Daily News Tribune: Small Businesses Making a Green Difference

Filed under: Earth911 - March 31, 2008

By Bob Fields, Guest Columnist

Small business is playing a big role in the environment.

Through green initiatives, entrepreneurs and small business owners are discovering that they can increase efficiency and their bottom line while significantly reducing energy consumption and waste.

A few years back, many small business owners believed it would be too costly to implement energy-saving initiatives. Many felt they lacked the resources of Fortune 500 companies to implement changes that would make a difference. That perception is changing as more and more small businesses throughout New England and across the country realize that small, incremental changes add up to substantial environmental and financial benefits.

For example, the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Small Business and the Environment (CSBE) reports that small firms can save up to 30 percent of their energy consumption by implementing green strategies. And while the organization says it’s too early to determine how many of the 26 million small businesses across the country are going green, they know the numbers are rising.

Over time, that adds up to large-scale savings in both cost and resources.

Recent polls by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce show that small firms are making the environment a priority:

Some of the most common green strategies adopted by companies include installing energy-efficient windows and light bulbs, reducing hot water heaters and insulating tanks, installing ceiling fans to cut down on air conditioning, and better insulating older buildings.

In addition, companies can expand recycling programs beyond paper, bottles, and cans to make sure that computers, electronics, and other commercial waste is properly discarded. In fact, the number of green companies that specialize in innovative ways to reuse these materials is on the rise.

While implementing energy-saving programs will save businesses money, working with certified green vendors can actually cost a little more. Many businesses owners believe that the incremental cost is well worth paying. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey (mentioned above), two-thirds of respondents are willing to pay more to buy environmentally-friendly products and services.

An increasing number of marketing/advertising agencies and corporate marketing departments—which produce massive quantities of printed materials—are trying to make a difference by contracting with certified green vendors. Working with green suppliers—especially when producing direct mail and other paper-heavy projects—significantly reduces waste products and tree harvesting. To make sure that a paper company is genuinely green, agencies can visit the Forest Stewardship Council (www.fsc.org) to learn about the stringent criteria vendors must follow.

While individual businesses can track how much energy and waste they conserve in their own offices, another incentive is to visit Mohawk Paper (mohawkpaper.com), which provides an environmental calculator and accrues the savings of natural resources on a project by project basis. It’s encouraging to learn how many trees a business can save by simply working with green suppliers.

To learn more about being part of the latest environmental solutions, the following web sites offer some of the best ways to go green: greenerworldmedia.com; thegreenoffice.com; ecohaul.com; earth911.com; greenbiz.com; energystar.gov/smallbiz; greenmarketing.com; and sustainablebusiness.com.

Going green is a growing business trend, and if the trend continues as predicted, small firms—which comprise nearly half of the nation’s economy—will have a tremendous impact on environmental preservation while generating plenty of economic benefits along the way.

Bob Fields is president of Commonwealth Creative Associates (www.commcreative.com), a creative and digital media/public relations agency in Framingham. The agency initiated several green initiatives in the past year. Fields serves on the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Toledo Blade: Climate Data: Draw Your Own Conclusions

Filed under: Earth911 - March 30, 2008

Full disclosure: Average U.S. and global temperatures this past December-February were the coolest—not the warmest—they’ve been for that three-month period since 2001.

That’s according to the highly regarded National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA announced on March 13—a week before spring—that this past December-February average temperature was the 54th coolest in its 103 years of record-keeping, although 0.2 degrees above the 20th century’s average temperature for those same three months.

What should we make of this, given that NOAA also announced on Jan. 15 that 2007 was the 5th-warmest year on record for the world and the 10th-warmest on record for the United States?

Nothing. Climatology is one tricky science. And a fickle one. Anomalies can be found in weather records during any period of time that’s studied.

Look for long-term trends, not occasional burps.

Global warming naysayers downplay the fact that average U.S. temperatures have been warmer over the past 30 years, and that six of the 10 warmest years on record for the United States have occurred since 1998.

They have a point in that our documented weather records are a tiny fraction of Earth’s actual weather history, which presumably goes back millions of years.

But those clamoring for tighter controls on greenhouse gases have a valid point too, in that mankind shouldn’t ignore whatever percentage of inevitable climate change it’s responsible for causing.

More exposure: Toledo’s fledgling solar industries were featured Monday on CNNMoney, building on last year’s recognition from Newsweek and the Economist.

Xunlight and First Solar were the focus. The clip quoted analysts as saying the United States could get as many as three million jobs in the renewable energy sector over the next 20 years if the government comes through with enough support.

To view it, go to http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/news/2008/03/24/news.acosta.green.cnnmoney. Click on the “Green-collar jobs” link to the right.

Green Space Growth: Total land under the Metroparks of the Toledo Area umbrella will increase to about 10,500 acres once last week’s announced plan to acquire 959 acres in Jerusalem Township for $6 million is completed. That’s an increase of about 3,000 acres, or 40 percent, in the park district’s holdings since Lucas County voters approved a 0.3-mill levy for land acquisition in the fall of 2002. Metroparks calls it the largest period of growth in its 80-year history.

The EPA’s Earth Day Challenge: I loathe those trying to get cheap publicity from Earth Day but applaud the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for challenging the Great Lakes region to turn in 1 million pounds of electronic waste and 1 million pounds of expired or unwanted medicine pills by April 27.

Mary Gade, the U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes national program manager, wants people to “clear out their desk drawers, medicine cabinets, and basements and properly recycle or dispose of their old and unwanted cell phones, computers, TVs, and medicines at a local collection.”

The agency said it is working with Earth 911, on collection events between April 19 and 27. Details are to be posted at www.earth911.org. Groups should go to www.epa.gov/greatlakes/earthday2008 to register their events.

Earth Day is April 22.

Don’t Trash It. Use the 3 R’s When Spring Cleaning This Year.

