PR Newswire - EPA Offers Tips for Electronic Waste Reuse, Recycling in Michigan
Filed under: Earth 911 - January 10, 2007
PR Newswire US
January 10, 2007 Wednesday 8:36 PM GMT
CHICAGO, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Chances are you bought or received some new, high-tech electronic equipment over the past year or during the holidays. Even newer, higher-tech gear is being introduced this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
What happens when changes in technology render your gadget obsolete? It becomes “e-scrap,” one of the planet’s fastest growing environmental concerns. E-scrap contains heavy metals and other toxins that can be hazardous to human health and the environment. For example, monitors and TVs can contain between two and eight pounds of lead and smaller amounts of other contaminants like cadmium and mercury.
As much as 4 percent of the municipal solid waste is e-scrap. Americans discarded more than 154 million computers in 2005, not counting the latest generation of game systems, cell phones, PDA’s and MP3 players that will soon enough lose their glow and be replaced with some shiny new device.
To keep hazardous materials out of landfills, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages Americans to recycle or reuse old electronic equipment.
“Recycling electronic equipment isn’t quite as easy as leaving it in a bin in your front yard, as we’ve learned to do with paper and plastics, but health and environmental benefits of recycling e-scrap are tremendous,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Mary A. Gade. “Also, we know that half of the devices thrown away still work. They can be donated to non-profit organizations, which keep the device out of the landfill, but with the added benefit of a charitable contribution.” Gade pointed out that some manufacturers have established recycling programs for their electronic products, and that many communities in Michigan have drop-off points where people can take e-scrap for proper disposal.
For more useful information on recycling electronic equipment, visit http://www.epa.gov/ecycling . A great na-tional reuse and recycling resource is http://www.earth911.org/ . Michigan residents should check http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585_4130-12387–,00.html and http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585_4130_18096—,00.html .
CONTACT: Karen Thompson of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, +1-312-353-8547, thompson.karen@epa.gov
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/ecycling
http://www.earth911.org/
SOURCE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5
URL: http://www.prnewswire.com
Newsweek - The Checklist
Filed under: Earth 911 - January 8, 2007
Our top picks for the week ahead
Newsweek
January 8, 2007
U.S. Edition
SKI free on Winter Trails Day (Jan. 6; wintertrails.org).
Beginners get free admission and gear rental at participat-ing snowshoeing and cross-country resorts. Now all you need is snow.
CLICK on cdc.govfor a free, illustrated 2007 Healthy Living Calendar and accompanying online tips. Separate printouts for men and women help you eat well, manage stress and plan important screening tests for a healthier new year.
CLEAN up your holiday junk. The Peanut Hotline (800-828-2214) will help you recycle those sticky bits of Styro-foam that came in your gifts. Earth911.org tells you how to recycle your tree. And reliefdatabase.org helps you donate everything else. Now you can restock at the after-Christmas sales.
BUY BabyLegs leg warmers. These cute leggings keep babies warm and make diaper changes a snap (from $12 at babylegs.net).
CHECK out ‘Dirt’ on FX (10 p.m., Tuesday). In a twist on Monica’s clean-freak status on “Friends,” Courteney Cox plays a tabloid reporter digging dirt on celebs.
Seattle Times - The brilliance of compact fluorescent bulbs
Filed under: Earth 911 - January 6, 2007
Consumer watch - You might want to make a light switch
Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Seattle Times
January 6, 2007 Saturday
Fourth Edition
Lightbulbs are synonymous with bright ideas in cartoons, at any rate. But compact fluorescent bulbs can also be a small, yet brilliant, step toward energy efficiency. The Department of Energy says they use two-thirds less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer.
Why buy? Compact fluorescent bulbs (also known as CFLs) are available in different sizes and shapes including mini-spiral, spiral and A-line that fit almost any fixture. On average, each bulb can save more than $30 in electricity costs over its lifetime and prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse-gas emissions.
CFLs and fixtures that use them that have earned the EPA’s Energy Star rating and produce about 70 percent less heat, so they’re safer to use and can help cut energy costs associated with home cooling. (Consider that a halogen bulb in a torchiere lamp is 700 to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Need to know: Choose the right bulb or fixture. Look for one that offers the same lumen rating as the light you’re replacing. Manufacturers often label these products in terms of watt replacement, which can also guide your decision-making. Energy-efficient lighting will provide the same or more light while using fewer watts. Dimmers enable you to set the mood with a range of light output, but check the bulb or fixture’s packaging to be sure it will perform well on a dimmer.
What will it cost? On average, a CFL costs $3 more than a comparable incandescent bulb, but that’s not how the government measures the difference. Go to www.energystar.gov/ia/business/bulk_purchasing/bpsavings_calc/Calc_CFLs.xls to compute actual costs and savings.
Operating manual: For the biggest energy savings, replace incandescents or halogens with CFLs in the rooms you spend the most time in, such as your family and living rooms, kitchen and porch. Place the bulbs in open fixtures that allow air flow.
Cautionary tale: CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury sealed within the glass tubing an average of 5 milli-grams, roughly equivalent to the amount of ink on the tip of a ballpoint pen. Mercury is what enables the CFL to be an efficient light source; there is currently no substitute for it, but manufacturers have been trying to reduce the amount used. CFLs are safe to use in the home, according to the Department of Energy: No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use, and they pose no danger if used properly, though care should be taken when handling because the tubing is glass.
Disposal issues: Seattle prohibits the disposal of mercury in household trash. For proper disposal, take burned-out CF bulbs to a Household Hazardous Waste site. For locations and hours, go to www.cityofseattle.net/util/services, click on “garbage” and then “hazardous waste disposal and reduction.”
You can also check Earth911.org, which locates disposal options by ZIP code; call the U.S. Environmental Recycling Hotline at 877-327-8491; or contact your local waste-management agency for community guidelines.
Additional information is available at Lamprecycle.org. Ikea takes back used CFLs, and other retailers are considering it.
If no other disposal options are available in your area except the trash can, place CFLs in a plastic bag and seal it. Never send a CFL or other mercury-containing product to an incinerator.
Seattle Times staff contributed to this report
St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) - TIP OF THE DAY: RECYCLE THAT TREE
Filed under: Earth 911 - January 3, 2007
Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)
January 3, 2007 Wednesday
Christmas was so last year — it’s time to get rid of that tree now. Take off the tinsel, decorations and any wire and bring yours to a drop-off site to be recycled. Most are free, but a few charge a nominal fee. Find one by entering your ZIP code at www.Earth911.org or by calling 1-800-CLEANUP.
The University of Wisconsin-Extension also came up with these new uses for an old tree:
o Put it in your back yard strung with popcorn, cranberries, suet and other treats for birds and small animals.
o Save branches to mulch planting beds next spring.
o Make pine potpourri. Dry the branches, crumble the needles and mix with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Store in jars and give as gifts next year. Add 1 cup water to ΒΌ cup potpourri and heat on the stovetop.
– Maja Beckstrom
Natural Life Magazine - Calling earth 911
Filed under: Earth 911 - January 1, 2007
www.earth911.org
Natural Life
January 1, 2007
Want to know where to recycle used motor oil in Vancouver? Or who will accept a donation of your old computer in Toronto? Or how to getrid of your Christmas tree in San Francisco? Or locate a certified green hotel in Florida? Then visit www.earth911.org or phone 1-800-CLEANUP.
This innovative public/private sector partnership supported by governments and corporate sponsors has created a massive database of information from across North America, making it a one-stop environmental web portal for community-specific recycling, reuse and disposal information resources.
With a few clicks of a mouse or a toll-free phone-call, both individuals and businesses can access over 80,000 recycling and household hazardous waste disposal location listings, organized by postal/zip code. There are also real-time beach quality alerts and information about green shop-ping, energy conservation, environmental education, composting and much more.
The service was launched in 1991 by Arizona Clean Up Inc as “Earth’s 911.” It was recently bought by Arizona-based high tech company Global Alerts, LLC, which also owns the AMBER Alert portal.
School Library Journal Reviews: Buddy Unchained
Filed under: Pets 911 - January 1, 2007
Blair Christolon
School Library Journal Reviews
January 1, 2007
Buddy Unchained
BIX, Daisy. Buddy Unchained . illus. by Joe Hyatt. unpaged. Web sites. Gryphon . 2006. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-940719-01-0 . LC 2006923847.
K-Gr 2-
A yellow, mixed-breed dog narrates his life story. Buddy’s former owner did not feed him enough or pro-vide clean water, and frequently left him chained outside. But things changed for the better when the animal was res-cued and taken to a shelter, where he was subsequently adopted by a caring family. Attractive, realistic paintings invite readers to look into Buddy’s eyes and experience his emotions, both of neglect and of contentment in his new home. The author appends additional information about how to help an abused dog.
Unfortunately, the list of suggested Web sites is uneven. Pets911 is the most appropriate for this age group, while the others should be used with caution with young children (e.g., Dogs Deserve Better includes disturbing photographs of abused dogs). The address given for ASPCA’s “Fight Cruelty” is incorrect. Use this story to supplement other heartwarming pet tales and skip the Web sites.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA