Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category
August 6th, 2008
Green Your Mail, Save 100 Million Trees
Considering the fact that hardly anyone writes letters anymore, the amount of mail the average household receives is absolutely amazing. Though some of it is legitimate correspondence, much is “junk mail” sent as advertising.
According to ForestEthics, junk mail in the US accounts for 1/3 of all mail worldwide, with each household receiving more than 800 pieces per year. It takes 100 million trees each year to create the paper that makes that junk mail, most of which you throw straight into the recycling bin, unopened. This explains why ForestEthics is heading up the push for a national Do Not Mail registry, akin to the Do Not Call registry that saves us from most telemarketing calls today. Government is also on the scent: According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), 12 state legislatures are considering Do Not Mail legislation.
In the meantime, there are many ways to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. We wrote about several services last year, including 41pounds.org, GreenDimes, and Stopthejunkmail.com– each removes your name from mailing lists for a fee, a portion of which is used for environmental causes.
In addition to these services, the DMA maintains their own Do Not Mail list, called the Mail Preference Service. Registering online is free, and all DMA members are required to eliminate registrants from their mailing lists. You can also sign up for the electronic version, the eMail Preference Service. The DMA also provides resources for removing the names of deceased family members from lists, as well as tips to prevent identity theft, and a guide for those who have had their identity stolen.
As useful as all of these services are, it’s important to keep in mind just what they do, and what they won’t do. Just like with telemarketing, companies with whom you have a relationship may still contact you, despite registering on a Do Not Mail list. To stop those mailers, you usually have to contact each one directly.
Catalog backlog
This issue becomes crystal clear when it comes to catalogs. If you’ve ever bought anything from a catalog, you know that as soon as you do, you start getting a whole lot more catalogs – both from the company you bought from, and from other companies as well. Though registering with a Do Not Mail service will reduce the number of catalogs you receive from new companies, those “with whom you have a relationship” –meaning you’ve bought from them in the past – can and will still send their materials.
The free catalog-specific service Catalog Choice can help with this. You’ll put a dent in the 19 billion catalogs mailed to Americans each year by selecting each catalog that you’d like to stop receiving – whether you’ve bought from them or not. Catalog Choice contacts each company for you. Sponsored by the Ecology Center and endorsed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, you can also invite your friends to use the service by providing their email addresses.
Don’t call me, I’ll call you
Phone books are another matter. If you no longer use them, the 540 million produced each year can be a big waste of paper – and some even come wrapped in plastic. So far, there is not an automated service designed specifically to stop the delivery of books, though Paperless Petition is working on one. In the meantime, the Creative Citizen has published a list of toll-free numbers to call to be removed from each company’s distribution route. Also, the junk mail reduction service MyJunkTree.com includes phone books in its services.
You’ve been denied
Similarly, you’ll need to “opt out” of prescreened credit card offers separately as well. By law, the credit reporting companies like Equifax and TransUnion may make your name available to credit and insurance companies who wish to make offers to you. Fortunately, the law also requires that you have a way to “opt out” of receiving these offers. The official site to do so is OptOutPrescreen.com. Fill out a simple form online, and you’re free from pre-approved offers for five years.
If it is to be, it’s up to me
Marketers aren’t the only ones to blame here. Do you still pay your bills by mail? If so, consider signing up for online bill pay services. Most banks offer them free of charge, and once you spend a few minutes getting it set up, it will cut down on the time it takes to pay bills each month. Plus, you’ll save money on checks and postage.
Similarly, ask your bank and financial advisor to send your statements electronically. Or, they may email a notice to you when your new statement is ready – you just log in to their site to view it. Usually, it’s just a few clicks on their site to set this up, and you can cut down on the paper you receive, and have to file.
Subscriptions to newspapers and magazines also use a lot of paper, and if you’re like many households, they often go unread. Consider reducing the number of subscriptions that you receive – the publications can often be read online, sometimes for free. Or, share magazines with others in your office or apartment building. Of course, when you’re finished, recycle them.
I say ship it. Ship it good.
Sometimes, it just absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. But let’s face it, usually it doesn’t. To lower the environmental impact of shipping your packages and purchases, use the standard method (ground) instead of next day, which is transported by air. The emissions caused by air travel and transport are tremendous, whereas FedEx and other shipping companies are investing in more efficient hybrid trucks. If you’re packaging it yourself, avoid the Styrofoam® peanuts. They are rarely recyclable, and certainly aren’t biodegradable. Wad up old newspapers or use cardboard peanuts instead. If you receive Styrofoam® in something you’ve bought, reuse it yourself or take it to a mailhouse for reuse.
Finally, avoid anything that’s peel-and-stick or self-stick. These items use what’s known as pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), which are not recyclable, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. From stamps to labels to envelopes, the adhesive used in PSAs has to be screened during the recycling process, and the technology used to do so is not very effective. So, in the end, PSAs reduce the quality of paper submitted for recycling. Instead, go old school and lick ‘em and stick ‘em…though you might want to use a sponge to avoid that icky taste.
These changes don’t take much time or effort, but they can have a big impact.
July 21st, 2008
E-Waste: Embracing Electronics Recycling
Does your home include a not-so-small cache of old cell phones, used-up computers, and maybe even an extra TV? You are not alone. The dark side of our digital age is our growing mountain of used electronics.
According to the EPA, used or unwanted electronics amounted to approximately 1.9 to 2.2 million tons of waste in 2005. Of that, about 1.5 to 1.9 million tons were primarily discarded in landfills, and only 345,000 to 379,000 tons were recycled.
But not only is this a huge amount of trash, but electronics contain many hazardous chemicals that need to be disposed of properly. Computer monitors and older TV picture tubes contain an average of four pounds of lead and require special handling at the end of their lives. Even newer tubes can contain two pounds of lead. Mercury is used in small amount in bulbs to light flat panel computer monitors and notebooks. Cadmium was widely used in ni-cad rechargeable batteries for laptops and other portables. Older electronics contain brominated flame retardants, which were widely used in plastic cases and cables. Simply tossing these items into the trash creates a major hazardous waste problem. To learn more about the magnitue and danger of our electronics waste problem, watch this great video from Good Magazine on e-Waste.
What can you do with your e-waste?
Re-use is the most sustainable option. If your electronics are in working order, or can be fixed, please consider donating them so they can be re-used. Donating used electronics for re-use extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of the waste stream for a longer period of time. When you donate your used electronics, you allow schools, nonprofit organizations, and lower-income families to obtain equipment that they otherwise could not afford.
There are a number of organizations you can explore for donating your electronics, including:
Computer for Schools: The Computers for Schools Program welcomes contribution of quality computer equipment and support dollars to accomplish their refurbishing work from donors across the nation.
The National Christina Foundation: A not-for-profit foundation dedicated to the support of training through donated technology. For more than two decades we have encouraged companies and individuals to donate computers and other technology, which is then matched to charities, schools and public agencies in all 50 states.
Collective Good: A mobile devices recycling resource. If you have spare mobile phones, pagers or PDAs sitting on a shelf or in a drawer, you can recycle them here in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
Click here to learn about more electronics donation resources, from Earth911.org.
If your electronics are non-functional, then look to recycle them. This form of electronics recycling actually has its own name: e-cycling. You will need to take your electronics to a special place where they can be handled properly.
Here at Low Impact Living we have developed a deep, nationwide database of electronics recycling outlets: please click here to find an electronics recycling location near you.
If you do not find one near you in our database, you might also try searching on the site hosted by the Electronics Industries Alliance. Click here to visit the EIA e-cycling resources map.
Related posts:
Recycle to the Max in Your City
How to Recycle Your Used Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Recycling Saves a Ton of Energy, Too
Recycling? Starbucks? Hello?
July 17th, 2008
Green Condos in the West
A couple of weeks back we did a feature on the great trend of green condo developments taking off all over the country– and we covered many developments in the East and South. Click here to learn about Green Condos in the Eastern U.S.
A green condo can be a wonderful alternative for (the vast majority of) those of us who cannot afford to build a new green single-family home. We want sustainable design, solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and so much more, but we can’t afford to build. Viola– the green condo!
This week we cover many of the excellent green condos available in the Western United States. There are so many to choose from it’s tough to pick just a selection to highlight here!
In the Los Angeles Area
Evo South is an exciting development in the heart of downtown LA. It is an urban tower of steel and glass– 23 stories with 311 residences. They are in the process of seeking LEED certification for the building. The units feature such eco-friendly elements as Bosch Energy Star appliances, low-flow water fixtures, Nature’s Choice carpeting and more.
If you prefer the beachy side of life, Green On 19 is a cool townhouse development in Santa Monica. These townhomes are the first of their kind in Santa Monica, and there are five units in the development. Architect Jesse Bornstein has integrated modern style, light and sustainability into his design. The units meet Energy Star New Home standards and feature solar power, bamboo and concrete floors, LED landscape lighting, xeriscape landscaping, and more.
