Week 26 - CFLs: Yes or No?

Before I begin I would like to point out this post marks the half way point in my “going green” adventure. To date it’s been fairly easy and really just involves paying attention; being aware of all my options. In the last 6 months I have noticed a ton of environmentally friendly products hit the market, providing more choices at realistic price points. For me the most exciting thing to happen since I began this blog is, both grocery stores in our town now offer reusable grocery bags at $.99! I think it’s great because they are available to all, are more than reasonably priced and will make a truly positive change for the environment with very little effort.

Now onto CFLs a.k.a.: compact fluorescent lights. I have to say with what I’ve been reading the last few months, I’m miffed. Here’s why. For about the last year we have been inundated by media from various sources (including environmental and governmental) encouraging everyone to switch from incandescent light bulbs to the new energy saving CFLs. We were led to believe the biggest hurdle for us would be the upfront higher cost of these bulbs and were assured we would experience savings over time. Using these bulbs would greatly reduce our energy expenditure and many countries including ours, have plans to eliminate incandescent bulbs altogether.

What we have not heard is CFLs contain mercury and as such are considered hazardous waste which requires specific methods and locations for disposal. We also have not heard, if we break one of these bulbs in our homes we have a hazardous waste situation; we have released mercury into the air. What’s the deal? Have we exchanged one problem for another? That is, greater energy consumption for hazardous waste?

Well here are some key points from National Geographic News (to read the article in it’s entirety visit news.nationalgeographic.com):

1. CFLs' cool-burning illumination is made possible by a pinch of poison—about five milligrams of mercury sealed inside every glass tube—and the need for the element is unlikely to change anytime soon.

2. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and long-lived environmental contaminant, and even the small amount present in CFLs poses a problem. When the bulbs break, either in the house or at a waste disposal site, their mercury content is released.

3. "There's a lot of misleading information out there," said Joel Hogue, president of Elemental Services and Consulting, an Ohio-based company specializing in the cleanup of sites contaminated with mercury. "But when people learn the facts, the level of hysteria dies down." Like with many other household products, Hogue said, the use of CFLs requires some commonsense precautions. But if a bulb breaks, his company's clean-up services are not required. "There's an extremely small amount of mercury in those bulbs," "It's a very minimal risk" and can easily be cleaned up at home.

4. One CFL contains a hundred times less mercury than is found in a single dental amalgam filling or old-style glass thermometer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

5. A compact fluorescent bulb can produce the same amount of light for less than quarter of the energy and last eight to ten times as long.

6. Because of these benefits, CFLs are widely seen as an "easy" first step for nations seeking to reduce global warming. The burning of coal for electrical power is a major source of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is now widely believed to be changing the earth's climate.

7. According to a recent report by the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Policy Institute, a worldwide shift to CFLs would permit the closing of more than 270 coal-fired power plants. Switching to CFLs in the U.S. alone could save the energy output of 80 plants.

8. For environmentalists, the clincher is that by requiring less energy, CFLs will actually cut down on mercury pollution produced by coal burning, and the EPA agrees.

Okay! It’s #8 which puts it into perspective.

While the use of mercury in these bulbs hasn’t been shouted from the rooftops (although it is labeled on the bulbs’ boxes, but who reads those?), it's origins have not been explained either. We just know it’s dangerous. More importantly, the average person probably has no idea to what extent we are already exposed to mercury.

What is mercury (from the EPA)? Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment. Mercury emissions in the air can come from both natural and man-made sources. Coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source because mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40 percent of the mercury emissions in the U.S.

This explanations tells us we will have mercury in varying degrees, one way or another. But here’s the kicker: deliberately bringing mercury into my home! I had to really think about this. What other hazardous materials do I have already? Paint, cleaning products, oil, gasoline, batteries and I may have a couple tins of tuna. I think what it comes down to is this: these bulbs are something new and new things can make us nervous. There’s no doubt about it, we could have been provided with a lot more information AND I believe given the life of these bulbs, our government and manufacturers just felt they would have a lot of time to figure out pesky details like recycling availability and disposal procedures. They should have been upfront.

Our key concerns are how to dispose of spent bulbs and how to clean up broken ones. Here’s how from Energystar.gov‘s FAQ August 2007:

What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home?

CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket. If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean-up recommendations below. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly (see below).

What should I do with a CFL when it burns out?

EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or http://www.earth911.org/ to identify local recycling options.

If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs have a warranty. If the bulb has failed within the warranty period, return it to your retailer.

How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?

The following steps can be performed by the general public:

**Never allow children or pregnant women near the spill area!!
**Do not use a vacuum or broom!!

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Remove all metal jewelry, which might attract mercury magnetically.
3. Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands).
4. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.
6. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal. Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.
7. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet:

1. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
2. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

For both:

1. Leave the window open and turn on a fan to air out the room for at least 24 to 48 hours.
2. If you've touched mercury or are concerned about your exposure, call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

Here's one more from me:

1. Ensure everyone in your house knows how to deal with a broken bulb.

I know it sounds scary! Initially I wanted them out of my house, but then I calmed down. I thought about how often I’ve actually broken a light bulb (maybe twice in my life) and knowing how to clean it up safely definitely makes me feel better. The next thing I thought was, how disposing of them is a pain. But 1) the mercury recovered is completely recyclable and 2) using them makes such a difference to the environment - so what’s a little inconvenience? In the end the answer to the question “CFLs: Yes or No?” is yes (I think, at least for me). But with this one, I’m not putting ANY pressure on you!

Week 25 - What's In That Polish?

In the past several years it has become quite a trend for women and girls to go have a "mani" and/or "pedi" at their local nail salon. Ten years ago this was not a common occurrence. I for one have never had either done by a “professional”. It’s not because the products used there are bad for the environment (and believe me, are they ever!), it’s because a) the salons smell horrible, b) you put your feet in a thingy that several other people have put their feet in (yes, I know they get cleaned but really how clean?) and c) a stranger is touching you (oddly enough, massages don’t bother me). I just try to keep my nails clipped and cleaned.

Manicures and pedicures make people feel good and I’m all for that. We just have to know what we are exposing ourselves and the environment to and how to make better choices. So let’s start with nail polish.

Nail Polish

According to Puresolutions.com, the major safety concerns of nail polish are:

1. Chemical fumes: Solvent-based nail polish formulas use aromatic chemicals that quickly evaporate, leaving behind a hardened coat of paint. Environmental chemicals do not simply bounce off our bodies in a neutral fashion. In order to prevent damage, our bodies have to efficiently process them. Most chemical that you inhale, will be absorbed into your blood stream, deactivated by your liver and expelled from your system (via your colon, urine, or sweat). Noxious chemicals like the ones found in solvent-based nail polish can place an increased burden on your liver. The more chemicals you are exposed to, the harder it is for your liver to function efficiently. Overwhelmed livers can set the stage for a variety of health problems. It is generally recommended to limit your toxin exposure when possible - switching to a safer nail polish brand is a great start.

2. Dibutyl Phthalates: Prevents nail polish from chipping. Prenatal exposure to phthalates has been shown in animal studies to cause birth defects. Phthalates also improve absorption of topical ingredients into the skin (this is a negative quality when used in formulas that contain other chemical ingredients).

3. Toluene and xylene: Petroleum-based organic solvents that are toxic and may be linked to cancer.

4. Formaldehyde: (the stuff they preserve dead things with, YUCK) Noxious chemical - highly toxic to the liver and carcinogenic.

It goes without saying these chemicals are bad for us. But to keep things in perspective, how often and how long are we exposing ourselves to them? Unless you have some kind of sensitivity or work in an industry where you have increased exposure, we are likely going to be okay.

The environmental effects however, are of greater consequence because of 1) the manufacturing process where chemicals are released into the air, are absorbed by the soil and can end up in waterways, and 2) although polish is packaged in glass they are almost never recycled since we rarely finish an entire bottle before throwing it out! The waste increases chemical levels in landfills.

So what to do?

If you want to continue using nail polish (and I’m certain most of us do), choose safer options. Go to cosmeticsdatabase.com, a cosmetic safety database which rates various brands of nail polish products and removers. Most popular brands of nail polishes (Cover Girl, Sally Hansen, Revlon) come in with a 5-6 rating, on a scale of 1-7, with 7 being the worst. OPI—perhaps the most popular brand of nail polish at salons—recently removed toxic chemicals from its products. So that’s some good news.

Don’t be fooled by the term “natural formula”. A solvent based nail polish can still be “natural”. If a polish is solvent based, it likely contains acetate. Read the labels and decide what you can live with. The safest nail polish is water-based.

HoneybeeGardens.com's Water Based Nail Polish is considered the safest, can be found at Whole Foods stores or ordered from their website. They offer both no peel and peel options. Their no peel polish can be removed with rubbing alcohol, vodka/grain alcohol or their own Odorless Polish Remover

Colornpeel.com offers ToeShades Nail Polish. It looks like a pretty cool product. It contains no formaldehyde or toluene; requires no acetone to remove since it just peels off; it’s low odor; it’s non-flammable and it will last 21 days or longer on your toes.

Here are some other suggestions from Idealbite.com:

SpaRitual Nail Lacquers - 72 different hues of vegan, phthalate-free polish ($10).
Peacekeeper Nail Paint - we like the muted purple Paint Me Grateful. All profits go to women's health and human rights orgs ($12-$17).
Firoze Nail & Skin Care Products are hypoallergenic & never tested on animals

Note: most natural polishes take longer to dry (remember they are lacking the chemical that speeds drying). Use a blow dryer to speed things along.

One other thing we can do is purchase the smallest bottle of safe polish we can find. Maybe than we have a chance of both finishing the product and recycling the bottle.

Nail Polish Remover

Anything that can take the finish off a table, eat a hole through fabric or discolor a carpet cannot be good for us or the environment! Nail polish remover is nasty stuff! Here’s the ingredient list as outlined at CareFair.com:

Acetone

Acetone is the main ingredient found in most nail polish removers and is a highly inflammable liquid widely used as an organic solvent and as material for making plastics.
Acetone can irritate and cause redness to eyes, but it can cause lung congestion and even shortness of breath when exposed to its’ vapors. The effects however are only temporary if exposure is minimal.

Toluene

A colorless flammable liquid obtained from petroleum or coal tar, toluene is found in many nail polish removers and is also used as a solvent in high-octane fuels.
Toluene can also cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, confusion and even memory loss in minimal exposure. Repeated exposure to the chemical has been known to cause birth defects in children.

Ethyl Acetate

This chemical has been found as a substitute for nail polish removers that label themselves as non-acetone. Ethyl acetate is a fragrant colorless flammable volatile liquid ester made from ethanol and acetic acid. The chemical is also used in perfumes and as a solvent for plastics.
Ethyl acetate has been known to have the same effects as both acetone and toluene when exposed to.

The fix? Switch to a safer product. There are a lot of other options on the market that contain gentler ingredients. Also keep in mind that non-acetone removers are no safer than ones that contain acetone. Try:


Suncoat Natural Nail Polish Remover (a number of on-line vendors carry it) is “an earth friendly product which is 100% Soya and Corn based. It is naturally derived from farm crops and does not contain any petroleum ingredients. Non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and is also readily biodegradable.”

HoneybeeGardens.com offers their acetone-free fragrance-free formula enriched with horsetail extract to strengthen nails, and fortified with vitamin E and aloe to soothe and protect cuticles.

Fake Nails

Sometimes I wonder what future anthropologists will say about our current culture. Picture it. There they will be, brushing away at a skeleton when they come to a grinding halt because several things just seem off. There's a pair of silicone “pillows”, the teeth are still blindingly white, and what’s that by the hands - it appears to be extra fingernails, decals and all! Can you imagine what they will think? Will it be as interesting to them as discovering say, the ancient Egyptians? Anyway…

Artificial nails are made from acrylic resins, residues of which can cause allergic reactions. The ingredients in adhesives used to secure the artificial nail to the real nail can cause irritation or reaction as well. Worst of all is the solvent used to remove acrylic nails: acetonitrile. This chemical breaks down into cyanide when swallowed and at least one child has died after ingesting a single mouthful of a nail remover containing acetonitrile.

Do we really need them? Instead, let’s try and take care of what we were born with. Consider the following:

1. Your nails are going to reflect what you eat. If you eat nothing but junk, don't expect your nails to be strong and healthy
2. Get into the habit of wearing rubber gloves as often as possible.
3. Wear gloves while gardening.
4. Moisturize your hands AND nails with lotion. It helps strengthen them.
5. Moisturize your cuticles daily.
6. Trimming your nails will keep them looking nicer, longer.
7. Keep emery boards everywhere and remember to file in one direction.
8. Don’t use your nails as tools.
9. Don’t bite your nails. Besides being icky, it makes your fingers look terrible.
10. Using a buffer regularly will create a natural low lustre sheen.

I think this might be an area where making a change could be tough. Sure we can take better care of ourselves and the environment by shopping for less toxic supplies (which are not readily available yet), but if you have the quantity of polish I have (3 females in the house) it’s going to take a while to make this change. It’s not an area I would feel comfortable just dumping what I have and starting over because it would be releasing more toxins into the environment. So we just have to be patient, use what we have with care and make better choices in the future!

Week 24 - Back To School

For most kids, school began last Tuesday and like my family many of you did the traditional back-to-school shopping for supplies (yes I realize I am a little late with this post, but we buy school stuff throughout the year so I think it's still pertinent). It’s always a little exciting picking out the new items that will help get the year off to a good start. The question is: were you thinking green? No doubt about it many environmentally friendly school supplies cost more (a lot more). Prices are slowly coming down, but I won’t be fully on board until they are comparable. Still, there are areas we can make a change and not take a big financial hit.

To start, here is the World Wildlife Fund’s list of 10 ways to green your child’s backpack and my commentary on each tip:

1) See if there are things such as pencils and pens, left over from last year that can be used this fall.

Besides, pencils and pens etc. determine if your child really needs a new backpack, or book bag? Does your child really need a new lunchbox? (I have to say we have a lot of backpacks from previous years. We use them to store toys and such, so they are being reused but it is kind of crazy). Once you know what you need, it’s time to shop.

2) Look for school supplies—folders, notebooks, staples—made of recycled materials. Using recycled products helps save landfill space and cut pollution.

I’ve said it once, twice, maybe 20 times, buy recycled paper! That is, paper made from paper. Look for paper with the highest post-consumer waste content. Do this for computer paper, notebooks, composition books etc.

3) Try finding back-to-school deals on the Web. Ordering school supplies online or by phone saves you a trip to the store as well as the fuel needed to drive from store to store.

Okay, this one is just dumb. Do the supplies walk to your house? Someone is doing the driving, either you or the shipping company. I think it’s a net zero. It might be a good idea to use the internet to determine who has most of the supplies your are looking for, and then make one trip to that particular store. Don't spend forever driving around looking for that one specific pencil!

4) Look for the FSC label on pencils and paper. Many paper products are made from trees specifically grown and harvested for papermaking, thus sparing delicate rainforest ecosystems. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies that wood and paper products are grown and managed responsibly.

Other ways to be environmentally friendly when it comes to pencils are:

a) Buy refillable pencils made from recycled plastic (make sure you check with your child’s school about this, our school does not allow them).


b) Purchase Papermate’s EarthWrite Recycled Pencils. These No. 2 pencils, which contain 100% recycled materials, can be easily found (Staples, Office Depot, etc.).


c) Consider buying Smencils. Smencils are “gourmet scented pencils made from recycled newspapers”. They are made by wrapping newspaper around a #2 graphite core and come in 10 scents: bubble-gum, cherry, popcorn, grape, chocolate, cotton candy, watermelon, orange, very-berry and root beer. Cost: $.66 - $1.00/pencil.


Here are more Smencil facts:

• An average sized cedar tree will make about 172,000 wood pencils.
• 172,000 Smencils can be made from 430 newspapers.
• Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times saves about 75,000 trees.
• The average tree can filter about 60 pounds of air pollution per year.
• If everyone in the US recycled just 10% of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees each year.
  

5) Purchase supplies with minimal packaging. Packaging makes up about a third of the garbage that piles up in landfills. Also, less processing and packaging means less energy goes into production, and less global warming pollution is created.

Buy in bulk!

6) Brown bag meals and avoid plastic. Pack school lunches in brown, unbleached, recycled paper bags whenever possible. And if your child has a favorite superhero, there's a good chance the character is printed on a re-usable lunchbox.

Buy reusable containers for sandwiches and snacks. Using 2-3 bags per lunch creates a lot of unnecessary waste and expense! It is estimated that each student generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school!

Also check out wastefreelunches.org which provides information about how to pack a waste free lunch and where to get a "laptop lunch box" with reusable containers that neatly fit into a lunch box.

7) Prepare lunches using local produce. Be aware of the distances food travels and the emissions necessary to ship and truck it there. Although broccoli is grown at nearby farms, the ones that shoppers pick up at the supermarket traverse an average distance of 1,800 miles.

We are getting into harvest time and there will be a lot of fresh and nutritious foods to choose from. By shopping locally you not only help the environment, you support your local farmers and boost the economy.

8) Refill water bottles. Don't throw them away. One and a half million tons of plastic are used to bottle water every year. Such large-scale manufacturing and disposal of water bottles can release toxic chemicals into the environment.

In a previous post I outlined the types of water bottles to choose. Consider purchasing one not just for your child’s lunch, but also if your child participates in after school sports.

9) Look for laptops made by companies working to reduce their global emissions. The ENERGY STAR sticker is a good tip-off that a product is compliant with EPA guidelines. Some backpacks even have built-in solar panels to provide an eco-friendly way to power laptops. Also, turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

10) Walk or bike to school, not only to get exercise but also to benefit the environment. By burning calories walking, you and your child don’t burn a vehicle's gasoline and thus do your part to help reduce global warming. Surely, the PE instructor will approve.

Unfortunately we are not able to do this. But if your school is nearby and doesn’t involve crossing dangerous roads, try this!

Do you need more ideas? Okay. You can,

11) Reuse book covers until they can be used no more. You can even use brown paper bags from your groceries to cover your child‘s textbooks (you shouldn’t really have brown paper bags because you have been shopping with your reusable bags, right?). Your child can then decorate them any way s(he) wants.

12) Reuse last year’s plastic art or pencil box by decorating it for a new look. There’s no need to buy another one, but if you do ensure it is recyclable.

13) Try to buy water-based paints and soy-based crayons, which are better for the environment than oil-based products. Prang makes Soybean Crayons which cost $1 for 8.

• Soy crayons have the following advantages:
• Soy crayons are easier to use: they glide smoother and don’t flake.
• The colors of the soy crayons are brighter.
• They are safer for children (less toxic).
• Soy crayons are better for the environment. Soy crayons are completely biodegradable and are made from renewable resources.

Also check out crp3.tripod.com which has a cool crayon recycling program (a neat way for little kids to learn about recycling).

Finally…

14) Support companies and businesses that manufacture and/or sell recycled products.

Office Depot sells products by Mead and Second Nature, which include notebook paper, bound notebooks, and other paper products (50% recycled paper, 30% post-consumer waste). Dixon-Ticonderoga pencils made from certified sustainable-harvest wood; and EnviroTech products, which have a higher recycled content.

Staples sells Ampad Recycled Notebooks (50% recycled content, 20% PCW), Staples Recycled copy paper (30% PCW), Earthwise Recycled Composition Book (100% recycled), Southworth 25% Cotton Recycled Paper.

Many Glad (TM) products are made with polypropylene and are PVC-free, including Glad bags, Gladware reusable containers, and Glad plastic wrap. Avoid #3 plastics.

More and more options are becoming available all the time. Instead of reaching for the same old thing take a look around, there is likely an environmentally sound option right next to it. Be sure to read the packaging as everyone is sticking the words eco, green, and environmentally friendly on everything. Know what you are buying and feel proud that you are sending your children back to school with their first lesson already under their belts. That is, how to be a socially and environmentally responsible citizen!

Week 23 - COMPUTERS

We own them, we use them, and we wouldn’t want to live without them, but computers can be a big drain. Not just brain drain as seen in our kids who have difficulty pulling themselves away from what is the desktop version of the idiot box, but also a drain on resources. Computers use a lot of energy and paper, but also create a lot of waste in the form of ink cartridges and the computers themselves. With a little forethought and the press of a few buttons, we can reduce the negative affect computers have on the environment.


What to Buy

The kids have headed back to school, Christmas will be here before your know it and you may be in the market for a new computer. Here are a few things to keep in mind before making that purchase:

1. Opt for a laptop over a desktop. A laptop uses about half the energy of a desktop.
2. Opt for an Energy Star rated computer. Whatever type of computer you choose, if it’s Energy Star rated it will use 70% less energy than its non-rated counterpart
3. Buy a computer that grows with you.
4. Buy the right system for your specific needs.
5. If you are comfortable with it, consider buying refurbished products. Ensure you get a decent warranty.

Conserving Power

Regardless of the type of computer you have, you can save power by changing your computer’s energy settings.

1. Microsoft Windows XP offers two convenient ways to power down, rather than completely turning off your computer. The following descriptions are from Microsoft.com: Standby is energy conserving because your entire computer switches to a low-power state. Devices, such as the monitor and hard disks, turn off and your computer uses less power. It's easy to return to work, because Standby leaves applications and files open on your desktop. Hibernate mode writes an image of what you're currently working on to a special file on your hard drive, and then shuts your computer almost completely off. It takes a bit longer than Standby, since it needs to write to your hard drive. Hibernate also takes a bit longer to resume, since you must go through essentially the normal boot process, although in Windows XP your computer wakes faster from Hibernate than in previous versions of Windows. The advantage is that you can leave your laptop in Hibernate mode for days without any ill effect. When you start it back up, you'll see everything exactly as you left it. Hibernate is the perfect mode for shutting down for the night or even the weekend
2. Use power options in “control panel“ on your computer. You can adjust any power management option your computer's hardware configuration supports. For example, by enabling sleep mode, you can reduce energy consumption by up to 70%.
3. Skip the screen saver. Active, moving screen savers don't save energy. Screen savers were initially designed to save the phosphorescent coating inside monochrome monitors - but this type of monitor is rarely used today.
4. At the very least, turn off your monitor when you are not using the computer. Leaving a monitor running uses significant energy.

Paper

Just a reminder of the ways you can save trees.

1. Buy recycled paper.
2. Print on both sides.
3. Print only your final copy.
4. Utilize your “print preview” option.
5. Recycle your used paper.

Ink Cartridges

Ink for computers is ridiculously expensive. A $40 cartridge, costs less than $3 to make, but their effect on the environment is dumbfounding. Read on:

1. On average three quarts of oil are burned to make one new cartridge.
2. An estimated 375,000,000 cartridges are thrown away every year.
3. Every cartridge thrown away turns into 2 quarts of oil in our landfills.
4. It takes about 1000 years for every one of those millions of cartridges to decompose in our landfills.

