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Earth Day turns 40:

It’s official, Earth Day turns 40. The people of American have been celebrating this tribute to our planet for four decades now. Earth day was created by a Wisconsin senator and has gone on to be a major component in the environmentalism movement. It has now gone on to be celebrated in over 180 countries around the world.

If you haven’t already done so, today would be a perfect time to start a green/sustainable practice. Vow to start recycling, or reducing your consumption of wasteful products. You could also seek out a organization or group in your community that is dedicated to some aspect of green living or environmentalism, if you can’t find one consider starting one amongst friends and family. Remember even small steps towards sustainable living add up in numbers to create great change.

So go ahead and make your Earth Day resolution, but try to keep it longer then your New Year’s resolution.

If you want some great history on the start and evolution of earth day, here is a great article from National Geographic: History of Earth Day.

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Source reduction basics:

What is source reduction? Well, it is reducing the amount of materials or energy in the manufacturing process, distribution, or packaging of a product. Source reduction cuts down on waste from the start, and therefore less possible trash is produced and more resources are conserved. Source reduction is a main goal of EPA solid waste program.

In terms of packaging alone, there are many ways companies have cut back on the materials used in packaging products.

• Lightweighting. This is when packaging is redesigned to use less material and becomes lighter. For example, 2 liter bottles have become 25% since 1977, reducing 250 million pounds of plastic waste a year.
• Concentrates. Basically it is making a product stronger, so you can use less to get the job done as well as reduce the package size.
• Redesign. A rework of the size, shape, or material used to reduce material needed to package a product as well as reduce the distribution costs by more efficient shipping. Both Square and flat boxes pack much better then round ones and reduce fuel consumption during shipping.

Source reduction doesn’t just apply to manufacturers though, consumers can also apply a few rules to their use of products to “reduce” the amount of waste they produce.

• Select non-hazardous alternatives. By doing so you reduce the toxicity of your waste load. Cleaning products are one area where this really counts.
• Completely use up a product or share/give it away to others to use it up entirely.
• Use the right amount. Follow instructions so you are not over using a product, this is especially important when using a “concentrated” product.
• Use refills. If possible buy refills for your product as they often use less packaging throughout the life of a product as well as saves you money.

So next time you go shopping try to remember to look for products that will reduce your waste stream.

Look for concentrates, refills, and flat packed or square shaped products when you can. By doing so you are reducing that amount of material that you need to recycle or throw away, as well as probably buying a product that was source reduced during it’s production.

For more informaton of Source Reduction check out some of these sites:

EPA Source Reduction http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/rrr/reduce.htm

ULS Sustainable Packaging Certification

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Exciting News!

You may have noticed that lately there has not been a lot of new activity on UrbanGreenSpot lately. That’s because there has been a lot of planning to make an even better UrbanGreenSpot.

In addition to the planning there has been an expansion Minneapolis, MN. I am excited to announce UrbanGreenSpot’s expansion to include Minneapolis and Minnesota green/sustainable events in addition to keeping up with local Chicago events.

With Earth Day rapidly approaching, now is an excellent time to gear things back up and get back to providing the green and sustainable news that we all desire. We are excited about some of the great new things coming to the site including a lot of local organizations and some great new green technology reviews.

Stay tuned and stay green!

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Earth Hour is today at 8:30pm central time. For those of you that don’t know, Earth Hour is a time to help show support for energy conservation and green living changes. During the hour turn of your lights, tvs, and anything else electronic you have. In doing so, you are not only saving energy but showing commitment to the greater cause of preventing climate change.

During last year’s Earth Hour, over 80 million people worldwide participated in the event. It’s not just individuals showing support either,  for example in Chicago this year, the lights at the Navy Pier, Chicago Theater, and the Willis Tower will be turned off to observe this special hour.

This year take time to unplug from the grid for a hour and have some fun with it as well. Enjoy a candle light dinner, or a drink by the fireplace, or come up with some fun games all while showing your commitment to a reduction in our carbon footprint. Don’t forget to take some time to think about ways you can contribute in your everyday lives as well such as using less water, walking rather than driving more  or just turn the lights off more often.

For more information visit: EarthHour.org

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Fun Recycling Facts:

In order to help people realize the importance of recycling, here are some interesting facts about recycling various materials such as aluminum, glass, and paper. Also be sure to check out the links to some useful websites and resources on recycling.

Aluminum cans:

Used aluminum cans can be recycled and returned to store shelves in as little as 60 days.

Between 100,000-200,000 cans are recycled every minute in America.

24 years ago a pound of aluminum made 21 12-ounce cans, today through source reduction technology that same pound of aluminum makes 31 cans.

The energy saved when 1 aluminum can is recycled can power a TV for 2-3 hours.

Aluminum can be recycled endlessly.

Glass:

The energy saved from recycling glass bottles can power a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours.

Recycling glass bottles reduces air pollution 20% and water pollution 50% compared to producing a new bottle.

Glass bottles take over 4000 years to decompose and much longer if in a landfill; you might as well recycle them.

Paper:

Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year.

Construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper are 50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.

Other Facts:

About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material. We should strive to recycle more packaging, and buy products with less packaging. Also consider using packaging that is flexible instead of rigid. For more information on the benefits of flexible packaging check out the Flexible Packaging Association.

The EPA estimates that 75% of the trash Americans throws away could be recycled.

To find centers to drop of your recycling items try Earth911.

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The Growing E-Waste Problem

E-Waste(Electronic Waste) is obsolete, broken, or surplus electronics that are discarded in the trash.  E-Waste is the fastest growing component of municipal waste in the world, with between 20 and 50 million tons generated annually and that amount is climbing rapidly every year. One of the largest problems with E-Waste is the toxic metals contained in much of it. These metals include lead, mercury and cadmium, all of which pose large health risks. Besides toxic metals, there are also large quantities of precious and rare metals such as gold, silver, copper, and palladium. These metals require enormous amounts of carbon dioxide to mine and they are just being thrown away by people.

The largest components of E-waste are computers, cell phones, tvs, printers, digital music players and digital cameras.  Many of the over 1 billion cell phones bought in 2007 are thrown away or improperly stripped of their precious metals. In 10 years the amount of computer waste will grow 400 percent in South Africa and China, and 500 percent in India. The United States alone produces the most E-Waste of all at 3 million tons a year.

So what can be done to help reduce the problem? Well it seems the greatest challenge is getting old electronics to proper recycling centers. Many consumers are unaware of the growing problem of E-Waste and all of the dangers it presents.

Manufactures are also being held accountable to an extent in some countries in helping recycle their products. There are many manufactures and stores that will take back old electronics and recycle them for free or for a small fee. In the case of a fee being charged, many of these stores will offer a dollar for dollar credit towards the purchase of newer goods.

Recycling Options

For the Chicago and Illinois readers here is a link to the Illinois EPA that lists where and how to dispose of old electronics. Illinois EPA

Also check out the Plug-In To eCylcing program at the EPA.

Donate Instead

For those of you wanted to donate your old phones to be reused instead of recycling them there are numerous places to do so such as:

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Donate A Phone

Cell Phones for Soldiers

More Information On E-Waste

ARS Technica

VOA News

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Green Tips For Renters

Going green is possible for renters just as much as it is for homeowners. While renter’s often can not make the large home improvements such as solar water heaters and new energy star appliances, there are so easy things that can be done. I have come up with a short list of things that can be done to both save money and improve indoor air quality for renters.

1. Use CFLs.

Today this seems to be the most popular tip for going green. CFLs have the benefits of reducing energy use and reduce heat generation. Bulbs come in all sizes, shapes and wattages so finding ones to fit your need is rather easy. Just make sure you dispose of them properly as they do contain trace amounts of mercury.

2.Install black out curtains.

These are useful year round because they keep cool air in during the summer and hot air trapped inside during winter months. With potential to save as much as 25% on your energy bill, black out curtains could be a great investment.

3. Keep house plants.

If you find yourself running noisy, energy hogging air purifiers, you may consider adding some house plants around the apartment. Plants also clean the air of Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, and Volatile Organic Gases (VOCs) that most air filters do not absorb. Plants can clean about 10 square yards per plant. A list of the top 10 best air cleaning plants is at Care2.

4. Maximize heating and cooling flow.

Make sure all air registers are clear of furniture so that air can circulate freely. If your apartment has radiators place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls. In the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.

