How to recycle batteries

From cellphones to children's toys, batteries are everywhere.  They power our electronics and make modern living a little bit easier for everyone.  Unfortunately, a lot of us don't recycle batteries, unaware of the negative repercussions of these heavy metal, energy-giving concoctions.  Thrown into the trash, batteries leak toxic chemicals into the soil and water, some are even considered hazardous, and are not legally permitted in the waste stream.  Find out how to recycle batteries; as with most recyclables, its actually really easy.

Battery recycling options

Recycling batteries is as simple as knowing what your dealing with, and where to put it.  There are two basic classes of dry batteries — single-use and rechargeable.  Single-use are basically alkaline manganese batteries.  They are not technically considered to be hazardous waste, and can legally be thrown away in the garbage.  Learning how to recycle single-use batteries is much safer for the environment.  You may even sleep well at night, knowing your used AA's are being reformed into useful metals. 

You can either drop-off used alkaline manganese batteries at local sites, or mail-them in.  To find out they can be dropped-off, either call your local waste management services, or use Earth 911, where you can find recycling centers for just about anything, anywhere in the country.  Many local markets, electronics stores, and public facilities have battery recycling programs. 

For mail-in services it does cost money.  Battery Solutions for example, is a great resource for recycling electronic waste, from all types of batteries to used cell phones.  For $34.50, they will send you the packaging to mail your materials in, called a kit.  The box, shipping, and recycling costs are included in the price.  This basic kit is designed to hold a year's worth of batteries.

With rechargeable batteries, recycling is not an option, but the law.  Nickel-cadmium rechargeable are hazardous waste; they cannot be thrown away.  Nickel metal hydride and lithium ion batteries do not contain highly dangerous cadmium, but they still should be properly disposed of to prevent heavy metal pollution.

Call 2 Recycle is the ultimate rechargeable battery recycling resource.  They offer 30,000 drop-off locations around the country where rechargeable batteries and cellphones can be safely turned in.  Simply visit the website, type in your zip code, and the nearest drop-off sites are listed.  These batteries are separated with heat, yielding a variety of metals which can be reused. 

Its really that simple to make the earth a little safer, greener, and brighter for everyone. 

photo by Scalespeeder

Natural cosmetic brands

Why buy natural cosmetic brands?  What's wrong with regular make-up and skin care products?  Isn't it safe to assume that beauty products, which are designed to be applied to the face on a daily basis, are good for the skin, or at least, not dangerous?

Cosmetics have historically been manufactured with a host of harmful, synthetic, toxic substances.  Heavy metals, plastics, synthetic dyes, carcinogenic preservatives, and petroleum-based synthetics are all found in typical cosmetic products — even the expensive ones.  Only companies who make natural make-up  and skin care a priority, are truly healthy and eco-friendly.  The majority of the industry is, in essence, polluting the environment, and polluting your face. 

Natural cosmetic brands that are safe to use

• Burt's Bees is a North Carolina-based company, with a focus on providing the most natural products possible, and educating people on the benefits of natural ingredients, for human beings, and the environment.  They are a green company, from the top down, using recycled materials for packaging, and emphasizing sustainability, not excess.  Burt's Bees makes everything from facial cleansers and shampoos to natural make-up.  They are reasonably priced, and today are widely distributed.
• Aveda is a well-respected natural cosmetics company.  They diligently provide plant-based natural care products, with a wide range of eco-friendly, herbal-smelling hair products, make-up, skin care, and even botanical perfumes.  Aveda uses fair-trade, sustainable, environmentally-safe ingredients and packaging. They take green to a whole new level, supplying energy for their manufacturing with 100% certified wind power!  Aveda products can be found at their retail stores, and online. 
• Jane Iredale is the natural cosmetic brand for mineral make-up.  They have a wide range of colors for eyeshadows, blushes, and other products.  Everything is safe for even sensitive and allergy-prone skin.  This line of natural make-up can be found in some spas and salons, or online.  

Not all natural cosmetic brands are made the same.  Some are more eco-friendly than others, some are more pure.  They all have something more to offer beyond non-toxic make-up and beauty products — precedent. 

photo by Ana Filipa Machado

The best green way to wash dishes: eco friendly dishwashing

What is the best way to wash dishes, to conserve water and energy?  Dishwasher machines require quite a bit of energy, but are they more water-efficient?  What about hand washing?  Isn't the DIY way always better for the environment?  What exactly is eco-friendly dishwashing? 