So what to do? The first thing to do is to continue printing with your ink cartridge until the words on the paper cannot be read. People will often replace the cartridge as soon as the little warning pops up that the ink is low. Wait a while, there is plenty of ink left.

After that it’s simple: Recycle your ink cartridges and buy recycled cartridges.

Recycled (or, more accurately, refilled or re manufactured) cartridges are increasingly available, but only 20 percent of used cartridges are currently re manufactured. We can do better than that!

There are a number of places that will accept used cartridges. The first place to look is in the box of the cartridge you just purchased. Companies often supply a postage paid envelope. Just put the spent cartridge in the envelope, seal it and stick it in the mail. Staples offers an incentive to customers to return their cartridges. The store will donate $1 to charity for every cartridge submitted for re manufacturing. Check out myinkcartridge.com. They will reward you for sending them used cartridges. They pay your postage and offer you credit toward your next purchase. For the location of more recyclers in your area, visit earth911.org.

There are several companies that offer recycled cartridges. I think it’s safe to say almost any store that carries new cartridges, will have a recycled brand right next to them. Take the leap and opt for the recycled. You’ll save a lot of money, and do the environment some good.

Extend Your Computer’s Life

From thegreenguide.com, “keeping electronics out of garbage protects our health and the environment. Many substances used in computers and electronics make them toxic additions to the waste stream: contaminating landfill sites, leaching out into drinking water supplies, and polluting the air if the products are incinerated. Each computer monitor contains on average 5 to 8 pounds of lead, for example, and consumer electronics as a whole contribute an astonishing 40% of the lead that is found in landfills”.

There are four key ways in which we can extend the life of our computers.

1. Participate in a buy back program

The following computer manufacturers and sellers have take back programs, some of which can even save you money on new PC's:

• Compaq: In seven Midwest states, residents and small business that buy new Compaq products can get a 6 - 9% discount for recycling old technology through the United Recycling Industries' (URI's) Electronics Take-Back Program.
• Dell: Dell has launched DellExchange, an online website with three options for dealing with end-of-life computers: 1) trade in to receive a discount on a new computer based on fair market value, 2) donation through the National Cristina Foundation, or 3) auction through dellauction.com. DellExchange accepts non-Dell computers.
• Gateway: Gateway offers customers a rebate of up to $50 on a new Gateway PC if they donate or recycle their old system. Customers are responsible for finding a recycler or receiving organization for their computer, after which they submit confirmation forms to Gateway to receive the rebate.

2. Donate it

When you are finished using your computer consider donating it to a non-profit organization. You’re needs may have changed, but someone else may be able to use it, as is, for many years to come. Ask around your community. Churches, community service orgs, child care centers, theater groups etc. may love to have your old computer. Also check out Dell.com which connects consumers to donation opportunities through the National Cristina Foundation.

3. Recycle it

IBM's PC Recycling Service allows consumers and small businesses to recycle any PC and peripherals. For $29.99, the customer receives a pre-paid mailing label and ships the computer equipment via UPS to Envirocycle, an electronics recycler in Pennsylvania. If the computer can be donated, the donor receives a receipt which can be used for tax deduction purposes. Customers can purchase the recycling service when they buy a new IBM computer or purchase the service separately by calling 1-888-SHOP-IBM or shopping online.

Also look for take-back days at Best Buy and Staples, (you can bring your old computers to the stores during take-back days and recycle them for a small fee).

Check earth911.org for where your can recycle computers in your area.

4. Reuse its components

Your monitor, keyboard and mouse can be reused with a new computer. Make sure your next computer is compatible with these components.

As a culture we have become tech junkies. We are always looking for the next “best thing“; the “newest thing”. Technology is constantly changing (and that's a good thing), but it really aids us in living our lives on autopilot. If we want to be kind to the environment we have to take a step back and consider 1) do I need that item or just want that item? and 2) do I need a whole new thing, or will new parts do? Again it’s about tuning in and being aware. There's a happy balance between what we want and what we need. We (without the influence of advertisers or the Jones’s) just have to think about it!