5.Get a Green Shower Curtain.

Go natural with a hemp or organic cotton shower curtain paired with a nylon liner. It’s healthier than a PVC-coated curtain (PVC offgases potential hormone disruptors) and can be tossed in the washing machine for easy mold-preventing cleanup.

6. Use Soy Candles.

Soy candles do not contain petroleum unlike normal wax candles, and produce almost no soot. If indoor air quality is a concern make the switch to the much cleaning burning soy candle. They also burn about 50% longer than conventional candles saving you money as while providing cleaner air. The cost for soy candles is also getting close to the same as conventional candles so you don’t have to pay much more to get the benefits. More soy candle information.

7. If possible, install a programmable thermostat.

When used properly, a programmable thermostat with its four temperature settings can save up to $150 a year in energy costs. Proper use means setting the thermostat at energy-saving temperatures without overriding that setting. You should also set the “hold” button at a constant energy-saving temperature when you’re away or on vacation.

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Clean Energy Week

Feb 1^st-5 is clean energy week. In honor of clean energy week organizations nationwide are working together to put clean energy at the front of national policy. These organizations aim to boost policy in the clean energy sector in order to boost the number of green jobs as well as help America become a leader in clean energy generation.

A gathering of conferences, workshops, outreach programs, and rallies in Washington D.C. will be held to educate government and industry members on applications for clean energy and the benefits of clean energy.

For more information visit: http://www.cleanenergyweek.org/

This would be an excellent week to let  your local policy makers know your opinions and demands of the clean energy sector going into the future.

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Water Conservation Tips:

Water conservation often takes a backseat to energy conservation but is just as import to a healthy planet as well as it is to money savings. The effects of water conservation are far reaching. If water demand is reduced, streams and rivers can maintain adequate flow and water levels. This in turn benefits everything downstream. Conservation also means fewer resources are needed for water treatment and storage. A reduction in treatment and storage is important because they usually cause environmental damage in one way or another. A side effect of water conservation is a reduction in energy usage to treat, distribute, and heat water.

With that said, I would like to give you a small list of easy tips for water conservation around your home or apartment:

• Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.

• Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to find.

• With older toilets being one of the largest water users, consider buying a new low flow model. If that isn’t in the budget you can buy an adjustable flapper for your existing one or add a plastic bottle filled with water to the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water that is used. Be sure that there is still enough water in the tank to flush properly.

• Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors. You can find aerators that restrict flow to less than 1 gallon per minute. You can expect to save 1 to 2 gallons per minute. I can personally attest that replacing aerators in older faucets can improve your flow quality as well as save water.

• Install a low-flow showerhead. There are many models available and they are easy to install. My EARTH shower head, at 1.5 gallons per minute was a great improvement compared to the old showerhead in my apartment in both water savings and flow quality. You can save at least 1 to 2 gallons a minute and more if you have an older showerhead.

• Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.

• Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cold glass of water.

• Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Consider starting a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.

• Consider installing an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don’t have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household.

• Insulate your water pipes. You’ll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.

For more information on tankless water heaters and their application check out: Tankless Water Heaters

Other Resources:

http://www.h2ouse.org/

http://www.lcra.org/water/save/tips.html

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What is your Gas Station’s Social Responsibility?

I would like to introduce you to a nifty chart I recently came across.  It is a ranking system of the Social Responsibly of many gas stations. Each station is assigned a rating based on several criteria including Refining Eco rating, Global Warming pluses and minus, and accident/incident history. The chart is part of the Better World Handbook and claims to use over 20 different sources to compile their rankings. While there are a few blanks spots in some of the companies’ ratings, the chart is still a great place to examine the different gas

stations that may be available to you.

The chart can be found at http://www.betterworldhandbook.com/gasoline.html

If you combine the Social Responsibility chart with fuel price comparisons site such as gasbuddy.com, or GasPriceWatch.com, you can find the cheapest and most eco-friendly gas available to you. Hopefully now you can save a little money and lessen your environmental impact while driving.

It is also worth noting that ExxonMobil received an F on the chart with a score of -45 and just recently had another oil spill of the Texas coast on Jan 24^th. Click for the news article.

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