recycling

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How To Recycle Everything Wrong

December 1, 2009 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 1 comment

Recycling is not all that tricky, but some people waste a lot of time doing stuff they shouldn’t. For example below are some surefire ways to recycle incorrectly…

recycle wrong

  • Crush all cans carefully – waste o’ time. Nowadays you don’t need to do this step. Recycling centers take un-crushed cans happily.
  • Toss greasy and food ridden cardboard into the recycling bin. Sadly, this can mess up an entire load of recyclables. Recycling center machines are fit to take on grease and grime. If you’ve got sticky, messy, greasy paper you need to toss it not recycle it.
  • Don’t sort the recycling – some recycling centers will sort if you don’t but others will just toss bins full of mixed goods which does no one any good. Set up a home recycling center and sort your recyclables.
  • Be a perfectionist about food in jars – the machinery at the recycling center will zap that excess mayo or peanut butter out of a jar. In fact, if a lemon is stuck in a beer bottle or you can’t remove food from inside a narrow container you can still recycle it.
  • Fail to recycle glossy paper – most recycling facilities do take old magazines and other glossy paper now. Check to be sure, but don’t just assume you can’t recycle it.
  • Recycle before you re-purpose – recycling actually uses a fair amount of energy. IF you can re-purpose an item first, you should.
  • Toss anything into the bins – many items need to be recycled in a different manner than your recycling center can deal with. For example, toys and dishes and the like should go to the thrift store, CFLs need to go to a CFL specific center, hazardous waste is a whole other issue, and food can be composted. Don’t recycle willy nilly.

And the number one best way to recycle wrong – don’t bother at all – who cares if you trash the planet?

How long will my junk sit in a landfill?

July 18, 2009 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 1 comment

I hope you are recycling. Many items we use often will never biodegrade OR will take tons of years to do so. In fact, many items if tossed will take longer than your lifespan to decompose. That won’t do. Worldwise used to have this cool chart at their website about how long things take to recycle. The chart is gone, but I had the facts saved so here you go…

If you fail to recycle an item then how long will said item sit in the landfill?

Cotton rags
1-5 months

Paper
2-5 months

Rope
3-14 months

Orange peels
6 months

Wool socks
1 to 5 years

Cigarette butts
1 to 12 years

Plastic coated paper milk cartons
5 years

Leather shoes
25 to 40 years

Nylon fabric
30 to 40 years

Tin cans
50 to 100 years

Aluminum cans
80 to 100 years

Plastic 6-pack holder rings
450 years

Glass bottles
1 million years

Plastic bottles
Forever

In other words, WAY too long. If you don’t have your recycling plan organized, read What You Can’t Recycle and learn about how to do a trash audit. Then get your home recycling center organized with some Attractive Recycling Bins for Your Home.

Are you recycling as much as you can? What could you be doing better?

Testing your home air quality

July 8, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Poor air quality is rampant in many homes. It’s smart to test your home air quality, plus not even that expensive. Most homes don’t need fancy testing solutions. Two kits you can pick up at your local hardware / home & garden shop include a basic carbon monoxide detector and a radon testing kit.

Talking Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if gas levels in your home rise to an unsafe level. Carbon monoxide can leak from any poorly maintained fuel burning appliance and an appliance can go wacky without you knowing. Other places carbon monoxide can come from include, kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke, worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) or nearby auto, truck, or bus exhaust.

If you’re exposed to carbon monoxide at low levels you may feel fatigue or chest pain. At high concentrations, carbon monoxide can cause impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea, flu-like symptoms, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function. CO exposure can be fatal. A carbon monoxide detector can actually save your life and all homes should have at least one.

The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all homes be tested for radon. Radon, a radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste, can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the most common cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and claims about 20,000 lives annually. Studies show that it’s found in all 50 states and that one out of every 15 homes has an elevated radon level.

According to the EPA, radon can creep into your home through…

  1. Cracks in solid floors
  2. Construction joints
  3. Cracks in walls
  4. Gaps in suspended floors
  5. Gaps around service pipes
  6. Cavities inside walls
  7. The water supply

Luckily testing for radon only takes minutes and is easy to do. Learn how to test for radon.

Testing your home air quality is just one part of the puzzle. You need to also keep mold in check, keep icky chemicals out of your home, and take daily steps to improve your indoor air quality.

