Doing a good thing when it comes to your vehicle is easy.You already try to conserve gas by shopping locally but what else can you do? If your car gets less then 18 miles per gallon, it doesn't matter if your vehicle is the clunker in your garage or old-faithful that gets you to and fro, you have options. Rebate or donate, the choice is yours. RebateThe CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is a $1 billion government program that helps consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car ot truck The program is designed to energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation's roadways. Buyers of new cars will be able to take advantage of this program and receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from the car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease another one. Most of the work is the responsibility of the dealers selling the cars. Dealers are responsible to find a nearby facility to scrap the cars that are turned in and disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in. The scrap value no matter how little will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate and that's how your rebate can get to $4500. * Your vehicle must be less then 25 years old on the trade-in date *Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify * Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements) * Trade in vehicles must be insured and registered continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in The program is supposed to run from July 1, 2009 through Nov. 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, but confusion about how exactly to implement the plan, caused a delay, and that could change the dates.For more information check the governments web site at www.cars.govDONATEDonating to charity is a relatively painless wy to get rid of a car of any age when you don't have the time to sell it or don't think you can get what it's worth. While not every car is acceptable, donating a car to a charity lets you deduct its fair market value from your taxable income and walk away with a good feeling. To make sure you get the most of both, find out what happens when you donate your vehicle. Most times, a charity auto auction is held so that the charity can raise money for their cause. In other cases, a vehicle is given to a family that is in need of transporation. In either case, you can choose the charity you wish to give to by going to an automobile donation sire and picking from a variety of charities. these donation sites handle all of the details for you or you can choose a local worthy charity and do your homework. * Find a charity that accepts cars without charging a removal fee * Make sure the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) charity or qualified religious organization that can lawfully accept your donation and from which you can lawfully claim a deduction *Determine the fair market value of your car. According to the IRS, you are responsible for determining this; use the Kelly Blue Book or IRS Publications 526 ("Charitable Deductions") and 561 ("Determing the Value of Donated Property"). If it's worth $5,000. or more, have the car appraised by a certified professional. * Get a tax receipt with the charity's name and federal ID number, donor's name, date of donation, as well as the year, make, and model of the donated car *Notify the DMV and your insurance company that you no longer own or insure the vehicle. Keep your receipt and complete IRS Form 8283 for tax time. However you are looking to get rid of your low milage car, you are looking at a win-win proposition!
Many types of electronic products that are widely used in workplaces and homes contain hazardous substances like lead and mercury. When these products reach the end of their useful lives or become obsolete, some contain enough of these hazardous substances to be considered hazardous waste. In general, hazardous waste may not be discarded in the regular trash. Instead, it must be sent to a facility that has a permit for treatment (including recycling), storage, or disposal. Electronic hazardous wastes (e-waste) are different from inudstrially generated hazardous wastes in that almost every individual, institution and business generates them. Proper management and recycling of e-waste poses lower risks than managing many industrial hazardous wastes. Wastes are considered hazardous when they exhibit one or more of the following characteristics: toxicity, ignitability, corrosivity or reactivity. Many electronic wastes can be toxic due to the presence of lead. But what do you do with your old computer, monitor and TV? Most cities have e-waste round-ups monthly, but if you need it gone now, Staples office suppl stores make it easy for you to recycle e-waste. Just bring your used computers, monitors,laptops, printers and fax machines to any store, regardless of whether or not it was purchased from Staples, and the equipment will be recycled in accordance with environmental laws. Sony is partnering with Waste Management (WM) Recycle America to allow consumers to recycle all Sony-branded products for no fee as part of The Sony Take Back Recycling Program. Just bring in your broken down DVD player, old Walkman and ex-husband's Playstation to a WM eCycling drop off center.For more information please call 87-439-2795. If there's nothing wrong with what you want to replace, donate it. At www.ealworks.org they will get your old computer ready for a needy student. At www.wirelessfoundation.org turns your old phones into a lifeline for victims of domestic abuse.
Compost is the word of the day around the Green Home and Family offices. But talking about it and doing it are two different things. Learning about composting is easy with an internet search but figuring out just what can be composted is more difficult. A compost pile can be made of leaves, weeds, straw,waste hay, and any waste vegetable matter other than diseased parts of vegetables. That's not all. here are so many things that you have around the house that also can go into your compost pile.
