Blogs

My new TV is coming! Now, about my old one...

Don Willmott , Forecast Earth Correspondent — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:55:42 PDT

It's on the way! The announcement that my local cable provider, Time Warner Cable, had doubled the number of available HD channels to 50 was the push I needed. I went online, did my research, and ordered a (not-too-big-and-wasteful) 32-inch LCD TV that should arrive later this week. Hooray for me.

Now, what about the 27-inch Sony Trinitron that has been my constant companion since 1994?

We've been through a lot together: elections, Olympics, Absolutely Fabulous. What am I to do with this big glass-and-plastic monster that suddenly looks positively antique sitting on its stand?

My current plan is to take the easy way out and post it as a free giveaway at Craigslist. If you can haul it, you can have it. My hope is that it will go to someone who can really use it, or at least to someone who can sell it on and make a few bucks. The truth is that the TV has pretty much no value, if what I've seen on the site is any indication. I could also try FreeCycle, but I find it to be harder to figure out than Craigslist.

Since I've made my purchase online, I can't take advantage of any real-world store's offer to pick up my old TV when they deliver my new one, but I was happy to see that Sci Fi's DVICE blog recently did a useful roundup of the recycling policies of all the major electronics stores. This guide could help you decide where to go to make your next big-box purchase whether it's a TV or some other large appliance.

As for me, if this blogging gig continues to go well, maybe I'll budget for a new Energy Star-compliant air conditioner this summer, and then I'll have another toxic and antique appliance to dispose of.

We've come a long way, baby

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:43:56 PDT

Earth Day is like the environmentalist's Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Fourth of July wrapped up in one.

Some may poo-poo Earth Day as having lost its true meaning, but like Charlie Brown, we can always rediscover the heart and soul of the day.

Stripped of the recent commercialism, the whole point of this day has always been to bring attention to our environment and what we need to do to clean it up.

So what better time than Earth Day 2008 to look at how far we've come in the past 12 months, and to think about what we can do to make our planet a cleaner place in the future.

Top five signs we're on the right track

Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize -- Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were recognized for their work to spread the word about man-made climate change.

The Nobel Committee made clear the devastating effect global warming will have on human lives and security. For peace in our times, we have to reverse climate change. And thanks to Mr. Gore's work, millions of people are aware of this.

Prius sales topped 1 million -- The icon for green driving, Toyota's Prius hybrid car, hit a million cars sold worldwide in June 2007. Over half of those cars are zipping around the U.S.

The Prius is Silicon Valley's car of choice -- as evidenced by the dozens in Yahoo!'s own parking lot (and my own driveway). Other carmakers are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon every model year.

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 signed into law -- This U.S. legislation, while far from perfect, has huge potential to increase our country's energy efficiency.

It raises standard gas mileage for cars and light trucks (aka SUVs) for the first time ages to 35 mpg by 2020. And this act bans the sale of most incandescent lightbulbs by 2014. We should see more Energy Star-rated appliances too.

The Vatican called pollution a sin -- When even the Catholic Church is going green, you know the message has spread. Church official Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti said, "You offend God not only by stealing, blaspheming, or coveting your neighbor's wife, but also by ruining the environment."

Rev. John Wauck from Rome's Pontifical University of the Holy Cross added that protecting the environment is implied in the Bible's Book of Genesis. Pollution is a variation on the mortal sin of gluttony or selfishness.

Wal-Mart went green -- Surprisingly, the world's biggest retailer has jumped on the sustainability bandwagon. How much of this is green-washing is debatable, but it's true that the mega-store has made some big eco-friendly efforts.

Wal-Mart sold more than 100 million compact fluorescent light bulbs in 2007, introduced fair-trade certified coffee in April 2008, and buys 10 million pounds of organic cotton annually.

Considering the company expects 90% of American households will shop at its stores this year, I think it's pretty important that Wal-Mart is doing something green.

We're more aware of climate change than ever before. We know something about how our choices in energy use, travel, and shopping affect the planet and our own communities. Let's pat ourselves on the back... then let's get back to work.

Top five things still we need to work on

Drive less, carpool more, use public transit -- Gas is climbing to $4 a gallon, so really, who wants to drive more anyway? If the nasty emissions don't make you want to share the ride or get out of the car entirely, the cost should.

Start small by carpooling to work a couple days a week. This really isn't that hard for most people, since statistically our commutes aren't long in distance. It's the time spent sitting in traffic that stretches our workday -- but if your city has carpool lanes, you'll zip to the office and back home easily.

Be a conscious consumer, reduce the stuff you buy -- The first step in "reduce, reuse, recycle" is often forgotten, but it's the most important one. The less junk we buy, the less we need to reuse or recycle. We're nipping the problem in the bud.

Do I really need the latest cell phone when I renew my plan? No, even if the company is giving it to me free. The old phone works fine, so why add it to the landfill?

Now personally, I love fashion, but when I feel like having new clothes, I hit the thrift store or look for vintage garb on eBay. At least then I'm not requiring new resources to be used simply for my pleasure, plus I'm keeping stuff out of the garbage.

You don't have to abandon all your possessions and live off the grid, but we can all think a bit more carefully about what we do buy, consider where it comes from, and what we'll do with it after we're finished with it.

Avoid toxic plastics -- We're starting to learn that some very common plastics leach toxic chemicals into our bodies, and these chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and other health dangers.

Two biggies to watch out for are Bisphenol A (also known as BPA) and phthalates. BPA is often found in plastic water bottles and baby bottles -- these containers usually have a #7 in the 'chasing arrow' symbol on the bottom. Phthalates are found in PVC and soft vinyl goods plus in personal-care products like shampoos and lotions. Look for any ingredient with "-phthalate" in the name.

Conserve water -- According to the United Nations, 41% of the world's population lacks access to clean water. The U.S. southeast was hit by a devastating drought last year, and global climate change will continue to screw with weather patterns.

It's always wise to conserve the water we have, and it's easy too. Fix leaks around the house, install a low-flow showerhead, consider drought-resistant landscaping, heck, even let it mellow if it's yellow. I've heard some famous people even do that.

Tell elected officials the environment matters to you (and vote accordingly) -- Our individual actions help a lot. But to make the biggest impact possible, we need our government to act.

Legislation ensures that corporations don't pollute the skies and oceans or use up all our natural resources. Our government can influence other countries to clean up their acts too.

So remind your representatives at the state and federal level that you care about our environment and want them to act with the planet in mind. And in November, when you have a chance to vote for a new president, consider the candidates' views on climate change too.

Same thrill, no bill

Sam Silverstein — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:02:07 PDT

I'm sure my family would enjoy our backyard campfires just fine if we'd paid for our fire pit. But the fact that the hammered-copper disc landed in our backyard for free adds luster to those starry evenings. I also get a warm feeling when I see the same model for sale at Smith & Hawken for $300.Â

Getting stuff through a Freecycle group is satisfying that way. It's like a shopping buzz without the hangover â or bill. You get the same thrill of the chase, the same satisfaction of telling the story behind your discovery. Each Freecycle item is one less deposit to the local landfill, which is good.Â

And it's free. All that's required is effort. And not much at that.Â

Instead of throwing out unwanted furniture, dishes, bikes, or electronics, people in "reuse groups" give them away to other people in their community who want them. The givers and takers find each other online. The first step is to sign up for the reuse group nearest you (minimizing travel time when spot something you want).Â

The granddaddy of all reuse groups is Freecycle.org, with more than 5 million global members the globe and counting. Search here to find the Freecycle group nearest you.Â

Other reuse groups are less well known, but are just as successful in putting perfectly good stuff in people's happy hands. Yahoo! has compiled a master list of reuse groups around the world and plotted them on a map. Use it to find a reuse group near you.Â

The next step? Check your email.Â

Stuff you want to give away, you post as "offered." Whoever wants it responds to you directly, and off you go.Â

For stuff you see offered and want to go get, it's the same process in reverse. Let the giver know you're interested, and set up a time and place to make the handoff. Yes, the whole thing is based on trust. It also works.Â

Reuse groups keep an estimated 300 tons of waste out of landfills every day, according to a University of Iowa study. This profile of Freecycle founder Deron Beal further illustrates the power of the idea in words and pictures.Â

In our own home, we've given away golf clubs, children's toys, and outgrown bicycles, clearing space in our garage. We've added: the fire ring, a garden hose, and a guitar that works fine but sounds awful. Talent is harder to pass around.

Sam Silverstein is the editor of Yahoo! Green.

Trash-talk radio

Trystan L. Bass — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:51:09 PDT

You may not expect trash talk on National Public Radio, but recently it had a four-part series that took on garbage.

Getting Rid of Junk, Staying Green looks at the stuff Americans throw away. From our seemingly endless stream of mobile phones to the plastic bags we dump the garbage into, NPR explores what's current and what the future may hold. Each article also has related info and links that may help you take care of your excess junk.

Think we can ever get to zero waste? It's worth trying, not just talking about.

A snake the mice love

Hank Green — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:48:20 PDT

I don't generally get excited about people making art out of trash ... because it's not generally this awesome.

My one question is: why do the mice seem to be running toward the snake?

I guess that's for the artist Choi Jung Hyun to explain.

Via Metaefficient

RecycleBank gives you credit

Hank Green — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:39:26 PDT

What if there were a financial reason to recycle? Wouldn't it be cool if you were reimbursed for all that sticky-fingered, paper-cutting work that you do once a week?

I mean, after all, you are performing a service. Basically, you're a miner. Mining your trash for aluminum, PET plastic, silica, and cellulose. So why not get wages like miners do? Some people have been asking those questions, and that's why RecycleBank was formed.

But that's not why RecycleBank just got $13M in venture capital funding. It got that money because this system actually works.

RecycleBank puts an RFID chip in all of its recycling bins. The chip is linked to individuals' names and accounts. The recycling trucks then weigh your recycling (if properly sorted) and give you credits based on the amount of stuff you're recycling.

The credits can then be exchanged like airline miles. Except, instead of flights, you get a buck off your latte at Starbucks or cheaper dog food or a free rental at Blockbuster.

Of course, there are a few problems with this idea. First, it kind of encourages people to consume more. I don't have much recycling because I drink tap water and read the newspaper online. If I got incentives for cans, I might start drinking Mountain Dew again.

Another possible issue is theft. As weird as it sounds, neighbors might start swapping bins under the cover of darkness or even plundering recyclables.

But so far, in pilot projects, this doesn't seem to be a problem. Two Philadelphia communities saw recycling rates increase from 7% and 35% to 90% each!

I haven't heard of a 90% recycling rate anywhere outside of Europe, so those are very exciting numbers. Especially because more people recycling means more raw material per man-hour and vehicle-mile, which significantly increases the probability that recycling authorities will actually make money.

Via Earth2Tech

Recycling by mail

Hank Green — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:54:06 PDT

Imagine a world where trash is so valuable that, instead of throwing it away, the post man comes and picks it up from your doorstep and whisks it off to some exotic location to be re-used, re-purposed, or recycled.

Well, that day may actually be here. Except, instead of any old trash -- it's your small electronic gadgets and printer cartridges.

The U.S. Postal Service recently decided that it's going to house a new kind of recycling center. It has teamed up with CORE Recycling Concepts (part of Clover Technologies) by placing free mailers in over 1,500 post offices.

The Postal Service is asking people to put their electronic "trash" into these mailers. The post office then pays shipping to Clover's sorting centers. Once there, the items are sorted, and then either sold to companies that can use them or recycled.

The project is centered on a few large cities right now. But if Clover can make enough money and pay the Post Office back for it's trouble, it could expand the program nationally in the fall.Â Here's hoping!

Via Computer World

TV recycling picking up steam... because it must

Don Willmott , Forecast Earth Correspondent — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:42:53 PDT

When the government-mandated switch from analog to digital TV takes place next Februrary, countless old TVs will suddenly become not quite junk but something approaching it.

