ECO Facts
Please take a moment to read this important information that pertains to all of us. Thank you!
What type of plastic bags can be recycled?: Most drop-off bag collections accept polyethylene film. This includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE or #2 plastic) and low-density polyethylene (#4 plastic or LDPE). It's great if your bags have markings on them, but since most do not, it's good to know some general guidelines.
Some plastics that can be recycled with bags at the grocery store are:
plastic shopping bags (from any store - remove receipts, etc.)
food packaging (Ziploc-type bags)
bread bags
plastic liners from cereal boxes (do not include if they tear like paper)
produce bags
dry cleaning bags (remove staples, receipts, hangars)
plastic newspaper wrapping
product wrapping (such as covers a case of water bottles, etc.)
bubble wrap and air pillows (popped)
plastic shipping envelopes (remove labeling)
ALL materials should be clean and dry. Not just a quick rinse. If your bags are not completely clean of food residue, they will contaminate the entire batch.
Other plastics need to go into the trash. These include:
frozen food bags
cereal box liners that tear like paper
biodegradable bags
pre-washed salad bags
candy bar wrappers
chip bags
six-pack rings (cut them up so wildlife don't get trapped in the rings)
From https://recyclecoach.com/residents/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-plastic-bag-recycling/
Locate a Recycler - Earth911.org: The website Earth911.org has a "Recycling Locator" that allows you to locate nearby recyclers by entering your city or ZIP code and the item you wish to recycle.
Excerpt from publication by UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center's "Appliance Recycling Guide"
Cleaning Products: Don't be sucked in by chemical-based antibacterial cleaning products. Most bacteria are, in fact, killed by hot, soapy water, which is the most environmentally friendly way to keep your house clean. Plain soap, water, baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, and borax can be used to tackle almost all household cleaning needs.
1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Green Decisions: One of the best things you can do to help the environment is to talk about your green decisions. Letting people know they can do something small that will help the environment is a major step in changing behavior. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Cell Phone Chargers: According to Future Forests, only 5% of the power drawn by cell phone chargers are actually used to charge phones. The other 95% is wasted when you leave it plugged into the wall, but not into your phone. [Please unplug your charger when not charging your phone.] www.treehugger.com www.treehugger.com
Paper Margins: Why are the margins on most word processing programs set to 1.25 inches? No good reason. It's completely arbitrary and a waste of paper. Change the margins to 0.75 inches [or even 0.50 inches]. Don't forget the top and bottom too.
Gold Waste: The gold produced for a single 0.33 ounce, 18 karat gold ring leaves in its wake, 18 tons of mine waste.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Great Pacific Garbage Patch “a heap of floating debris that's twice the size of Texas". An enormous stew of trash “that consists of 80% plastic and weighs some 3.5 million tons“ floats between San Francisco and Hawaii. The Patch has been growing tenfold every decade since the 1950's. www.sfgate.com
Trees: According to the USDA Forest Service a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion, over a 50-year lifespan. www.printgreener.com
Fruit Trees: One of the best things you can do in your garden is to plant a fruit tree. Apple, plum, and pear trees are all hardy varieties and will provide fruit for you as well as a home for birds and other wildlife. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Fuel Economy: The typical engine loses two percent in fuel economy for every mile per hour above 55. So, a vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour drops to 21 MPG when the speedometer hits 70.
Biodegradation: Non-biodegradable products do not degrade in landfills, but neither do paper, food waste, and so-called "degradable" materials. Instead, they mummify in the oxygen-deprived or anaerobic environment of modern landfills. Modern landfills are designed to minimize biodegradation in order to prevent the generation of methane gas and leachate (liquid run-off) which can cause ground contamination. Please keep everything possible out of a landfill. Please recycle.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Livestock are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions as measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent, reports the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). This includes 9% of all CO2 emissions, 37% of methane, and 65% of nitrous oxide. Altogether, that's more than the emissions caused by transportation. www.csmonitor.com
Window Shades: When properly installed, window shades can be one of the simplest and most effective window treatments for saving energy. Lower shades on sunlit windows in the summer. Shades on the south side of a house should be raised in the winter during the day, then lowered during the night. apps1.eere.energy.gov
Narrow Margin Settings: On a document, Narrow margin settings = more text per page = less paper used = save money [and trees] www.changethemargins.com
Decrease driving 10 miles per week: Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! green.ndtv.com
Laundry: Wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot. Studies show that clothes get just as clean and a lot less energy is used because up to 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is expended just heating the water. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
A plant on your desk: A plant on your desk acts as a natural filter, absorbing airborne pollutants and computer radiation while replenishing oxygen levels. green.ndtv.com
Engine Idle: Turn off your car's engine when you have a longer than normal traffic stop, such as at a railroad crossing. Letting the engine idle wastes gas and contributes to air pollution. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Car Washing: Wash your car on the grass, not the driveway. That way, harmful chemicals will be filtered by grass and soil before they reach local waterways, where they can harm delicate aquatic life. Living Responsibly - Ocean Conservancy. www.oceanconservancy.org
Impact of Reusing and Recycling Electronics: (A) Creates opportunities for others who may not be able to afford new equipment. (B) Protects your health. Toxic chemicals like lead or mercury found in some electronics are managed properly when equipment is recycled. (C) Conserves natural resources. Materials from old electronics can be reused to make new electronics. This saves energy. (D) Recycling one million laptops saves the amount of electricity used by more than 3,600 homes per year. Wisconsin Public Service - Energy. www.epa.gov
Preheating the Oven: Don't waste energy preheating the oven. It's not necessary for cooking most foods. For cookies or cakes, preheating for 10 minutes is usually plenty. When cooking roasts or casseroles, turn the oven off about 15 minutes early; the heat left in the oven will finish the job. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Eucalyptus Oil Disinfectant: For a disinfectant that really works, gets rid of grease, and even attacks rust, mix 3 - 6 tablespoons of eucalyptus oil with 2 pints of water and pour into a spray bottle. Shake before use and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Bat House: Loss of natural habitat has impacted many wild species, including bats. If you have space in your yard, you can help by putting up a bat house. Bats provide a valuable service by eating huge quantities of flying insects like mosquitoes, plus they pollinate many kinds of plants. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Deter Ground Mammals: To deter ground mammals like rabbits from eating tender spring crops, sprinkle dried holly leaves around plants. The spiky leaves will hurt the animals' feet, which discourages them from approaching. The leaves will biodegrade over time. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Hand Washing Dishes: On average, hand washing dishes uses significantly more water than a dishwasher because most people tend to leave the faucet running or wash dishes several times a day. Running a dishwasher fully loaded, particularly if dishes aren't pre-rinsed, uses about 35 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. answers.yahoo.com
Refrigerator Energy Consumption: In most households, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance. Replacing a refrigerator bought in [or before] 1990 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for nearly four months. www.energystar.gov
Reusable Bags: Each year an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter every year. Please use reusable bags.
Arbor Day Foundation: If every American planted just one tree [or donated to an organization like the Arbor Day Foundation www.arborday.org that will plant a tree for you], the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere would be reduced by 1 billion pounds annually. www.printgreener.com
Ideas for Disposing of Used Electronics: Ecycling. This partnership between the EPA and consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and mobile service providers, promotes opportunities for donating or recycling electronics. Visit www.epa.gov and select the type of equipment you are disposing of - computer equipment, cell phones, or TVs. The site will provide you with donation ideas, recycling programs, and more. Wisconsin Public Service - Energy. www.epa.gov
Motor Oil Contamination: One gallon of motor oil can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of water. Please dispose of properly. www.planetpals.com
Breaking Down: Examples of how long it is estimated it takes some things to break down:
glass – never
plastic & aluminum – 500 years
cotton & paper – 6 months www.planetpals.com
Recycling Glass: The energy saved when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light an incandescent light bulb for four hours. www.planetpals.com
Paper Grocery Bags: Each year 14 million trees are cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans. Tree regrowth cannot keep up with the current logging rate. [Please use reusable bags.] www.simpleecology.com
If Americans Donated or Recycled All Used Electronics: If Americans donated or recycled all used electronics, it would eliminate two million tons from ending up in landfills ANNUALLY - enough to fill 18-wheelers stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wisconsin Public Service - Energy. www.epa.gov
Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major culprit in global warming, however methane has 23 times the global warming potential of CO2 and nitrous oxide has 296 times the warming potential of CO2. www.csmonitor.com
Wasted Paper: Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S. Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year; about 680 pounds per person. The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. www.usi.edu/recycle/paper-recycling-facts/
Your Lifestyle: Don't try to change your lifestyle dramatically all at once. Be realistic about making green changes and incorporate them gradually in your daily life. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Copy on second side of paper: It takes 10 times as much energy to produce a new piece of paper than it does to make a copy on the second side.
Weed-Free: If you want your lawn to stay weed-free, keep the grass long rather than cutting it short. Taller blades shade the roots, discouraging weed growth. Keep grass about 3 inches long for natural weed prevention. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Ozone Damages: Ozone damages the natural balance of the atmosphere's top layers. Because laser printers release ozone into the environment, they're best avoided. If you already have one, use it only when really necessary. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Greenhouse Gas: Carbon footprint: "the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product". en.wikipedia.org
Trash to Treasure: Have something you want to get rid of for free? Your "trash" may be someone else's treasure. https://www.freecycle.org
Ink Stains: A great way to remove ink stains from fabric without polluting the environment with harsh cleaners is to soak the item in milk, then wash as usual. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Buy a Tree: The next time you need to get a gift, why not buy a tree? If the recipient doesn't have room for a tree, make a donation in their name to a tree-planting organization like American Forests www.americanforests.org instead. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd www.americanforests.org
Reusable Mug: If every coffee drinking American used a reusable mug instead of a throwaway cup, it would save close to 7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every day. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Food waste: We [Americans] generate 21.5 million tons of food waste each year. www.dosomething.com
Kitchen Trash Cans: Sprinkle a handful of salt into kitchen trashcans to neutralize odors naturally. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Milk and Meat Production: A third of global arable acreage (500 million hectares) is used for milk and meat production – though milk and meat make up just 15% of our food basket. www.treehugger.com
Recycle Paper: Recycle as much paper as possible. On average, paper can be recycled 7 times before the fibers become too short to be reused. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Clothes Washer: Over the life of a new ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer, you'll save enough money in operating costs to pay for the matching dryer. www.energystar.gov www.energystar.gov
Wrinkle-Resistant Fabrics: Many wrinkle-resistant fabrics have been treated with formaldehyde, poisonous to many living things, so avoid buying no-iron products altogether. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Wool Blanket: In winter, make your bed feel warmer by placing a wool blanket beneath the bottom sheet. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
TerraCycle, Inc: TerraCycle, Inc. pays organizations and schools to collect items that are generally considered unrecyclable "trash" and turns them into usable products. They collect and pay for items like children's juice pouches, Nabisco cookie wrappers, Frito Lay chip bags, and other items and use them to produce school folders, pencil cases, backpacks, notebooks, pens, and waste & recycling containers. https://www.terracycle.com
Carbon Offset: A carbon offset is a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Individuals purchase offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions, for example, personal air travel. Offsets are typically generated from emissions reducing projects, most commonly renewable energy: wind farms, biomass energy, hydroelectric dams. en.wikipedia.org
ENERGY STAR Dishwasher: Replace your old dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR dishwasher. These dishwashers are at least 41 percent more efficient than minimum Federal energy consumption standards. Not only do they use an average of 1,000 fewer gallons of water per year, but they also use significantly less energy. answers.yahoo.com
Recycled Paper: Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees. www.planetpals.com
Quote on stewardship: "We can learn about it from exceptional people of our own culture, and from other cultures less destructive than ours. I am speaking of the life of a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children; who has undertaken to cherish it and do it no damage, not because he is duty-bound, but because he loves the world and loves his children" From Wendell Berry. From his 1971 book Unforeseen Wilderness. https://www.professorbuzzkill.com
Aluminum: It takes 95% less energy to make aluminum from scrap than from virgin materials. www.buyrecycled.com
Unplug laptop before using: Using your laptop with the charger plugged in results in twice as much energy consumption. Unplug your charger during laptop usage, and save both energy and money on your next electric bill.
How much water does it take?: It takes about 70 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of gas. It takes about 120,000 gallons of water to produce a small car. It takes about 35 gallons of water to produce a bicycle. www.chelseagreen.com
Ocean Trash: 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year. www.planetpals.com
Rainforest: 4,281 acres of rainforest are lost every hour worldwide. www.printgreener.com
Aluminum Cans: 5 billion aluminum cans are used each year. www.planetpals.com
Household Waste: The EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. www.dosomething.org
Saving Energy: Remember, saving energy prevents pollution. www.energystar.gov
Plastic: Most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastic every year. www.planetpals.com
Earth's Water: Distribution of Earth's water: 3% fresh water and 97% saline. ga.water.usgs.gov
Printing Documents: Make sure you print documents on both sides of the paper. It's easy even if your printer does not have a setting for double-sided printing, most applications have an odd-and-even printing option so you can easily produce double-sided pages. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Concentrated Detergents: Until recently, most laundry detergents were made using large amounts of filler. Opt for one of the new, more concentrated, detergents that uses less packaging and requires less energy for transportation. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd
Local Recycling Info: Village of Crivitz residents may bring recyclables to the Town of Stephenson Single-Stream Recycling site located at 308 August Street on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am-4pm. Scrap metal may also be dropped at the site and some appliances are accepted for a small fee. Please check with the site attendants for further information. https://villageofcrivitz.com/public-works/
Stop Junk Mail: To stop junk mail there is no nationwide "Do Not Mail" registry. Try: www.catalogchoice.org , www.donotmail.org , www.optoutprescreen.com , www.dmachoice.org, and green.yahoo.com. 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet by Esme Floyd. http://www.donotmail.org
Energy Vampires: Energy vampires: electronics that continue to consume electricity while they are plugged in and on standby mode. Major consumers are computers, multi-function printers, flat-screen TV's, DVD players, VCR's, CD players, power tools, & hand-held vacuums. Solution: plug them into a power strip and turn off at the power strip when not in use. www.green.yahoo.com
Dispose of used motor oil properly: Remember that everything flows downstream and the oceans are downstream of everything. And they don't have an endless capacity to absorb waste. Every year people dispose of 161 million gallons of used motor oil - an amount greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill - improperly. Much of this oil ends up in waterways and oceans, where it takes a tremendous toll on aquatic life. Living Responsibly - Ocean Conservancy. www.oceanconservancy.org
Retrieve Fishing Gear: Retrieve all fishing line, lures, or gear - even if tangled or broken. Fishing gear can entangle or injure wildlife - and people. And because it is durable, it can continue catching and killing fish indefinitely. Living Responsibly - Ocean Conservancy. www.oceanconservancy.org
Biofuel: Biofuel is defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel derived from relatively recently dead biological material and is distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, biofuels can be produced from any (biological) carbon source; although most common sources are photosynthetic plants. en.wikipedia.org
Recycle Old Computers: Computers pose an environmental threat because much of the material that makes them up is hazardous. A typical monitor contains 4 - 5 pounds of lead. Please recycle your old equipment. http://www.planetpals.com
Waterfront buffer zone: If you live right on the water, plant a buffer zone of trees, tall grasses, and shrubs to filter runoff and to provide shelter and habitat for wildlife. Living Responsibly - Ocean Conservancy. www.oceanconservancy.org
Global Warming: "Arguably the best way to reduce global warming in our lifetimes is to reduce or eliminate our consumption of animal products", writes Noam Mohr in a report for EarthSave International. "It doesn't have to be all the way to the extreme of a vegan, if you simply cut down from two burgers a week to one, you've made a substantial difference," states Dr. Gidon Eshel.
Reusable Bags: Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest. [Please use reusable bags.]
Harmful Invasive Species: When you haul your boat out of any waterway, rinse your boat on the spot to remove hitchhiking plants and organisms. By doing so, you help prevent the spread of harmful invasive species. Living Responsibly - Ocean Conservancy. oceanconservancy.org http://www.oceanconservancy.org
Paper or Plastic?: The answer to the "paper or plastic"? dilemma is: Neither. They're roughly equal in pros and cons. They both gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution. [Please use reusable bags.]
Reuse/Resale Appliances: Reuse/Resale
Various charitable organizations accept used appliances for repair and resale. Organizations that might accept used appliances include Habitat for Humanity Restore, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, or similar charities. Contact them in advance to ask if they will accept your particular appliance.
Excerpt from publication by UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center's "Appliance Recycling Guide".
Recycle old appliances when new ones delivered: The easiest way to recycle an old appliance is to have it taken away, when a new appliance is delivered. Many appliance retailers will offer to recycle your old appliances, but they may charge a fee for this service. When making a purchase, be sure to ask about the store's recycling program.
Excerpt from publication by UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center's "Appliance Recycling Guide"
Appliances accepted at Recycling Centers and Scrap Yards: Scrap yards and recycling centers often accept appliances for recycling. For many appliances, there is no fee, but most sites will charge for appliances with cooling elements. If you are taking your refrigerant-containing appliances to a scrap yard or recycling center, check to make sure the location is on the DNR's list of registered refrigerant-removal sites: dnr.wi.gov, search "refrigerant".
Excerpt from publication by UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center's "Appliance Recycling Guide" http://dnr.wisconsin.gov
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycling: For more information on recycling in Wisconsin see: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycling https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycling
ecosia.org: This search engine will donate one tree for every 45 searches made on it. http://ecosia.org
Stainless steel reusable straw: Help reduce the 500 million straws that are thrown away each day. Buy a stainless steel straw that can be reused and washed along with your dishes.
Peeing in the shower: By peeing in the shower, you can save about 1,157 gallons of water a year.
Slices of bread: Over 240 million slices of bread are thrown away each year. This number might be a lot lower, if people knew that bread can be safely eaten up to one week after its expiration date and up to six months if you freeze it.
Collecting used shoes: Approximately 300 million shoes are thrown out each year. Donate them to a local charity or send them to bioped.com. https://www.bioped.com/giving-back/
Eco-friendly household cleaner: Make a simple, eco-friendly, household cleaner by throwing your leftover citrus peels into a spray bottle, along with equal parts boiling water and vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a week before using.
Calculate your carbon footprint: Your carbon footprint is heavily based on your daily travel, the energy usage in your home, how much money you spend shopping, and the composition of your diet. You can enter this information on nature.org to calculate your carbon footprint. https://nature.org
Eco-friendly stainless steel cleaner: Mix 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with ¼ cup cream of tartar. Be sure to mix this in a glass or plastic container (no metal). Use the mixture as a scrub for your stainless steel and rinse with warm water.
Cold water laundry: About 90% of the energy the washing machine uses goes towards heating the water. Washing in cold saves energy, saves your clothes and could help save the planet. https://coldwatersaves.org
Your ashes can grow a tree after you die: At urnabios.com you can buy biodegradable urns that contain a tree seed and are designed to receive nutrients from your ashes. https://urnabios.com
Rechargable batteries: Although rechargeable batteries cost about five times more than regular batteries, the break-even point (where the cost of the batteries is offset by the reduced cost of energy usage) occurs after less than two years. After that point they'll cost the buyer less than 25 cents per year.
Distilled white vinegar, baking soda, citrus natural cleaner: Most day-to-day cleaning can be done with all natural products like distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and citrus. For recipes and instructions, please check out treehugger.com. https://www.treehugger.com
Dryer balls instead of dryer sheets: Cut down on laundry costs by replacing your fabric softener/dryer sheets with a set of dryer balls. They are reusable, and they don't contain toxins like dryer sheets do. Also the tags on many clothes state not to use fabric softener.
