Happy 4th of July

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. Last night at a family function I told a few people about the blog and it lit a fire beneath me to get back in the blog saddle. Speaking of fire, I hope everyone gets out and enjoys some fireworks this weekend and who knows, maybe you'll have a beverage or two watching the show. I challenge you to try something new with your empty beverages - take them home with you and recycle them. Then go a step further. The next time you buy a beverage on the go, don't drink it and throw it away in the first trash can you see, take it home with you and recycle it too.

Did you know that in 2007 only 24.6% of plastic bottles were recycled in the U.S.? That means we throw away 3 out of 4. Aluminum cans are better, but only 53.8% are recycled, which means we throw away 1 out of 2 cans. I think most people think we are doing a good job recycling, but away from home, too many things get thrown away. Yes, I know we need to get more recycling containers in more places. I'll work on that, and maybe you can bring a can or bottle home with you too.

Have a Happy 4th of July weekend!

Summer energy saving tips

It doesn't feel like summer in MN yet, but I'm an eternal optimist and when it warms up get ready for high summer energy prices once again. They say the average home spends over $2,200 per year on energy. Here are a few energy saving tips to cut down expenses (courtesy of EPA):

• Set your programmable thermostat to save while you are away or asleep. Using it properly can save up to $180 per year in energy costs.
• Run ceiling fans in a clockwise direction to create a wind-chill effect that will make you “feel” cooler. Remember that ceiling fans cool people, not rooms -- so turn them off when you leave the room.
• Inspect your duct system for obvious signs of leaks and disconnections (most houses leak 20 percent or more). Seal any leaks with foil tape or a special sealant called “duct mastic.” Also consider insulating ducts in unconditioned areas (like the attic, basement or crawlspace).
• Seal air leaks around your home to keep the heat out and the cool air in. The biggest air leaks are usually found in the attic or basement, but also come in around doors, windows, vents, pipes and electrical outlets. Use caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to seal the leaks. And add more insulation to keep your home cooler this summer.
• Maintain your cooling system. Check your system’s air filter every month at a minimum and change the filter every 3 months. Remove leaves, dirt and other debris from around the outdoor components to improve air flow and efficiency. Have a qualified professional tune-up your system with a pre-season maintenance checkup and, if it’s time to replace your old system, look for models that have earned EPA’s Energy Star.
• Turn off office lights and equipment when not in use so they don’t generate unnecessary heat.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs in your desk lamp with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs which use two-thirds less energy and generate less heat than conventional bulbs.
  

More tips on to how to save energy at home: http://www.energystar.gov

More tips on how to save energy at work: http://www.energystar.gov/bizcooling

More hot tips for a cool summer: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-summer.htm

Recycling, Running and Rain

Most everyone has heard of the 3 R's, right? Rain, Running, and Recycling. If you are in a spring softball league these 3 R's are more prevelent than Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Last night at Noble Sports Park I personally witnessed the first set of 3 R's, it was raining, our team was running and the recycling carts are back at the park!

So don't forget, when you're at the softball fields or on the go, don't throw away that bottle or can, look for a recycling cart! It's just 1 can you say, well recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for 3 hours!

Results from Spring Recycling Day

This past Saturday we had our Spring Special Material Drop-Off. We set a new record for one of our events with 1,692 vehicles brought in t.v.'s, computers, appliances, etc for recycling. That's serving over 4 vehicles per minute. We received 110,000 lbs. of electronics, 500+ appliances, 1,400+ gallons of oil. Great job to the people who brought things in for recycling and great job to the workers that made things go smoothly!

Happy Earth Day

What can I say, it is the day that started it all. Do something good today, something for you, something for someone else, something for mother earth. Do a little thing that makes a difference. Drive the speed limit (this can be an eye opening experience for some), walk that extra few feet and put that paper in the recycling bin, park in the back of the parking lot and walk a few more extra steps. Turn out the lights when you're not in a room. These little things can make a big difference! Happy Earth Day!

National Cell Phone Recycling Week

I don't think there are any unclaimed weeks or months left anymore, you know, real exciting things like National Estate Planning Week (Sept. 20-26 last year), or national fitness month (May). Personally, I'm looking for a National Napping Day. What? Wait...it really does exist? (National Napping Day was March 9th) I missed it!

Anyway, my plug is for National Cell Phone Recycling Week, which is next week April 6-12. I don't want to spoil the exciting details, so you can see the details at the link above.

I wonder if there is a National Blogging Day?...Why do I even question it's existence, Google says it exists.

Recycle Bottle Caps

Did you know that most bottle caps that go in the recycling bin do not get recycled? I know, shouldn't all plastic that goes into a recycling cart be recycled? In a perfect world, yes, in the real world there are more types of plastics than are current recycling equipment can handle.

So how can you recycle your bottle caps? Bring them to Aveda, a local beauty salon and salon product manufacturer. They accept all sorts of bottle caps from water bottles, milk bottles, laundry bottles and the list goes on. Aveda stores are in Blaine, Bloomington, Minneapolis, and Edina.

They also have a program for kids to get a cap recycling program at their schools. Kids bring in the caps from home, they fill up a box at school and Aveda pays for the shipping and recycling. Visit http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.asp for more information on the caps they accept and how to start a program at a school.