Sure, lots of people will try to figure out the whole digital-to-analog converter box thing (your grandparents may be calling you), but many more will simply decide it's time for a TV upgrade. And then it's off to the landfill with the old Trinitron.

Or maybe not. Sony is leading the way in holding "takeback" events to which you can bring your old electronics for recycling. Green Daily reported that Sony will even bring back a few of its vintage TV commercials from the good old days as a way to remind us to recycle.

A successful event was held at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in early March, and up to 40 more all around the country are planned for 2008 although the schedule is not yet definite.

Try to participate if you can. The EPA says that only 380,000 tons of e-waste were properly recycled in 2005, while more than two million tons ended up in landfills.

Turning poop into fuel

Hank Green — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:31:30 PST

You gotta hand it to people who are creating real-world solutions to real-world problems. Giant solar-collecting space lasers are pretty cool -- but Sintex is for real.

The Indian plastics company has created a very simple "digester" that takes something we have too much of (poop) and turns it into something we don't have enough of (energy).

This digester can actually take any organic material, including agricultural waste, kitchen scraps, or cow dung, and convert it to methane. This happens naturally, of course, and is happening in your septic tank (or at your sewage treatment plant) right now.

The difference is that Sintex's biogas reactor has a little tube that moves the methane into a storage container. From there, the methane can be used for any natural gas application, such as cooking, drying clothes, heating the home, boiling water, etc.

A "primed" digester (primed with cow dung, for a source of good bacteria) can digest all the waste of a four-person household and produce enough energy for that household to cook all of its meals! The device costs $425 and will pay for itself in less than two years.

The Indian government has agreed to subsidize 1/3 of the cost of the units. In theory, that will actually save the government money, as they won't have to deal with the waste in other ways.

Sintex has only installed about 100 of the devices ... but just wait. When real-world problems get real-world solutions, it's hard to hold them back from success.

Via Forbes

China going 'toilet to tap' by 2010

Hank Green — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:57:59 PST

Envirovore just got finished dissecting one of China's more questionable environmental policies (feeding pollution to fish and then the fish to people).

Well here's another environmental decision that, while more sound, still gives me the willies...

Converting waste water to drinkable water has long been the holy grail of water treatment. Generally, we can only get the water just clean enough to dump it into some body of water without causing too much harm to the system.

Cleaning it to the point where it is once again safe to drink is possible, but has remained prohibitively expensive.

Tongji University's Siqing Xia is both lead researcher and champion for his small-scale water-reclamation facility. Right now, the facility creates "gray water" that is suitable for things like flushing toilets and irrigation.

But after a bit of further treatment through ion-exchange and reverse osmosis filtration, the facility could produce tasty drinkable water.

Xia hopes to have a full-scale toilet-to-tap project operating in time for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. We can't help but wish him luck.

Unfortunately, it seems that convincing the population that they should drink this water might be even more difficult than making it economically viable. But when a country grows like China and demands for water are ever-increasing, these sorts of technologies will be vital to keeping those pressures off the rivers and aquifers.

Via TreeHugger

Finally, a USPS-approved reusable envelope

Hank Green — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:36:18 PST

If you get a package from me, it frequently comes covered in packing tape and blackened by a whole pen's worth of black Sharpie. It's always just seemed like such a huge waste that we generally destroy envelopes as soon as they arrive at their destination.

Already, NetFlix has started to overcome this problem with its durable, reusable, proprietary mailers. But, thus far, reusable mailers have been unavailable to the majority of businesses and individuals alike.

Now, EcoEnvelopes has taken a good design, mixed with a couple rounds of funding, and the company is turning it into the first reusable envelope, sanctioned by the USPS, and readily available for use by businesses.

Eliminating return envelopes saves energy, water, and forest resources and reduces the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
Every one million ecoEnvelopes used saves an estimated 250 million BTUs of energy and 37,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses.
All ecoEnvelopes are manufactured on certified papers from managed forests using up to 100% recycled content.

By using these mailers, instead of including return envelopes, businesses can reduce their costs up to 45% and increase response to direct mail up to 8%. This seems like a natural fit for environmental non-profits, who are often criticized for wasting paper during fund-raising.