Filed under: Earth911, Press Releases - March 28, 2008

Cranberry Township, PA, March 28, 2008—Call it spring fever, call it the madness of March but it’s that time of year when people get anxious to get rid of the clutter. Whether it’s a few boxes of old clothes or years’ worth of stuff, everyone has something they need to unload. Tossing the stuff in the trash isn’t an option for many items as they may pose a hazard to the environment. Furthermore, people throw away thousands of dollars in usable goods every year because they don’t know where to recycle or resell them. A local business-owner says there are ways to clean out, stay green, get organized and even make some money in the process.

“We are such a disposable society that many people think nothing of throwing away an outdated computer, old china or pottery that’s no longer in style, or books that have been collecting dust in the attic,” said Niki Campbell, owner of Quick2Sell eBay Consignment and Shipping Center. “They don’t realize these items might have a negative impact on the environment or that they have some value to someone else.”

Campbell, whose company sells on eBay for clients, says keep the 3 R’s in mind as you spring clean to ensure you make the most of your stuff:

• Reuse It! Could your child’s school or day care use the baseball or soccer equipment that your child has outgrown? Or, would the local senior center benefit from the DVD player you are getting rid of because you are now using a Blue Ray player? Check out local organizations, schools and community groups that may be able to reuse your items. Or, list it on a site like www.freecycle.com.

• Recycle It! From sneakers to computers to batteries to light bulbs – you can recycle more than just paper, plastic and glass. Before you trash it, check online to see if it can be recycled. A great site to start with is www.earth911.org. You can type in the item you have (i.e. paint, electronics, etc.) and your zip code to find a recycling center nearest you. Or, call your local municipality to see if they offer resources.

• Resell It! Consignment is a great way to recoup some of the investment you’ve made in things like designer clothing, high-end electronics, collectibles and antiques. eBay is the obvious first choice as it offers a global marketplace with millions of buyers. Studies have shown that the average household has $1000-$2000 worth of eBay sellable items in their home. Businesses like Quick2Sell offer a consignment service that sells for clients on eBay. While it may seem easy to post a listing on eBay, Campbell cautions rookie sellers to be prepared to take good pictures, write a compelling ad, be available 24/7 to answer questions, and ship the item quickly after it is sold. Check out their auctions at www.quick2sellpgh.com.

Campbell recommends taking the time now to go through your unused items and put them up into groups that fall into the categories above. Because, once the warm weather hits, we all have excuses to keep us from clearing out the clutter. Once you’ve conquered the clutter, take one day to drop it off at the school, recycling center or consignment shop. You’ll be glad to be clutter-free and you’ll feel good that your stuff is not just sitting at the curb.

To learn more about selling items on eBay or for a free evaluation of an item, contact Quick2Sell at 724-779-7355.

Wall Street Journal: At Our Disposal

Filed under: Earth911 - March 24, 2008

By Suzanne Barlyn

Michaela Cavallaro, a mother in South Portland, Maine, would like to responsibly dispose of some things in her house that she knows should not go in the trash. There’s a leftover can of oven cleaner that’s been under the family’s kitchen sink for seven years, and three old computers collecting dust in her basement.

Such products, with their poisonous contents, pose a danger to the environment if they end up in a landfill. She just has no idea where to take them, or whom to call to have them removed.

“It bugs me,” she says. “I like to get rid of things. But I have a 2-year-old, and there’s never enough time in the day to figure out what to do with it.”

How to safely dispose of products that are potentially harmful to the environment is a growing concern. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans produce 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste a year—from turpentine and cleaning supplies to surplus pool chemicals. Products that contain lead, mercury and arsenic are also a threat to the environment. Batteries, fluorescent lightbulbs, commonly used electronics and televisions all contain substances that can contaminate soil and groundwater if they wind up in landfills.

Yet only 10 states, including Minnesota, Washington and New Jersey, along with New York City, require computer and TV manufacturers to pay for recycling of monitors and televisions that they sell in those states. In most states, it’s up to local communities to establish recycling programs to deal with hazardous household waste.

Many communities, though, lack the expertise to plan for an effective collection system, says Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group in Washington, D.C. There are municipalities that collect hazardous waste once or twice a year, but many places still allow electronics in the regular trash due to a lack of infrastructure, she says.

Pitching In

A look at some successful programs around the country finds common threads: a strong emphasis on educating residents about the services available; convenient locations and procedures; and a secure funding stream from garbage-collection and recycling fees.

Measures for evaluation and comparison are still hard to come by, Ms. Krebs says, largely because disposal and recycling are still handled in so many different ways and with a patchwork of funding options. But what follows is a look at a few efforts that may offer guidance to communities that are trying to set up more-effective programs.

Making It Easy

San Francisco has had a drop-off facility open three days a week for household-hazardous waste since 1972. There is also a network of collection points throughout the city at numerous local retailers. An online database directs residents to the nearest participants in their neighborhood.

SF Recycling & Disposal Inc., a private company that oversees the operation of the city’s household-hazardous waste facility, says it recycles 87% of the hazardous materials it receives. Of the remaining 13%, some is incinerated in a facility with special permits. The rest consists of nonhazardous remnants that are disposed of in a regular landfill.

The facility recycles latex paint, which is water-based and technically nontoxic, and makes it available free, in three colors, to residents. Norcal Waste Systems Inc., the locally based parent company of SF Recycling & Disposal, also ships recycled paint to developing countries, such as Zambia, for construction projects, says Robert Reed, director of Sunset Scavenger Co., the unit of Norcal responsible for most of San Francisco’s residential garbage service. In addition, Sunset picks up computers, TV sets and other items from residents, who can schedule the service up to twice a year at no cost. “We’re trying to keep it simple for people,” Mr. Reed says.