Dairy- Dairy products are not typically composted because things like milk can attracts or other animals to your compost heap.you can compost your egg shells but they breakdown slowly so it helps to crush them up. That way the small particles can sit in the soil while they break down rather than just sitting in a lump on the surface.
Fruit- Citrus fruits can make your compost heap overly acidic so only add them in moderation or not at all. If you do add them, add plenty of other matter (such as grass clippings) at the same time to try to even up the balance a bit. Also many types of compost heap worms don't like d-limonene, an antiseptic substance found in fresh citrus peel. The d-limonene disappears as the peel rots through, so your worms will prefer it if you leave it out of the main compose heap until it's green and furry.
Beans- Fresh beans like green beans or french beans are always a good thing for your compost pile, but avoid putting baked beans into the mix beacuse worms are not fans of baked beans, and if you give a worm some beans he's gonna want a big fat hot dog to go with it, and that's just starting trouble.
Corn- Sweet corn leaves rot down quickly but the cob itself can take a while longer. Chop it up to speed up the process.
Hair- Hair, human or pet, is a great nitrogen source for your compost heap. Gather the hairbrushes and farm for nitrogen, but try to scatter it so it doesn't clump.
Vacuume Lint- Assuming it's regular vacuume cleaner lint (dust, pet hair, human hair, skin flakes, bits of soil, etc etc) then it can go into the compost heap.Tip it out of the bag (if it's in one) so you can reuse the bag and it can breakdown quicker. However, if you've used any chemicals during the cleaning process (such as carpet fresheners), you should probably avoid composting it for risk of causing a chemical overload in your heap.
Paper Towels- As long as they've not been used to clean up anything chemical, you can compost it. Basically, if you've not used them to clean up cooked food messes, pet waste, dairy spills, oil spills, or used them in connection with chemical cleaners etc., you should be ok.
Cardboard- Cardboard adds a lot of great carbon to a compost heap. It rots down quicker if it's wet and torn into small pieces (the tearing is also easier if it's damp). If you've got a lot of it, try alternate layers with other matter.
Magazines- Glossy magazines shouldn't be composted as the ink is often toxic. Best to just recycle them instead. But your issues of Green Home And Family can be composted, just remove the staples and tear into small pieces. The soy ink will not harm any of your compost.
The secret of gardening in most places, but particularly in deserts, is to increase the quantity of organic matter in your soil. Organic matter improves soil as a growing medium for plants. It helps release nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients for plant use when it decays. Compost just happens to be the cheapest, and probably the best way to insure a continuous supply of large quantities organic matter for your garden.
Big store take-back programs are another easy way that you can recycle what you no longer use. Each store has very specific instructions. Some stores have fees and some offer free services, but only by mail. Always check the fine print, but if you time things well, maybe you can save gas and cut your environmental footprint at the same time.
Best Buy
Inside the door of every single U.S. Best Buy store, recycling drop-off kiosks are available for consumers to drop off old cell phones, rechargeable batteries, and ink jet cartridges at no cost. Appliance Best Buy will remove an old or obsolete appliance at no charge from a consumer's home when a new product is purchased and delivered to your home. The same goes for your old TV. New cell phone customers receive free, pre-paid envelopes to mail old phones to ReCellular, their cell phone reuse/recycling partner. In turn, ReCellular donates dollars from their recycling program to Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Home Depot
Improper disposal of your CFC bulbs creates a hazard, because they contain small amounts of mercury. Recently, Home Depot announced a take back program for old compact fluorescent light bulbs in all 1,973 of it's stores in the USA, creating the nation's most widespread recycling program for the bulbs. They will accept any maker's bulb.
Costco
Provides free recycling services of any brand of used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes, MP3 players, game systems, cameras/camcorders, and smartphones/pdas through a mail-back program. those who send items with "trade -in-value" will receive a Costco gift certificate. You do not need to be a member of Costco retail locations.
Office Depot
Accepts any brand of used electronics provided that they are not cracked or leaking. Items must be able to fit within one of their three boxes (The largest box is 14"x18"x18", which is big enough for a monitor, but not a large TV). The box must be purchased for $5, $10, or $15 depending on the size of the box. The filled box can then be left at the store for recycling.
