The year in review ..

I love the news programs on TV that review the year and remind us of all the events that took place in the last 12 months. So, what better time than the last day of the year to update you on some of the green living changes we made and how they worked out. Here are a few of the things that had the biggest impact on our house.

Composting and Recycling

This year we began composting ... something that we thought would be difficult in an Apartment. It has worked surprisingly well. We turned planters, not in use, into compost bins and started tossing raw fruit and vegetable matter into them. We now have three bins "working". There is no smell, no bugs and no "icky" factor. The food scraps are decaying rapidly and hopefully we'll have fertile soil in the spring.

Recycling was another activity that we thought would be difficult in a small space. But ... where there is a will, there is a way. We converted trash cans in our office to "paper only" cans. We also put some boxes in our laundry room, which is right off the kitchen, and now toss all recyclables into them. Every week or so ... we make a run to the local recycling area.

The result of these two actions is that the garbage bin has become our smallest can. And, before tossing anything into any bin, we consider whether or not it can be re-purposed.

Energy Consumption

This year we kicked up our energy saving practices. Out of 12 light bulbs in two bathrooms, we twisted off 8 (no one needs that much light). All electrical devices, with the exception of the VCR, the refrigerator and the stove, were put on power bars and when not in use, the power was completely off ... no phantom power gluttons. Things like cell phone chargers or battery chargers were unplugged until needed and then, they were only plugged in long enough to charge up the device. In the summer, rather than use air conditioning, ceiling fans were employed and we ... well ... opened the windows. Adjusting the curtains throughout the day also helped keep temperatures comfortable. In the winter, we dressed warmer and used blankets while watching TV. If the temperatures dipped too low, we turned on the heat ... but only long enough to warm things up and take the chill out of the air.

By far our biggest energy change was the use of the hot water heater. Rather than leave it on, all the time, we opted for turning it on for 30 minutes a day. Our water heater doesn't have an on/off switch but ... the circuit box is easy to get to so ... we just flipped it on and off as required.

These efforts were rewarded by lowering our electric bill considerably ... from $90.00 at it's highest to $34.00 last month. More importantly, there was an energy savings ... from a high 1054 kWh to the current 320 kWh.

Starting this blog

One of the most important green living changes in my life has been writing this blog. Through it, I have learned so many things. In addition, I've met wonderful people ... people who care about each other ... and the planet. In the beginning, my goal was to create a place where we could share ideas and perhaps, between us, compile a large enough list that everyone could do something. Thanks to all of you, that goal has been met.

Now it's your turn

What green efforts have you made this year? What are the efforts that you are most proud of ... and why? Of the green efforts you began this year, which has had the most impact? And has there been anything that was a bust?

I look forward to 2009 and sharing even more green ideas.

To all of you ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Top 5 Reasons to Recycle Your Cell Phone

Awhile back, we talked about recycling batteries (you can read that post HERE). As mentioned in that post, cell phones are also recyclable.

Today, we are once again privileged, to have a guest author. Jeremy Sherman, Project Manager of Customer Magnetism, www.customermagnetism.com, has graciously submitted the following article for your consideration.

Top 5 Reasons to Recycle Your Cell Phone

Technology is constantly evolving, especially in the realm of cellar devices. You can’t turn on your TV without being bombarded by the newest, fastest, sleekest cell phone model. Each one comes with more capabilities and bells and whistles. So the time comes in every cell phone’s life to say goodbye. Change is good, but what happens to your old friend? Does it end up in a junk drawer? In an old box somewhere? If you’re like millions of Americans, it ends up in the trash….and this can be a serious problem. Recycling cell phones is an easy process which has many benefits. Below are 5 reasons why recycling your cell should be a priority.

Cell Phones Contain Toxic Materials

That sweet gun metal finish, back lit LCD screen, and QWERTY keypad come at a price, and that price is toxic materials. Most all cell phones these days contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. Yeah, arsenic. When you toss it in the trash, it ends up in an incinerator or landfill, where those materials can combust causing some major environmental issues. These materials often times sweep into the soil or drinking water which ends up affecting a lot more than just the landfill they get dumped in. Many of these materials like cadmium and lead are known to cause liver and lung cancer in humans. With the average shelf life of a cell phone peaking out at 18 months, it’s easy to see how these little devices can result in a much larger problem.

All Those Phones Add Up!

When was the last time you met someone without a cell phone? Nowadays kids take notes via text message and surf myspace on their iPhones. Just about everyone has a cell, and they all want the newer, better version coming out next year. If the average cell phone user is only holding on to a phone for 18 months, that creates a LOT of waste. The EPA predicts that more than 150 MILLION cell phones are thrown away each year. That’s 75,000 tons of toxic material waste every single year. There is no sign of those numbers slowing or decreasing in the future. By recycling your phone, you are helping to cut down on this growing problem.

Just Because It’s Not New, Doesn’t Mean It Can’t Work

Wait, you’re telling me that my phone only has a 7 mega pixel camera, but this super new phone has a 16 mega pixel camera?? I’m ready to upgrade. But that doesn’t mean that Mr. 7 mega pixel no longer works. In fact 80% of the 150 million cells that are thrown out each year are in perfect, or close to perfect working order. When you recycle your phone, it is thoroughly inspected for its quality and whenever possible, it is refurbished and resold. But how does this benefit you? You’ve moved on to higher quality pictures and unlimited texts. By recycling your phone, you’ve helped keep production costs down, and in turn it keeps product costs down as well. That’ll come in handy next time you upgrade.

Even If Your Phone Is Dead, It Can Still Be Recycled

You spilled coffee on your phone, your dog chewed it up, and the screen is dead? It can still be recycled even if it can’t be reused. Many times broken phones still have many working parts which are reused in the production of new phones. Even in the event your old faithful phone is truly dead, all the metals and materials used to make it can be broken down and reused to make new cell phones. By recirculating the materials, it can significantly cut back on the need for new metal mining. All this is done in a completely environmentally safe process.

Recycle and Get Involved

November 15^th is “America Recycles Day”. This national holiday is in its 11^th year and going stronger than ever. Through the countless efforts of many local and national recycling and environmental facilities millions of Americans will learn what they can do to help. According to the EPA, if only 1 million cell phones were recycled, they could produce enough energy to power 1,940 homes with electricity for a full year! If 150 million phones got recycled that’d mean electricity for 291,000 homes. What better way to be a part of ARD than by starting off with recycling your old cell phone.

If you’d like more information on cell phone recycling, or if you’d like to find out what you can do to help, contact GRC Recycling, http://www.grcrecycling.com/

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!