In the San Francisco Bay Area
The Arterra is a relatively new development in the Mission Bay district. Arterra is also seeking LEED Certification. The Arterra has three sections: “sky”, a 16 story tower with city and bay views; “city”, a 9-level building with city views and green roof; and “park,” a 6-level building with two-story residences that come with private outdoor spaces. Altogether there are 269 units in the Arterra, and apparently 55% of them are already sold.
The Green City Lofts in Emeryville have 62 units of Energy Star Certified living. The steel superstructure and interior framing contains 25-90% post-consumer recycled content creating a more durable, earthquake-resistant, fire-resistant, rot-resistant, mold-resistant, and pest-resistant building. The units have radiant heating, no-VOC paints, double-pane windows, and cool metal roofs.
In Seattle
Enso is a thrilling condo development in Seattle. They are seeking LEED Gold certification. Units are for sale now and will be available in Spring 2009. The building is gorgeous and the units feature such eco-elements as concrete counters, sun shades, 100% recycled content carpet, no-VOC paints, and Ecoresin panels. The building also uses heat-pump technology, which is a very energy-efficient option for heating and cooling.
The Veer Lofts are bringing a kicky spirit to Seattle. They have three styles of lofts for sale– the “Flexi-loft” is 1 and 1/2 stories; The Full Loft is two stories and The Flat is a one-story. They are seeking LEED Certification and the units include daylighting, water-conserving fixtures, recycled building materials and drought-tolerant landscaping. Check out the funky website– it’s very fun!
In Portland
The Metropolitan in the Pearl District is a gleaming, modern tower that is a LEED Certified building. The Metropolitan balances luxury with a commitment to sustainable design and healthy living. The LEED Silver building has high performance energy efficient mechanical systems and glazing systems, storm water retention for landscape irrigation, the incorporation of durable, low-maintenance materials and the use of healthy materials and abundant natural ventilation for improved air quality.
In Denver
Just a few blocks from Coors Field in downtown Denver, 20|20 Lawrence Street features 60 residential condos atop an exciting mix of ground-level retailers. The development is LEED Gold (no small accomplishment!) The 50,000 watts of electrical power that will be produced from a roof-mounted photovoltaic system will represent one of the largest solar photovoltaic arrays in Colorado. The individual units feature sustainable hardwoods and low-VOC carpets and paints.
Click here to find green real estate for sale across the U.S.
Click here to find an EcoBroker to help you with your green real estate needs.
July 15th, 2008
Green Apartment Living Class
Our good friend Siel, also known as the world-famous Green LA Girl, is hosting a class tomorrow night that anyone in LA should check out. It’s on Green Apartment Living. Siel will be joined by fellow teachers Summer Bowen and Traci Reitz. The class will be held on Wednesday July 16 at the Santa Monica Synagogue starting at 8:30PM. It’s free– just show up!
This is an issue SO many people are interested in– we tip our hat to these ladies at their class. If you are interested in learning how to green your apartment, you can also read our feature on it here.
Here is what the class will cover:
“Summer will introduce you to the wonderful world of balcony gardening, by which I’ve personally benefited because I’ve gotten to eat the bounty — from corn to tomatoes! You’d be amazed to see what yummies you can grow, even if you don’t have a plot of land to call your own.
Traci will demystify eco apartment renovations — done frugally yet prettily! She’ll let you know what eco paints work and what don’t, what’s better to reuse and what’s better to replace.
Siel will talk about getting around, greenly. Apartment dwellers move around a lot, so my portion will cover how to pick an eco apartment, and how to use that apartment to green the way you get around the city. De-car-ing doesn’t mean sitting at home.
We’ll have a Q&A at the end — and will be going out for drinks afterwards. Join us!”
Does anyone know about classes like this happening in other cities? Let us know in the comments section please!
July 8th, 2008
My Solar Hot Water Experience
Editor’s note: this piece has been contributed by guest blogger Kevin Hughes. Kevin was generous enough to share his own experience with installing a solar hot water system on his home. Thank you, Kevin!
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I live in Los Angeles and I prefer the ugly one! Please don’t get me wrong, my wife is very beautiful, but when it comes to solar power, I prefer the ugly one.