New Ways to Solve Indoor Air Pollution

February 26, 2009 in Air Quality by Jennifer | 1 comment

Indoor air pollution is fairly common. Here at Best Green Home Tips, we’ve looked at many ways to keep the air in your home clean and healthy. To catch up, read…

Today, some extra tips that can help keep your home green and your indoor air clean.

Be an Apple user: I’m actually a PC girl, but Apple computers are free of PBDE which makes them a green step above if you can go that route.

Use a cloth shower liner: Vinyl shower liners suck to keep clean and worse can release icky chemicals into your home air and in some people these chemicals can even cause allergic reactions.

Opt out of dry cleaning: Dry cleaning, in most cases, is super bad for your health and the earth’s well-being. If possible only buy fabrics and home items that you can clean yourself. If that’s impossible, go with a greener dry cleaning option. Also read, “Green” Dry Cleaners to Be Leery Of.

Don’t forget your pets:  Most people don’t consider their pets when it comes to greening their home, but your dog’s bed may be releasing chemicals if you haven’t gone organic. That said, a good dog bed can do double duty for your air quality. Dog and cat beds capture a lot of dander and if you go organic (or buy beds made with natural materials) the bed won’t release chemicals found in conventional cotton.

Some healthy pet bed options: Read the rest of this entry »

The VOC-free Home – 11 Ways to Keep VOCs Out of Your Home

January 23, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 1 comment

In the last post we looked at what VOCs are. Now let’s look at some tips that can help you keep VOCs out of your home.

  1. Look for products that have low-VOC or no VOC labels. There’s no standard labeling system for VOCs, but many companies do make low or no VOC products. If you’re curious about standards, it pays to check out a company’s website to learn more about their ethics and VOC goals.
  2. Avoid aerosol products.
  3. Use natural air freshers.
  4. Buy natural beauty and health care products (soaps, cosmetics, and so on).
  5. Have a clean home air-make-over. There are tons of things you can do to clean the air in your home. Many of these steps naturally help limit VOC exposure.
  6. Learn how to properly dispose of and / or recycle hazardous household waste.
  7. Buy natural organic bedding and other natural and organic home textiles.
  8. Learn to co-exist with plants.
  9. If you build a home, choose a green architect and green building supplies.
  10. Avoid products that contain PVC. You can look for PVC-free labels or check out the PVC-free family guide.
  11. Buy sustainable furniture which tends to avoid things like pressed wood and particle board – both of which are heavy on the VOCs.

How are you avoiding VOCs at home?

What Are VOCs – Keep VOCs Out of Your Home

January 22, 2009 in Air Quality, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | No comments

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are gases that are emitted by various synthetic materials (both liquids and solids).

VOCs can be found in a large amount of products you may use in your home from paints to household cleaners to plastics to cosmetics to building materials and lots more. You can see a technical list of VOCs here (in pdf) or a more user friendly list of VOCs here.

Why be afraid of VOCs:

Plenty of health issues can occur from exposure to VOCs. According to the EPA the following are issues…

“Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.  Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.”

VOCs are worse indoors than out, which is a major reason why you need to be aware or the products being used in your home. Research has found that indoor VOC levels average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoor levels. Shockingly, after immediate exposure to some activities, like paint stripping, levels in your house can be up to 1,000 times greater than outdoor levels.

Not only are VOCs more problematic indoors than out, but you can be exposed even if you’re simply storing a product with high VOC levels. Many VOC laden products release the VOCs when used, but some also release them when they’re just sitting around in your cupboard.

Next up we’ll have some tips about how to limit your family’s household exposure to VOCs.

20 Ways To Quickly Get Sustainable at Home

December 12, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Some sustainable acts take a big leap. Others you can easily manage in less than 30 minutes and still make a difference. Here are 20 easy sustainable steps you can take to green your home.

  1. Install low-flow shower heads.
  2. Stop all the incoming junk mail.
  3. Reuse your foil and plastic baggies or better yet, lose these items and use reusable containers and plain old foil free baking sheets.
  4. Use both side of your paper.
  5. Turn the oven off 7 minutes early.
  6. Unplug five items you’re not using right now!
  7. Cancel your newspaper.
  8. Cook three vegetarian meals a week.
  9. Load the dishwasher, instead of washing by hand.
  10. Clear out the toxic household cleaners and whip up some quick and easy homemade green cleaners.
  11. Test your toilet for leaks.
  12. Throw that can in the recycling bin instead of the trash.
  13. Fix a button, zipper, or hemline, and make curtains, blankets, and clothing last longer instead of buying new.
  14. Wash your laundry on cold.
  15. Use green recycled toilet paper.
  16. Defrost your freezer.
  17. Open your windows for at least 30 minutes each day.
  18. Cut five minutes off your daily shower.
  19. Use rechargeable batteries.
  20. Make sure your morning coffee is green.

