The Journal News: Make “Green” Your Favorite Color For Earth Day
Filed under: Earth 911 - April 25, 2008
By Nancy Richardson
Ask consumers these days the the most popular word of the moment, and a majority would probably tell you “green.”
Citizens are asked to think green, go green, buy green, even eat green, but what does it all mean?
In celebration of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, it seems appropriate to investigate easy methods to make your household and community “green.” And contrary to Kermit the Frog’s popular song of many years ago, it is easy to be green.
Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, may have been the start of the green movement. Nelson’s idea evolved over a seven-year period when he saw environmental degradation appearing everywhere in the country. Unlike today, the environmental issue wasn’t even on politicians’ agendas.
According to the website earthday.envirolink.org, Nelson’s idea for a grass-roots protest about the environment came from the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations being held nationwide during that time.
In September 1969, he announced a nationwide demonstration planned for the spring of 1970. The media picked up the story, and the idea of Earth Day began to spread. The first official celebration of Earth Day was held April 22, 1970.
Make Sure To Recycle
One of the easiest methods for keeping the planet cleaner, and reducing waste in ever-shrinking landfills, is to recycle. With the latest addition of the Coffeen center, the Montgomery County Recycling Program offers seven locations for area residents to use.
With the exception of Raymond and Farmersville, all the centers are open daily for material drop-off. Raymond holds recycling on the first and third Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m., and Farmersville has recycling on the second Saturday of the month during the same hours.
Open daily are centers in Litchfield, Hillsboro, Nokomis, Witt and Coffeen. If you need assistance unloading, help is available during daytime hours only at the Hillsboro location.
Chris Daniels, Montgomery County Coordinator, praises the successful county program. According to her records, total pounds of recycled materials has increased dramatically in the last four years.
Shipped weight of materials in 2003 amounted to 1,663,003 pounds. In 2007, that figure rose to 2,939,914 pounds. That’s a remarkable amount of weight and space not added to landfills from just one county.
Cardboard represented the most weight, with 1,343,415 pounds shipped last year. Daniels said the price for cardboard went from $60 per ton to $100 per ton, which resulted in a healthy increase for recycling program revenues.
Daniels reminds readers that all revenues from materials sold goes directly back into the program. The county does not use these funds for any other purpose, and the county is not able to pay individuals or groups for their products.
County Board Chairman Mike Plunkett said, “Last year, with the increased amount of materials and the increased price we received, was the first year the program has really broken even. It normally runs at a deficit.”
The current fiscal year is off to a good start with a total weight shipped to date of 830,718 pounds.
When you visit any of the area recycling drop-off centers, you will find marked containers for each of the acceptable materials.
Please make sure steel or aluminum cans, plastic bottles and jugs are rinsed out before recycling.
Acceptable items are cardboard, steel cans, aluminum cans, dry newspaper, magazines and catalogs, office paper (such as computer, copy, notebook, file folders), plastic soda and juice bottles, milk jugs and other translucent drink containers, detergent and shampoo containers, miscellaneous food containers and phone books in season (Feb.-March).
No-nos include oil or antifreeze bottles, drink cups, glass, plastic bags and styrofoam. If you would like more information about the county recycling program, you may call Daniel’s office at 532-9577 or visit the website www.montgomeryco.com and click on recycling.
Green Household Ideas
Did you know you can go green when spring cleaning? Although many store bought cleaning products have reduced toxins from days past, cleaning alternatives made from products in the home may reduce your need to purchase the other items as often.
Some eco-friendly possibilities include glass cleaner made from equal parts of vinegar and water; simmer citrus fruit and cinnamon in water to freshen air; clean copper with vinegar and salt on a damp sponge; place molasses or honey in a lid outdoors on an ant trail to control ants; and use cedar chips in the pet’s bedding and Brewer’s yeast in their food to repel fleas.
Consider switching from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). They do cost more than the traditional bulb, but they use less electricity to operate and last longer than the other style. They can save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.
Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott said, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of nearly a million cars and reduce more than $600 million in annual energy costs.”
That’s a pretty amazing return for only replacing one bulb in every home.
Hazardous Waste
Consumers should be aware, however, that CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury. It is important to properly dispose of and recycle used bulbs in order to recover the small amount of mercury in each one.
Some retail stores offer proper disposal of CFLs, and you can check online for any in the area at www.earth911.org. Bulbs may be taken to Illinois EPA household hazardous waste collections each spring and fall. Unfortunately, only a limited number of these collections are held across the state each year.
A list of collection dates and places are available at www.epa.state.il.us.
Board Chairman Plunkett said Montgomery County is chosen for a collection site of household hazardous waste only every three or four years. He recommends, if possible, storing items in a safe location until that time, unless you are able to take advantage of a collection in another location.
Items considered hazardous include oil-based paints, chemical cleaners, old medicines, antifreeze, motor oil, weed killer, insecticides, pesticides, household batteries, and of course, CFLs.
“We are planning a used tire collection on Aug. 8 and 9 this year. It will most likely be held at the county fairgrounds, but more information will be available at a later date,” Plunkett said.
In the event you break a CFL, use caution when cleaning it up. Do not use a vacuum cleaner. Keep people and pets away from the area and ventilate the room. Do not throw the broken bulb away in the garbage. Check the Illinois EPA website for a complete list of precautions and suggestions for safe handling of a broken CFL.
Building/Remodeling
It probably comes as no surprise that you can “go green” when building a home or remodeling your current abode.
Environmentally friendly decisions about materials and appliances can translate into financial savings for consumers in the long run. For example, spray-in cellulose insulation made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled newspaper will effectively seal homes from both winter cold and summer heat.
Look for Energy Star appliances in order to conserve both electricity and water. Many areas of the country experienced drought last year. Items such as front load washers, low-flush toilets and water-conserving dishwashers that reduce water consumption may become a necessity if seasonal shortages come again. These appliances would not only help water levels, they would save the consumers money on water bills.
When looking for flooring, choose materials made from local or regional sources. Many products available are made from recycled materials, such as carpet or reclaimed hardwood.
During a home renovation, recycle as much as possible. For instance, if you replace doors, windows, countertops or even bathroom fixtures, you may be able to donate these items to an organization such as Habitat For Humanity to sell in their Habitat Restore. One is located in Springfield.
Some remodelers will recycle project waste, as well, by separating metal, wood and concrete into containers in order to keep as much as possible out of landfills.
Did You Know?
Hopefully the information in this article has reaffirmed your belief in recycling or given you ideas on what you can do personally to leave a lighter environmental footprint.
If you’re still not convinced, check out the following facts supplied by County Coordinator Chris Daniels:
- If Americans recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, 25 million trees would be saved each year.
- It takes 95 percent less energy to make aluminum by recycling it than by producing it from its natural ore, bauxite. It costs less, too.
- Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
- In 1991, the Great Wall of China became the second-largest man-made structure in the world. The first? The Fresh Kills Landfill serving New York City. It is now the highest point on the east coast.
- One pound of recycled steel saves enough energy to light a 60 watt bulb for 24 hours.
- Water pollution in Illinois is reduced by 21,500 tons of various contaminants each year by recycling.
- Paper recycling in Illinois saves 53.3 million trees each year, and the wildlife habitat that goes with them.
For more information on Earth Day, recycling or energy-saving tips, visit the following websites: www.EarthDay.gov, www.earthday.envirolink.gov, www.Americarecyclesday.org.