Saving Water

I got a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week talking about saving water and it got me thinking. It's easy to forget about our most precious resource in the world, water. We take it for granted. Turn a knob and there it is. Worldwide approximately 1.2 billion people (15% of population) do not have access to clean water. Here in the U.S. we are blessed with water, but every year there are cases of drought and water shortages in every region of the country. This year has been a wet one in Minnesota, but we are still dealing with a drought that has ground water levels 5-15 feet lower than normal. Here are a few tips from the EPA on saving water:

· Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows up in the bowl indicating a leak, fixing it may be as simple as replacing the toilet’s flapper.
· Twist on a WaterSense labeled bathroom faucet aerator to use 30 percent less water without a noticeable difference in flow.
· Replace a showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model that uses less water and energy, but still has all the power of a water-hogging model.

For more water saving tips visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense/

Rain Garden Workshop Tonight

This is a bit late notice, but Brooklyn Park is hosting a rain garden workshop tonight, Thursday, June 24th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at city hall, 5200 85th Ave N. The cost is $10 and each paying attendee can bring a guest for free. Come learn the what, why, and how on rain gardens!

Juice Boxes and Milk Cartons

Did you know that all residents in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope can now recycle paper juice boxes and milk cartons in the recycling cart? That's right, juice boxes and milk cartons are made of mostly paper (70-85%), but they also have barrier layers of aluminum and plastic. A new process allows the layers to be separated and recycled. juice boxes can recycle and that includes other items like orange juice cartons and tomato juice boxes. Please throw away your straw (for now).

Thanks Jill (a blog follower) for requesting information about recycling juice boxes and milk cartons!

Happy 40th Earth Day

Today is a great day to celebrate the great things we do to keep our environment clean for future generations, but more importantly it is a great day to do more. Here are a few little things you can do that add up when we all do it.

• When you are done with your soda at lunch, if there is not a recycling container around, take it home with you and put it in your recycling container. Repeat 260 times each year (1x for every work day) and you will save the equivalent energy of 12 gallons of gasoline.
• Plant a tree, you already know this but food and lemonade tastes better in the shade on a hot day.
• Bring your reusable bag to the grocery store, it makes cents (about 5 cents at some stores)

Happy recycling and Happy Earth Day!

Cell Phone Recycling Week

Did you know that April 5-11 is National Cell Phone Recycling Week? I didn't until today, but I thought I would pass along some information about it. You've heard it before, but every phone counts. Recycling one cell phone saves enough energy to power a laptop for 44 hours. Wow!

You can always recycle cell phones for free at the Hennepin County Recycling Center at 8100 Jefferson Hwy. in Brooklyn Park.

The Environmental Protection Agency has more information on cell phone recycling opportunities as well at: http://www.epa.gov/cellphones

Yard Waste Site Now Open

I think we can officially say spring is here. It is 76 degrees out, the sun is shining, and most importantly the Maple Grove Yard Waste Site is open! Bring all your leaves, tree branches up to 10-inch diameter, and (eventually) grass clipping to the site. There is no charge at the gate for residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope. The site is open April 1st through November 30th, Mon-Sat 8am to 7pm and Sundays Noon to 7pm. For more information visit www.mgyardwaste.com

Cash for Appliances

As some of you may know, more federal stimulus money is up for grabs. Whether you agree with the funding or not, if you have an old refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher or washing machine, this is a good opportunity to trade up and save up to $200. The idea is to get some of these energy "hogs" off the grid and replace them with Energy Star models that use about 1/3 of the energy. Your old appliance must be recycled. Details are available at www.mnappliancerebate.com

The rebates will go fast and you can apply to reserve your rebate starting at 8:00 a.m., today, March 1st.