North America's #1 Recycled Material
| Material | Tons |
|---|---|
| Steel | 61,870,064 |
| Paper | 41,980,346 |
| Aluminum | 3,749,700 |
| Glass | 2,551,426 |
| Plastic | 1,923,759 |
Estimated Tons Recycled By Material Since January 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
North America's #1 Recycled Material
Estimated Tons Recycled By Material Since January 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Seven Tricks to Green Halloween
Seven Tricks to Green Halloween
This is a guest post by Michele Berger, an associate editor at Audubon magazine. You can follow her on Twitter.
This Halloween, the trick-or-treaters will be out in their ghoulish splendor, scoring sugar-laden loot by the bucketful, then wolfing it down piece by chocolaty piece. All that candy generates one serious bellyache—and some serious waste. But celebrating Halloween doesn’t have to include every established tradition. This year, why not swap one of them for something a little more eco-friendly, say making your own decorations or mixing up some homemade face paint? Here are seven ways to green your Halloween without giving up any of the fun.
1. Trade costumes with friends. Halloween outfits get worn once or twice for a few hours. Swapping with a pal means saving money—the average consumer spends about $30 per costume, according to the National Retail Federation—and it lessens the clothing’s environmental impact. “Swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons,” says Corey Colwell-Lipson, founder of Green Halloween, a non-profit aimed at making Halloween less harmful to the planet. No need for a big soiree to exchange get-ups; bringing together a few people works, too. Search National Costume Swap Day for an event nearby.
2. Cook up face paint in your kitchen. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 10 face paints for heavy metals in 2009, and the results would spook anyone: All contained low levels of lead, and six had allergens like nickel, chromium, or cobalt. Mixing face paint in your kitchen actually isn’t tough. Start with a thick substance like unscented lotion or pure cocoa butter, then add natural food coloring or edible elements: blueberries for blue, beets for red, cinnamon for brown, you get the idea. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics offers recipes. To prevent adverse reactions, always patch test on the inside of the wearer’s wrist, Colwell-Lipson recommends.
3. Give candy wrappers a second life. If you simply must eat the candy Halloween brings—admittedly, most of us do—try something unique with those Snickers wrappers. For the craft-minded, take on a project like this colorful pouch or these cute barrettes. For a simple solution, send the trash to TerraCycle’s Candy Wrapper Brigade. The company, which donates two cents for every waste unit collected, takes wrappers of any size candy and from any brand. Poof, your garbage becomes a notebook, a tote bag, even a park bench. Since the Brigade began three years ago, nearly 5.5 million wrappers have been upcycled instead of heading to a landfill.
4. Get crafty. Spook your neighbors with your spectacular skill. Colwell-Lipson suggests, for example, making a candy collector from an empty coffee can. “Every year, put the date, what [your child] dressed up as, and a little note until they’re done trick-or-treating,” she says. The craft becomes a family memento. For decorations, get creative: make ghosts from old sheets, tie cobwebs with black yarn, or fill empty jars with colored liquid “specimens.”
5. Stock up on green candy. No need to give up sweets just to lessen your environmental footprint. There’s candy-with-a-cause sold by companies that donate a percentage of profits to charity. Or maybe you focus on organic or fair trade products, which consider environmental impact (the former), as well as economic and social criteria (the latter). You could ditch the treats altogether and instead give out non-food items—what Colwell-Lipson calls treasures—something like seed packets or toys made from recycled materials.
6. Use the whole pumpkin. Purchase one that’s local, preferably from a nearby farmers’ market rather than the grocery. Here it’s helpful to procrastinate; the longer you wait before getting your pumpkin, the longer you have before it rots. Jack-o-lantern pumpkins—those that typically get carved—are edible, but according to the University of Illinois, a smaller variety called the sweet pumpkin is best for cooking. When carving the orange globe, save the innards and seeds for eating, and at the holiday’s end, compost the gourd. (Check out this Audubon blog post for more tips on using the whole pumpkin.)
7. Toss out routine. Try reverse trick-or-treating, a Global Exchange program where children give out fair-trade candy or a note explaining the initiative. Or plan a progressive Halloween with stops at several homes. “Go to each house and have one activity and one treat,” says Colwell-Lipson. For example, drink apple cider and play pass the pumpkin, then move on to the next place for different food and fun.
Dentists are even in on the action, participating in a program that buys back candy from kids then sends it to troops overseas. So no matter how big or small your sweet tooth, there’s a shade of green for you this Halloween.
You can be environmentally friendly without losing the Halloween spirit. Photo: Getty Images
This Halloween, the trick-or-treaters will be out in their ghoulish splendor, scoring sugar-laden loot by the bucketful, then wolfing it down piece by chocolaty piece. All that candy generates one serious bellyache—and some serious waste. But celebrating Halloween doesn’t have to include every established tradition. This year, why not swap one of them for something a little more eco-friendly, say making your own decorations or mixing up some homemade face paint? Here are seven ways to green your Halloween without giving up any of the fun.
1. Trade costumes with friends. Halloween outfits get worn once or twice for a few hours. Swapping with a pal means saving money—the average consumer spends about $30 per costume, according to the National Retail Federation—and it lessens the clothing’s environmental impact. “Swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons,” says Corey Colwell-Lipson, founder of Green Halloween, a non-profit aimed at making Halloween less harmful to the planet. No need for a big soiree to exchange get-ups; bringing together a few people works, too. Search National Costume Swap Day for an event nearby.
2. Cook up face paint in your kitchen. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 10 face paints for heavy metals in 2009, and the results would spook anyone: All contained low levels of lead, and six had allergens like nickel, chromium, or cobalt. Mixing face paint in your kitchen actually isn’t tough. Start with a thick substance like unscented lotion or pure cocoa butter, then add natural food coloring or edible elements: blueberries for blue, beets for red, cinnamon for brown, you get the idea. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics offers recipes. To prevent adverse reactions, always patch test on the inside of the wearer’s wrist, Colwell-Lipson recommends.
3. Give candy wrappers a second life. If you simply must eat the candy Halloween brings—admittedly, most of us do—try something unique with those Snickers wrappers. For the craft-minded, take on a project like this colorful pouch or these cute barrettes. For a simple solution, send the trash to TerraCycle’s Candy Wrapper Brigade. The company, which donates two cents for every waste unit collected, takes wrappers of any size candy and from any brand. Poof, your garbage becomes a notebook, a tote bag, even a park bench. Since the Brigade began three years ago, nearly 5.5 million wrappers have been upcycled instead of heading to a landfill.
4. Get crafty. Spook your neighbors with your spectacular skill. Colwell-Lipson suggests, for example, making a candy collector from an empty coffee can. “Every year, put the date, what [your child] dressed up as, and a little note until they’re done trick-or-treating,” she says. The craft becomes a family memento. For decorations, get creative: make ghosts from old sheets, tie cobwebs with black yarn, or fill empty jars with colored liquid “specimens.”
5. Stock up on green candy. No need to give up sweets just to lessen your environmental footprint. There’s candy-with-a-cause sold by companies that donate a percentage of profits to charity. Or maybe you focus on organic or fair trade products, which consider environmental impact (the former), as well as economic and social criteria (the latter). You could ditch the treats altogether and instead give out non-food items—what Colwell-Lipson calls treasures—something like seed packets or toys made from recycled materials.
6. Use the whole pumpkin. Purchase one that’s local, preferably from a nearby farmers’ market rather than the grocery. Here it’s helpful to procrastinate; the longer you wait before getting your pumpkin, the longer you have before it rots. Jack-o-lantern pumpkins—those that typically get carved—are edible, but according to the University of Illinois, a smaller variety called the sweet pumpkin is best for cooking. When carving the orange globe, save the innards and seeds for eating, and at the holiday’s end, compost the gourd. (Check out this Audubon blog post for more tips on using the whole pumpkin.)
7. Toss out routine. Try reverse trick-or-treating, a Global Exchange program where children give out fair-trade candy or a note explaining the initiative. Or plan a progressive Halloween with stops at several homes. “Go to each house and have one activity and one treat,” says Colwell-Lipson. For example, drink apple cider and play pass the pumpkin, then move on to the next place for different food and fun.
