Plenty Magazine: Computer E-cycles: Best Choices for Old & New
Filed under: Earth 911 - May 8, 2008
When you find a dusty old hard drive under the bed, or that long-dead monitor in the closet, spring cleaning suddenly gets complicated. So does shopping for a new computer, which, these days, raises the question of what to do with the old one. Dumping is out of the question, as computers contain neurotoxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which can leach into groundwater from landfills, or expose unprotected workers and communities in unregulated recycling programs abroad. Even the casings can contain toxic fire retardants known as polybrominated biphenyls (PBDEs), which can migrate out of plastics and have been found in house dust.
What to do?
If your old computer or parts of it still work, consider networking it with your new equipment. If it doesn’t work, call a local repair shop (see your town’s Yellow Pages) and give it one last chance before getting rid of it.
Donate old computers and other office equipment to schools, your local Y, and non-profit organizations that collect and repair old electronics to resell them. Find programs in Earth 911’s handy listing by clicking here.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has lists of resources for recycling computers, including companies with takeback programs.
When shopping for new equipment, ask whether the manufacturer has a program to take back and responsibly recycle/reuse components into new computers. Ask for products that do not use PBDEs, and have substantially reduced lead, mercury and cadmium. For more info, click here.
To reduce household expenses and your carbon footprint, look for the EPA’s Energy Star label on computers. A qualified desktop will save you $30-50 in electricity costs over its lifetime. Every little bit and byte adds up!
Common Ground: Don’t Just Get Mad, Get Active
Filed under: Earth 911 - May 1, 2008
By Summer Bowen
By the time May rolls around, the countdown to beach season has begun. Wax this, tan that and try on last year’s swimsuit under the soft glow of your new dimmable CFL bulbs. Sure, you look fabulous, but what about the beaches? Over-fishing, rising temperatures, and skin rash-causing bacteria? Eek! The real question this May is: How to do we get our ocean beach-ready?
- Get on the “seafood watch diet.” Download a nifty consumer’s pocket guide to purchasing sustainable seafood from montereybayaquarium.org and take it along with you to your grocery store or favorite sushi joint.
- Keep your healthy glow (with “healthy” being the key work here). Check illness-causing bacteria levels from urban runoff and sewage spills before you plunge.
- Earth911.org rates the water quality of individual beaches on Lake Washington and Puget Sound, as well as the coast.
- Tone those arms . . . while picking up trash. Beach cleanups can be a fun, tangible way to help the environment and raise awareness in the community. Find an existing beach cleanup at volunteermatch.org, or adopt a beach with friends or coworkers.
- Ditch the diet pills, but dispose of them correctly. Flushed pharmaceuticals are making their way to the sea—taking a toll not only on our water supply, but also on sea life. Ask your pharmacist to dispose of your expired and unused meds in an environmentally safe manner.
North American Press Syndicate: What To Do With Leftover Paint
Filed under: Earth 911 - May 1, 2008
The best way to give leftover paint headaches the brush-off is to measure the area to be painted before you start. Surprisingly, a consumer study showed that nearly half of all respondents reported they do not measure before purchasing paint.
Here’s a Five-Point Program for leftover paint from the National Paint & Coatings Association that saves you money, keeps your home and garage from being cluttered and helps the environment by keeping usable paint out of the waste stream.
1. Buy the Correct Amount of Paint for the Project—By checking with your local paint dealer on how to determine the correct volume of paint required for your project, you can eliminate the need to store or dispose or recycle paint when the project is finished.
2. Store Paint Properly to Keep it Fresh—If your project is complete and you still have a fair amount of paint left over, cover the opening of the paint can with plastic wrap and securely seal the lid. When you are sure the lid is leakproof, turn the can upside down and store it in a place with a moderate room temperature to avoid freezing. Be sure to choose a safe location that is out of the reach of children and pets.
3. Use Up Leftover Paint—Now that you have safely stored your leftover paint, don’t forget about it. Leftover paint can be used for touch-ups or smaller projects and lighter colors can be taken back to a paint retailer and be retinted for another paint project.
4. Reuse or Recycle—For a community association, theater company, church group or other local organizations that may be in need of good paint, check the “Earth 911” Paint Wise Web portal at earth911.org/recycling/paint-recycling or call 1-800-CLEAN-UP to learn about paint reuse, recycling and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) collection programs that are available in your community.
5. Dispose of Paint Properly—If there is not a leftover paint collection program available in your area, you may need to dispose of leftover latex paint yourself. Air-drying of liquid alkyd or oil-based paint is not considered safe. In regions that allow it, let your latex paint air-dry in a safe location away from children and pets.
According to the National Paint & Coatings Association’s Five-Point Program for Leftover Paint, solvent-based paint should be managed only by a hazardous waste program.
For more tips on what to do with leftover paint, visit http://www.paint.org/issues/postconsumer.cfm.
If your project is complete and you still have leftover paint, the best way to store it and keep it fresh is to cover the can opening with plastic wrap and seal the lid.