In California, it’s illegal to dispose of electronics, such as computer monitors and certain televisions, in landfills, a situation that has given rise to an industry of private collectors, sorters and disposers. For instance, ease e-waste Inc., in Santa Ana, Calif., teams up with local nonprofits to organize collections. For each device it receives, ease e-waste pays the nonprofit as much as $5; the company then is reimbursed by recyclers, whom the state pays from a fund generated by surcharges of typically $6 to $10 on certain electronics purchases. Ease e-waste also resells hard-to-find components, says Chief Executive Devon Diaz.

Greenest City?

The key to all of the best programs is offering a wide range of services and convenience, says Kolin Anglin, president of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association, a Denver-based group. “As hot new topics come up, such as disposing of pharmaceuticals . . . and fluorescent bulbs, they find ways to incorporate services in programs to address these issues,” he says.

The Portland, Ore., region is widely recognized for its broad and creative approaches to the problem. Portland, many nearby cities and three counties share responsibility for recycling with a regional government known as Metro. Each city handles its own paper, can and glass recycling. Metro is responsible for collecting the area’s household hazardous waste. Two collection facilities are open Monday through Saturday year-round and don’t charge for residential hazardous waste.
Metro also visits neighborhoods throughout the year on runs meant to serve just 250 residents each, to avoid big crowds and long lines, says Karen Kane, a Metro spokeswoman.

Ellen Galvin, a Portland resident who completed a 40-hour program that trained her to teach others about recycling, says, “Basically, unless you are a hermit, it’s hard to be uninformed about recycling in this town.”

Anne Reichman, president of Earth 911, an online recycling-information clearinghouse based in Scottsdale, Ariz., credits Metro with thinking outside the box. Another reason for the success of recycling in the Portland region and along the West Coast, she says, is the presence of many activist-oriented residents who tend to embrace more options for handling hazardous materials. The residents expect these kinds of programs, she says, and that leads to their development.
Concerned in Seattle

Similar efforts in Seattle and surrounding King County include an “EnviroStars” certification for landscapers who help residents reduce their use of pesticides and adopt more nontoxic lawn-care techniques. Three fixed sites in King County also accept hazardous household waste year-round.

“The more ways you can make it a one-stop shop, and keep it free and convenient, then people will use it,” says Mr. Anglin of the hazardous-materials organization in Denver.

‘A Good Mix’

Minnesota is another place where recycling strategies have succeeded statewide thanks to strong local support and an emphasis on convenience. “It’s important that we offer residents a good mix and make [recycling] as easy as possible,” says Anne Morse, sustainability coordinator for Winona County, Minn.

The state generates revenue for recycling through a tax on garbage collection and disposal, and through surcharges on disposal of commercial, industrial and medical wastes. Such revenue helped the state distribute more than $14 million in 2007 to counties for recycling and disposal of household hazardous waste, says Cathy Berg Moeger, a program director for Minnesota Pollution Control. Counties supplement the funding through a separate surcharge on trash collection.

A Local Struggle

For local governments elsewhere, efforts to establish household-hazardous-waste recycling have suffered from limited funds. Maine handed out more than $1.3 million in grants to communities from 2001 to 2003 to help build or modify their infrastructure for handling a wide variety of hazardous waste, including propane tanks, batteries and fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury.

But a Portland, Maine, facility ran through its $150,000 budget for the program only seven months after opening last summer. Residents can still drop off nonhazardous items at the site, but the city can’t resume household-hazardous-waste collection until its new funding becomes available in July, according to Troy Moon, the city’s solid-waste manager.

Portland didn’t heavily promote its ability to accept household hazardous waste and other environmentally unfriendly items during its first year of operation, says Mr. Moon. But it intends to network more formally with regional administrators when the service resumes this summer. The facility has a Web page and will send direct mail to Portland residents. Mr. Moon says he also will speak to officials in neighboring communities, as he has in the past, who are then expected to spread the word to their residents.

One of those communities is South Portland, home of Ms. Cavallaro’s family. She says she didn’t learn about the site until being interviewed by a reporter. Now she has every intention of taking her oven cleaner and other hazardous wastes there as soon as collections resume. “I want this stuff out of my house,” she says.

Glen Falls Post-Star: A Green Side to Everything: Recycling Paint

Filed under: Earth911 - March 20, 2008

By Wendy Baird

I really like to paint; the immediate gratification of transforming a room suits my impatient personality. But what I hate is the cans of leftover paint clutter our garage and often morph into a thickened glop that couldn’t possibly be used again.

At the request of a reader, I began searching for ways to recycle paint, which New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation deems “Household Hazardous Waste.”

The best thing is to buy the exact amount of paint needed so there are no leftovers to dispose of. Obviously, that’s not always possible, although if you habitually overestimate, you might try this online tool to calculate the amount of paint you need.

Finding another spot to use up the leftover paint is another good option. Perhaps the color would be brighter and more durable with a second or third coat applied to the walls. Maybe you have enough left over to brighten up a closet? Leftover paint in a light color might make a good base coat if you are changing from a particularly dark color in another painting project.

Donating the paint to someone who can use it is better for the environment and good for your karma! When I coached an Odyssey of the Mind team a few years ago, we were always grateful for small quantities of leftover household paint to use on props. Likewise, drama clubs, scouting groups and other organizations are often looking for paint to decorate scenery or parade floats. If you have a substantial amount, like a half a can or more, you could check with Habitat for Humanity to see if they could use it for a new home. Or check with local churches and synagogues, who might know of someone who needs paint to spruce up an apartment or home.

You can mix paints, assuming it is the same kind (don’t, for example, mix oil-based with water based or interior with exterior). Especially if you have a job that requires a brown or a grey (which is usually the result of mixing colors!) you might try mixing a few of your leftover paints. A friend had a bunch of leftover exterior paints and mixed them together and was able to paint a small shed with the resulting grey mixture.

Reprocessed (leftover paints mixed with new materials) and re-blended paints (paints made totally from leftover paints) use a manufacturing process which could theoretically use your leftover paints. But I searched through Earth 911 and was unable to find any local organization that accepts paint for this purpose. I did find The Chittenden Solid Waste District in Vermont that sells (cheap!) re-blended latex paint, but their Web site says the paint drop-off is limited to residents of the district. Engineers at Rutgers University have developed a method of recycling leftover household latex paint with plastics to form a more flexible and tough plastic, but it’s still in the developmental stage.

If, in the end, you need to dispose of leftover paint, the DEC has some recommendations. First, dry it up. You can do this by placing it (lid removed) outside in a spot where animals cannot reach it. If the paint doesn’t seem to be drying, you can add cat litter to absorb the liquids. Next, place the paint in a plastic-lined box with the lid removed, in your household trash.

MarketWatch: The 15-Minute Tip: Recycling Electronic Gear

Filed under: Earth911 - March 19, 2008

By Jennifer Openshaw

Last week I shared secrets on how to properly handle burned out compact fluorescent lamps. CFLs are the latest electronic product to produce big-ticket effects on the environment—but certainly not the only one.

The boom in affordable consumer electronics has made more stuff available at lower prices for years on end. That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: there’s more different kinds of stuff—computers, cell phones, CFLs—and life cycles are getting shorter and shorter.

More gear is going obsolete all the time, and more waste is the inevitable result. So I thought I’d follow with some 15-minute resources to help find proper recycling and disposal for your old electronic gadgets.

The coming bulge

In the “old days” a TV might have lasted 10 or 15 years, and an audio component system even longer. But now, according to the EPA and other sources, the average computer lasts about three years; the average cell phone about two.

Worse, analog TVs—at least those not connected to a digital converter—go belly up next February.

And an EPA study of product life cycles highlights a big bulge in CRT computer monitors purchased in the 2003-2005 timeframe nearing the end of useful life. The EPA estimates some 673,000 tons of CRTs sold in the year 2005 alone will head for landfills unless otherwise handled.

“Otherwise handled” means recycled, and EPA figures show only about 15 to 20 percent of such electronic waste is recycled properly these days. The percentage has been constant for eight years although the amount has grown due to the sheer amount of product.

And, as more products run on rechargeable batteries, the exposure to hazardous e-waste is also growing. Lead, mercury, cadmium and bromine are among the unique environmental hazards of electronic waste—not to mention the usual plastic, glass and metal they’re for the most part made of.

Electronic waste also offers unique opportunities for value recovery, with the many advanced materials and even gold and silver often recovered. Notably, the amounts are small enough and the recovery complex enough that you won’t benefit economically, but it still conserves precious resources.

How to unplug

While recycling for CFLs is still in its early stages, it isn’t as hard to find places to take your e-waste if you’re willing to look. Several manufacturers and retailers, in addition to traditional local recycling operations, offer straightforward solutions:

Don’t throw it away

The upshot of all of this: you don’t have to—and shouldn’t—just throw those electronic products away. It’s worth 15 minutes to check your options and it’s worth 15 minutes more to “stop by” with that old cell phone or monitor.

PC Magazine: PC Magazine’s Green Facts

Filed under: Earth911 - March 17, 2008

We’ve got 48 clean-tech tips and facts for you. Read them all!

Yellow Book Expands into South Carolina

Filed under: Earth911, Press Releases - March 16, 2008

Yellow Book USA, a leading yellow pages and online search company, added South Carolina to its national footprint this month with the publication of Yellow Book directories in York County and Greenville/Spartanburg.

With the addition of South Carolina, Yellow Book, the oldest and largest independent publisher of yellow pages, increases its footprint to 48 states plus the District of Columbia.

Yellow Book directories are full of useful buying information with handy features, such as maps, coupons and restaurant menus. The company’s internet yellow pages, yellowbook.com, provides a wealth of local and national buying information.

For advertisers, Yellow Book creates a cost-efficient link to potential consumers who are ready to buy, generating opportunities for broad exposure and low-cost leads. Each of the new South Carolina Yellow Book directories reaches a larger population—and has significantly lower advertising rates—than the comparable AT&T directories.

Yellow Book also offers a fully-managed search engine advertising program that promotes local businesses on popular search engines with Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing.

“We are pleased to be serving the residents and businesses of South Carolina,” said Joe Walsh, president and CEO. “The new Greenville/Spartanburg and York County directories reflect Yellow Book’s commitment to deliver high quality, easy-to-use yellow pages for residents of South Carolina.”

Businesses interested in advertising in Yellow Book or on yellowbook.com are encouraged to go to yellowbook.com and click on Advertise with Us, or call 1-800-YB-YELLOW. Yellow Book’s South Carolina office is located in Greenville.

About Yellow Book USA

Yellow Book USA is the #1 independent publisher of print and online yellow pages directories nationwide. Founded in 1930, Yellow Book published nearly 1,000 printed directory editions in its 2007 fiscal year with a circulation of approximately 123 million. The company’s online directory, yellowbook.com, reaches millions of users via computers and mobile phones through organic web searches and through Yellow Book’s network of partner sites. The company’s humorous advertising campaigns have made Yellow Book one of the nation’s most recognized brands. Yellow Book has approximately 6,000 sales employees, one of the largest media sales forces in the U.S. Over the past decade Yellow Book has made over 50 acquisitions and now operates in 48 states, plus the District of Columbia. Visit the company’s website at www.yellowbook.com.

Yellow Book asks you to please recycle your outdated telephone directories. Through its industry-exclusive partnership with Earth 911, you will find your community’s recycling locations in your local Yellow Book and at www.yellowbook.com/RecyclingInformation. You can also learn more about recycling and the environment at www.earth911.org.

Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Gaylord Herald Times: Five Nuggets of Knowledge About Green Things

Filed under: Earth911 - March 12, 2008

1. St. Patrick vs. the little green men: In this corner of the Emerald Isle we have the 2000 movie “St. Patrick: The Irish Legend,” which recounts the life of Patrick from Irish slave to bishop of Ireland to patron saint of the Irish everywhere. The movie provides information and background on the saint who legend has it, drove the snakes from Ireland.

And in this corner we have the shameless Leprechaun exploitation franchise. Does anybody remember the cheesy 1992 horror film “Leprechaun” with the tagline “Your luck just ran out”? Did you know the B movie spawned the sequels Leprechaun “2,” “3” and “Leprechaun 4: In Space”? Bet you didn’t know the 2000 “Leprechaun: In the Hood” guest-starred Ice-T and Coolio. Bet you really didn’t know that movie was followed up in 2003 with “Leprechaun: Back 2 that Hood.” Nasty little green Irish men and has-been rappers make for very strange bedfellows—a truly dumb movie concept.

Source: www.andrewnixon.com/movies and www.imdb.com

2. Grüne Banane Not a fan of St. Patty’s Day’s traditional green beer? For about $25 plus the cost of air fare to Europe, you can get yourself a bottle of Bols-brand Grüne Banane (German for Green Banana) liquor. Flourescent-green in color and with an alcohol content of 17 percent, the beverage will infuse any cocktail with a “strong banana aroma” and a taste as sweet “as the wonderful smell of ripe bananas,” according to the manufacturer. You guessed it—it’s made with actual green bananas.

Sources: piazza.ch

3. Greenbacks According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), the largest producer of security documents in the United States, the back of the $1 note depicts the Great Seal of the United States. The front of the seal shows an American bald eagle behind our national shield. The eagle holds an olive branch, which symbolizes peace, with 13 berries and 13 leaves. In the left talon, the eagle holds 13 arrows, which represent war. The 13 leaves represent the original colonies. The eagle’s head is turned toward the olive branch, showing a desire for peace.

The BEP prints billions of Federal Reserve Notes each year for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. Created by Congress in 1792, all coinage is minted by the United States Mint, which receives more than $1 billion in annual revenues. The Mint turns revenues beyond its operating expenses over to the General Fund of the Treasury. Source: www.moneyfactory.gov and www.usmint.gov

4. Going Green: The following is a condensed list from the Earth 911 Web site, which offers ideas on how you can go green at home:

1. Buy only what you need;

2. Recycle, recycle, recycle;

3. Change a light, change the World (replace incandescent light bulbs compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs);

4. Bag it up the green way (bag groceries in cloth, reusable bags)

5. Green your gadgets (resist the urge to upgrade every time a newer or cooler gadget comes out. Donate, recycle, re-use.);

6. Make every drop count (conserve water, use dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full);

7. Turn up the savings (In the summer raise your thermostat two degrees. In the winter lower it two degrees.);

8. Clear the air (Carpool, ride the bus, use public transportation or bike to work.);

9. Save a tree (Pay bills online, e-mail cards and letters, print on both sides of paper.); and

10. Home sweet home (Dry clothes on the line instead of in the dryer, use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins, make your own less toxic cleaning alternatives using baking soda, soap and vinegar).

Source: earth911.org

5. Slimy green things: Introduced in 1984 with the first “Ghostbusters” movie, Slimer was a shapeless, semi-transparent green glob of a ghost who initially pesters—and later befriends—the Ghostbusters team. The popular character appeared in “Ghostbusters II” and in several animated television series, and was voiced by director, Ivan Reitman, Frank Welker and Billy West (Ren & Stimpy, Futurama) through the years, before giving up the ghost in the late-1990s.

Green slime was also a staple in such television shows as “You Can’t Do That On Television,” Nickelodeon’s “Double Dare” and others. It’s varied in color and consistency over the years but has always been the source of humiliation for unfortunate contestants of these shows.

Sources: wikipedia.org, nick.com

Arizona Republic: Go With Eco-Friendly CFLs, But Think Before Disposing of Them

Filed under: Earth911 - March 12, 2008

By Mary Beth Faller

Americans have become enlightened about their lightbulbs. Millions of people are replacing their incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), which use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 20 percent of all bulbs now sold are compact fluorescent.

Although the bulbs have been on the market since the 1980s, it’s only in the past two years that they’ve become widely accepted by consumers, due mainly to two reasons: promotion by big retailers such as Wal-Mart, Costco and Home Depot (the latter gave away a million of the energy-saving bulbs for Earth Day last April) and improvement in the quality of the light. Old CFLs cast an unattractive greenish light, took a few seconds to go on and sometimes emitted buzzing sounds.

Because the newest CFLs last at least 6,000 hours and up to 10,000 hours, many people haven’t had to replace them yet. But when they do, that feel-good glow could dim. Compact fluorescent lights—as well as old-fashioned fluorescent light tubes—contain mercury, a toxicant that can cause neurological damage in people.
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Although consumers are exhorted to save the planet by buying CFLs, they’re not told how to dispose of them properly. Municipalities differ in their directions. Phoenix has no instructions on its Web site and tells residents who inquire that they can double-bag the bulbs and toss them into the trash. Mesa and Tucson encourage residents to dispose of CFLs during municipal collections of household hazardous waste.

Ikea accepts old CFLs for recycling, but most other big retailers don’t. The Salt River Project Web site advises customers not to throw CFLs into the trash and directs users to various municipal recycling Web sites – most of which have no information on CFLs. Arizona Public Service directs its site users to earth911.org for disposal sites; that Web site, in turn, lists the same municipal Web sites and commercial recyclers.

Environmental experts are clear: Even though the bulbs contain mercury, they’re a better option than incandescent bulbs in the long run.

“The major source of mercury is coal-powered power plants,” says George Koch, co-director of the National Institute for Climatic Change Research at Northern Arizona University.

“To the extent that using compact fluorescents requires less energy generated by coal-powered plants, we’re actually reducing mercury emissions. Those emissions are not controlled—they go up into the atmosphere. Mercury in compact fluorescents can be disposed of in a targeted way.”

The government estimates that over five years, use of a regular incandescent lightbulb accounts for 10 milligrams of mercury from the coal-powered plant. A compact fluorescent bulb accounts for 6.4 mg over five years: 4 mg that the bulb contains and 2.4 mg to power it.

Dumping CFLs into a landfill probably would not cause an immediate environmental calamity, Koch says, but there’s no need to do so because the bulbs can be recycled.

“The disposal can be managed—not that it’s being managed well now,” he says.

Tom Waldeck, executive director of the non-profit Keep Phoenix Beautiful, has been switching from incandescent to CFL bulbs in his Scottsdale home for several years.

“The thing I like is that I’ve got 19-foot ceilings in my house, and (the CFLs) last forever and I don’t have to get the ladder out and change them all the time,” he says. “They give just as good light, if not better, than regular lightbulbs, and we’re doing something that will save energy and keep our bills down.”

What will he do when the bulbs burn out?

“I haven’t even thought of it,” Waldeck says. “I would love to get some direction on how to do it.”

As the hours add up, many consumers will have a lot of burned-out CFLs and no clear direction on what to do.

Sylvania, one of the largest manufacturers of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, sells recycling packages for consumers to fill with used CFLs and send back to the company. But Stephanie Anderson, spokeswoman for Sylvania, says, “Even we agree this is not the best solution. Over the next several years, as the products become more popular, we’d like to see curbside recycling and retailers providing recycling facilities. We think that will happen once there’s a critical mass.”

Triple Pundit: A Brilliantly Simple Way to Recharge Your Batteries

Filed under: Earth911 - March 12, 2008

By Paul Smith

Ask yourself this: How many devices in your house use batteries? How often do they need to get replaced? How often have you thought of getting rechargeable batteries? How often have you actually done it? If your answers are many, often, every time, and never, you’re not alone.

According to Earth911.org, every year in the US, we throw out 180,000 tons of batteries. Personally I think a number of batteries would have even more impact, but the point is clear: We go through a lot of batteries. Batteries which contain a lot of materials that we’d all rather not see making their way into our environment, and many of which are actually recyclable.

I recently faced this very dilemma: We bought a hand crank powered flashlight, which you would think would diverge cleanly from the battery habit, but for one thing: The noise of the gyro inside while cranking drove my wife bananas. She demanded that we get another, crank free flashlight.

My first thought went to getting a LED flashlight, the last of which we owned lasted nearly three years on one set of batteries. Then I thought about getting rechargeables, but then that involves getting another gadget to do the actual charging, and I’m, well, busy. Yeah that’s it. And then I found the perfect solution: The USB Cell.

What’s so different about this battery is how you recharge it: pop the top off, and inside is a USB connection. Plug it in to a USB port on your computer, game console, or wherever else a USB port is showing up these days, and it does the rest. According to the site it’s ready to be used again in minutes, for those short of patience.

This NiMH battery has won a number of awards, including the UK CEED National Energy Efficiency Award, and Pocket Lint’s green gadget of the year. Currently USBCell makes one model, for AA batteries, but there are plans to create AAA, 9V, C, D, and PDA/Cell phone batteries as well. According to the site, you can buy these batteries from 50 countries via their website, and if you’re in the U.S., at REI and Office Max.

As I wrote in my article on cell phone recycling last week creating products that remove the roadblocks, real or imagined, to greater adoption of a eco-friendly behavior is the best thing, outside of $6 a gallon gas, to motivate people to change.

MarketWatch.com: The 15-Minute Tip: How to Recycle CFL Bulbs

Filed under: Earth911 - March 12, 2008

By Jennifer Openshaw

Late last year I wrote about the energy-saving virtues of compact fluorescent bulbs. Several alert readers raised questions about the mercury hazard and asked how to dispose of them properly.

Green is good. Buy CFLs to replace your traditional incandescent bulbs. Lots of people are doing it; there are some 80 million to 100 million CFL bulbs out there already. And countries like Australia and companies like Philips have vowed to make us “incandescent-free” in four to eight years.

You see, some 90 percent of the energy consumed by traditional incandescent bulbs becomes heat, not light. So a CFL saves roughly 80 percent of the energy consumed by those traditional bulbs.

And that’s a lot, taken on a national or global scale. The Washington-based Earth Policy Institute estimates a complete switch to CFLs in the U.S. could eliminate some 80 coal-fired generating plants. A worldwide shift would expand that number to 270.

But here’s the problem: CFLs—like all fluorescent lamps—contain a small amount of mercury, a persistent poison that can be water- or airborne and cause nerve damage. It is indeed a small amount—five milligrams—about one-hundredth of that contained in an amalgam dental filling. But multiplied by the numbers out there, it’s significant.

Recycling programs for industrial lighting have long been in place. But, due to the newness and long life of CFLs, surprisingly few facilities have emerged, in the U.S. anyway. And, unfortunately, big retailers—Home Depot, Wal-Mart and others—still haven’t provided a recycling solution for their customers (although notably Home Depot Canada recycles CFLs).

Three choices

For most consumers, there are three choices worth a 15-minute consideration:

  1. Ikea stores. Leading the way in the CFL revolution, and having sold them for some 10 years, Ikea stores throughout the U.S. have collection centers for dead CFL bulbs. An effective solution—if you live near an Ikea store.
  2. Municipal and special recycling centers. Local waste management authorities, public and private, have set up varying capacities and programs to take back CFLs. The trick is finding them. Fortunately, a recycling portal known as Earth 911 does a decent job of identifying local facilities. You can enter “fluorescent bulbs” and tell it how far you’re willing to drive. Unfortunately, from my southeastern Connecticut home, there are no centers within 10 miles. On the other hand, the site reported six within 25 miles, but none of those were in Connecticut. Two were in the Bronx and two were in northern New Jersey—not exactly spots on my daily itinerary. Visit Earth 911.
  3. Hang on to them. You probably won’t have a lot of spent bulbs, at least in the near future. Some environmental advocates advise to simply store old bulbs until recycling becomes more widespread.