Of course, the mailers are only good for two uses, so they aren't perpetually reusable. But halving the number of envelopes we need in this country is certainly a good first step.

The only reason the U.S. 2009 budget is green

Hank Green — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:22:48 PST

George W. Bush's $3 trillion budget might not have very many provisions for green technology in it, but, thanks to some clever administration officials, we can gloss over that by saying that the budget itself is a lot greener this year.

In fact, the budget does not physically exist. This makes a tremendous amount of sense, especially considering that the Democratic Congress is about to tear through it, delete, and add like crazy. Previously, this deliberation process created constant need for reprinting after reprinting.

And then there's the 3,000 copies of the 2,200-page tome that are given away to the press and the public every year. Yes, it's a great big waste. But now we can thank the Bush administration for eliminating the paper budget once and for all.

The administration says the move (despite including a Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC so the president can show it off to Congress) actually saves money. And, of course, they let us know exactly how many trees it saves: 480.

Of course, using the market's most expensive tablet PC as a glorified PDF reader is pretty foolish. But if you want your own copy of the budget, it's never been easier. Just head to www.budget.gov and check the bottom of the page. It's even broken into categories so you don't have to download stuff you don't care about!

Recycle that old TV

Elizabeth Hurchalla — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:50:39 PST

Before you trash your old TV set for any reason, consider that many municipalities have banned TVs from landfills.

And for good reason, since your old set contains up to eight pounds of lead, a poison that can cause nervous system damage. Lead is there to protect you from radiation while it's still in your TV, but when the TV is crushed in the garbage truck and then in the landfill, bad news: that lead is going to leach out.

Unfortunately, you can't just drop off the TV at the local thrift store or recycling center and call it a day. Some charities don't accept used TVs anymore since the cost of disposing of broken sets is too high to offset the money they could make by selling working ones.

And some unethical recycling firms charge substantial fees to recycle old sets and then just ship the old TVs overseas.

You can't leave the old set sitting on the curb. Instead, try these sites:

Search through Earth 911's database of recycling, disposal, and donation alternatives. Just enter your ZIP code and get a list of options instantly. Need more? Look through the Electronic Industries Alliance list of state-by-state e-cycling resources.
Some retailers and manufacturers, like Best Buy and Sony, offer recycling programs. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency's list of participating e-cycling companies to find out what's available in your area.
Check with local charities. The Earth 911 and Electronic Industries Alliance searches include some nonprofits that accept used working TVs, but if you can't find any in your area, try calling local thrift stores to ask if they'll take your set or know who will.
If your set doesn't work, look into whether your town has specific disposal days or drop-off locations via the Electronic Industries Alliance site. If not, that site also provides information on private recycling firms that will take your television for a fee.

If you do go that route, just make sure you're dealing with a reputable company. For starters, find out if they've signed the Electronics Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship. The Electronics Industries Alliance has also compiled a list of questions you can ask to ensure your old television is handled responsibly.

Why plastic bags are greener than paper

Hank Green — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:10:42 PST

Whole Foods has just promised to completely stop using plastic bags. And while I like that they're, y'know, considering these things, it turns out that their logic may be faulty.

So I decided to do a little research, and it turns out, the greenest thing about paper bags is the way people perceive them. Because they seem more natural, people think they're better for the environment. Well, it's a damn shame, but they're wrong.

Whole Foods' moving over to 100% recycled paper is actually going to be worse for the environment.

Creating recycled paper is a much more energy-intensive process than creating plastic bags. That's why grocery stores prefer you take the plastic.

Plastic also is much easier to ship. And while we might worry that all that plastic is coming from foreign oil, the amazing thing is that even with all the billions of plastic bags we use every year, they constitute about 0.03% of our oil use in the U.S.

Obviously not the most pressing problem we've got.

There is one way in which paper bags win out: They don't harm wildlife as much. But if you think you can keep a handle on your bags, and not leave them to get blown into the ocean, then you're better with plastic than with paper.

I'm not sure what Whole Foods is thinking ... maybe they're really concerned about wildlife. Maybe they think people are more likely to re-use plastic bags. Maybe this is just the first step in getting people to switch over completely to reusable bags.

In any case, a greener measure would be to start charging people for the energy (and carbon) needed to produce disposable bags. That would give people a real incentive to (finally) stop using disposable bags.

My sources for this article:
TreeHugger - MSNBC - Institute for Life Cycle Environmental Assessment - LifeTips

Guaranteed payment for recycling your electronics

Jozef Winter — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:16:30 PST

Here on EcoGeek we've written a lot about how to recycle your old electronics. First, because it's a great idea and there are so many electronics out there not being used but with lots of useful and expensive parts. And second, because many of those parts are poisonous, so many end up in landfills that it's posing a huge environmental problem.

We've written about Target selling re-furbished electronics, how Staples is trying to make recycling easier, how Dell is going Cradle to Cradle with all its products, and even how to recycle your old laptop yourself and even make some money at it! But what if you actually got paid to bring your old electronics back when you no longer needed them?

TechForward Inc., a Los Angeles-based company, will actually do just that. For an upfront fee ($9 for an iPod for example) you get the right to sell the device back at a pre-determined price, based on how long you keep it. If you send back the iPod after a year, you get $40, $20 after two years.

"The trade-in prices don't look competitive with eBay auctions, but TechForward offers the convenience of free packaging and shipping. Its prices assume the item is in good condition. The company won't pay for an item that's broken, though it will supply packaging, pay for shipping and arrange to recycle it."

However, we've also discussed "buymytronics" here at EcoGeek, an admittedly smaller operation that actually will buy your electronics without any pre-fee, and even if they're broken. The price, of course, changes based on the condition of your device, and the range of devices they accept is more limited.

All in all, a good situation. Even if you're not planning on selling the item back but want to keep it beyond its "payback" period, for the convenience of recycling and proper disposal, $9 seems like a fair deal to me.

via Physorg

Read all about it

Trystan L. Bass — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:57:46 PST

Are you still wondering what the "Omnivore's Dilemma" is and if you're suffering from it?

When summer blockbuster movies come out and everyone says "Wow, that just wasn't as good as the book," do you fake it? Or sheepishly admit you missed that novel too?

BookMooch makes it easy to hit the pages and do a little creative recycling and reusing at the same time. Best of all, the service is free.

Sign up with this nifty site, list books growing dusty on your shelves, and swap them for books you want to read with other folks online. No money exchanges hands, only books.

The re-reading has been going on since August 2006 with nary a hitch. Wondering how it all started? Find out in this interview with founder John Buckman on Yahoo! Picks Profiles.

Recycle, re-ink

Trystan L. Bass — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:56:18 PST

Want to save a few bucks while keeping some plastic out of the garbage? Recycle the cartridges from your printer, and buy refilled cartridges instead of brand new ones.

Almost eight printer cartridges are junked every second in the U.S., according to Cartridge World, one of many businesses that take old inkjet and laser cartridges, clean 'em up, and refill them to work like new in printers.

Office Depot notes that remanufacturing one laser toner cartridge can save a half-gallon of oil, plus keep two and a half pounds of plastic out of landfills.

Refilled (also called remanufactured) printer cartridges cost 15% to a third less than the original price, and I've found positive reports online.

I've been using refilled inkjet cartridges in my Epson printer at home with no problems, and the same goes for my husband's business which does a lot of color graphics printing. Likewise, the laser printers here in Yahoo!'s HQ use many remanufactured cartridges that are recycled after each use.

You can take your empty cartridges in and buy refilled ones at places like Cartridge World, many stores online, or big chains like Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, and Walgreens.

Check the store's website or call ahead to see what kind of discount you get for bringing the old ones -- sometimes you'll get a direct discount, and some stores simply sell the refilled cartridges at a low price regardless of what you bring in.

Also, some brands of laser cartridges (such as Hewlett-Packard) have the original packaging designed so it can be re-closed, and you can mail the empty cartridge back to the manufacturer for recycling. Makes it easy not to toss it in the garbage.

