Monday, Oct. 20
Today’s Tip: Recycle your old mattress.
When it’s time to buy a new mattress, don’t just landfill your old one. Donate or recycle it, instead.

In the United States, we throw away about 20 million mattresses each year, so donating or recycling means smaller landfills. Recyclers can separate the fiber, foam, steel, and wood for remanufacturing.

Check with the store where you’re buying your new mattress to see if it offers donation or recycling services for your old one.

Another option is to list your mattress for free on Craigslist or Freecycle.com on the internet. Chances are someone will want it.

Please clean your mattress before donating it. You can find do-it-yourself instructions for cleaning on www.instructables.com.

From idealbite.com, Oct. 6, 2008

Tuesday, Oct. 21
Today’s Tip: Recycle your inkjet cartridges.
It’s easy to reuse or recycle your inkjet cartridges, so get started today.

If you’ve been chucking your inkjet and toner cartridges in the garbage, you’re not alone. Over 13 cartridges are discarded in the U.S. every second, according to CartiridgeFundraising.com.

That’s hundreds of millions of cartridges that end up in landfills every year, made with plastics that can take at least 1,000 years to decompose. Not a good thing.

It’s actually easy to cut down on this waste. First, some inkjet cartridges can be used more than once by buying a refill kit. If this seems too messy, take your empties to the nearest Walgreens or Office Max store; they have drop-off centers so your ink cartridges can be reused or recycled by others.

Many companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, take cartridges back for free to be recycled or refurbished. They provide mailers or labels included in the package when you buy new ink cartridges.

It takes about 80% less energy to remanufacture plastic than to produce it new. And remanufactured laser cartridges use about half the amount of oil (a nonrenewable fossil fuel) needed to make brand new ones. So if you buy recycled cartridges to begin with, you’ll save them from entering the waste stream.

From thedailygreen, #2078

Wednesday, Oct. 22
Today’s Tip: Buy low-e window film.
Winter is right around the corner and all predictions say it may be a very cold one. While you’re waiting for the windfall that will pay for all new windows in your house, you can still reap many of the benefits of low-E coated glass by applying one of several types of window film to your panes. A plastic film with low-E coating can reduce heat loss through old windows by 40%.

Flipped one way, the film keeps solar radiation out in summer when it’s hot. Flipped the other way, it reflects heat back inside when it’s cold outside in winter.

For those who are particularly thrifty, it is a great do-it-yourself project, and not at all difficult. If you’d rather not mess with installation, you can pay to have the film professionally installed.

Whatever you do, please do your best to keep heated air inside this winter. Such measures reduce your carbon footprint, a big step forward to doing your part to halt global warming.

From thedialygreen, #1059

Thursday, Oct. 23
Today’s Tip: Fill up your cart at the grocery store.
Thinking ahead and filling your cart at the grocery store can save cash on electricity bills and gasoline.
The express line may save you a couple of minutes right now, but if you fill up your cart, and later your fridge, you’ll make fewer overall trips to the store, and save cash, energy, and hours in the process. Here’s are the facts:

• Half the pollution it takes to transport your food comes from your drive to and from the store, so make every trip count by thinking ahead and buying what you need for the week.

• Both your fridge and freezer are more efficient when packed full (but not so full cold air can’t circulate). In a power outage, they’ll even hold the temp for twice as long as half-full ones.

• Even the time you spend parking can make you think twice about going to the store for just a couple of items.

But be smart about your produce choices so nothing spoils before you get a chance to eat it.
Is your fridge empty? Pack it with water-filled containers like pitchers or water bottles. A fridge full of cool items retains the cold temp better and keeps efficiency high.

From idealbite.com, Oct. 1, 2008

Friday, Oct. 24
Today’s Tip: Don’t use commercial air fresheners.
Common household air fresheners are laced with synthetic chemicals that may mimic hormones and affect reproductive development. The government is really asleep at the switch when it comes to assuring the safety of these products. It does not test air fresheners for safety or require manufacturers to meet any specific safety standards.

According to several scientific studies, there is cause for concern with long-term repeated exposure. Even some brands marked “all natural” contain the synthetic chemical linked to endocrine disruption. Those most susceptible are unborn babies exposed in the womb or young children whose reproductive systems are still undergoing development.

The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 different brands of common household air fresheners and found that 12 contained the hormone-disrupter chemicals known as phthalates. Only two—Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects—contained no detectable levels of phthalates. The products that tested positive included ones marketed as “all-natural” and “unscented.” None had phthalates in the list of ingredients or anywhere else on the label. The three with the highest level of phthalates were Walgreens Air Freshener, Walgreen’s Scented Bouquet, and Ozium Glycolized Air Sanitizer.

Instead of commercial air fresheners, freshen indoor air naturally. Put a few cloves in a pan of water and simmer slowly on the stove. It will fill your house with fresh truly natural scent from the earth, not from some laboratory.

From thedailygreen, #694