Don’t bury yourself with guilt

If you really must dispose of your bulbs, think about this: the small amount of mercury you’re “putting into play” with each bulb is offset by the amounts of mercury not put into play by coal-fired power plants. So, while it’s not good to throw these away, net-net, you come out ahead in doing good for the environment.

And one more point: if you break a CFL bulb, experts advise not to vacuum the remains—that will put mercury vapor into small spaces into your home. Use sticky tape or some other mechanical means to get rid of the pieces.

And if you do end up putting your CFL bulb—broken or intact—in the trash, the U.S. EPA recommends double-bagging it in two small plastic bags.

Meanwhile, it’s worth 15 minutes to check your local recycling options. If you have 15 more minutes, let your local retailers know how you feel about the lack of recycling for these smart green products. It can’t hurt.

Attleborough Sun Chronicle: When Pets Go Missing, What Do You Do?

Filed under: Uncategorized - March 10, 2008

By Susan LaHoud

The cat was found on the cement median near the Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub on busy Route 1 on the North Attleboro-South Attleboro line.

Still alive despite all of the traffic in the area, the creature was taken to the North Attleboro Animal Shelter where a scan of its microchip revealed a Walpole phone number, Animal Control Officer Karen Fontneau said. The shelter reunited the cat with its family, who figured it must have stealthily hopped into a neighbor’s car and taken a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop on Route 1. From there, it lit out on its own until its median strip rescue.

Last fall, people dropped off a dog at the shelter that they had found on a highway. Shelter workers sent an e-mail to “everyone we knew” and posted a photo of “the highway dog” on the shelter’s Web site and petfinder.com, Fontneau said. “A woman from Grafton saw it on PetFinder and recognized it as her neighbor’s dog,” she said.

More recently, an Attleboro cat that left home after the arrival of new dogs came back with three legs instead of four, then left again. It turns out a woman who lived a few streets away had adopted it and paid for surgery to remove a leg tumor. The cat, Bevis, written up in The Sun Chronicle, eventually settled with her new owner, and is now known as Chloe.

The three stories illustrate how the problem of lost pets can make for some interesting stories, but pet advocates say it helps to be prepared for such instances, and urge owners to take steps now to avoid potential heartache down the road. They also provide some suggestions on how to go about finding your pet if it goes missing.

Implanting microchips on your pet is a good idea, particularly for cats because many people don’t like to put collars and tags on them, Fontneau said. Many shelters, including North Attleboro’s, now implant microchips on animals available for adoption. Photographing your pet in three or four different poses is also recommended. That way, should your pet become lost there will be pictures for fliers and postings.

“I’d rather have pictures than just a description,” said Fontneau. “It’s a huge help.” One time, she noted, a woman looking for her dog stopped by and described it. But Fontneau couldn’t tell from her description that it was the same exact dog she had at the shelter. She took the woman to look on the off chance it was her dog. It was.

Ads in newspapers are a good way to track down a missing pet because sometimes people don’t call shelters right away.

Calling the shelter in your community is one of the first things owners of missing pets should do in case the animal has been brought in or someone has reported finding a cat or dog, Attleboro Assistant Animal Control Officer Kathy Pereira said.

Also call shelters in surrounding communities. Check in every few days. Some shelters have only a limited number of days that they will hold or house animals. Make sure you check the shelter’s policy. Personal visits are best.

Leave fliers with a picture of the pet at shelters and veterinarians’ offices with a description of the animal that states whether it’s a male or female and has a microchip or tags. Fliers can also be posted on public bulletin boards in markets and elsewhere. They should also be given to people while making the rounds of the neighborhoods. Remember to include a contact number that connects to a voice-mail with a message about your lost pet, and also include an e-mail address.

Withhold some of your pet’s identifying features to prevent getting scammed. A reward may be offered, but make sure you go with someone else if meeting a contact, and make sure you have your pet in possession before paying a reward.

While it sounds morbid, pet owners might want to check in with public works or animal control offices to see if any dogs or cats have been killed on local roads.

Internet sites have become an increasingly common means of finding lost pets. Petfinder.com is one of the more common sites used by local animal shelters. Other sites include dogdetective.com, which describes itself as a worldwide network of members including registered animal control departments, humane societies and rescue organizations, and pets911.com, said Fontneau.

Check Internet and newspaper ads for dogs for sale, as they may have been stolen, or pets that have been found. Owners of missing purebreds can also turn to organizations that specialize in those breeds.

Sometimes, however, not even an all out effort can bring those family members back home.

Mansfield resident Harvey Novack remains broken-hearted over the disappearance of his two 3-year-old male Shih-Tzus who ran off after a walk almost two months ago. He has bought newspaper ads, posted fliers, staked out streets where sightings have been reported, and is offering an $800 reward for each dog. His son in Texas is helping by searching the Internet. There was also an article in The Sun Chronicle Feb. 23 which, along with the ad he continues to run in the paper, has generated many calls but not the return of his dogs.

Novack has had many interesting suggestions, he said, including contacting mail carriers in the area to see if they have seen any traces of his purebred dogs.

“It’s been quite an ordeal to keep up with it,” said Novack, who has fliers posted across the state in shelters, veterinarians offices and animal hospitals.

“I get periods of discouragement, but then I get revived,” he said. “We’re not leaving any stone unturned.

“I’m not giving up hope—anything’s possible out there. I really miss these guys. I come home and they’re not there. There’s a void in my life.”

Austin-American Statesman: Mercury and CFL Bulbs

Filed under: Earth911 - March 6, 2008

By Pete Mongillo

Q: Is it true that the new “energy efficient” light bulbs contain mercury? Surely this will mean a huge pollutant threat to our landfills and environment. What if one breaks at home—how would you handle cleaning up the mercury residue?

—E.D.

A: The bulbs do contain a small amount of mercury. Expired bulbs should be taken to the City of Austin Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Visit this link for hours and directions.

Regarding the issue of clean-up, here is a Jane Greig answer to this question from last year:

A: The amount is very small and poses little risk if handled properly.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports the amount of mercury in a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is about four milligrams. General Electric reports its compact fluorescent bulbs average five milligrams of mercury per bulb. By contrast, a mercury thermometer has about 500 milligrams.

When a CFL breaks, sweep the shards. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or touch the pieces. Use a damp paper towel to collect little pieces. If possible, open a window to vent the room. Seal the debris and the towel in a plastic bag.

Also, National Geographic’s Green Guide offers some additional information:

To avoid inhaling mercury vapors if a bulb does break, the EPA advises opening a window as soon as possible and leaving the room for at least 15 minutes before starting to clean. Once you start:

There is a lot more information on the site, including an interesting note about the impact of mercury on the environment from CFL bulbs versus that of incandescents. The author points out that people whose electricity comes from coal-powered power plants are reducing the amount of mercury released into the air by using CFL bulbs, as traditional bulbs require more power and therefore cause the plants to release more pollutants, including mercury, into the air.

Attleboro Sun Chronicle: “eCycle” Your Electronics the Right Way

Filed under: Earth911 - March 2, 2008

By Susan LaHoud

Sure, you’ve been putting those used newspapers and junk mailings, along with the glass and the plastic containers with the appropriate triangles, in the recycling bin curbside for years.

But as we become an increasingly plugged-in culture, people may have found it difficult to discard their electronics.

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, used or unwanted electronics amounted to 1.9 to 2.2 million tons in 2005, with most of that ending up in landfills.

There are now, however, any number of ways for people to recycle those broken, outdated or no-longer-used computers, monitors, televisions, mobile phones and other electronics which all contain a similar list of toxic materials including lead, mercury, and arsenic which can have some nasty effects on the environment and public health.

While it may take a bit more work than tossing an item in the trash, here are some suggestions on what you can do with those items previously thought hard to discard. Go to http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm for more tips and information through the EPA.

Cell phones

The New England Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency recently announced an initiative involving the agency and the nation’s leading cell phone makers, service providers and retailers for more convenient cell phone recycling through the EPA’s Plug-In to eCycling program.

“By dropping it off at a store or sending it through the mail, we have more recycling options today than ever before,” Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s regional office said in a statement announcing the most recent initiative.

Call ahead or go online to specific store locations for details, but according to the agency’s Web site, you can drop off your old cell phone, PDA, cell phone batteries, chargers or other accessories at the following places: AT&T, Best Buy, Office Depot, Sprint, Staples and T-Mobile.

AT&T, formerly Cingular, for example, invites consumers and businesses to participate in the tax deductible recycling of used wireless phones, accessories and batteries (regardless of the manufacturer or carrier).

You can mail in your old cell phone, PDA, cell phone batteries, chargers and other accessories to the following retailers or service providers, but also check for specifics at those company’s Web sites: Nokia, Sprint, Samsung, T-Mobile, Motorola and LG Electronics.

Before you drop off or mail in your old cell phone, make sure that you have terminated your service contract for the phone and erased any data.

The EPA started the cell phone campaign because many consumers still do not know where or how they can recycle their unwanted cell phones, according to the agency. It has been donating cell phones to various women’s crisis shelters, troops in Iraq and other organizations since 2004.

It is estimated that upwards of 130 million cell phones are no longer being used, many just stored away.

If Americans recycled 100 million phones, the U.S. could save enough upstream energy to power more than 194,000 households for a year.

Recycling just one million cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year, according to the EPA.

Computers and other electronics

The EPA also offers suggestions for donating or recycling old computers. A number of local communities provide for pick-up or drop-off or have occasional collection events, but there are also recyclers out there. Local electronic retailers may also collect or give them to a recycler.

Consider schools or charitable organizations, but check their requirements.

To find a local program, the EPA suggests:

Earth 911 (earth911.org). It is a comprehensive communication medium for the environment. Earth 911 has taken environmental hotlines, Web sites and other information sources nationwide, and consolidated them into one network. Once you contact the Earth 911 network, you will find community-specific information on eCycling and much more.

My Green Electronics (mygreenelectronics.org). Provided by the Consumer Electronics Association, this site is a resource for consumers wishing to purchase green products and/or searching for local opportunities to recycle or donate used electronics.

Electronic Industries Alliance’s Consumer Education Initiative. The Electronic Industries Alliance’s eCycling Central Web site helps consumers find reuse, recycling and donation programs for electronics products in their state.

TechSoup (techsoup.org). TechSoup has compiled a comprehensive body of information to promote computer recycling and reuse. This site provides resources for those who would like to donate hardware, those who would like to acquire recycled hardware, and refurbishers.

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC.org)

RBRC can help you recycle portable rechargeable batteries commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. Search for collection sites by zip code.

Rethink Initiative (rethink.ebay.com). On this site you can find information, tools and solutions that make it easy to find new users for idle computers and electronics, and responsibly recycle unwanted products.

Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT). StRUT provides technology-based education for K-16 students through the process of refurbishing donated equipment for schools.

Government-Supported Donation and Recycling Programs

Federal Electronic Challenge

If you are a government agency or a business, check out the Federal Electronics Challenge (federalelectronicschallenge.net) for tools on how a large institution can donate or recycle its used electronics.

The resource kit at ecyclingtools.com provides information on the entire life cycle of electronics and contains useful information to help you address your e-waste concerns.

iPods

Of course, some items like broken iPods can be repaired, (BrokenIpods.com was suggested on one site), usable ones resold through various sites (a Boston-area startup called Nextworth.com, an online consignment service, reportedly offers a guaranteed price for any machine and take the task of reselling it online), or you can repair your own or adapt it to other uses, according to a number of Web sites with those suggestions, including mcelhearn.com and smalldog.com (whose Web site has a type of organ-donation program in which it accepts parts that can be salvaged and will issue a store credit for $25.)