Hand washing vs. automatic washing

Both can be eco-friendly ways to clean the dishes, or detrimental to the environment.  It depends on how each method is approached.  The best way to wash dishes and conserve water is to do everything possible to use the least amount of water.  The energy saver cycle on an efficient automatic washer may use less water and energy than hand washing.  An efficient hand washer, minimizing hot water use, can be just as eco-friendly. 
As a general average however, the machine method is greener, using 15 gallons of water for every load on a normal cycle, and 20 to 30 for hand washing the same amount of dirty dishes.

Eco-friendly dishwashing tips for machine washing

There are ways to make dishwashing as green as possible, whichever method is used.  For automatic dishwashers:

• Use the most energy efficient cycle button, which may be a 'smart' energy saver button for newer models, or a water miser cycle. 
• Don't use the heat dry option.  This is an unnecessary use of a lot of energy.  To help dishes dry naturally, open the door a bit once the cycle is done. 
• Only wash with a full load; don't run the machine without enough dishes.
• Don't put plastics in the machine as the hot water could cause plastics to leach out into the water and onto other dishes, potentially making their way into food. 
• Use a natural dishwashing detergent, such as Seventh Generation Dishwashing Powder or a homemade eco-friendly dish soap.  Also, white distilled vinegar works well as a rinse.  

Eco-friendly dishwashing tips for hand washing

The focus of eco-friendly hand washing is to use as little water as possible.

• Clean dishes before washing by scraping off food beforehand.  Pre-soak really grimy pans.
• Fill up sink with sudsy water and wash all dishes in that tub of water, cleaning less dirty dishes first.
• Instead of running water to rinse dishes, put some lukewarm water in the other side of a double sink, or a large bowl, and dip dishes in to rinse.  Fill only as much as needed initially, then when too sudsy, dump and replace, again being conservative with water use.  
• Use a natural dishwashing soap, or a homemade green liquid detergent. 

photo by Aaron 13251

How to make homemade green laundry detergent

Doing laundry has quite an impact on the environment.  Aside from the heavy use of water and energy, simply washing a load of clothes introduces unnecessary chemicals, dyes, and perfumes into the ecosystem, polluting the soil, and eventually the water.  A homemade green laundry detergent is not only eco-friendly, but it will save you money as well.  Try this simple recipe for homemade laundry detergent.  The essential oils are optional; try using different kinds for different environmentally-safe, non-toxic aromas.  Eucalyptus is refreshing and destroys dust mites, lavender is soothing, cinnamon bark is invigorating. 

The ingredients:

• bar soap — use a natural, vegetable oil-based soap, glycerin soap is usually inexpensive
• borax — borax is a natural mineral with awesome cleaning power
• washing soda — similar to baking soda, washing soda is sodium carbonate, being very alkaline in nature, it helps lift stains
• natural essential oils — essential oils are the highly concentrated extractions from plants, full with medicinal benefits and beautiful aromas, they are non-toxic, and completely safe for the environment

Homemade green laundry detergent recipe

Grate two bars of soap into a sealable plastic container (this will hold the detergent).  Add one cup of washing soda, and one cup of borax.  Mix all ingredients well, seal, and store.  When washing a load of clothes, add one to to tablespoons, depending on how dirty the laundry is.  Add four or five drops of essential oil of choice. 

photo by Malias

How to improve indoor air quality

According to the EPA, 23 million people have asthma.  Poor indoor air quality can both aggravate and cause respiratory illnesses.  Learn how to improve indoor air quality with these five, simple ideas.

Indoor air quality solutions

1. Increase ventilation — open the windows, let in fresh, outdoor air to help release a build-up of contaminates such as volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and gas particles.
2. Use natural cleaning products.  Conventional, chemical cleaning supplies emit toxins into the air we breathe.  No one needs the extra carcinogens and other harmful substances introduced into the indoor environment.  Look for products which only have biodegradable, plant-based ingredients, or make your own homemade natural cleaning products. 
3. Switch to natural bedding.  Conventional bedding materials, from cotton to polyester, are created and processed with a host of chemicals, from toxic flame retardants to carcinogenic formaldehyde.  Start integrating organic cotton blankets and sheets to create a natural, breath-easy bedroom environment.  Natural mattresses are a little more expensive, but well worth the investment.
4. Bring in the garden!  Placing two or three houseplants throughout the home is a great way to improve indoor air quality.  They help to cleanse and purify the air from pollution.
5. Take off your shoes when entering the home.  This will prevent dirt and small particles from coming deep into the home and entering the air. 