Dentists are even in on the action, participating in a program that buys back candy from kids then sends it to troops overseas. So no matter how big or small your sweet tooth, there’s a shade of green for you this Halloween.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Buy Coffee in Bulk
Do you buy in bulk? The numbers behind this practice say it saves big when it comes to #sustainability and #money.
For example, if Americans dropped prepackaged #coffee for a full year and went to the bulk foods aisle to get their fix, it would result in a reduction of nearly 240 million pounds in foil packaging.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Photo gallery: Earliest trash vehicles through 1929
COURTESY, THE HEIL CO.
1920s Open End Dump Body
Waste and Recycling News
While searching through various archives across the country, we found some really sweet rides. Here are some of the earliest iterations of the garbage truck, up until 1929.
COURTESY, THE HEIL CO.
The first side-tipping riveted iron
garbage bodies were built for the
city of Milwaukee in the early 1900s.
COURTESY, CALIFORNIA REFUSE RECYCLING COUNCIL
Workers from the Scavenger Protective Association stuff their wagon with waste from San Francisco in the early 1900s
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Turn Trash into Art
Brazil's 'Catadores' Turn Collected Trash into Beautiful Works of Art
SAP is a well known $18 billion enterprise software company that helps businesses across the world keep their operations running seamlessly. What many of us do not realize is SAP lends its employees to advise non-profits around the world so that they can boost economic opportunities for some of the world’s poorest citizens. One success is in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
As is the case with many cities in Brazil, Belo Horizonte’s urban poor include catadores, itinerant trash collectors who collect garbage from businesses and residential areas. The work is tedious, difficult, dirty and of course, dangerous, but this is the only way some of Belo Horizonte’s catadores can support themselves and their families. Many of spent time in prison or much of their lives in the streets and therefore have no other way to make a living. One non-governmental organization, ASMARE, has connected garbage collectors to the training and social services they need to become more self-reliant professionals. The result is more skills for these catadores, many of whom eventually move into other lines of businesses and build a better life for themselves and their families. Recently a group of SAP employees spent a sabbatical in Belo Horizonte and worked with ASMARE’s staff to create a new communications plan, catalog the organization’s services and redesign its website.
As a result, ASMARE and its partners have even more opportunities to sell more of furniture and art, most of which catadores themselves make out of materials including discarded tires, plastic bottles and magazine scraps. In addition to keeping waste out of Belo Horizonte’s landfills, the art we feature in the following slideshow gives ASMARE a steady revenue stream and for the trash collectors turned artists, self-esteem and hope.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Sports Car Parts Made from Newspaper
Sports Car Parts Made from Newspaper
For More Pictures go to http://earth911.com/news/2012/10/12/vij5-peugeot-onyx-concept-car-newspaperwood/
Last year, Dutch design label Vij5 made headlines in the green scene for its unique line of furniture and home decor items made from recycled newspaper. The innovative material - appropriately dubbed NewspaperWood by designer Mieke Meijer - was unveiled at an exhibition in Milan last year, where Vij5 designers were approached by French automaker Peugeot. After a year of working together in secret, the two labels unveiled their futuristic concept car - which is on display at the 2012 Paris Motor Show until Oct. 14. Along with super-efficient engine technology, the Peugeot Onyx concept car features NewspaperWood material in its interior - drawing attention from car-lovers and reuse enthusiasts alike.
Last year, Dutch design label Vij5 made headlines in the green scene for its unique line of furniture and home decor items made from recycled newspaper. The innovative material - appropriately dubbed NewspaperWood by designer Mieke Meijer - was unveiled at an exhibition in Milan last year, where Vij5 designers were approached by French automaker Peugeot. After a year of working together in secret, the two labels unveiled their futuristic concept car - which is on display at the 2012 Paris Motor Show until Oct. 14. Along with super-efficient engine technology, the Peugeot Onyx concept car features NewspaperWood material in its interior - drawing attention from car-lovers and reuse enthusiasts alike.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Mercury Products Recycling Grants
State Environmental Officials Announce New Mercury Products Recycling Grants
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or DENR, has initiated its first Mercury Products Recycling Grant program to assist local governments in creating or expanding mercury recycling programs for fluorescent lights, thermostats and other mercury-containing products.
In recent years, millions of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have replaced incandescent bulbs in households across the state and nation. CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, typically 3-4 milligrams, similar in quantity to the tip of a ballpoint pen. In addition, households across the state are upgrading their heating and cooling controls from mercury thermostats to programmable thermostats. As CFLs, mercury thermostats and other products containing mercury reach the end of their useful life – and as state officials work to keep mercury and other heavy metals out of landfills – the need for improved recycling options for the public grows.
The Mercury Products Recycling Grant offers communities throughout the state the opportunity to fund public collection programs, increasing recovery and ensuring proper disposal of mercury-containing products. Collaborative public and private efforts to properly manage mercury-containing products and to minimize the release of mercury into the environment can provide significant long-term health and environmental benefits. This new DENR grant program – administered by the department’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach, or DEAO – is intended to increase the number of recycling centers throughout the state, adding to options such as the CFL recycling services sponsored by public utilities and offered at such retail stores as Lowes and Home Depot stores.
“We strongly encourage counties and municipalities to provide citizens recycling options for mercury-containing products,” said DEAO Director Edythe McKinney. “With financial and technical assistance available from the state, starting a program should be easy and will certainly help to reduce the environmental impacts of mercury pollution.”
For more information about the grant program, city and county government officials interesting in applying for funding should visit DEAO’s Local Government Recycling Assistance grants program webpage
at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/deao/recycling/lg/financial-assistance. Questions about the Mercury Products Recycling Grant program can be directed to Sandee Roof at sandee.roof@ncdenr.gov or 919-707-8116.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Plastic Pants
Levi's newest line of jeans are made partly of recycled water bottles, beer bottles and plastic food trays.
Would you be more likely to buy clothing if it was made with recycled materials?
Would you be more likely to buy clothing if it was made with recycled materials?
Sunday, October 21, 2012
MEDIA ADVISORY: Meetings for northern coastal reserves set for October
N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
RALEIGH – Local advisory committees for the Currituck Banks component of the N. C. National Estuarine Research Reserve, Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve and Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve will meet Oct. 29 and 30. The meetings are open to the public.
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management announced that:
· The Buxton Woods Local Advisory Committee will meet from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 29, at the Buxton Fire Department, N.C. 12, west of the Lighthouse Road intersection, Buxton, N.C.
· The Currituck Banks Local Advisory Committee will meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 30, at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, Currituck Heritage Park, 1160 Village Lane, Corolla, N.C.
· The Kitty Hawk Woods Local Advisory Committee will meet from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 30, at the Kitty Hawk Town Hall, 101 Veterans Memorial Drive, Kitty Hawk, N.C.
The committees consist of local residents, partners and leaders who provide the N.C. Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve staff with guidance and feedback regarding management of the reserve sites.
The Kitty Hawk Woods and Buxton Woods committees will welcome new members, appointed earlier this year by the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The new members were selected to represent a diversity of perspectives, including uses and topics related to each individual reserve site, which may include recreational use, traditional use, volunteering, education or research.
The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve Program protects natural areas for education, research and compatible recreation. Since its creation in 1989, the program has preserved more than 41,000 acres of unique coastal environments at 10 sites along the coast.
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management announced that:
· The Buxton Woods Local Advisory Committee will meet from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 29, at the Buxton Fire Department, N.C. 12, west of the Lighthouse Road intersection, Buxton, N.C.
· The Currituck Banks Local Advisory Committee will meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 30, at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, Currituck Heritage Park, 1160 Village Lane, Corolla, N.C.
· The Kitty Hawk Woods Local Advisory Committee will meet from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 30, at the Kitty Hawk Town Hall, 101 Veterans Memorial Drive, Kitty Hawk, N.C.
The committees consist of local residents, partners and leaders who provide the N.C. Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve staff with guidance and feedback regarding management of the reserve sites.
The Kitty Hawk Woods and Buxton Woods committees will welcome new members, appointed earlier this year by the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The new members were selected to represent a diversity of perspectives, including uses and topics related to each individual reserve site, which may include recreational use, traditional use, volunteering, education or research.
The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve Program protects natural areas for education, research and compatible recreation. Since its creation in 1989, the program has preserved more than 41,000 acres of unique coastal environments at 10 sites along the coast.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
"Holy Recycled Comics Batman"!
Wham! Old Comic Books are Ripe with Repurposing Potential
Unwanted comic books add catchy and colorful recycled finishes to everyday accessories and décor.
If you are informed that for some reason your old comic books are less than desirable and/or not worth cold hard cash, at least try donating them to a library, school, children’s summer camp, church, hospital, nursing home, charitable organization, thrift store, etc. You might even leave a few copies in doctor, salon and clinic waiting rooms to put a smile on a stranger’s face.
- Accent your fashion statement du jour with a pair of recycled comic book paillette earrings.
- Upgrade a plain pair of ballet flats with images cut from an old comic book.
- Tightly wind thin strips of comic book pages into beads that can be transformed into a cool wrist cuff.
- That old lampshade needs a fresh new outlook. Help it shine with a comic book page transformation!
- Make recycled comic book valentines for that special someone.
- Make a comic book tablecloth sandwiched in a layer of fused, waterproof, recycled plastic!
- Adorn your jacket lapel or book bag with a bunch of handcrafted comic book pin buttons.
- Wallpaper a room!
- Cover gifts with recycled comic book wrapping paper, and don’t forget to make matching gift tags.
- Revamp old furniture such as chairs, cabinets and coffee tables, or boxes and even toy dinosaurs with comic book decoupage.
- Beverage coasters are another unique application for old comic books, as are bracelets and hand-wrapped pencils.
- Make your next party a bit more festive by hanging a homemade recycled comic book garland.
- Adorn a lonely table with a handcrafted comic book bouquet in a recycled glass bottle.
- Tuck your school ID or a few select credit cards into a protective recycled comic book case.
- Make a necklace pendant by following the steps in this easy tutorial.
- Have a bunch of comic books that are water damaged? Instead of plunking them in your recycling bin, allow them to literally spawn new life by seeding them with this year’s garden.
- Mail letters inside totally eco, totally awesome recycled comic book envelopes — just use an old envelope as a template.
- Throw a comic book-themed baby shower accented with oodles of recycled decorations.
- Dress up a hair clip with an image gleaned from a favorite old comic book.
- Create a decorative comic book dish that can be displayed on a wall or used as a basic catchall.
- Give a beat-up flask a total makeover by covering the outside with a new comic book look.
- Cover old light-switch plates with select comic book graphics for a playful punch of color.
- Guess what? If you appreciate the artistic esthetics of your comic books fully intact, you can simply use them to bestow a nerd-tastic vibe to your walls. Pop each one in a frame and you’re good to go!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Keep Americal Beautiful Prioritizes
Most communities take an integrated approach to managing their waste, employing several tactics in combination for the greatest effectiveness.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prioritized integrated waste management options in a hierarchy in order of least-to-most environmental impact. Most communities use some or all of these options. Click to learn more about:
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Keep America Beautiful Precycles
Keep America Beautiful believes that every consumer makes two important choices that affect the amount of waste in America:
What products we choose to buy or use, and
How we choose to dispose of the product when finished with it.
At the point of purchase or use, consumers have the opportunity to consider a product, its packaging, how it is constructed, whether it can be reused or recycled, and whether it is made from recycled materials. By choosing recycled, recyclable or reusable products, we can extend the functional life of a product and divert it from the landfill.
Purchasing recycled products also helps by creating a market for the recycled material, "completing the loop." Consumer demand is a powerful factor affecting the waste stream, and our decisions make a huge difference.
Once a product has reached the end of its functional life, consumers decide how it will enter the waste stream. Reusing, recycling or composting waste materials is always the ideal option.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
UPS Getting Greener All the Time
UPS Rolls Out Hydraulic Hybrid Delivery Vehicles
Photo courtesy of UPS
As one may imagine, delivery drivers assigned to urban routes spend a great deal of time stuck in traffic jams, meandering through tight corners and stopping frequently on city blocks, which hurts vehicle fuel economy and can lead to increased carbon and particulate emissions.
