More stuff to get rid of...?

The curbside clean up continues in Crystal and New Hope this Saturday, Oct. 3rd. See www.hrg-recycling.com for more details. We are 2/3 done in Crystal and New Hope and completed the 2009 area in Brooklyn Park. So what have we seen? We saw participation from 60%-80% in different neighborhoods, we also saw many items that grew legs and jumped into the back of cars and trucks. Reuse is great, but if you notice a problem with scavenging, call 911.

One thing we didn't take at the curb was TV's and computers, but we will take them for free on Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 8300 Noble Ave N, which is the Brooklyn Park Operations & Maintenance Facility. Other free drop-off items include oil, oil filters, antifreeze, batteries, bicycles, scrap metal, and household donations for the Vietnam Vets of America. Car tires cost $1/tire for recycling, pickup truck tires cost $2/tire. Appliances cost $10/unit and air conditioners are $15/unit.

Free food, trucks and trash

I bet I can get you to say yes...and if you do, then you have to take part in one of these events. Do you like trucks? Do you have some junk to get rid of? Do you like free food? See, I knew you would say yes to at least one of them.

Junk, trash, recyclables...whatever you call it, if you have them, I'll help you get rid of them. On Sept. 19 we have a curbside clean up in Brooklyn Park. If you live both east of Noble Ave N and South of 85th Ave N put out your old couch, carpet, mattress, appliance, or scrap metal and we'll haul it away for free! This curbside clean up is also being done in Crystal and New Hope starting Sept. 19. Don't wait, get a hold of me at 763-493-8007 or e-mail me with questions at dan.ruiz@brooklynpark.org

Maybe Trucks and Free Food got you to say yes and if they did, you can't miss our 1st Annual Brooklyn Park Operations & Maintenance Facility Open House on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 8300 Noble Ave N. There are tours, free food, kids activities and plenty of trucks to see and climb into.

19 million TV's

I just read an interesting piece that said Americans will buy over 19 million televisions next year. Let me qualify that, 19 million 40" or larger televisions! Wow, I'm behind the times. My 25" TV is feeling pretty inadequate right now.

On a somewhat more serious note, being who I am, I thought about all those old TVs that may be destined for the basement, garage or recycling center. Remember, TVs can't go in the trash, but they can be recycled for free at the Hennepin County Recycling Center in Brooklyn Park.

I also thought about the power that those big boys suck from the outlet and so did the EPA, at least a little. Have you ever heard of Energy Star? If not, check it out (http://www.energystar.gov/tvspec ) Starting May 2010 large TVs that want the Energy Star label have new energy standards where they will have to use 50% less energy than old TVs.

Made in Minnesota

This post is long overdue...I get many phone calls from people wondering what happens to their recyclables when they are collected. Thankfully, they are made into new products right here in Minnesota! I borrowed some information from our friends at Anoka County on this list, but here is a sample of what some recyclables are made into and where they are made:

Glass Bottles - goes to Anchor Glass in Shakopee to be made into new glass bottles and jars.
Newspaper - goes to Rock-Tenn in St. Paul to be made into cardboard liner board.
Cardboard - goes to Liberty Paper in Becker to be made into cardboard boxes and paper bags.
Metal Cans - goes to Gerdau Ameristeel in St. Paul to be made into rebar for construction.
Plastic Bottles - goes to Master Mark Plastics in Paynesville to be made into plastic lawn, garden and building supplies.

So, there you have it, your recyclables are at work here in Minnesota!

Cardboard

It's not glamorous and if you have a bunch of it, it is a pain to get rid of it. On trash day there is quite a bit of it out there. What is it?...Cardboard. Many things we buy come in cardboard boxes, but overall we don't do a very good job recycling cardboard. Is it because the box is too big? Do we forget? Don't we care? Well, we try to make it as easy as possible to recycle cardboard - just put it in your recycling cart. If it doesn't, fold/cut it down into a bundle 3 foot by 3 foot by 6 inches thick and tape/tie the bundle and place it next to your recycling cart. We'll take as much as you have!

Remember, you have to put it out on trash day anyway, but how about putting it in the recycling cart instead of the garbage?

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