Posts Tagged ‘Recycling’
LOS ANGELES — A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California’s groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
The “How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act” would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
“Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications,” California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said Tuesday.
“Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light.”
Levine is expected to introduce the legislation this week, his office said.
If passed, it would be another pioneering environmental effort in California, the most populous U.S. state. It became the first state to mandate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020.
Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use about 25 percent of the energy of conventional lightbulbs.
Many CFLs have a spiral shape, which was introduced in 1980. By 2005, about 100 million CFLs were sold in the United States, or about 5 percent of the 2-billion-lightbulb market, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
That number could more than double this year. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alone wants to sell 100 million CFLs at its stores by the end of 2007, the world’s biggest retailer said in November.
While it will not give opinion on the possible California law, the EPA recommends CFLs.
“They save money and energy,” EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. “They are more convenient than other alternatives and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture.”
Also, CFLs generate 70 percent less heat than incandescent lights, Jones said.
About a fifth of the average U.S. home’s electricity costs pays for lighting, which means even if CFLs initially cost more than conventional lightbulbs, consumers will save, Jones said.
A 20-watt CFL gives as much light as a 75-watt conventional bulb, and lasts 13 times longer, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit group studying energy issues.
Southern California Edison, an Edison International subsidiary and one of the state’s biggest utilities, runs a program that cuts the cost of a CFL by $1 to $2.50. In the past year, SCE has helped consumers buy 6 million CFLs, it said.
California Energy Commission member Arthur Rosenfeld said an average home in California will save $40 to $50 per year if CFLs replace all incandescent bulbs.
While not commenting specifically on Levine’s likely legislation, Rosenfeld, winner of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in 2006, said the switch from incandescent bulbs became feasible about five years ago when CFL performance improved.
“This is clearly an idea whose time has come,” he said.
Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys in Los Angeles, last year introduced a bill that will become law in July that requires most grocery stores to have plastic bag recycling.
Source: Reuters By Bernie Woodall
American Canyon
Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa
http://gaianapavalleyhotel.com
LEED certified, Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa bills itself as Napa Valley’s “first fully environmentally-sustainable hotel .” Named “Mother Earth” in Greek, the hotel provides waterless urinals, low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads. The emphasis on nature can also be found on their grounds, which consist of native and climate-adaptive plants, as well as a swan and Koi pond that uses only recycled water.
San Francisco
The Orchard Garden Hotel
http://theorchardgardenhotel.com
Located just three blocks from San Francisco‘s Union Square and all the major department stores, this LEED certified boutique hotel is the sister property of the Orchard Hotel and stands green and proud. Inviting earth-toned rooms (all of which are deluxe) come with all-natural fabrics, ergonomically correct mattresses, feather pillows and 100 percent combed cotton bedding. Rooms have been constructed with low emission paint and carpet, and the hotel utilizes chemical-free cleaning solutions and organic bath products.
Chicago
Hotel Allegro
http://allegrochicago.com
The Allegro is part of Kimpton’s EarthCare program, promoting a sustainable planet. This downtown Chicago hotel features towel re-use, water recycling and non-toxic cleaning agents. All materials are printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper, and energy-efficient light bulbs are used. Indulge in a complimentary cup of organic, fair trade coffee in the lobby before heading out to the Chicago theatre scene or the shopping Mecca on Magnificent Mile.
Nantucket
Hotel Green
http://vanessanoelhotelgreen.com
Celebrated shoe designer and hotelier Vanessa Noel’s Hotel Green is Nantucket Island’s first environmentally conscious organic luxury hotel. It boasts nine individually decorated rooms and one two-bedroom suite incorporating high-end environmentally friendly and sustainable products. Frank-Gehry-designed recycled cardboard chairs and coffee tables sit on Gaiam hemp area rugs, which are complemented by natural bamboo window shades. You’ll also find hemp bathrobes and towels in your room as well as a selection of organic beverages and snacks.
Manhattan
70 Park Avenue Hotel
www.70parkave.com
Another Kimpton property committed to sustainable practices, this boutique hotel even provides in-room spa services and has a yoga TV channel and complimentary yoga accessories. The hotel uses non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services, including in-room recycling bins and non-toxic cleaners. This is a hotel for discerning guests who seek a haven of quiet with the ambience of their very own Park Avenue pied-à-terre.
Washington D.C.
The Fairmont Washington, D.C.
www.fairmont.com/washington
Did you know that if you park your hybrid car at this hotel in Washington’s fashionable West End, you’ll receive a free dessert? In addition to sweets, this hotel has a green procurement program, including the reduction of pre-packaging, ensuring that supplies, equipment, fixtures and furniture are environmentally sensitive. The hotel also donates soaps, amenities and food from buffet lines to shelters and soup kitchens. Being green never felt so good!
Enno de Kroon, a Dutch artist, used egg cartons as his canvas, and created something between two and three dimensional paintings in a style that has been refered to as “Egg cubism.”
Korean artist Yong Ho Ji hand carved recycled rubber tires to create his animalistic sculptures.