To decrease the environmental impact of urban delivery, UPS plans to deploy 40 hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs) as part of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, the company announced last week.
Developed by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Parker Hannifin Corporation, the hybrid delivery vehicles can achieve up to 35 percent improved fuel economy and up to 30 percent CO2 emissions reduction over traditional diesel-powered vehicles that use automatic transmissions in stop-and-go applications.
Related: UPS Tests Super-Efficient Truck
Emissions-saving HHVs operate on two power sources – a fuel-efficient diesel combustion engine and advanced series hydraulic hybrid. Energy created by the vehicle's continued braking action is stored in the HHV's hydraulic high-pressure accumulator, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Through energy-storing technology, HHVs are able to capture and reuse 70 to 80 percent of the otherwise wasted braking energy, according to EPA estimates.
To further reduce fuel waste, hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicles have a function to turn off the engine and drive the vehicle using the stored energy to propel the vehicle. This engine-off strategy can reduce up to 90 minutes of engine run-time on a typical route, according to UPS.
The company already has one pilot HHV in operation in Laguna Hills, Calif. and has been working closely with manufacturers to develop and test HHV technology since 2006. Engineers will continue to monitor performance of the most recent HHV deployment in an effort to increase efficiency for a wider roll-out of hydraulic hybrid delivery trucks in the coming years, said Mike Britt, director of alternative fuel vehicle engineering for UPS.
"I'm very optimistic that the hydraulic hybrid is going to fare well in our system and our vocation," Britt told Earth911. "We've been doing analysis on every mile [our HHVs] have run so far. Of course, there may be some mechanical tweaks we have to do, because it's a new technology - not only to UPS but to our vocation."
More Crazy Fuel-Saving Inventions: Device Saves Semi Truck Fuel, Cuts Shipping Costs
The EPA estimates that the additional cost of HHV technology is about $7,000 for the UPS package car. In today’s dollars, the net lifetime savings of this technology in a typical UPS truck, which is used for 20 years, would be over $50,000. If fuel prices continue to increase faster than inflation, the lifetime savings would be even greater, proving how much impact the switch could have on both operational costs and fuel use.
UPS debuted 20 HHVs in Baltimore last Thursday, and the company plans to roll out the remaining 20 vehicles in Atlanta next month, Britt said.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Not Just for Fishing Anymore
Let worms eat your organic waste! They will happily turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth - worm compost, otherwise known as "worm castings" or "vermicompost."
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. By following the steps listed below, you will learn to make, maintain and use your own worm compost.
The rule of thumb for bin size is two square feet of surface area per person, or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week. Because worms like moderate temperatures, place your bin in a shady location where it will not freeze or overheat. Some good locations include:
A handful or two of soil, ground limestone or well-crushed eggshells every few months are good for providing grit and calcium. Fill your bin with moistened bedding, toss in a few handfuls of soil, and you are ready to add the worms and food. Over time, the bedding and food are eaten by the worms and turned into dark worm compost.
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. By following the steps listed below, you will learn to make, maintain and use your own worm compost.
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. Photo: Howstuffworks.com
Worm Bins
Your bin needs to be only 8 to 16 inches deep, since compost worms are surface feeders. You can build your own bin by using a washtub, dish pan, used shipping crate or a commercially available worm bin. Just be sure your bin has a lid to keep out flies and rodents. It also needs holes in the bottom (a quarter inch or smaller), for ventilation and drainage.The rule of thumb for bin size is two square feet of surface area per person, or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week. Because worms like moderate temperatures, place your bin in a shady location where it will not freeze or overheat. Some good locations include:
- Kitchen corner
- Garage
- Basement
- Patio
- Outside the back door
- Laundry room
Bedding Materials
Black and white newspaper is the most readily available and easy-to-use bedding material. Tear it into strips about one inch wide and moisten so it is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Cow or horse manure can also be used to lighten bedding and absorb excess moisture.A handful or two of soil, ground limestone or well-crushed eggshells every few months are good for providing grit and calcium. Fill your bin with moistened bedding, toss in a few handfuls of soil, and you are ready to add the worms and food. Over time, the bedding and food are eaten by the worms and turned into dark worm compost.
Worms
The best kind of worms for composting are "red worms" or "red wigglers." They are often found in old compost piles, but are different from the earthworms you would normally find in the ground. These worms have a big appetite, reproduce quickly and thrive in confinement. They can eat more than their own weight in food every day! When purchasing red worms, one pound is all you need to get started.Feeding Your Worms
Worms like to eat many of the same things we eat, only they aren’t so picky. Some of their favorites include:- Stale bread
- Apple cores
- Orange peels
- Lettuce trimmings
- Coffee grounds
- Non-greasy leftovers
- Vegetable scraps
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Don't Throw the Towel In
Help Save 571,230,000 Pounds of Paper Towels
Photo: Shutterstock
Joe Smith, former District Attorney for Oregon's Umatilla County and former chair of the Oregon Democratic Party, unleashed these statistics during March's TEDxConcordiaUPortland event in one of the most straight-forward TEDx talks we've ever stumbled upon.
The problems with paper towels are many-fold: they don't contain significant amounts of fiber for recycling and when they're dirty or wet, they degrade even further and become non-recyclable. And paper towels soaked in oils, pet or baby waste or other harmful substances should be steered clear of the compost pile.
We've come across quite a few paper towel alternatives before – simple terrycloth rags, fancy snapping towel sets and, not to be forgotten, the old wipe-your-hands-on-your-pants trick – but Smith's strategy is devilishly simple and comes in handy in workplace and other public restrooms
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Chain First to Sell 100 Percent Recycled, US Made Clothing
Chain First to Sell 100 Percent Recycled, US Made Clothing
SustainU makes 100 percent recycled clothing from pre-consumer cotton and post-consumer polyester. Photo: SustainU
One person's trash is another consumer’s t-shirt.
Eastern Mountain Sports, one of the country’s leading sports equipment retailers, recently became the first large national chain to carry 100 percent recycled clothing made in the U.S.
The clothing is made by manufacturer SustainU, a West Virginia-based company that blends pre-consumer cotton waste and post-consumer polyester comprised primary from plastic bottles and post-industrial polyester scraps into a sustainable textile with a marked decline in carbon footprint thanks to the company’s ban on virgin materials.
“As an outdoor retailer, Eastern Mountain Sports is committed to doing everything we can to preserve and protect our planet," Eastern Mountain Sports CEO Will Manzer says in a press release. “That's why we're proud to partner with SustainU to reduce the environmental impact of our graphic t-shirts while supporting a small, American business."
SustainU is about more than creating a sustainable, wearable product, the company says on its website. It’s also about creating manufacturing jobs in the U.S. in states that have been hit hard by the economic collapse.
“Less than two percent of the clothing sold in the US is actually made here. It is vital that we begin to bring this part of our economy back and the jobs that go with it,” SustainU CEO and founder Chris Yura says in the release.
The line of t-shirts and sweatshirts has competitive pricing similar to a sports brand like Nike or another U.S. based manufacturer, American Apparel, running between $20 and $40 per item.
Friday, October 12, 2012
New N.C. scrap regulations
New N.C. scrap regulations take effect, irk recyclers
- October 10, 2012
- By Jeremy Carroll @jeremyscarroll
The new law went into effect Oct. 1 and several recyclers voiced their displeasure with the new regulations to The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) newspaper.
The law unfairly targets the scrap metal business and sellers that don't have checking accounts, John Darlington, owner of J&E Salvage told the newspaper. He said he bought $32,000 worth of metal from 212 sellers in one day recently and said taking photos and writing checks extremely slows the process down.
Law enforcement officials told the newspaper that the new regulations were all about curtailing crime and unscrupulous sellers.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Carolina Beach State Park Marina Takes Recycling Fishing Line Seriously
Carolina Beach State Park Marina Takes Recycling Fishing Line Seriously
Island Gazette
Unusual outdoor recycling container at Carolina Beach State Park Marina is convenient for fishermen.
Carolina Beach State Park Marina has installed one indoor and two outdoor monofilament line recycling containers in hopes of capturing unwanted fishing line before it becomes litter. North Carolina Big Sweep provided the outdoor fishing line recycling containers, and the marina staff installed them on wooden posts near the fishing areas. The indoor container is located inside the marina. The marina at the 761-acre State park on Pleasure Island provides access “to some of North Carolina’s best fishing spots,” according to ncparks.gov. “Fishing is big here,” said Chris Helms, State Park superintendent.
The environment benefits when monofilament line is recycled, because monofilament line is non-biodegradable and lasts up to 600 years. It’s thin and usually clear, so animals have difficulty seeing it and can easily become entangled in it. A certified Clean Marina, Carolina Beach State Park Marina wants to keep fishing line out of the environment to protect birds and turtles. Helms, a 20-year veteran in State Parks, said he was stationed at Lake Waccamaw State Park when he saw a barred owl hanging upside down in a “mess” of fishing line. The good news back then was that they were able to rescue it in time, and the owl was later released alive. That is not always how it works out. Since 2000, Big Sweep volunteers reported only nine of the 32 animals entangled in fishing line could be released alive.
Funded by Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative and NOAA, the goal of this Big Sweep project is to reduce the harmful effects of monofilament line by providing a recycling container to each of the 15 Clean Marinas selected to participate in the project. In return for receiving a free recycling container, marina staff agree to regularly maintain the container as often as needed and to keep record of how much monofilament line is being recycled. The Clean Marina program and its companion, Clean Boating, are voluntary, non-regulatory programs coordinated by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management. The Clean Marina program’s purpose is to give recognition to those marinas and boatyards that manage their facilities using Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and environmentally responsible efforts. N.C. Big Sweep, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was originally founded in 1987 as Beach Sweep, an initiative to remove unsightly and harmful litter from the state’s coastline. It expanded inland in 1989 and was renamed Big Sweep, becoming the nation’s first statewide waterway cleanup. Its mission expanded in 2002 from litter-free waters to a litter-free environment. During its 25-year history, almost 320,000 Big Sweep volunteers have retrieved over 10.7 million pounds of debris—which is the visual equivalent of more than 26,000 football fields five feet deep in debris.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Jennette's Pier LEEDS the Way
Jennette's Pier Awarded Prestigious Green Building Certification
RALEIGH - The Aquariums Division of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced today that Jennette’s Pier has achieved the LEED Platinum rating, the highest designation established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute.
A ceremony to celebrate this achievement will be held in Oceanview Hall at Jennette’s Pier at 4 p.m. Oct. 18. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
According to David R. Griffin, director of the N.C. Aquariums, this award is meaningful to the aquariums and the state.
“I’m very pleased that we were able to construct a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility that employs so many green technologies,” Griffin said. “Both the department and division wanted to lead the state in demonstrating the viability of sustainable design and clean energy technologies, and we’ve met that goal.”
Jennette’s Pier achieved LEED certification for sustainable strategies including energy use, lighting, water and material use.
By using less energy and water, a LEED-certified building saves money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduces greenhouse gas emissions; and contributes to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community, said Laura Deaton Klauke, executive director of the N.C. Triangle Chapter of the USGBC.
“LEED Platinum is a tremendous achievement for the aquariums and is a concrete example of good stewardship of the state’s environmental resources,” she said. “Jennette’s Pier and the aquariums provide a fantastic and healthy place for all North Carolinians and our coastal visitors to learn and play.
“They created that space by eliminating waste and inefficiencies. The certification signifies the commitment to sustainability of the aquariums’ management and building team. But it is also recognition of our state and its leadership in building for the future.”
LEED certification of Jennette’s Pier was based on several green design and construction features that positively impact the project and the community. These features include:
· three Bergey Excel-S wind turbines;
· a reclaimed water system that reduces dependence on municipal water;
· a closed-loop, geothermal heating and cooling system;
· locally-sourced building materials;
· passive solar building design;
· efficient lighting sources such as LEDs and compact fluorescents;
· photovoltaic solar panels;
· a rainwater collection system with two cisterns; and
· a comprehensive recycling program.
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