make the world a better place for him, then that light in his eyes will dim a little.

I hope my son never loses that idealism that is a luxury of youth. I may not be able to drive around in a new Prius, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do everything in my power to make the world a little better. Who knows? Maybe one person can make a difference and that two-liter of pop or the newspaper I recycled is what tips the balance in our favor. Like Captain Planet always used to say, “The Power is Yours.” I guess it’s my turn to say, “Go Planet.”