Let me explain, for the past few years there has been huge interest in Solar Electricity (photovoltaic’s, PV, or solar panels), there are lots of incentives at both a state and federal level, there are often photo opportunities for politicians, gazing towards the future over a vast array or solar panels. But there are problems with this vision: solar electricity is expensive to purchase and install; it has a long pay back period; it converts sunlight to usable energy fairly inefficiently, and because of that, you need quite a lot of roof space or land to put up enough panels to power your home.
The ugly one that I prefer is solar thermal, specifically solar hot water, a much older technology. It is also much cheaper to install, much more efficient, and has a much faster pay back. It can even be a do-it-yourself project if you are reasonably handy. As for the payback, that’s easy: you don’t have to pay for 70-100% of your hot water heating costs, and with a clever tweak, you can save 10-15,000 gallons of water annually, and reduce your water and electricity costs.
Let’s start with a few details, then I will tell you how I added solar hot water (SHW) with a twist, to my house. I live in Los Angeles on a hillside in the Santa Monica Mountains, about 2 miles inland from the beaches in Malibu. We heat water with propane which comes from a storage tank filled every month or so by a delivery truck, and until recently we used about 30% of our total home energy to heat water. We are an ordinary family, with 2 kids at home, and have the usual uses for hot water, washing clothes, running the dishwasher, bathing and so on.
My wife and I have become more eco-conscious over the past few years, and have taken some steps to being green. For instance we have switched all of our light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s), and we’re using tote’s rather than plastic or paper shopping bags. So I was looking for a project that would make a real difference, and would give me something to keep me busy for a while. We could afford to invest maybe $2-3,000, preferably spread over a few months. I had known about solar hot water from our travels in Greece, where pretty much every house has it installed. I got hold of a book, and spent some time reading up on Solar Water Heating by Bob Ramlow and Benjamin Nusz.
The concept seemed pretty simple, and could be added to our existing hot water set-up, effectively using the sun to pre-heat water before it went into the propane hot water tank. I used Microsoft Excel to draw up some plans, and a system schematic (see image below), and marched off to the local permit office. Here is a schematic of the eventual system, which has evolved a bit from my first permit office visit. Largely as a result of their help, and the help of a yahoo group called Solar Heat, the design evolved into something that works.
There are actually only 6 new components, plus pipe work, (which seemed daunting at first, but with patience and practice, was actually pretty simple). The main components were: (1) Solar Collector, (2) small Solar Panel to power the (3) Pump, a (4) Solar Storage Tank, a (5) Tempering Valve, and finally the twist, the (6) Hot Water Recirculation box.
July 8th, 2008
Interior Design Inspired by Local Salvage Centers
by Deb Heitt, courtesy of Feelgood Style
Lately I’m a bit obsessed by home decorating with reclaimed goods like old doorknobs, ornate metal heating grates, and odd hanging crystals from a long-gone chandelier. Sure, it would make more sense if I actually had a house — at the moment, my new husband and I are squeezing into our 600 square feet, one-bedroom apartment — but one day soon we will own a home, and when that day comes, I’ll be able to spread out and complete all the projects I have going in my head.
Meanwhile, I’ve found that trolling architectural salvage yards and house-part recycling centers is a fascinating diversion. You can find some amazing ways to decorate your home in completely unique (and green) ways, but you can also find perfectly good double-hung windows, newel posts, kitchen cabinets, big pieces of wood flooring, and bathroom vanities (from this century, even!).
I’ve found a list of several salvage centers on the “This Old House” website, in cities like Sarasota, Buffalo, New Orleans, Portland, Seattle, Canton, and Queens, New York. Also in the comments section of that article, there are dozens of stores like these that people recommend in other cities, too. Google “architectural salvage + (name of your town)” and you’ll spend an interesting Saturday afternoon being shocked at the hardware, wood, fixtures, and tiles that get pitched during a home or business demolition.
Next time you’re tempted to buy a brand new, poorly constructed, cheaply laminated pressed/treated wood shelving unit from your local home decorating center, consider recycling mismatched but beautifully stained hardwood boards to create your own unique shelving unit.
Do you have a center near you to recommend? In my area, I’ve found Pasadena Architectural Salvage, Sante Fe Wrecking Company (in L.A.), Silverlake Architectural Salvage, and a shop called Olde Good Things which has one of its stores downtown. Now, I just need to find a house we can afford, and I can get busy!
Click here to find more vintage furniture stores and green retail stores near you!
Learn more about decorating with vintage and used furniture here.
Learn more about green interior design here.
Read about designing a green kitchen on a budget here.
