Earth Week starts Sunday and Earth Day is Wednesday, which makes this a good time to think about going green.
It is not that hard to make a little difference in the environment. One of the easiest ways is to recycle. Recycling does not take much time and can even produce a cash return.
And reducing energy consumption is also rewarding. Bumping the thermostat up a notch in the summer or down a notch in the winter has an immediate effect on utility bills. So does replacing burned-out incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The fluorescent bulbs cost more, but prices have been dropping and the long-lived bulbs now make sense for the household budget as well as the environment.
Below, 10 tips for taking care of the planet:
Take the bus
LCat’s public transportation routes run throughout the city, and are expanding into the county to save gasoline costs for those who choose to ride the handicap-accessible vans. Passes are sold at $5 per person for one day or $30 per person for one month. A $39 pass for one month is available for families up to five people. Call 343-4207 for more information. Routes are run from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 7:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Recycle the yard
Compost can be picked up at the Emporia Transfer Station, west of Prairie Street on South Avenue. The landfill also serves as a free drop-off point for limbs, grass clippings and other natural lawn debris.
Recycle some more
The Emporia Recycling Center at 3100 W. South Ave., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays to accept recyclables at a rate of about 2,000 tons annually. Drop off cardboard, paperboard, newspaper, magazines, slick paper, office paper, junk mail, aluminum cans, tin cans, container glass, pop bottles, milk containers and detergent bottles. The center also operates a drop-off trailer at the Dillon’s East parking lot every week from 3 p.m. Thursday until 11 a.m. Saturday. For $15 per month, The Green Door Recycling offers curbside pickups for recycling for businesses and individuals. For more information, call 794-1663 or go online to www.greendoorrecycling.com.
Money for metal
You can get cash for your aluminum cans by taking them to Hetlinger Developmental Services, 707 S. Commercial St., or to Aluminum Recycling, 702 W. Sixth Ave. Scrap metal can be taken to Advantage Metals Recycling, 302 Graham St., formerly Galamba Metals Group. The business is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Advantage pays for all grades of scrap iron and steel, along with aluminum, copper, brass and stainless steel scrap.
Old electronics
Unneeded electronics equipment can be taken to the Noxious Weed Department, 3000 W. South Ave. The department takes everything from old computers to cell phones, microwaves, stereos and TVs, and is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staples, at 2200 Industrial Road, accepts old computer equipment. For $10, you can drop off anything from printers to monitors.
Drive smart
A few simple steps can help drivers save fuel and money with little effort or expense. Keep tires inflated to manual-recommended levels; change air filters, oil and oil filters regularly; give the vehicle a tune-up — old, dirty or worn spark plugs don’t ignite fuel properly and result in greater gas consumption; consider oxygen sensors as maintenance parts, not repair parts, to avoid wasting fuel as the sensors wear out and become inefficient. Try to consolidate shopping or errands into one trip instead of several, and plan the most efficient routes to drive from stop to stop.
Raise a meal
Grow a vegetable garden at home or at the Flint Hills Technical College, where garden plots can be rented, with tools available to participants. Fresh vegetables grown locally not only provide healthier, tastier meals, but trim the amount of fuel used to transport them from growers half a country away.
Cook in batches
Double recipes at mealtime, to make the most of your own energy, as well as the energy of the stovetop or oven. Leftovers can be packaged and frozen for a quick meal later, or packaged into individual servings for lunches during the week. In addition to the energy and time saved, doubled recipes also result in money saved by eating a healthy, balanced meal from home instead of grabbing a fast-foot combo.
Save at home
Most homes are ripe for saving energy, whether it comes from caulking cracks around the outside of windows and doors or installing weatherstripping where doors meet doorjambs. Fluorescent light bulbs cost less to operate than incandescent bulbs, and last longer, too. Replace gaskets on drippy faucets, wash clothing in cold water instead of hot or warm, and don’t keep lights burning when you’re not using them. Setting thermostats a few degrees lower in winter and a few degrees higher in summer can result in substantial savings of energy and money.
Keep it clean
Old buckets of paint, pesticides, antifreeze, oil, yard and pool chemicals and batteries and similar hazardous waste are accepted at no charge at 3000 W. South Ave. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Disposing of hazardous materials properly helps prevent pollution of land and waterways.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
An easy way to save on heating/cooling costs is to install a programmable thermostat. We have one and it's great. Why keep the house really warm/cool when we're all at work anyway?
April 18, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
"Earth Day is Wednesday"
Man, that reminds me! I gotta fill up my SUV...
April 18, 2009 at 5:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
trolling since the ban nonsense is over now?
April 18, 2009 at 6:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scrutinizer (anonymous) says...
The Gazette could help us go green by not throwing that advertizement in my driveway each week and mailing me one, too. I need neither.
April 19, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
Hey Observation, if you perfect that hair growing thing, let me know, I would like to grow some myself.
April 19, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )