Courant.com: To Readers, CFLs Were Topic That Shone Brightest In’07

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 30, 2007

Light bulbs, razor blades, eyeglasses and identity theft products were among the topics that resonated most with readers in 2007.

Spending Smart is fortunate to receive avid responses—compliments and criticisms. Of the 300 or so reader e-mails and phone calls received during 2007, here are topics that readers seemed to care about most:

Daily Herald: Don’t Ditch That Douglas Fir

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 29, 2007

By Caleb Warnock

Now that Christmas is over, what do you do with the dead tree in your living room?

Across Utah County, many cities offer recycling services, where trees can be picked up or dropped off for chipping to be composted for mulch. And where no recycling is available, national environmental and wildlife organizations encourage you to get creative.

The Wisconsin Extension Service encourages homeowners to put their used tree in their backyard to shelter birds and small animals, even suggesting you encourage local fauna by decorating the tree with popcorn, cranberries and suet.

Or you could put your tree in a private fish pond, where it can provide habitat. Cabela’s in Lehi has a used Christmas tree in their indoor trout pond where the fish can shelter from the many tourists who pay 25 cents for a handful of fish food to throw in the water — a popular attraction.

Locally, the Utah State Extension office was a bit flummmoxed when asked for suggestions about disposing of Christmas trees where there is no recycling program.

“I strike out on this one,” said Dean Miner after a long pause. “I really don’t have any ideas.”

The environmental Web site Earth911.org encourages residents to ensure a tree is recycled — and a new tree planted for another year — by buying live trees.

“One holiday product that can’t be recycled is an artificial Christmas tree, so Earth 911 encourages everyone to purchase real trees in the future,” says a statement on the Web site.

According to a national survey by the National Christmas Tree Association, 93 percent of consumers who used a real Christmas tree recycled theirs in some type of community program. These trees are used to make mulch or to prevent erosion on shorelines or streambanks, or as fish habitat.

The National Christmas Tree Association encourages such acts of “treecycling,” which their Web site defines as “the act of recycling your Christmas trees so that they can be turned into compost or mulch. These trees contain valuable nutrients that can be used in other capacities.”

Many cities in Utah County offer curbside or drop-off recycling, where most if not all the trees are taken away to be chipped and composted into mulch. But you may have to act fast, as some cities require the tree to be out with your trash, while others give you up to a month to clean out your living room.

All cities require clean trees, free of any decoration. Here is a list of local Christmas tree recycling programs (cities not listed did not provide data):

WXIA: Keeping a “Green” Resolution

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 28, 2007

Every year around this time, we commit ourselves to accomplishing something personally significant in the New Year, otherwise known as New Year’s resolutions.

All too often we begin with the best of intentions and end up with the same list for next year.

There’s an easy way to check off one important resolution for 2008: to be “green” for the New Year.

How sad that something which had offered us the opportunity to brighten our holidays should end up ignored and unwanted now that Christmas is over.

It used to be that an unwanted Christmas tree was as worthless as a two day old soufflé.

But not anymore.

“This is number one on the list of how to green your holiday,” said Keep Georgia Beautiful’s Kim Portmess, “So we made it easy for you by making it a tradition each year and the word’s out there.”

Weatherby’s Christmas trees, a Marietta institution, got the word. “We’re loading the smaller ones to take to the chipper sites,” Jack Weatherby said. “They can be recycled for parks and rec and places like that.”

Weatherby understands that every year he’ll have several hundred trees left after Christmas. But these trees will not have lived in vain; they will find a new life as mulch.

“A layer of three to four inch mulch can help protect the root system of any garden or outdoor landscape systems,” Portmess pointed out. “That will protect and mitigate the effects of drought that we’re all suffering from.”

Christmas tree recycling day is Saturday, January 5th, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Free dogwood seedlings are available while supplies last.

To find the nearest drop-off location to you, visit KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org or Earth911.org.

Metro West Daily News: Branching Off into a Successful Season

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 28, 2007

By John Hilliard

Despite rising fuel costs and frigid weather, strong sales among many area Christmas tree sellers helped them avoid getting a lump of coal this holiday season.

“We’ve sold more this year than we ever had,” said Jennifer Fields, manager of the Tree Farm in Marlborough.

The farm began selling after Thanksgiving and moved about 150 trees this season and saw more demand than in past years, she said.

Many Christmas tree sellers saw green last year, when 28.6 million trees were sold across the country, for a total retail value of $1.2 billion, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. An extra 9.3 million artificial trees sold for about $630 million, according to the industry group’s Web site.

The group estimated sales of $1.4 billion during this Christmas season from the purchase of 30 million to 35 million trees.

Across the region, sales were brisk, despite rising energy costs that translated into price increases for tree customers.

Casey Vandervalk, of Vandervalk Tree Farms in Mendon, sold about 1,000 trees this year and sold out by Dec. 9. The average tree went for $55, he said, which was an increase over 2006.

“Tree prices went up between 5 and 10 percent,” said Vandervalk.

His farm has been growing trees since 1984 and started selling them in 1994, he said. Sales are roughly split between precut trees and those chopped down for a specific buyer, he said.

“There’s more demand for cut-your-own trees,” said Vandervalk, who noted the precut trees shipped in from other farms tend to be larger than those grow at his business.

Despite rising business costs, local Lions Club tree sellers have kept the same prices levels for the last few years, said Tony Minucci, district governor for the region’s clubs.

Minucci’s district includes 47 communities, including Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Holliston, Hopkinton, Bellingham, Medway, Millis and Waltham.

“(Tree sales) were great,” said Minucci, noting Dec. 14 through Dec. 16 was a “fantastic” selling period. “We sold out over a week before Christmas.”

The average price was $25 and up for a Lions’ tree, plus the organization also donates trees. All the money raised is donated to community charities and eye research, he said.

Minucci said many customers buy their trees from the Lions every year.

“We have a following, which is great,” he said.

Forrest Higgins, of Higgins Family Christmas Trees in Ashland, said the recent harsh weather made for some tough days on workers, plus some buyers had to be content with frozen trees that would thaw later.

Most of their trees come from Nova Scotia, but they also bring in some from Quebec, North Carolina and Michigan. Sales begin around Dec. 1 and some trees were still available as of Christmas Eve, he said.

“Sales were strong,” said Higgins. “It was a good year, we sold a lot of trees.”

And what to do with that tree after Christmas has passed by and dried needles start piling up?

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection works with communities to create tree recycling programs, according to the department’s Web site. About 200 communities offer tree recycling, according to the DEP.

A list of Massachusetts communities offering Christmas tree recycling is online at earth911.org.

Local Boy Scouts may also be collecting trees in area communities.

Dennis Prefontaine, the council executive for the Boy Scout’s Knox Trail Council in Framingham, said residents should contact their local Boy Scout troops to learn whether they’ll pick up trees this season.

The Modesto Bee: Make That Tree Green Again

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 28, 2007

By Eve Hightower

It filled your house at Christmastime with the seasonal scent of pine. It held the promise of a cheery Christmas morning and stood proudly displaying lights and baubles dangling over carefully chosen gifts.

Now, it’s trash.

Eager to return their homes to more modest pre-Christmas decor, some people already have discarded their trees in street gutters. But there are things you can do with the tree.

Before tossing it out, save some branches. Once they’ve dried, crumble the needles in a mix with cinnamon sticks and cloves. Keep the mix in a tightly sealed jar for next year. Sew it into sachets for little gifts.

Use it in the garden. Place trimmed branches over perennial beds to reduce potential frost damage. Use the trunk as a stake for a young tree or tomato plant in the summer.

Too much effort? Then go ahead and toss it in the gutter or alley. It won’t go to waste. Many cities will pick up trees starting at the beginning of the new year. They will be picked up along with trash, recyclables and compost on your regular pickup day, said Sabrina Caldwell, administrative clerk for Oakdale Public Works Department.

Curbside pickup in Modesto will begin Jan. 7. Alley pickup in Modesto will start Jan. 21. Keep your trees until at least 72 hours before pickup, according to Department of Urban Forestry Superintendent Bill Dufresne.

Those left curbside or put into yard-waste bins will be added to city compost, which eventually is put back on the ground to nurture growing plants.

Separate trees from trash so it’s easy to pick up. Lights, ornaments, tinsel and stands must be removed, said Dennis Shuler, environmental affairs manager at Gilton Resources Recovery. Gilton does much of the area’s waste disposal.

If you want to toss out your artificial tree, put it in the garbage can. It’s fake and will take centuries to decompose.

Tree pickup service is not available to county residents. Those who prefer to compost their trees rather than burn them or add to landfills can find the nearest tree recycler by entering a ZIP code in the Earth911.org or christmastree.org tree recycling search.

In some cases, the farm where you bought your Christmas tree will take it back and mulch it.

According to tradition, trees and wreaths should be disposed of by Jan. 5, the beginning of the 12th night of Christmas. Some believe leaving the tree up past the 12th night is bad luck.

For more information about tree pickup, Modesto residents can call the Urban Forestry Division at 342-2249. Residents of other cities should call their public works departments for more information.

A Shopper’s Guide To Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 27, 2007

By Herb Deneberg

Question: As a conservation measure would it make sense to outlaw incandescent lights in favor of compact fluorescents lights (CFLs), which are much more energy efficient, last longer and are lower cost in the long run?

A. I put your question to my expert on electrical safety and lighting, Robert John Bailey, a principal in Tangibl LLC, an electrical consulting firm in Yardley, Pa. Under the new federal energy bill just signed, stores will no longer be able to sell the inefficient incandescent light bulbs that now dominate the market, starting in 2012. So Congress did not outlaw incandescents altogether but only the inefficient ones that are now found on the market. So the industry will have a time period to find technology that will make more efficient incandescents that will be able to stay on the market. Some efficient incandescents are already in the works and close to being on the market.

Mr. Bailey says incandescents are still widely used for commercial and industrial applications as well as consumer applications, and there are often no good alternatives for them, at least at the present time. For example, for floodlights, the incandescent is still king and CFL cannot now completely take its place, although there are some CFLs designed for floodlighting.

He also notes the standard CFL can’t be used in a dimmer. I found that out the hard way by putting a CFL in a dimmer and blowing it out. That forbidden use may also cause a shock hazard. Also, all CFLs can’t be used in any kind of dimmers even if they are three-way rather than progressive ones. There are a few models of CFLs now on the market that can be used with dimmers or three-way switches, according to Consumer Reports (October 2007). Finally, photosensor switches contain dimming circuitry, so one manufacturer, Philips, recommends, “before using such a switch, check with its manufacturer to ensure compatibility with electronic CFL bulbs.”

Mr. Bailey also notes that many CFLs are not designed for base-up application, as in a ceiling fixture. So incandescents may have to be used in this application.

In addition, CFLs are too big for many fixtures that incandescents now fit into.

Some CFLs carry this warning: “Use in recessed cans or enclosed indoor fixtures could result in reduced lamp life.” (”Lamp” in this context is a synonym for bulb and does not refer to the fixture; a “recessed can” is a bulb enclosure of can-like metal with little ventilation.)

Some CFLs should not be used in emergency exit fixtures or lights.

CFLs may cause interference with radios, televisions, telephones or remote controls. This may be corrected by moving the bulb away from the device or moving to another plug.

One other point in the comparison: CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, a neurotoxin, so if they break, there is a dangerous release that requires a special cleanup, and they must be disposed of in accordance with the rules for hazardous products. (See next Q&A for more on this.) It should be noted that conventional fluorescents also contain mercury. The amount of mercury in a CFL is about one percent of the mercury in an old-fashioned thermometer.

CFLs aren’t good for stairs or places where you need full brightness immediately. The ones tested by Consumer Reports took 25 seconds to 3.3 minutes to come to full brightness. So you wouldn’t want them on a staircase where you want instant brightness. An incandescent comes on to full brightness in less than a second.

If used in applications where the light is on for 15 minutes or less (like a closet), that will shorten the life of a CFL.

Finally, Mr. Bailey notes that incandescents come closer to a substitute for daylight, and that’s why many prefer them to CFLs. Many consumers aren’t able to sense any real difference if they select the right color CFL. And, of course, the manufacturers are improving the color and light of CFLs all the time. In fact, there are now CFLs on the market that are especially designed to come close to the kind of “day light” that we are used to from incandescents.

As just noted, manufacturers are constantly working on ways to improve CFLs, and perhaps within a few years they will have good substitutes for the applications for which incandescents are now the only choice or the preferred choice. Of course, during this period, there will be many improvements in incandescents as well. For example, GE is reporting that within a few years it will have an energy-efficient incandescent that will put out twice as much light as the present ones.

2. Q. What are you supposed to do if you drop and break a compact fluorescent light bulb, which contains mercury, a toxic substance?

A. Here are instructions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as related by Consumer Reports (October 2007):

For more information on disposal, go to www.lamprecycle.org or call 800-555-0050. You can also go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling to find recyclers. Another source is www.earth911.org.

In my opinion, the EPA should require CFL manufacturers to include clean-up information on the label. The buyer should know what to do when he first buys a bulb and should not have to scramble around the first time he breaks one. Many people would not have the disposable rubber gloves, sticky tape and cardboard, which the EPA recommends for cleanup.

In my view, this is typical of the sloppy and inadequate labeling tolerated by the EPA and other federal agencies and put on the market by so many companies.

3. Q. What are some of the best CFLs if you want to make the transition from incandescents to CFLs?

A. Here are some of the lowest cost bulbs tested by Consumer Reports (October 2007). They are listed in two of the most popular categories:

Table/Floor Spiral. Equivalent to 60-watt soft white incandescent bulb: Bright Effects 60-Watt Replacement 4/Pak 146558 (Lowe’s). Phillips Marathon 60 Energy Saving Bulb 8 pk. 148031 (Costco).

Flush Mounted Spiral Ceiling Light. Equivalent to 60-watt soft white incandescent bulb. N:Vision Mini Spiral Soft White 423-599 14/60 Watt (Home Depot). Felt Electric ECObulb 60 Watt Replacement ESL13T. GE Soft White 60 Watt 8000 Hour Long 41525.

4. Q. Are there any standard-setting organizations that can assure us we’re getting CFLs that will perform as they are supposed to?

A. Look for Energy Star-qualified CFLs. They have to meet standards for brightness, color, bulb life, energy use, start-up and warm-up times. That’s why Consumer Reports recommends only Energy Star bulbs.

For more information on Energy Star see its Web site at energystar.gov.

5. Q. Aren’t CFLs the wave of the future with or without requirements imposed by recent federal legislation?

A. No. Manufacturers, for the very long run, seem to be going for light emitting diodes (LEDs) rather than CFLs as the wave of the future. First, they operate without any toxic elements, unlike CFLs, which contain mercury. Second, they are more compact than CFLs. Finally, they last for about 50,000 hours compared to 6,000 for a CFL and 1,000 for an incandescent. But they have serious disadvantages that await technological advances. First, they are now too expensive for most applications. Second, they are now good for colored lights and are often used for Christmas decorations. However, they are still not available in a form that makes them right for home lighting. Of course, there may be a new form of light bulb developed that will be superior either to the CFL or the LED.

6. Q. With or without the federal law banning inefficient incandescents, won’t CFLs take over the market as they are more economical and energy efficient?

A. You would think so, but the public has been slow to switch to CFLs. The Environmental Protection Agency has been pushing CFLs for almost nine years with its Energy Star program. But CFLs have still taken only 15 percent of the market despite the fact they last much longer than incandescents and are more energy efficient, so they cost less in the long run. The fact that CFLs last longer also eliminates the cost and expense of the frequent changes required by incandescents, a major advantage when the bulb is located in an out of the way location such as a ceiling. CFLs do cost more to buy, but that is more than made up by their longer life and greater energy efficiency.

7. Q. Are there any special precautions to get the most out of bulbs?

A. Mr. Bailey has the following suggestions:

Use them only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the fixture’s requirements. For example, check the wattage requirement of any light fixture to be sure you’re not using a bulb that will be too strong for the fixture in question. For example, a lamp may have the following warning pasted on near the receptacle: “To reduce the risk of fire use a 60-watt bulb or one with a smaller wattage.” Outdoor use may require special bulbs or weather-protected fixtures. Some bulbs also indicate they have to be used within voltage limits.

Make sure any bulb is screwed in snugly, or it may overheat and even stop working. One company puts it this way: “Tighten firmly, but not forcibly.”

Protect bulbs from unnecessary shock and movement. Incandescents are especially susceptible to filament breakage due to shock. CFLs, which don’t have filaments, are more shock-resistant than incandescents but are far from shockproof, so they should always be handled gently. Their weakest spot is the joint between the tube and the electronics of the CFL. EnergyStar.gov offers this advice: “CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base (not the glass) and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket.” Also keep bulbs away from water.

Be especially careful with the use of halogen lights, as they operate at very high temperatures and represent high fire hazards. If you have one in a lamp, make sure it is shielded with a wire mesh. That protects the bulb from coming in contact with flammables if tipped over. That was a common scenario for fires before manufacturers started shielding the bulbs with a wire mesh on the torchieres.

To minimize energy costs, select bulbs with the lowest output you need and then select the ones with the lowest watts. Light output is stated on the packaging in lumens. Energy used is stated in watts; the higher the watts, the more energy the bulb uses.

Spend some time figuring out what kind of bulb is best for your application. There are many varieties, some of which you may not even be aware of. For example, GE now has a special soft white reader/task light that is claimed to be ideal for reading, knitting and other close work.

Always read all labels, packaging, and other material that comes with the bulb. All bulbs and all electricity have a potential to be dangerous. For example, one GE halogen bulb I examined has this warning: “A damaged light emits UV radiation, which may cause eye/skin injury.” The same bulb carries another warning: “Unexpected rupture may cause injury, fire or property damage. Do not exceed rated voltage.” Another piece of advice for safety reasons from one manufacturer: “Turn off power before changing bulbs.” If in doubt, call the manufacturer and avoid shocking eventualities.

Keep track of when you install bulbs so you will have an idea of how long they are lasting and how they are performing. I do that by using a Sharpie pen to mark the date of installation and the place of purchase. This is especially important now that these bulbs come with some fairly long-term periods of warranty. (You can sometimes tell when a fluorescent is about to burn out - when the end of the tubing starts turning dark).

CFLs as well as incandescents gradually wear out over time. In other words, their light output (lumens) or brightness diminishes as they get older.

8. Q. What about halogens? Do they have any use in the typical home?

A. Mr. Bailey says they don’t make much sense for home use, but there are some important and specialized applications for business and commercial use. He notes they operate at high temperatures, which makes them a special fire hazard. They are high intensity bulbs that put out more light for the size of the bulb than other alternatives and can produce the desired white light that comes closest to daylight. You can find halogens in bulb form or in the small designs used in torchiere lamps.

9. Q. Is the kind of bulb we use really such a big deal?

A. According to EnergyStar.gov, “if every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars.” According to Phillips, using one of their 23-watt CFLs in place of an equivalent incandescent of 100 watts will save you $77 over the 1,000-hour life of the CFL. That’s at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. Consumer Reports (October 2007) estimates each CLF will save you $5 a year in electricity costs over a regular bulb, assuming it’s on three hours a day. And lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electrical bill.

Akron West Side Leader: Wishing for a Greener Holiday

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 27, 2007

By Sandy Barbic

I’m wishing for a greener holiday season.

No, I don’t wish that the snow would disappear. By “a greener holiday season,” I mean one that is environmentally friendly. Here are some ideas that we can all use to make this holiday season and future ones more eco-friendly.

Recycled paper products and newspaper comic pages make unusual gift-wrap. You also can reuse your last year’s holiday wrappings and save them for next year’s wrapping and decorations.

Last year’s holiday cards make great gift tags and homemade cards for this year. If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, we would have 38,000 feet, enough to tie a bow around the entire planet.

Even if you don’t want to reuse your holiday papers, you can shred old gift-wrap and use it for colorful packing material. Every year, Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage, including packaging materials, each week between Thanksgiving and the December holiday season. Anything we can do to reduce this waste would certainly help the environment.

When selecting a Christmas tree, keep in mind that nearly all of the trees sold at seasonal Christmas tree lots are grown on tree farms, so choosing a cut tree doesn’t impact forests. If you want a potted tree, it is best to leave it outside and decorate it there, since potted trees do not thrive in unseasonably warm homes.

Artificial trees do save on fuel used in traveling to pick out a tree each year. However, they are often composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a petroleum-based, nonrenewable plastic that pollutes neighborhoods near the factories where it is produced. Artificial trees also consume a great deal of energy during their manufacturing process.

If you choose a cut pine, do not apply fake snow, and please remove all tinsel, because these items cannot be recycled, and you definitely will want to recycle your tree. The National Christmas Tree Association and Earth 911 have a joint Web site where you can enter your ZIP code to find one of the 3,800 tree recycling centers near you. Just go to earth911.org.

According to Paul Wilkerson, of Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, the parks system also has a tree-recycling program for wildlife habitat. Then the trees are chipped and the chips distributed on the trails. There are four areas set up in the parks where you can drop off your trees. To find out where these areas are, call (330) 867-5511.

You also can purchase gifts made from recycled items online at home or at your local library. Simply bring up your favorite search engine and enter “environmentally friendly gifts.” Or check your local news media for “greener” choices.

There also are many worthy charities where you can save and sponsor wild and domestic animals, plant a tree or even provide a goat or a small flock of chickens for a family halfway across the world. All of these can be purchased as a gift in someone else’s name and will have a positive ecological impact. Most of these groups can be found online and include such organizations as the National Wildlife Federation, the Humane Society of the United States, the Fund for Animals, Heifer International, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and more.

These are just a few suggestions, but with a little imagination, you can find a lot more. All of these ideas will help our planet and improve the quality of life for all who live on it. With a little shared effort, we all can have “greener” days for the holidays, and for all the days thereafter.

Sandy Barbic is an education specialist with the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District.

Plenty Magazine: Recycling Christmas

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 26, 2007

As the old-timers say, if you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. Organizing an environmentally-friendly holiday gathering is no exception to the rule: it’s easier to reduce waste if you start thinking green well before the holidays hit—making sure you don’t overbuy, over-cook, over-package, etc. But there are also lots of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in the days following your holiday extravaganza. Here are a handful to get you started:

Garbage Dissection

Before you trudge out to the curb in your PJ’s to put the trash and recycling cans out, take a closer look at your wrapping refuse. Maybe it’s not all trash after all—do you have nice gift bags worth saving for reuse next year? Cardboard boxes you could break down and store for reuse? Wrapping paper that’s still intact? A few sturdy ribbons? The same handful of gift bags and cloth ribbons have appeared under my family’s Christmas tree every year for as long as I can remember, and we’re not sick of them yet. Here’s a grinch-stat for you: according to a study by Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are, if every family in the United States reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of material saved could tie a bow around the entire world.

Count Cards

Salvage the front sides of greeting cards you’ve received. Chances are, the giver only wrote on the inside right half, so cut the card down the middle and use the front as a flat card or gift tag next year. Be sure to recycle the back of the card.

Leftovers

Kudos to you for saving all your leftovers. Waste not, want not, as they say. But storing the remains of your holiday feast can produce a fair bit of waste in itself—all those baggies, aluminum sheets, and plastic wrap really add up. Reduce the amount of trash you generate by storing extra food in glassware (which you can microwave without worrying about toxins leaching into your food) and Tupperware. Pyrex makes great glassware with plastic lids that seal on airtight, as does Crate & Barrel.

Evergreen

No one likes taking down the Christmas tree, but there’s an easy way to do something good with your tree when the season’s over: MULCH IT. Mulch is that great, crunchy, wood-chip stuff you see on hiking trails and around green spaces in towns and cities. It can even be used to prevent erosion at watersheds. Check your local paper or call your street department to find out where and when you should leave your tree for mulch pickup. Most towns and cities have designated drop-off spots, or will collect your tree right from your doorstep. Or, look online at Earth 911’s website—just enter your zipcode, and they’ll search their database of more than 3,800 drop-off spots nationwide to find the one nearest you.

Paper of Record

Don’t leave a paper trail. If you’re taking a post-holiday vacation or trip, make sure to cancel your newspaper subscription, so they don’t pile up needlessly while you’re away.

Returns

Gather up any gifts you want to return or exchange, and try to take care of the lot in one big trip, rather than lots of little (fuel-wasting) trips. Make an event of it—carpool to the mall or downtown shops with neighbors and friends who also have gifts to return or exchange. Enjoy a nice meal together afterwards.

Re-Gifting

If you received any gifts you don’t want or don’t plan to keep, give them to charity rather than letting them rot in your basement, or worse, throwing them away.

Star-Bright Do your holiday lights look a little worse for the wear as you pack them back up? Instead of waiting until next year and scrambling to buy a new set, put “LED (light-emitting diode) Christmas lights” on your post-holiday to-do list, and buy a set when you head to the stores to make gift returns and exchanges. LED’s are 80 percent more energy efficient than traditional Christmas lights; according to the U.S. Department of Energy, if every household replaced conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month. The savings would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year.

Auld Lang Syne:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never blah blah blah! Wrap up the holiday season and wave in the New Year with a big, fat, eco resolution. Get inspired by some green vows experts have made for 2008.

Rapid City Journal: Residents Encouraged to Recycle this Christmas

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 25, 2007

By Katie Brown

Piles of wrapped boxes, a festive tree, bottles of spirits - in a few days, it will all be trash. But a large share of the trash left over from the holidays can be recycled, said Guy Krugjohn, solid waste collection supervisor for the City of Rapid City.

Christmas trees, for example, are turned into compost.

Krugjohn said trees can be disposed of at the yard waste sites in Rapid City.

Those sites, which close every November for the winter, are turned into tree-only disposal sites from Dec. 26 to Jan. 25.

He said no other yard waste will be accepted at those sites.

Krugjohn said those sites also have recycling bins for cardboard, newspaper, glass, plastic, aluminum and tin.

Wrapping paper and plastic foam should be put in the regular garbage for pickup.

“As a service to the people of Rapid City, we run an extra manual load truck around the holidays and pick up extra cardboard, wrapping and miscellaneous Christmas packaging,” he said.

Andrew McCloud, South Dakota Recycling Coordinator, said recycling waste accumulated during the holidays helps the environment.

“Definitely with Christmas time, there will be a lot of waste that is accumulated, and most of that can be recycled,” McCloud said.

He said it helps to try to reuse cardboard boxes and Christmas wrapping supplies.

“The people of South Dakota are pretty environmentally conscious,” he said.

Recycle technology

If you get a new cell phone or iPod for Christmas, don’t throw the old one away. McCloud said old electronics, which can be harmful to the environment if thrown out with regular waste, can be recycled through some businesses.

Office Depot offers a tech recycling service.

Office Depot spokeswoman Melissa Perlman said old “tech trash” is accepted by all Office Depot stores in the United States, including the one in Rapid City. Tech trash includes old cell phones, computer monitors, printers and any other technology, excluding appliances.

“During the holiday season, a lot of consumers purchase new technology, and a lot of people have waste,” Perlman said.

Office Depot sells three sizes of boxes that can be filled with any type of electronic and returned to the store. They cost $5, $10 and $15.

“Customers have the option to buy one of these three boxes and fill it with anything from their back office or desk drawers,” Perlman said.

Office Depot then ships the items to a tech recycling center, where they are recycled into copper, glass, aluminum and plastic.

“The cost of the box covers all shipping and handling and the goal is to provide the complete solution to our customers,” she said.

Anne Reichman of Earth 911, an environmental agency based in Scottsdale, Ariz., said making the extra effort to recycle makes a big difference.

“You can actually really minimize the waste that you’re throwing away,” Reichman said. “It’s a very important thing people need to consider because it’s the best thing for their community.”

She said the increased waste during the holidays should be recycled if possible. Reusing packing materials or donating them to an outlet that can use them is a good way to recycle plastic foam and other items that often are not accepted by recycling centers.

Reichman said if you don’t know whether a dirty item is recyclable, throw it out.

She said one contaminated item, such as a piece of cardboard with food waste on it, can contaminate an entire load of otherwise recyclable cardboard.

“When in doubt, throw it out,” Reichman said.

San Luis Obispo Tribune: Recycle or Reuse Debris of Holiday; Don’t Trash It

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 25, 2007

By Sarah Linn

For most, the hoopla of the holiday season results in mountains of crumpled boxes, Styrofoam, greeting cards and tangled tree lights. It’s tempting to toss it all in the trash.

But there’s an Earth-friendly way to deal with all of those holiday leftovers.

“Most of this stuff can be recycled,” said Bill Worrell, manager of the county’s Integrated Waste Management Authority.

Although many Central Coast residents remember to recycle their dead, dry Christmas trees, they often forget things like gift wrap, packing peanuts and other clutter than can harm the environment.

Local experts including Worrell, Sierra Club Santa Lucia chapter director An-drew Christie, and Aeron Arlin Genet, planning and out-reach manager for the county Air Pollution Control District, gave suggestions as to how to have a greener holiday season.

“People might think it’s more work to be green or environmentally friendly, but it’s really just a simple change in lifestyle,” said Stacy Shull, a county air quality specialist.

Here are some tips to keep your holidays green:

Bags and boxes

Paper gift, grocery and shopping bags go in the blue recycling container supplied by local trash companies. To recycle plastic bags, drop them off at local grocery stores. You’ll find designated bins near the front doors of most stores.

Flatten boxes, place them in the blue recycling container or stack them neatly next to the bin.

Another idea:U-Haul invites folks to drop boxes off at company locations for other families to use, free of charge. You can advertise the availability of unwanted boxes through www.uhaul.com/boxex change.

Dinnerware

To save energy, wash china and flatware by hand, or load dishes into the washer using “water miser” and “air dry” settings.

Plates, cups and other disposable dishware are recyclable if they’re made of paper or “rigid” non-Styrofoam plastic.

Rinse or scrape off excess food before recycling.

Plastic forks, knives and spoons, on the other hand, cannot be recycled. The most eco-friendly solution is to wash and reuse.

To maintain air quality, plastic flatware and used paper napkins should not be burned.

Food

“Pre-consumer” food scraps—uncooked vegetable waste such as potato peels, carrot tops and apple cores—can go in the green yard waste container or your backyard compost bin.

Gift wrap

Wrapping paper contains heavy pigments and metallic inks that make it impossible to recycle.What’s more, presents are often covered with plastic tape, ribbons and bows.

Burning the stuff, especially cellophane and plastic gift wrap, can release harmful chemicals into the air. Don’t chuck gift wrap in the garbage can. Save it for next year’s birthdays, anniversaries and bar mitzvahs.

Greeting cards

Most greeting cards are recyclable in the blue bin, except for the ones that that play “Jingle Bells.” Singing greeting cards have metal and computer chips in them and are considered “household hazardous waste,” illegal to dump.

They should be taken to the county’s five hazardous waste sites. Visit www.iwma.com or call 782-8530 for a list. Old greeting cards can double as holiday decorations, gift tags or postcards.

Lights

Local companies do not recycle holiday lights, but a Michigan company will accept strands of incandescent bulbs through the end of January.

Send your old lights to HolidayLEDS.com, 120 W. Michigan Ave., Suite 1403, Jackson, MI 49201. Call 1- 888-430-6551 or visit www.holidayleds.com.

Packing materials

Bags of clean Styrofoam packing peanuts can be dropped off at Central Coast shipping stores including UPS and Mail Boxes, Etc.

A few stores also accept bubble wrap, air bags and Styrofoam inserts, such as Perry’s Parcel and Courier in Atascadero, and Perry’s Morro Bay Mail Center and Mail Plus in Morro Bay.

Packages

Rigid plastic packages now encase everything from action figures to video game controllers. Luckily, they’re recyclable.

Remove the cardboard insert from the plastic before placing it in the blue bin to ensure that both plastic and cardboard are recycled.

Foam plastic, known commonly as Styrofoam, cannot be recycled. It can be reused.

Christmas trees

After removing tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands, cut the tree into pieces no longer than four feet and place in curbside green waste containers. Many local groups also collect trees for woodchips, compost and mulch. The same goes for wreaths, garlands and other greenery — be sure to remove any wire forms first.

Check www.iwma.com or www.earth911.com for a list of tree recyclers. Flocked trees must be dumped. Reuse faux trees or donate them to local thrift stores.

Tree stands

Recycle metal and plastic tree stands—free of tree sap and other debris—in the blue bin.

Unwanted presents

Instead of letting that ugly sweater or singing toy fish rot in your closet, give unwanted gifts to charities such as Goodwill Industries and Achievement House, Inc. There are also a number of church-run thrift shops in the county.

San Francisco Business Times: Tree Recycling Boosts Bay Area Communities

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 24, 2007

Christmas trees days are numbered, leaving one question: What to do with them when the holidays are over.

In keeping with the spirit of “green,” a tree-growers association said Monday the best environmental option is recycling.

“Many Californians who are concerned with creating a more eco-conscious holiday purchased a real Christmas tree this year because of the environmental benefits it provides throughout its lifecycle, and recycling is just the next step in the process,” said Gayla Hansen, president of the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association.

The Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association supplies more than 90 percent of the Christmas trees purchased in California during the holidays. The group said recycled real Christmas trees can be used in a variety of ways throughout the community.

For example, recycled Christmas trees can be used as mulch along park trails, turned into corrugated packaging, used as compost for gardens, or even sunk into local lakes to create protective habitats that provide fish with a safe environment in which to live.

Bay Area cities have a variety of different programs for Christmas tree recycling. Some municipalities offer curb-side pickup, and others have designated collection sites where trees can be dropped off for recycling. To see what services are available in your community, visit earth911.org and enter your ZIP code.

Health News Digest: Help Fight Global Warming

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 22, 2007

By Earth Talk

My New Year’s Resolution is to reduce my “carbon footprint” to help fight global warming. Do you have suggestions for ways I can make good on my promise? —Carrie, via e-mail

(HealthNewsDigest.com)—There’s never been a more urgent time to reduce your carbon footprint. With the U.S. government still opting out of mandatory emissions cuts, it’s up to every individual, business owner and city or state government to take steps. So here are 10 ways to get you started in the new year:

(1) Step-up Recycling and Composting. Recycling prevents carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by saving the energy it takes to make products from new materials and by saving the energy it takes to incinerate or landfill what we discard. And composting food scraps turns organic material back into fertile soil, which itself is an efficient carbon “sink.” To get started, see: www.earth911.org and www.howtocompost.org.

(2) Stay close or stay put: About half the CO2 we generate comes from our car trips, so walk, bike or take mass transit instead. Air travel also produces huge amounts of CO2, so the less you fly, the smaller your carbon footprint. See: www.culturechange.org.

(3) Eat organic and local: Stick to foods produced organically and you prevent harmful pesticides and fertilizers from polluting air, waterways, soils and family members. And if the food is grown nearby, thousands of pounds of CO2 weren’t emitted getting it to your grocery store. See: www.100milediet.org.

(4) Buy green power. Your power company might just source part of its supply from renewable sources like hydro-electric or wind, and will sell it to customers who know to ask for it. See: www.green-e.org.

(5) Change out your lightbulbs. A compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) uses less than a third of the energy of an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light—and it lasts 10 times longer. And some CFLs now have 3-way capabilities and can be dimmed. Visit Energy Federation, Inc. at: www.efi.org.

(6) Upgrade and unplug: Upgrading any appliances (including computers and TVs)? Be sure to look for the “Energy Star” logo, which only energy efficient models can wear. Also, turn off appliances when not in use to prevent wasting so-called phantom energy coming in off the grid. See: www.energystar.gov.

(7) Adjust your thermostats: If you don’t need a sweater indoors, your heat is too high. Likewise, in hot weather turn down the AC. Also, keeping your hot water at no more than 120 degrees—the minimum temperature to keep the water bacteria-free—is another way to save energy, money and the environment.

(8) Plant a tree…or 300! An average tree stores 13 pounds of carbon per year; a mature tree can absorb upwards of four times that amount. Just 300 trees can counterbalance the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that one person produces in a lifetime. So get to work! See: www.americanforests.org/planttrees.

(9) Buy offsets: Many organizations sell “carbon offsets,” whereby you pay a voluntary fee to offset your daily CO2 emissions. The money usually goes to develop alternative, renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. See: www.climatetrust.org, www.nativeenergy.com and www.my-climate.com.

(10) Get involved: Donate time or money to groups working to fight global warming. Just about all green groups devote some work to climate change, and they need your help. See: www.volunteermatch.org.

U.S. News & World Report: Chop Up That Old Christmas Tree

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 21, 2007

By Marc Silver

The rotating blades of a chipper would love to shred your Christmas evergreen. And that would make Al Gore (and Mother Earth) very happy.

Americans buy more than 30 million real holiday trees. The worst fate for the evergreens: a landfill, where they don’t decompose well. The best choice: “treecycling.”

Georgians can visit one of 378 spots participating in “Bring One for the Chipper,” a program that has shredded over 4.8 million trees into aromatic mulch. Louisianians in Shreveport collect about 5,000 trees a year and ship them to southern wetlands, where the trees build landmass. Other municipalities have curbside pickup. Plug your zip code into Earth 911’s website, and check the nearly 4,000 options it has compiled.

Beaverton Valley Times: Why Aren’t Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Catching on Faster?

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 21, 2007

Dear EarthTalk: Why aren’t compact fluorescent light bulbs taking over more quickly from incandescents, given their substantial energy-saving advantage? And what about recycling them when they ultimately burn out? I’ve heard they contain mercury. —Nancy Holmes, Seaside, OR

Analysts at the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute (EPI) estimate that the United States could close 80 coal-fired power plants if Americans switched over en masse to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A global shift, says EPI, could close some 270 power plants worldwide. CFLs use less than a third of the energy required to power a traditional incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

It’s hard to say exactly why a quicker transition over to CFLs hasn’t yet taken place in the U.S., given this substantial energy- and greenhouse gas-saving potential. China, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Cuba have each committed to phasing out incandescent bulbs entirely within the next five years, and dozens of other countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, are deliberating whether to follow suit.

In lieu of a federal mandate in the U.S. calling for a switchover to CFLs, the private sector, with some prodding from green groups, is taking some of its own initiatives. The nation’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced last year that it would double annual sales of CFLs to 100 million by 2008 as part of an effort to make both operations and inventory more green. The Home Depot, Lowe’s and local hardware stores everywhere are getting into the act as well, giving CFLs prominent shelf space and offering deals to promote them. And the Energy Federation Inc., which has been promoting the use of CFLs since the 1980s, will ship direct to consumers anywhere from its Massachusetts warehouse.

Switching over to CFLs doesn’t come without trade-offs. Bulbs each contain trace amounts of mercury (usually four to five milligrams), a toxic heavy metal. Exposure to mercury can cause a wide range of health problems, including damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and liver. It is also a major contaminant, polluting groundwater and waterways and posing a health threat to wildlife.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of airborne mercury present after a CFL breaks is negligible. Nonetheless, the EPA recommends that when a CFL bulb breaks, you should immediately open the windows and vacate the premises for at least 15 minutes to minimize the risk of exposure. Afterwards, you should clean up the breakage using gloves and/or paper towels or disposable rags (and avoid using a vacuum cleaner, which can stir up the airborne mercury). Remaining fragments, as well as any paper towels or rags used to clean them up, should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of at a local household hazardous waste collection site.

Burned-out CFLs can also be disposed of at such sites or, in some cases, recycled at the store where they were purchased. To locate a CFL recycling facility near you, visit earth911.org and type in your zip code.

CONTACTS: Earth Policy Institute, www.earth-policy.org; Energy Federation Inc., www.efi.org; Earth 911, www.earth911.org.

WCBS: Dreaming Of A “Green” Christmas

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 21, 2007

Anneris Halady, CBS 2 HD

With Christmas just days away and greenery at every turn, you might be thinking a little more about how to stay green for the holidays. Here are a few ideas from CBS 2 HD and WCBSTV.com.

The Environmental Action Team points out a few tips for a green holiday.

How About Green Gifts?

Think about giving your friends and loved ones something from the oven.

Homemade goods such as cakes, brownies or cookies are a nice touch to the holiday season. Putting in the time and effort to create a homemade gift benefits the environment and demonstrates that you care.

How about the gift of entertainment? For example, take family members on a trip to a museum or give a gift membership to a gym. Movie tickets are nice, and Broadway shows, concerts and sporting events are also very thoughtful.

You can also give a particularly precious gift: Time. Many people would give anything for any extra hour in their day—especially during the frenzied holidays—so offer up baby-sitting, pet-sitting, computer help, home repair or your volunteer time with a charitable organization.

What About All Those Trees?

This year, try an artificial tree instead of a real one. You can use it over and over again. If you already bought a real tree this year, wait until after the holidays and buy an artificial one at a steep discount that you can use next year and in the years that follow.

If you have a real tree, be sure to remove the tinsel, lights and ornaments when you place it curbside in January for the Department of Sanitation to recycle for compost.

Think Conservation

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 30 million to 35 millions real trees are cut in North America, each year. For every tree that is gathered, three or more seedling are planted in its place. It would take approximately 15 years for a seedling to mature enough to be harvested for a Christmas tree that stands around six-feet tall, the NCTA says.

Some 500,000 acres of land are used for tree production, Earth911.com reports. Each acre has the capacity if creating oxygen for 18 people. There are 21,000 producers of trees in North America, with Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin standing as the top tree-producing states in the country, Earth911 says.

Your old Christmas trees can be recycled to become several useful things instead of ending up as landfill. In a national survey conducted by the National Christmas Tree Association, trees become mulch or compost, which create nutrients for plants; trees are also used to prevent beach erosion and for creating water habitats. Trees also are used to manage river and lake sedimentation.

The Department of Sanitation called last year’s Christmas tree recycling program a “‘Tumulchous’ Success.”

According to the Department of Sanitation, from January 5 to January 16, 2007, 166,638 Christmas trees were collected.

The mulch created from all these trees was used in parks, community gardens and baseball fields throughout the city. Look for future announcements about how to recycle your tree.

KEYE-TV: Choose the Right Battery for Your Gifts

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 21, 2007

By Fred Cantu

Choose the right battery for your gifts. If electronics are high on your list this holiday season, you will want to be sure you power them with the right type of battery.

Modern toys cans be high-current items. Digital cameras and MP3 players will literally suck the juice out of a battery.

So how can you save money on batteries?

One suggestion is to buy them in bulk. That saves money right there. Experts also suggest you avoid name brands, and the marketing costs that go with them, and simply buy the type of battery you need.

For most purposes, a good “all purpose” battery will do, preferably an alkaline. These are great for toys and high-drain electronics like digital cameras or MP3 players.

And if you’re willing to shell out a little extra cash, Tom Merritt of CNET.com recommends a lithium battery because the extra-long life will mean fewer trips to the store.

If you’re constantly replacing batteries, you may want to consider buying rechargeables. Look for ones labeled “nickel metal hydride.” But avoid packages labeled “heavy duty.”

Merritt says, “It’s probably a carbon zinc battery and those back in the 70s were a lot cheaper than an alkaline. But the price difference now is negligible and they are so low capacity.”

Another good piece of advice is to consider recycling old batteries. For information go to Earth 911.org.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 12 years ago, ‘Island Girl’ was also all on her own

Filed under: Pets 911 - December 20, 2007

By Paul Bourgeois

The story of Highway is reminiscent of the saga of Island Girl, a stray German shepherd discovered living on a traffic island near Interstate 30 and Texas 183 in February 1995.

Fears that the dog would be hurt or cause an accident led authorities to capture her, but a tranquilizer dart struck her spine and left her partially paralyzed. The dog’s recovery was tracked in a series of stories in the local media and a book, The Miracle of Island Girl, by newsman Stephen Gage Michaud.

Island Girl eventually was adopted by animal lover Midori Traywick, who helped establish the Island Girl Animal Rescue Society.

Island Girl died on Dec. 15, 2006, according to petfinder.com, a pet-adoption Web site.

The nonprofit Island Girl Rescue Society can be reached at Box 122023, Fort Worth, TX 76121. See more at islandgirlanimalrescuesociety.pets911.com.

U.S. News & World Report: The End of the Light Bulb as We Know It

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 19, 2007

By Marianne Lavelle

The incandescent light bulb, one of the most venerable inventions of its era but deemed too inefficient for our own, will be phased off the U.S. market beginning in 2012 under the new energy law just approved by Congress. Although this will reduce electricity costs and minimize new bulb purchases in every household in America, you may be feeling in the dark about the loss of your old, relatively reliable source of light. Here’s a primer on the light bulb phase-out and what will mean to you:

Why are they taking my light bulbs away?
Moving to more efficient lighting is one of the lowest-cost ways for the nation to reduce electricity use and greenhouse gases. In fact, it actually will save households money because of lower utility bills. Ninety percent of the energy that an incandescent light bulb burns is wasted as heat. And yet, sales of the most common high-efficiency bulb available—the compact fluorescent (CFL)—amount to only five percent of the light bulb market. Earlier this year, Australia became the first country to announce an outright ban by 2010 on incandescent bulbs. The changeover in the United States will be more gradual, not mandated to begin until 2012 and phased out through 2014. However, don’t be surprised if some manufacturers phase out earlier.

How do I save money, when a CFL costs six times as much as an old-fashioned bulb?
Each cone-shaped spiral CFL costs about $3, compared with 50 cents for a standard bulb. But a CFL uses about 75 percent less energy and lasts five years instead of a few months. A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12 percent discount to estimate the savings.

I’ve heard that CFLs don’t really last as long as they say.
Turning a CFL on and off frequently shortens its life, which is why the government’s Energy Star program says to leave them on for at least 15 minutes at a time. Also, if you have dimmable light fixtures, make sure to buy CFLs labeled “dimmable.” All CFLs that carry the government’s Energy Star label are required to carry a two-year limited warranty, so contact the manufacturer if your bulb burns out prematurely. The Energy Star Web site has a good FAQ on CFLs.

I don’t think that I like the color of the light from CFLs.
When they first hit the market, CFLs had a limited range of tones. Now, manufacturers offer a wider variety, but there is not an agreed-upon labeling standard. The Energy Star program is working to change that. But for now, look for lower “Kelvin temperatures” like 2,700 to 3,000 for “redder” light, closer to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, while bulbs with Kelvin temperatures of 5,000 and 6,500 provide more “blue” and intense light. A good photograph illustrating the difference is shown here.

I’ve heard that CFLs have mercury in them—isn’t that bad?
Consumers are rightly concerned about the toxic substance mercury that helps CFLs produce light. Even though the amount sealed in each bulb is small—one old-fashioned thermometer had about 100 times as much mercury—contact local trash collection for disposal instructions. Environmentalists agree that more work must be done on bulb recycling programs. Right now, you can return any CFL to any Ikea store for recycling, and the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth911 have sites you can search for other recycling programs near your home.

But if you break a CFL, you’ll have a toxic spill in your home.
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has developed the best advice on the procedures to follow if a CFL breaks. Don’t use a vacuum. Maine officials studied the issue because of a homeowner in that state who received a $2,000 light bulb clean-up bill from an environmental hazards company—a story that has circulated around the country and increased consumer concerns about CFLs. It turns out that the company’s advice was overkill, and a subsequent analysis showed no hazard in the home. But the bulbs must be handled with caution. Using a drop cloth might be a good new routine to develop when screwing in a light bulb, to make the clean-up of any breaks easier.

By the way, don’t think that incandescent bulbs are mercury free. In the United States, the chances are at least 50 percent that their light is generated by a coal-powered plant featuring mercury as well as other types of pollution. Popular Mechanics recently crunched the numbers to find that even if the mercury in a CFL was directly released into the atmosphere, an incandescent would still contribute almost double that amount of mercury into the environment over its lifetime.

Isn’t there efficient lighting without mercury?
Yes. By 2012, the chances are good that consumers will have many more options to replace incandescent bulbs. Manufacturers already are deploying advanced incandescent bulbs that are efficient enough to stay on the market after 2012, although they are not yet as efficient as CFLs. Even more exciting are the developments with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are jazzing up holiday lighting. The European electronics firm Philips this year acquired several pioneering small technology companies and plans a big push to make LEDs practical for ordinary lighting purposes. The lights on the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball could one day brighten your home. LEDs last even longer than CFLs and will make bulb buying more like an appliance purchase than a throw-away item.

Is Thomas Edison turning over in his grave?
Perhaps, but the incandescent bulb has had a good run, with the technology little changed since 1879, when Edison produced light with a carbonized thread from his wife’s sewing box. The breakthrough that ushered civilization out of the candle era was so revolutionary that the light bulb itself became the culture’s iconic image to illustrate any thought, brainstorm, or idea. But energy-efficient bulbs are a better idea, says Andrew deLaski, director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “It’s hugely important,” he says. “A 60 to 70 percent reduction in light bulb energy use will save as much energy annually as that used by all the homes in Texas last year.” That’s a big savings.

KSDK: Make This Christmas A Green One

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 18, 2007

If having a tree is a “must” for your Christmas, think about this: over the holiday season, 32 million trees are cut down. Ten million of those end up in landfills.

In fact, a lot of Christmas ends up in landfills. Americans generate an extra five million tons of trash during the holidays. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a tree, according to the Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club recommends potted Christmas trees or having a tree that lives outside that you can bring in for just the holiday season. Avoid flocked trees that cannot be recycle.

Electricity use goes up 27 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s and a lot of it has to do with our decorations.

The Sierra Club recommends LED lights, which save you 90 percent on your electricity bill compared to regular holiday lights. The lights are going to last 10 years, maybe 20 years.

And finally, there’s gift wrapping, most of which is not recyclable because of the material and dyes. Try wrapping presents in re-used or re-usable things like towels, or t-shirts.

Visit www.earth911.org or call 1-800-CLEANUP and give them your zip code to find out how your local area is recycling Christmas trees.

Grist Magazine: Brush With Destiny

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 17, 2007

By Umbra Fisk

Dear Umbra,

A friend of mine is a painter. He is concerned about the environment and has been trying to find out how to dispose of his paint buckets, extra paint, and other supplies in a way that is eco-friendly, but he’s come up with nothing. We live in Chicago, and you would think that a huge city like this would have places to dispose of these kinds of things … any advice?

Erin
Chicago, Ill.

Dearest Erin,

Uh, this question is related to the winter holidays because sometimes people like to paint the town red over New Year’s.

Sounds as though your pal is a house painter, not a visual artist, so I will go forth on that basis. The huge city of Chicago does have places to dispose of hazardous paint supplies.

Oil-based paint, and the solvents used to make and clean oil-based paint, are always considered household hazardous waste. Large municipalities such as Chicago usually have HHW disposal sites, days, or events, at which individuals can jettison their various hazardous junk. I found information about Chicago’s programs at Earth911.org, by searching for paint disposal using your zip code. If your friend is a one-person business, I think he probably is permitted to dispose of his goods in HHW collection (although he might want to lie, or double check). Certainly calling the HHW number should help him find places to dispose of commercially generated hazardous waste in the city.

When he cleans his oil-based supplies, he should not send the resultant solvents down the drain but rather collect them in a bucket, store them according to the instructions on the solvent container, and then bring them to HHW. If one must use the drain, even with latex-based paint, absolutely only use a drain that leads to a sewage treatment facility, never a storm drain. I’m sure your friend knows that already.

Latex paint is not considered hazardous waste unless it was made pre-1991, in which case it may contain mercury. Modern latex paint still contains volatile organic compounds, however, so use a mask and paint with the windows open and a fan going if you can. Some city recycling agencies run latex paint reuse and recycling programs, other agencies don’t want your old latex paint. You will need to further investigate Chicago’s situation, starting at Earth911.

Dealing with leftover latex paint is not too hard. First, of course, buy only the amount of paint you need for a job (use this handy calculator), and buy low-VOC paint if you can afford it. Several of the big-name paint manufacturers now carry a low-VOC line. If you cannot find a place to donate or recycle your unwanted paint (again, call the municipal recycling department), and you painted it on every conceivable surface, then let it dry out. A paint can 1/4 full will dry out if left open to evaporate. Pour larger amounts of paint little by little into a tray and mix it with kitty litter or sawdust until it solidifies. Paint dried in this way can be put in the garbage.

I hope there was some new information in there for your painting professional. I find that many city waste websites give good details on paint disposal, so anyone starting a major painting project should search for their local guidelines before starting to paint.

Brushily,
Umbra

NorthJersey.com: Guide to a Green Christmas

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 16, 2007

By Joseph Ax

The holiday season is in full swing, and North Jersey residents are hard at work finding the perfect Christmas tree, decorating their roofs with bright lights and shopping for gifts.

But all those Christmas dinners and wrapping paper produce a lot of waste, while those beautiful lights use lots of electricity.

“This holiday has a huge carbon footprint, more so than other holidays,” says Eric Stiles of the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Conservation appears to be on people’s minds more than ever this holiday season. A recent holiday survey found that one in five consumers will consider skipping gift-wrapping to save paper, and 18 percent will buy more eco-friendly gifts this year than in the past.

Meanwhile, the famous trees at New York’s Rockefeller Center and the White House have the energy-efficient LED lights this year.

“A lot of people say, ‘It’s the holidays—don’t be so Scroogy,’ ” said Laura Lynch, the conservation chairwoman for the Sierra Club of New Jersey. “But this is your planet.”

Here are some tips from the environmental experts to make your holiday even greener by conserving energy and reducing waste.

Light ‘em if you got ‘em

LED (light-emitting diode) lights use only 10 percent of the energy required for traditional incandescent “mini” bulbs and less than half a percent of the energy used by the larger incandescent Christmas lights.

A household that uses 10 regular 100-bulb strands can save $10 to $15 during the holiday season by switching from incandescent mini bulbs to LED bulbs and as much as $230 by replacing the larger incandescent bulbs. The U.S. Department of Energy estimated in 2003 that if every household switched to LED holiday lights, the country would save 2 billion watt-hours — enough to power 190,000 homes for a year.

LED lights are more expensive than incandescents but they are also brighter and last 100 times longer. They are available at many stores.

Regardless of the type of lights you use, unplug them when you’re not using them, and put outdoor lights on a timer so they are not on in daylight or overnight.

Give the gift of green

Avoid gifts with large amounts of packaging. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable, so try using gift bags and tissue paper, which can be recycled.

Reuse wrapping paper and gift bags from year to year, as well. Another option is to give tickets to events as gifts, or buy “green” gifts from eco-sellers.

Out with the old

And what to do with the old items your new presents are replacing? Stiles recommends visiting freecycle.org, where you can offer your items free to others who come to pick them up from your home. “I’ve gotten rid of an old computer and an old table that way,” he says.

Mmmmm …

Buy organic food, and buy it from local growers and farmers. Don’t buy too much — the Nature Conservancy estimates that one-third of all holiday food ends up in the trash.

How about a live tree?

Instead of an artificial tree, or even a cut tree, consider a live tree that you can either replant in your yard or donate to a park or school. If you choose a cut tree, buy it from a local tree farm, or from a reseller who got it locally.

Once the holiday is over, recycle your tree. Call your public works department to find out if it recycles trees, call 1-800-CLEANUP (253-2687) or visit earth911.org to find a tree-recycling center.

Don’t stop now

Why not continue your eco-friendly ways throughout the year? Make a New Year’s resolution to work on reducing waste and energy consumption by buying compact fluorescent bulbs for your lamps or driving less. “There’s a lot of little changes that people can make every day to make the world a little greener,” says Mike Herson of the Sierra Club’s North Jersey Group.

Smithsonian Magazine: Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 12, 2007

By Jess Blumberg

When New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Radio City Rockettes lit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center this year, more than 30,000 multi-colored bulbs sparkled on the 84-foot-tall Norway Spruce. But instead of the usual incandescent bulbs, they were LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, which emit more light per watt—ultimately saving the same amount of energy consumed by a typical 2,000-square-foot house in one month. City officials hope that this energy-saving technique will inspire others to have a truly green Christmas tree this season.

Experts say it is not that difficult to make holiday trees eco-friendly. “You can make simple changes that don’t affect the way you celebrate the holidays, but will reduce environmental problems,” says Jennifer Hattam, lifestyle editor at the Sierra Club.

The real versus artificial tree debate crops up every year, but environmentalists have come to a pretty clear-cut consensus: Natural is better. About 450 million trees are currently grown on farms in the U.S., according to the National Christmas Tree Association. “Buying a real tree is not depleting the forests,” says Rick Dungey, a spokesman for the association. “It’s like buying any food or fiber product.”

Environmental experts also point out that tree farms provide oxygen, diminish carbon dioxide and create jobs. While 85 percent of fake trees are imported from China, the U.S. Christmas tree industry creates more than 100,000 U.S. jobs. And although fake trees can be used year after year, most are made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. When produced or burned, they release dioxins that can cause liver cancer and developmental problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Those looking to purchase a real tree have several options. While not abundant, organic farms around the country offer locally grown, pesticide-free trees and wreaths. Buying from tree farms that use integrated pest management (IHP), which is a biological, rather than chemical, method of pest control is another option. For example, growers release ladybugs that kill plant-eating aphids. “It recreates the natural cycle,” says Stacey Gonzalez of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, who added that IHP is 30 percent cheaper than conventional pesticides.

Another recent trend is “balled and burlapped” or “living” trees, where farmers grow the Christmas tree’s roots into a ball and wrap it in a burlap sack. These trees can be used for two weeks, and then replanted outside in warmer regions. Some companies will deliver the trees and then pick them up to replant them after the holidays.

Those trimming the tree can also make other holiday decorations more environmentally friendly. Aside from the energy-saving LEDs, organic ornaments are available at fair-trade companies, which work to ensure that artisans get equitable compensation for their labor.

As with all other waste, environmentalists stress the importance of recycling Christmas trees, which can be turned into compost or mulch. But they caution that a tree with tinsel or fake snow spray cannot be recycled. Most “treecycling” is done on a local level and regional extension agencies are the best resources for that information. But Earth911.org and the National Christmas Tree Association keep a national database.

Despite the efforts of environmental organizations, only 28.6 million households purchased real trees in 2006, down from 32.8 million the previous year. Those years also saw a 6.5 percent increase in plastic trees being imported from China, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Dungey attributes these changes mostly to the convenience of artificial trees and misinformation about the benefits of real trees to the environment.

“Christmas time is an opportunity to reflect on how we live, and it’s important to think of the impact of our decisions,” Gonzalez says. “This time of year could be a great step in the right direction.”

NewJersey.com: Tips for Finding a Lost Pet

Filed under: Pets 911 - December 11, 2007

By Andrea Gurwitt
Herald News

When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that may help you find your pet.

Political Affairs Magazine: Turning on the Lights about Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 10, 2007

By Earth Talk

Dear EarthTalk: Why aren’t compact fluorescent light bulbs taking over more quickly from incandescents, given their substantial energy-saving advantage? And what about recycling them when they ultimately burn out? I’ve heard they contain mercury. —Nancy Holmes, Seaside, OR

Analysts at the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute (EPI) estimate that the United States could close 80 coal-fired power plants if Americans switched over en masse to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A global shift, says EPI, could close some 270 power plants worldwide. CFLs use less than a third of the energy required to power a traditional incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

It’s hard to say exactly why a quicker transition over to CFLs hasn’t yet taken place in the U.S., given this substantial energy- and greenhouse gas-saving potential. China, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Cuba have each committed to phasing out incandescent bulbs entirely within the next five years, and dozens of other countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, are deliberating whether to follow suit.

In lieu of a federal mandate in the U.S. calling for a switchover to CFLs the private sector, with some prodding from green groups, is taking some of its own initiatives. The nation’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced last year that it would double annual sales of CFLs to 100 million by 2008 as part of an effort to green both operations and inventory. Home Depot, Lowes and local hardware stores everywhere are getting into the act as well, giving CFLs prominent shelf space and offering deals to promote them. And Energy Federation, Inc., which has been promoting the use of CFLs since the 1980s, will ship direct to consumers anywhere from its Massachusetts warehouse.

Meanwhile, a coalition of nonprofits—including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Alliance to Save Energy, American Coalition for an Energy-Efficient Economy and Earth Day Network—has launched an initiative with Philips Lighting, the world’s biggest maker of CFLs, to get Americans to make the switch.

Switching over to CFLs doesn’t come without trade-offs. Bulbs each contain trace amounts of mercury (usually four to five milligrams), a toxic heavy metal. Exposure to mercury can cause a wide range of health problems, including damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and liver. It is also a major contaminant, polluting groundwater and waterways and posing a health threat to wildlife.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of airborne mercury present after a CFL breaks is negligible. Nonetheless, the EPA recommends that when a CFL bulb breaks, you should immediately open the windows and vacate the premises for at least 15 minutes to minimize the risk of exposure. Afterwards, you should clean up the breakage using gloves and/or paper towels or disposable rags (and avoid using a vacuum cleaner, which can stir up the airborne mercury). Remaining fragments, as well as any paper towels or rags used to clean them up, should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of at a local household hazardous waste collection site.

Burned-out CFLs can also be disposed of at such sites or, in some cases, recycled at the store where they were bought. To locate a CFL recycling facility near you, visit earth911.org and type in your zip code.

Philadelphia City Paper: What to do about the tree

Filed under: Earth 911 - December 7, 2007

Despite its color, the Christmas tree is far from a “green” tradition. In fact, you could probably light a small village with the energy used to illuminate the holiday centerpiece you uprooted from Mother Earth. Most artificial trees are made from PVC, the production of which is by no means enviro-friendly, so don’t hit Kmart just yet. If you’re stumped (oh, the pun was so intended) for alternatives to the conventional evergreen, here are a few ideas ranging from the kitschy to the ridiculous.

  1. A growing trend is to get a living tree in a pot and then plant it in your yard once the holidays are over. However, most evergreen trees can’t survive long in the warm, more humid temperatures of indoor environments. If you do, keep the tree indoors no longer than a week.
  2. The Wagner Companies in Milwaukee, Wis., have manufactured the beloved and unadorned symbol of anti-commercialization: the Festivus pole. While Frank Costanza might be outraged, couldn’t we all use a little airing of grievances? Get yours at festivuspoles.com.
  3. If you’re lazy and want to reverse some of that bad luck with holiday cheer, take a ladder, open it, string lights and ornaments around, call it a day.
  4. Depending on your creativity, a Christmas tree wall hanging could be a festive idea. But then your kids will be the kind who only have a picture of a tree at their house. They’ll be friends with the kids who water their pet rocks by New Year’s. Proceed with caution.
  5. In 2005, Sierra Club national secretary Eric Antebi had this to say in regard to alternatives to cutting down trees: Just celebrate Hanukkah. His reasoning was that the use of candles in the menorah is energy-efficient. So, ya know, just change your religion and you’re good to go.
  6. Finally, if you end up sticking it to the hippies, there are 3,800 locations nationwide that will recycle your Tannenbaum into tree food. Check out earth911.org for a spot near you.