So where do you bring your used rechargeable batteries so they don’t end up in a land fill?  I found a website (http://www.call2recycle.org/) that all you simply have to do is plug in your zip code and it will give you a list of drop off points for batteries and cell phones in your area.  I think this site works throughout the US and Canada.

Check out this website.  It will help you in your quest to live green.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

Vince

It turns out that even though the cost of deconstruction can be up to 2 to 3 times more than demolition, after factoring in tax benefits of the donated materials from the deconstruction process, it could end up costing you less or better yet could even bring you a positive cash flow.

There’s an article about the deconstruction process on Angie’s List (http://t.co/oAUEeLW) where you can get more info on local sources for buying building materials for your renovation project at deep discounts or for finding a company to help you with a deconstruction project.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

Vince

The second thing they showed was a reusable lunch box set.  The set includes several custom fit food containers, a drink bottle, and a reusable ice pack.  And like the sandwich wraps discussed earlier, it opens flat to double as a place mat or for easy cleaning.  These are available at http://www.lunchsense.com.

Check out these green ideas.  I think you’ll find them useful.  And remember, it’s just as important to consider what you put your lunch in as to what you have for lunch.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

Vince

In efforts to vamp up energy efficiency, the federal government is implementing a rebate program for appliances. People can swap in their old appliances for new energy-efficient ones, saving electricity and saving on monthly bills.

A 20-year-old fridge can use three times as much energy as a new Energy Star-approved fridge. The age of your appliances impact your actual savings, so check into it before purchasing.

Important things to know:
1. Plans vary by state. Check out energysavers.gov for details.
2. Buy before it ends. Like the car rebate program Cash for Clunkers, this program has a set amount of federal money allocated to it. Once the $300 million is gone, the program will likely end. It is expected to run out quickly.
(Source: The Associated Press)

Take advantage of this program and don’t miss out on saving some money and the environment, all at the same time.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

Vince

Starting Jan. 1, 2010, it will be illegal to text while driving (Public Act 096-0130).  Personally, it seems like common sense to me to not text while driving.  Do we really need a law to prevent this activity?

Another new law makes it illegal to talk on your cell phone (unless you are using a hands free device) while driving through a school or construction zone (Public Act 096-0131).  This one may be difficult to comply with because school or construction zones may come up quickly in the middle of your phone call.

Anyway, don’t get caught unaware of the new rules.  I’m sure the police will be out there enforcing these new laws, as well they should be, and raising some revenue.  Don’t be the one who single handedly lowers your municipality’s budget deficit in 2010.

Have a healthy, happy, prosperous and safe new year!

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

          Aurora Recycling

          Batavia Recycling

          Elgin Recycling

          Geneva Recycling

          St. Charles Recycling

          Kane County Recycling

Another way to find out what can be recycled is to go to your local waste hauler’s web site.  Here are a few links:

          Allied

          Veolia Recycling

And for disposal of some of the more difficult items, like hazardous waste, check out the Illinois EPA web site.  Here’s a link to help you identify how and where you can get rid of hazardous waste.

          Illinois EPA Household Waste Disposal Solutions

Another thing I’ve noted in looking at all of these web sites is that your city or town web site usually has special instructions for disposal of compact fluorescent light bulbs.  This is especially important because where these bulbs save energy during their useful life, they contain mercury should receive special handling for their disposal.

The second approach is to change your habits from using disposable and/or recyclable materials to using reusable and/or durable materials.  For example, instead of buying bottled water and recycling the plastic containers, buy a water filter for your tap water at home and fill a reusable container and avoid throwing plastic bottles away all together.  Another example is to change from using resealable plastic bags to reusable plastic containers.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

With the recent cash for clunkers program, fuel economy is on my mind.  An awesome resource that I found on the web is fueleconomy.gov.  On this site, you can find a list of the fuel economy ratings for all cars, trucks and SUVs, all in one place.  The 2009 guide is currently available, and a preliminary version of the 2010 guide is available (not a complete list of vehicles yet).  This information can help you decide which vehicle best fits your budget based on the cost of keeping gas in the tank and end up saving you some green.