But whatever you do, I don't recommend refilling inkjet cartridges yourself. The results aren't pretty.

Not so fantastic plastic

Trystan L. Bass — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:23:05 PST

Green New Year's resolution: B.Y.O.B.

Bring your own bottle and bag in 2008, so you can avoid adding to the endless pile of plastic in our landfills and oceans.

Sure, some plastics are almost impossible to avoid, and a few types can be recycled into useful new materials. But the ubiquitous water bottle and plastic grocery bag are pretty darn wasteful, plus they're very easy to replace with things we can reuse for years.

Buy a sturdy water bottle to fill and take with you. Get some canvas or nylon shopping bags to use at stores -- more supermarkets are giving a couple cents' rebate for each reusable bag you bring too.

Much of the bottled water sold in the U.S. is no better than tap water. Corporate Accountability International points out the water bottling industry is less regulated than the U.S. municipal water supply.

And in blind taste tests, people can't really tell the difference between tap water and fancy so-called springwater. So why pay a markup of 240 to 10,000 times more for bottled H20?

If you don't like the taste of the water in your home, check out filters. These are a more sustainable solution and cheaper in the long run.

Like bottled water, plastic grocery bags are a recent phenomenon. They've only been with us since the late 1970s and early 1980s, but now Americans throw away at least 100 billion every year. Only 2% are recycled, and the plastic isn't a great quality for recycling anyway.

Ireland's plastic bag tax in 2002 has been a big success, reducing use by 90%. Other countries around the world have banned plastic bags, or businesses charge extra for plastic bags.

San Francisco, CA, recently passed a law banning plastic bags at large stores. In Austin, TX, Whole Foods Market started phasing out plastic bags entirely.

Once you get in the habit of taking your own bags to the store, you'll love how convenient they are. Fabric bags don't rip like paper or plastic, and the handles on many of the models make these bags much easier to carry.

Stop leaving a paper trail

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:19:05 PST

Green New Year's resolution: Go paperless.

Did you know that an estimated 100 million trees are chopped down every year to make the junk mail you and I toss into the circular file? And all the energy used to create and dispose of all the mail is equal to 2.8 million cars? Yikes!

Nobody enjoys those endless offers for credit cards we don't need, the dozens of extra catalogs (especially when we buy stuff online these days), and all the redundant paper that comes through our mailbox. But you can do something about it.

First, try signing up with the free Direct Mail "Do Not Mail" List. This should get you off some mailing lists.

You can also opt-out of credit card offers with the big four credit reporting agencies, also for free. And if you still get card offers, try sending them back, postage paid.

For catalogs, check out our review of Catalog Choice. This free service lets you sign out of many popular catalogs all at once. I've tried it, and so far, so good.

If you need help, 41 Pounds will stop your junk mail for five years for a fee. This organization will keep after the direct-mailers until they stop.

Another paid junk-mail removal service is Green Dimes, which will also plant trees on your behalf.

Finally, a good way to keep unnecessary paper out of your house is to sign up for electronic billing. Many utilities and credit card companies offer this service for free. All you need is your bank or debit card information and an email address to set it up once.

Then you won't have write checks (a paper savings right there), plus you'll save money on stamps. If you do your banking online or on the computer with a program like Quicken, e-billing is a natural next step.

While you're at it, you can file your taxes online too. This saves huge piles of paper. It's faster, and you can get your refund deposited directly into your bank account. Talk about green!

Recycle wrap or not?

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:40:04 PST

The holidays are over, and a mountain of brightly colored papers is piled around your house. Do you chuck it in the garbage or can any of this mess be recycled? Unfortunately, the answer isn't easy. It depends on what kind of wrapping paper you have and where you live.

If you can rescue any of the pieces, do what my mom always encouraged -- reuse the paper next year. Carefully take off the bits of tape, roll or fold the paper up, and store it for the following holiday. Ribbons and bows (especially fancy ones) are easy to save and reuse too, and paper gift bags are the hardiest of all.

But if the kids ripped the wraps already, start by sorting out the metallic and foil papers. Those are the ones least likely to be recycled. Also remove tape, ribbons, bows, and any of those cute decorations some folks attach.

Now, can you recycle? Ultimately, you'll need to ask your local waste management utility because acceptance can vary on a state, county, and city level.

For example, the whole state of California lists gift wrapping paper as recyclable. West Valley Collection which serves parts of the south San Francisco bay area in CA specifies "no metallic/foil" wraps.

Wake County, North Carolina recycles wrapping paper (no bows or foil), and so does Greenville, North Carolina.

Wrapping paper gets recycled in New York City and Onondaga County, New York.

Even tissue paper is recycled with wrapping paper in Roswell, Georgia, and Montgomery County, Maryland. This is rather unusual because, as Eco-Cycle in Colorado notes, tissue paper has weak fibers and doesn't provide much to recycle. At least someone's taking it.

However, no wrapping papers at all are accepted in the recycling bins of Austin, Texas; Dakota County, Minnesota; Louisville, Kentucky; and Springfield, Massachusetts.

These are just a few municipalities I found on the Web. Search for the name of your recycling department online or look in the phone book. And next holiday season, consider eco-friendly wraps that lessen the garbage from the outset.

While you're at it, don't forget to recycle your Christmas tree -- Earth 911 lists places to do this nationwide.

Regifting is good for the environment

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:38:07 PST

Recently, the Motley Fool's Dayana Yochim wrote a rather disdainful list of do's and don'ts of regifting. "Regifting" is, of course, the process of giving someone a present that has been previously given to you.

I guess a finance guru thinks you look cheap if you indulge in this practice, but to me, regifting is simply another word for "recycling," so it's good for the planet.

You're keeping something out of the garbage and hopefully giving it a useful new home.

Some of Yochim's regifting tips that we greenies might want to ignore include:

"Don't confuse barely used with brand-spankin' new." Sure, if a garment is stained, it's not an appropriate gift. But mismatched twist-ties on cords are hardly valid reasons to not pass along a working electronic toy to a kid.

Another nonstarter: "Make sure all original packaging is intact." Who cares? Packaging is wasteful to begin with, so if you've already recycled it, don't worry about not passing along that problem to another person. You don't need to give shrink-wrapped gifts -- sentiment is not measured by plastic (especially when the plastic will just clog up the ocean).

Here's another one that's a bit iffy: "Wrap it like it's new." Yes, it's nice to wrap a gift to show you care. But you can always reuse wrapping paper (my family has been doing it for decades; not with the exact same paper, though!), and high-quality fabric ribbons and bows last a long time. Check out our previous blog post for eco-friendly wrapping ideas.

But we can all agree with this advice: "Give with good intentions." Think about who would really appreciate your second-hand gifts the most.

Because if they don't want it, those things still could end up in a landfill, and that's the kind of gift our planet doesn't need.

Pulverizing trash

Nino Marchetti — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:08:55 PST

You generate trash. I generate trash. We all generate trash. What if we could find a way to turn much of that trash back into something useful, cutting down on the amount of landfills we need?

That's the idea behind the PowerMaster Recyclone, a self-described "eco-friendly gyroscope grinder."

The Recyclone, working off its electric motor, rotates a central shaft assembly at upwards of 650 miles per hour. Materials are dumped into this large scale version of a blender and become an extremely tiny fraction of what they once were.

Examples cited of what this machine can process include household garbage, yard waste, glass, incinerator ash, oil waste sludges, plastics, paints, contaminated soils, and tires.

To get a better idea of how the Recyclone might impact landfill usage, consider this example PowerMaster provided:

There were about 1.9 million tons of discarded electronics dumped in landfills in 2005. The Recyclone would reportedly be able to take "mountains" of these old electronics and grind them to a powder, allowing for recovery of gold and platinum used in computer boards and chips.

One metric ton of these boards is estimated to hold between 80 and 1,500 grams of gold.

PowerMaster claims that the Recyclone can convert waste to small fuel pellets which burn better than coal or grind up corn stalks for ethanol. It's all in the hands of the user; the device itself is customizable.