Gift wrapping has always been one of those things that I have thought to be a waste of the materials used in order to attain a short term goal. The present is wrapped for whoever’s birthday, anniversary, wedding or any number of special occasions for the brief 15 seconds before the decorating papers and ribbons surrounding the actual gift are ripped to shreds. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to present your gift in an attractive manor, after all you have gone to all the trouble of picking out and purchasing a present, but there must be a greener way.
The effect that all of the pleasantries of gift giving has on the environment is more frightening than you would think. Never mind the damage that we do year round with all of the birthdays and other gift giving holidays, but think about the Christmas Season. In the U.S., an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. Four million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags. Among friends, family, even though it is nice to have gifts wrapped, think about not wrapping some of your gifts and remembering what positive effect this will have on the environment. So here are some suggestions from Planet Green Discovery on how to still have a great holiday season without hurting the environment.
- Reused Gift Bags
Most of us have a stash of gift bags saved from presents we’ve received. Put them to good use and commit to using only gift bags instead of wrapping. Also, if you feel a gift bag isn’t finished without a filler like tissue paper, use a greener option—the shreds from your paper shredder! - Paper Grocery Bags
You can create beautiful gift bags from materials found around the house. Decorate paper grocery bags with markers and crayons, or decoupage them with magazine cut-outs. Use it as wrapping paper or a gift sack. Put on the finishing touch with scrap ribbon from previous projects. - Reusable Cloth Bags
Do you have scrap fabric lying around? Or maybe some old shirts you never wear but that have lovely patterns. Try your hand at some easy-sew cloth bags. Since you’re making them by hand, you can sew them to suit your needs. You can also design them to be practical for the recipient as a shopping bag. Your imagination is the limit. - Clay Pots
Clay pots can make a present look extra interesting, and are a reusable item for the recipientM. Place your gift in the pot, and use the drainage dish as the lid to hide the present from view. Tie it together with a reused ribbon, or strips of scrap fabric. You can also decorate the pot to personalize it using ceramic markers available at craft stores. - A Gift in a Gift
One great way to make a gift extra special is to wrap it in another gift. A hand-knit scarf, a beautiful table cloth or runner, and hand-made purse or similar items are all great things to use for wrapping a gift within a gift. - Furoshiki
This idea might be well combined with the “gift in a gift” suggestion. Furoshiki is a method of folding cloth into beautiful packages. Using a piece of beautifully printed cloth and a few knots in interesting places will create an eye-catching package. - A Bucket for Hobbyists
Does the recipient have a hobby? Use a bucket-like item related to what they love. For the chef, a cooking pot. A watering can for the gardener. A hat box for the fashionista. Showing them you know them inside and out will make the wrapping even better than the gift inside. - Paper Waste
Raiding the paper recycling bin is a great way to get materials for gift wrap. Magazine pages, notes from a class, the crossword puzzle from yesterday’s paper all could become ideal wrapping material for a package with personality. - Maps
Maps, especially road maps, can become obsolete. However, they never loose their visual intrigue. Put them to good use as wrapping for a package that the recipient will turn over and over…and over and over…before opening. - Junk Mail
What to do with junk mail that just keeps landing in your mailbox despite the fact that you signed up for the “do not mail” list? It’s frustrating to see the waste—however, all those offers to win big, or those colorful coupons become humorous wrapping material. - Cereal Boxes
For clothing, accessories, and gifts on the thinner side, a cereal box is a great option for a unique container. Make it funny by adding a gift topper. For instance, if you’re using Cinnamon Toast Crunch, wrap it up with a recycled ribbon and stick a cinnamon stick in the knot of the bow. Or string some dried sliced fruit or berries through the ribbon. - Glass Jars
After using up all the mayo for your world famous potato salad, use the jar as a gift container. Glass jars are versatile. Soak the label and remove it. Then get creative. Use recycled paper to line the interior as reversed wrapping to hide the gift, or leave it transparent for a “so close yet so far” effect. Use found objects to decorate it as a snowman or other winter icon. The options for how to use cloth, ribbon, and lid decorations are endless.
I saw this great article on The Huffington Post and wanted to share it with everyone. I try to lead a green lifestyle and have been using recycled toilet paper for many years, but when I read this article I thought that even for me this was too much. The idea is great in a conceptual sense but in reality not so much. The practical application of reusable toilet paper grosses out even the greenest of people and I can’t blame them, just the thought of it alone makes me grateful for the rough recycled stuff I stock my in my bathroom. I wish that I could jump on the reusable “family wipe” wagon but I will be sticking with the old fashioned toilet tissue for the time being.
Eco Etiquette: Reusable Toilet Paper – Too Gross For Comfort? By Jennifer Grayson
Yes, people are doing this, though at present the practice of employing reusable cloths in lieu of toilet paper — euphemistically referred to as family wipes or family cloth — seems relegated to what marketing gurus would call the “dark green” consumer. (Though there’s another color I can think of that might be more appropriate in this case.)
I do find it somewhat ironic that new parents using cloth diapers for their baby are usually met with praise: Oh, wow — you guys must be really dedicated to the environment. But transfer the concept of reusable bathroom products to adults, and the response is one of universal horror: You’re going to do what? With what? Even the crunchiest of my granola friends couldn’t stifle a grimace when I asked them if they would consider swapping out disposable toilet paper for the washable kind. I guess the difference is that with cloth diapers, squeamish folks can always employ a diaper service; with family wipes, you’re the one doing the washing.
Which brings me to your next question: Is the whole process of collecting and washing these wipes unsanitary? Not if you employ the method used by most family wipe families, which is to use the cloths for urinating only. (This still helps cut down on paper waste, since the majority of bathroom visits are of the first priority.) Since normal urine is sterile, there’s little chance of encountering nasty bugs like E. coli later in the laundry room. But using family wipes for ahem, your more serious matters can also be perfectly hygienic, provided you separate them from your other laundry (your kitchen towels, for instance) before washing them in hot water and drying them in the dryer. If your kids are still in diapers of the cloth variety, all the better — you can save water by washing the wipes and the diapers together.
So is it really worth the effort, from an environmental standpoint? If you’re contemplating making the switch from the three-ply, quilted, extra-soft fluffy stuff to tree-free TP, then the benefits are clear: At present, more than 98 percent of the toilet paper sold in the United States is made from virgin wood (note: that statistic will improve soon, thanks to last year’s Kimberly-Clark/Greenpeace agreement), which is destroying our forests and contributing to climate change, since forests are the most effective tool we have for sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And while some may argue that washing cloth toilet wipes wastes water, it’s nothing compared with the pulp and paper business, which is one of the world’s largest industrial consumers of fresh water.
But can’t you eliminate a lot of that waste and pollution by switching to 100 percent recycled toilet paper? Yeah, you can, which is the solution I’ll be sticking with as long as I live in a one-bathroom apartment (no surprises for guests here!) with a community washer/dryer. It’s not a perfect solution, of course; recycled toilet paper still takes energy and resources to produce, not to mention the fuel cost to transport it from factory to store. But perhaps the more compelling case to be made for tossing the TP is an economic one: The average family of four is just flushing away cash, to the tune of $140 a year. A pack of a dozen family wipes from Wallypop will set you back about $11; you can also make your own for free out of old clothing.
If you do decide to take the plunge, mind your Eco Etiquette: Don’t try to green toilet train guests (i.e., put regular — or at least recycled — toilet paper in the guest bathroom); keep your own toilet area neatly organized by designating a basket for clean cloths and a pail with a lid for dirty ones; and retire especially worn wipes to the compost pile, not the trash can (after washing them, of course). Bottoms up!
Recycling is the process of turning one products useful parts into a new product; this is done to conserve on the consumption of resources, energy and space used in landfills.
By recycling 1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.
For every 1 ton of plastic that is recycled we save the equivalent of 2 people’s energy use for 1 year, the amount of water used by 1 person in 2 month’s time and almost 2000 pounds of oil.
Odd as it seems there are many people who do not realize that plastic bottles our water comes in is made out of oil. This is the same oil that is used to make gasoline. It’s the same oil that is in such high demand and is not an unlimited resource. Today the most common products in cities recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum.
Taking Just A Moment
Taking just a moment to put your newspaper, soda can and glass spaghetti jar in the recycling bin will save everyone years in environmental harm from production of new materials, over crowded landfills and the depletion of our natural resources.
4000 Years
When we do not recycle at least our glass or aluminum we cost the earth in power usage, water and oil usage and landfill usage; glass takes up to 4000 years to decompose in a landfill yet can be recycled indefinitely.
Earn Money
Recycling can be done at home as well as in conjunction with city programs. Many scrap yards pay for scrap metal including the soda cans and soup cans we use every day.
Be Creative
Many useful items can be made from our everyday trash; the cardboard tubes left over from paper towel and toilet paper can make useful storage containers for our extra extension cords and prevents a tangled mess in the Christmas lights.
If your going to throw these out don’t just throw it in the rubbish bin, put it the recycling bin.
Baby jars can become snow globes the kids can make and give as gifts, old Christmas cards can become new hand made cards and a glass or plastic bottle along with some clear oil and food coloring and a few other common household items can become a groovy lava lamp!
The possibilities are endless and instructions can be found in books and on the internet.
Start Today
Recycling is a very environmentally green activity; however, there are ways that you can make it greener as well as building a strong beginning if you do not currently recycle.
Many people beginning a recycling program look around and wonder what they can put in the recycling bin; there is so much information available on this site, so don’t panic.
By reusing your recycled storage containers you save on the environmental impact as well. Paper and plastic bags are good for recycling storage; however, a plastic reusable bin is even better.
Spread The Word
Share what you know. If you notice abundant trash in your neighborhood start spreading the word and your experience with recycling and if there isn’t already one in place strive to get a city recycling pick up program started.
The fact is many of our resources as well as our Earth is not renewable and we have to start taking control of our selves beginning with the world we live in.