Staples
Accepts any brand of used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes, and all-in-ones for recycling at any of its stores for a $10 per large item fee.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the new theme for Prom this year. From full green Proms to a green ride alternative to the costly limo, changes are happening fast. Chances are you'll spend $200+ on a gown that you'll only wear once before stuffing it in plastic where it will remain in the back of your closet until it becomes hideously out of date and thus rendered unwearable. How about donating your dress? You recycle and get a chance to help someone for next year's Prom.
One of the most exciting time of your high school life is the Prom. And everyone knows that the most important part of the Prom is the dress. Unfortunately, there are many young ladies who are not able to afford a dress, and in some cases, will skip the Prom. It is time to drag those dresses out of the closet and put them to use!
The Ruby Room is a nonprofit organization that provides formal gowns to Seattle area high school girls who are unable to purchase their own dance atire. Dresses and accessories are collected throughout the year and made available at boutiques in the spring. Each girl is paired with a personal shopper volunteer who assists her in picking out the perfect gown. www.rubyroomseattle.org
The Corsage Project was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the Children's Aid Foundation. The founders believe that every high school girl should have the opportunity to celebrate the milestone of her high school graduation with pride and style. Girls that are referred are formally invited to attend a "Boutique Ball" in May where, assisted by a personal shopper, they select a gown of their choice, and shoes and accessories to match. This special day includes a make-up and hair consultation, a professional portrait, refreshments, and goodie bags. www.corsageproject.ca
The Princess Project promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free Prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them. As the Costs to attend high school Prom's soar, The Princess Project has made this tradition a reality for over 7,000 Bay Area girls since 2002.
www.princessproject.org
Recycling is all about getting rid of what you have in a responsible way, but what about being responsible to your wallet? At www.buymytronics.com, you can do both. BuyMyTronics.com in Colorado started with the idea to keep broken and used iPods out of landfills. When founder Brett Mosley's iPod broke, it dawned on him that there weren't many eco-friendly or economically rewarding ways to deal with it. After little research, Mosley discovered that there were a lot of people out there who had the same problem; broken iPods, and there were few options.
BuyMyTronics.com buys your used, new and broken electronics. It's that simple. They buy iPods, iPhones, Cell Phones, Smart Phones, PDA's, and game consoles. They don't care about the condition. It is said that they are expanding to include laptop computers, digital cameras, camcorders, GPS Devices, and other electronics with the same green-minded focus of paying for used and broken merchandise that would otherwise end up as waste!
The process is easy...
1. Fill out an on line from that describes your item. This short poll will take you to a custom, instant price quote. Click "Accept" to sell your used, new, or broken iPod, Iphone, Game Console, ect...
2. Fill in the shipping information sheet and decide if you would like your payment sent a Paypal account or mailed to you. The next step is sent by e-mail and contains all of your shipping instructions.
3. Fill your pockets - within 24 to 48 hours of recieving your item, BuyMyTronics.com will send you your money.
It's that easy. A way to keep your Ewaste out of the landfills and get them some quick cash in return.
What weighs 3-4 pounds, gets dropped at your door at least once a year, and then you are expected to recycle it?
The answer is your telephone book. It's yearly ritual as predictable as the new year: new phone books. Instead of tossing these mighty tomes in the trash or stashing them in the desk, now is the time to gather what you have and finally recycle them. Most of our local trash companies will take them in your recycling bin. If that isn't an option for you, take them back to the telephone company offices: they will recycle them.
But maybe we can all try something different? What if you could eliminate the waste all together?
Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org is an organization working to educate consumers and promote the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books. The website is aimed at starting a national movement to solicit the White/Yellow Pages industry to proactively stop the delivery of books or to begin moving legislation to mandate the stoppage of this activity. This movement is similar to the National No-Call Registries that have stopped and/or decreased the number of unwanted solicitations telephone calls to consumers.
Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org was founded by a college student who was renting a house for the school year. The number of telephone books delivered to the house was overwhelming and he work required to recycle them was daunting. When he spoke with his neighbors they all just told him they just threw them away. Due to the use of technology, he felt these books were now outdated. However, he understood that some people may still want them and felt the best way to limit this tremendous waste was to mimic the National No-Call Directory. Additionally, he wanted his site to serve as a depository for information and educational issues concerning the green movement. The movement is not intended to stop the use of such directories, but to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of the books. If you want a book you can always call and order one.
Your support is needed to help raise awareness and spark change in an industry that continues to wreak havoc on the environment. By adding your name and pledging your support on the website, you can take a very large step in reducing your carbon footprint.