Recycling Hazardous Household Waste

October 6, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

It’s easy to recycle cardboard, paper, and plastic, but what about recycling hazardous household waste? It’s a little tougher. However, you can’t just toss icky stuff in the trash, or down the sink. Hazardous waste is called hazardous for a reason; toss it out and it’ll pollute groundwater, soil, and streams.

Hazards you might have around the house include things like:

  • Paint and paint thinner
  • Varnish or wood stains
  • Motor oil, antifreeze, and other automobile fluids
  • Toxic cleaners
  • Weed or bug killer
  • Some adhesives, caulking, and other household fix-it supplies
  • Batteries
  • Some arts and craft materials

Some items like paints or art supplies can be donated rather than tossed. Get the full scoop on paint recycling here. Other items are more tricky. Follow these steps:

  1. Use up what you can. What you can’t use, should be donated when possible, and if you can’t give it away (think old batteries) move on to step two.
  2. Call your local community disposal or recycling company and ask. Most of the time, these folks will know where to send you and your toxic recyclables.
  3. Look up hazardous waste drop-off sites in your community. To locate these drop-off sites, a quick trip to your online city or county website will do the trick. Look under headings like waste disposal or recycling until you find what you need.
  4. Visit Earth 911. If you’re at a dead end, Earth 911 can usually help. Earth 911 has a super fast recycling search guide; all you do is enter your zip code and the item you’re looking to recycle.

You may also be interested in learning about Aerosol Product Recycling.

At Home Recycling – What You Can’t Recycle

September 13, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

When recycling at home, it’s smart to know what is recyclable, but just as important to know is what’s not. Sometimes placing non-recyclables in a bin can get a whole bundle of actual recycling goods tossed, because not all facilities have the time or inclination to sort.

Sorting recyclables is something you need to do at home, before your recycling bins are picked up and emptied. Following are some items you don’t want to toss in your recycling bins…

Wet cardboard can jam recycling sorting machines at recycling facilities and may mess up an entire load of recyclables. It’s better to allow wet cardboard to dry before placing it in your bin. Also, covered recycling containers or bins with slotted covers can protect your cardboard from getting wet curbside.

Plastic lids on juice containers, jelly jars, soda, and more cannot be recycled. These lids are made of a different sort of plastic than the bottle itself. Remove all lids so that your bottles don’t end up being trashed by the recycling facility.

Special items like batteries, old car parts, computers and more can’t usually just be stuck in a recycling bin and carted off. These items need to be specially handled. Most of the time facilities are available that can recycle special items, but you’ll need to look for a specific local recycling center.

Stuff you think you can’t recycle – but can: Recycled items don’t have to be soapy clean. Rinsing your jars, cans, and bottles in water is good enough. If you say add a lemon to a bottle of tea or beer, and you can’t get it out, it’s still ok to recycle. You don’t need to crush cans (as people did in the past) and you also can leave labels on.

To learn more about recycling at home read; What Can & Can’t be Recycled

What Can & Can’t be Recycled

July 25, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 3 comments

Yesterday we looked at Getting back to Basics – Recycling in Your Community – where to learn about recycling in your community and neighborhood.

Today let’s take a look at what can and can’t (in most cases) be recycled…

recycling truck

What you can, in most cases, recycle:

Paper

Glass

Plastic – you’re limited in what plastics you can easily recycle. You honestly should not be buying plastic drink jugs and milk jugs (paper or glass is better). Overall, the best plastic tip is to buy as little as possible.

Misc garbage – clothing, old paint, computers, and batteries are just some of the misc trash you can recycle. It depends on your area, but if you contact Earth 911 you can find a place to recycle these sort of items.

Metal – tin cans, soda cans, and foil items can usually be recycled.

Things that are difficult to recycle: (difficult, as in some areas offer recycling for said items, and some may not. Also people who are creative can recycle many items.)

Aerosol cans made from combined materials.

Some juice boxes.

Squeeze plastic bottles – like ketchup. Glass is a better option.

In some areas light bulbs, broken glass and pottery, foam, plastic silverware, plastic bags, carbon paper, and more can’t be recycled. Try to limit buying what can’t be recycled in your community.