The 2009 guide highlights the fuel economy leaders, about 40 of them across the 14 different classes of vehicles, on page 4 of the guide.  The only vehicles listed that reach 40 mpg (miles per gallon) or higher are:

Smart fortwo (convertible and coupe) 33 mpg city / 41 mpg highway
Honda Civic Hybrid – 40 mpg city / 45 mpg highway
Volkswagen Jetta – 30 mpg city / 41 mpg highway
Toyota Prius – 48 mpg city / 45 mpg highway
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen – 29 mpg city / 40 mpg highway

Hopefully, this list will grow longer for 2010 and the following years.  I think that at least the 2010 Honda Insight will join the list along with some of the new diesel vehicles.

Starting in the 2008 model year, the mpg ratings for vehicles are reported using a new method of testing.  The new method is supposed to be more representative of how we drive today.  The new mpg test methods include the effects of faster speeds and acceleration, air conditioning use and colder outside temperatures.  In general the mpg ratings starting in 2008 are lower than those of previous years because of the new testing methods.  However, they are supposed to reflect more accurately the actual mpg that the consumer experiences after they purchase the vehicle and drive it off of the dealer’s lot.

The coolest feature I found on the fueleconomy.gov web site was their advanced search.  With it you can set your search criteria for things including model year, class of vehicle (sedan, coupe, hatchback, etc.), grade of fuel, transmission type, and minimum mpg ratings.  Not only will the search list all of the vehicles meeting your criteria, it tells you the annual fuel cost to operate the vehicles, their carbon footprint (in tons per year of CO2) and their energy impact score.  This is a great way to compare vehicles to help you decide which ones best meet your green goals.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

 In reading the “2009 family guide to going green” from the National Association of Realtors, I came across a great resource of consumer information.  It’s the “Master ROI Table” from greenandsave.com.  What this table tells you is what the return on your investment is for implementing green ideas.

 For example, if you invest in a programmable thermostat, your return is 156.5%.  In other words, you would make back the money you invested in the thermostat in 0.6 years.  After that time, you would be saving money.  Another example is, if you invest in compact fluorescent lighting your return on investment is 133.3% ,or 0.8 years.

 The table details a wide range of green ideas including solar attic fans, toxic free paints, on demand water heaters, ceiling fans, rain water collection, dual flush toilets, solar hot water, radiant floors and green roofs, to name a few.

 This information is a great way to help you decide where to invest your hard earned money.  It tells you how quickly you will make back the money you spend based on the cost savings of implementing that green idea.  I hope you find it as useful as I do.  After all, being better informed will help us all make better decisions on how to invest our time and money.

 As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.

The Geneva Ace Hardware had a booth with many different green products and ideas from energy efficient lighting, to all natural odor control products from Fresh Wave (got some free samples), to educational material on how to properly dispose of latex paint.

The Pure Gardener from Geneva was also there.  A few things at their booth caught my eye including rain barrels and a reel lawn mower.  These are two things that I am interested in pursuing in the near future.  First of all, they are easy to implement.  Second of all, they are practical and make a lot of sense.

With the reel lawn mower, I can get rid of my gas powered lawn mower.  My lawn is fairly small and relatively flat.  So a reel lawn mower would be perfect.  It’s part exercise plan and part environmentally friendly.  My brother put it in perspective when he said to me, “I don’t understand why people walk behind their self propelled gas powered lawn mowers and then pay for a membership at a health club.”  He loves his reel lawn mower.

Another booth I stopped at was the Kane County Master Gardeners booth.  This is a University of Illinois extension.  Among promoting upcoming events like the Garden Conservancy in West Chicago which will be open on August 2 from 10am to 2pm, they were showing off some bamboo products.  They had some bamboo yarn (surprisingly soft material), a bamboo shirt (again very soft), a bamboo cutting board and some bamboo flooring products.  The great thing about bamboo is that it is renewable, it grows back in about 5 years after it is cut.  It’s a fairly hard material, so its use in cutting boards and flooring is a natural fit.

I hope you have a chance to check out Swedish Days in Geneva.  If you want more info on the items I mentioned above, you can find links to their web sites on my web site at foxvalleygreenhomes.com.  Just click on the Green Stuff button on the home page.  You will find links to these and many other green sites there.

As always, thanks for reading my blog, and when you have finished reading it, please recycle it.