Your dentist says to change your brush every three months but just where does all of that plastic go? If you are brushing with a Preserve Toothbrush you know exactly where it goes. Also known as "the toothbrush made from yogurt cups," the Preserve Toothbrush was designed by dentists and engineers to be an innovation in both oral care and eco-friendliness. Available in seven vivid colors, the handle is made from recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. Meaning that fewer natural resources are used to get your teeth sparkling. Combine that with the Preserve's stylish design and reusable travel case and you're not only living green, you're living happy. When it is time to replace your toothbrush send the toothbrush and case back to Preserve using their pre-paid envelope to be re-processed into plastic lumber for picnic tables, boardwalks and decks. Preserve products are available ar Target stores, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods Market. The Preserve subscription program is the easiest way to make sure that you are changing your toothbrush in accordance with American Dental Association recommendations. Sign up through their online store to have a new Preserve toothbrush delivered to your door every three months. At Preserve, they believe that you don't have to sacrifice style or quality to live green.
They come on everything from your mail to your organic asparagus, and they just keep multiplying. Rubber bands are everywhere, but what should you do when they are taking over your home? Reuse!!
Try these ideas or come up with some of your own. Tell us about your ideas. Send them to us via facebook or email at [email protected]
Pop Goes the Lid! Perfect for the asparagus bands, wrap one of the thicker ones around a lid to get a better grip on it. Then easy opening!
No Drips! Wrap a rubber band across the middle of the opening on a paint can. Wipe your brush against the rubber band instead of against the side of the can. The paint will fall back into the can and the outside will stay clean.
Tax Assistance! Thumbing through the papers in your tax file could be rough on your fingers. Wrap a rubber band loosely around your index finger and you will not be licking your finger to separate and sort your paperwork.
Save Soap! Wrap a rubber band around the neck of a soap or lotion dispenser to limit how much is dispensed with each pump. No more sink-filled bubble explosions from your kids.
Find Your Remote! If the remote control keeps sliding off the coffee table, wrap a band around the edge and it will stay on the furniture when tossed down.
Fix A Leak! Another great use for the larger bands that you get on your produce, rap a rubber band around the leak in a pipe or hose for a temporary fix to your problems.
Perfect Candles! Stop dripping wax from ruining the table or table cloth by wrapping a rubber band around a candle to stop wax from dripping onto the table. If your candle leans,wrap one around the bottom of the candle to secure it in the holder.
Back In Time! Tie dye your own fabric; Wrap rubber bands tightly around each piece of cut cloth or part of your clothing. Bunch it up and tie it or roll up the cloth and tie off in sections. If you feel the urge to be more creative, find different sized rocks. Tie the cloth around a pebble. You can repeat the process with more pebbles, depending on the size of the pebbles and how much work you want to put into it. Then Dye!...
It used to be that when you were remodeling your home, you got a dumpster and threw out the old "junk". Now it's "architectural building salvage," and for those who can see past the peeling pain, the rust and the nail-ben joints, it can be made to look like a million bucks.
What most people love about salvage is the 'one of a kindness' of it, the history of it, the real-people-made it aspect.
Locally, there is a great option for getting rid of your remodeling messes. Whether your city insists that you recycle or your choose to, you have to check out The Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
Habitat ReStores are retail outlets where quality, used, and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices. Proceeds from ReStores help local affiliates fund the constrution of Habitat houses within the community. Many affiliates across the United States and Canada operate successful ReStores - some of which raise enough funds to build an additional 10 or more houses per year.
Materials sold by Habitat ReSources are usually donated from building supply stores, contractors, demolition crews, or from individuals who wish to show their
support for Habitat. In addition to raising funds, ReStores help the environment by rechanneling good, usable materials into use.
Shopping at a local store, you may find wood from old floors, doorknobs, or even very inexpensive paint. But with an eye out for the extra-ordinary, you can truly find a treasure. If you or your company have materials to donate to a Habitat ReStore, contact any one of their local shop spots at :
Los Angeles 17700 S Figueroa St., Gardena, Ca 90248 (866) 746-7434
Santa Barbara 6725 Hollister Ave, Goleta, Ca 93117 (805) 692-2226
Ventura County 167 Lambert St., Oxnard, Ca 93036 (805) 485-6065
Pasadena 770 N Fair Oaks, Pasadena, Ca 91103 (626)792-3838
|
RSS Feed