These simple indoor air quality solutions will make a huge difference in the health and safety of the great indoors, the place that many of us spend the majority of our time.  Another great way to bring fresh, clean air into the body — go for a walk!

photo by Back Garage

Green laundry tips: efficient clothes washing and drying

Ever thought of the impact on the environment of washing a load of clothes?  How much water is used?  How much energy?  What about the effect of laundry detergents?  With 40 gallons of water per load for conventional washing machines, 1800 to 5000 watts of energy used (and average energy costs of twenty to forty cents) per dryer cycle, and a host of unnecessary chemicals, dyes, and perfumes added to the ecosystem, just doing a load of laundry has quite a carbon footprint.  There is such a thing as efficient clothes washing and drying.  Follow these simple green laundry tips for eco-friendly washing.

Green, efficient clothes washing

• Use full loads to maximize use of water and energy with each load
• Wash and rinse with cold water — 90% of energy used for washing clothes goes towards heating water, according to the US Department of Energy
• Clean heavy stains by hand with soap and water before washing; this will eliminate the need for heavy washing, hot water, and harsh chemicals
• Use natural, biodegradable laundry detergents, or make a homemade detergent from eco-friendly ingredients such as borax, baking soda, and essential oils
• When in the market for a new washing machine, buy an energy efficient, Energy Star rated model

Green, efficient clothes drying

• Clean lint filter after each load to improve air circulation
• Wash heavy linens and towels separately to reduce drying time of lightweight clothing
• Air dry, air dry, air dry!  Use an outdoor clothes lines, or even an indoor rack as much as possible.  According to Project Laundry List, if everyone in America switched to clothes lines, several power plants could be shut down, so much energy would be saved.  
• Switch to an energy efficient, Energy Star dryer when it is time to upgrade your appliance

These green laundry tips require minimal effort and cost.  Saving water and energy will in fact save you money as well!  Buying a new washer and dryer for efficient clothes washing does come with an initial cost, but the lifetime financial and environmental savings of Energy Star models are well worth it.

photo by: Mysza831

Conserve water at home: 5 tips on how to save water and energy

Making efforts to conserve water at home can really make a difference.  For example, if everyone in America lowered the temperature on their water heater by 10 degrees F, 45 million tons of carbon monoxide would not enter the atmosphere every year, according to Renee Loux's eco living guide, Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home.  This would be the equivalent to all the CO2 emissions of a small country, such as Libya.  The more people who conserve water at home, the better; but, every individual who makes an effort is a step forward, and not a step backward.  Try any or all of these tips on how to save water, and the energy used to heat water.  They are not a huge commitment, but rather small changes anyone can do.

1. Take shorter showers!  Even shaving two or three minutes from a ten minute shower will save gallons of water — 7 to 10 gallons per minute for conventional showers.
2. Wash laundry in warm or cold water instead of hot water, and use the smallest water setting for the size of the load.  According to the US Department of Energy, 90% of the energy used for doing a load of clothes is directed towards heating the water.  
3. Turn down the temperature on the water heater.  An eco-friendly setting is 120 degrees F, most heaters are set to 140 degrees.  Turning the temperature down 10 degrees will prevent 600 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from each household.
4. Turn the water off while brushing teeth.  Leaving the water running uses ten gallons of water on average!
5. Washing dishes by hand is a good way to save energy, but not to conserve water.  With the faucet running, on average 30 gallons of water are used, as opposed to about 15 with a dishwasher.  If washing by hand, fill up the sink with soapy water and rinse dishes in cold water.  

photo by Steven DePolo

How to recycle cardboard boxes

Cardboard boxes are one of the easiest materials to recycle. They are usually too bulky to be thrown in the garbage, and are generally free of debris, food, or any other material that has to be removed. How to recycle cardboard boxes? In most states, its as simple as breaking them down and setting them out on the curb with other recyclables. For area-specific instructions, check with local waste management, or Earth 911.

The basics of cardboard recycling

There are two types of cardboard — corrugated cardboard, think of brown shipping boxes, and paperboard, think cereal boxes. Paperboard is not technically cardboard, but it falls within the general category of 'paper' waste by the EPA. Both should be removed of any extra materials, stickers, fill packaging, staples, and then flattened out. Some states will recycle cardboard boxes that haven't been flattened, but try to make everything compact and efficient for the workers who have to collect everything.

Wet cardboard boxes cannot be recycled! Water and grease ruin the cardboard; it can no longer be used or recycled. Don't leave materials on the curb if it is going to rain before recyclables are collected. Don't try to recycle pizza boxes, or other damp cardboard.

Although recycling your box of Lucky Charms cereal, or the cardboard box that grandma used to send homemade cookies will not save the world, it will make a difference. Think of all the cardboard you use in your whole life! The benefits add up. According to Earth 911, one ton of recycled cardboard saves 9 cubic yards of landfill space, and prevents 46 gallons of oil from ever being used. Learn how to recycle cardboard boxes in your area, and make the world a little greener.