Why you should recycle...

(Here are a variety of  simple statistics found on the internet to help promote recycling)

Did you know that the average U.S citizen produces roughly 1,700 pounds of waste a year, that generates over 4lbs. a year for every man, woman and child? If every American just recycled paper, glass and metal, over 70% of the waste stream would be reduced, and 165 million tons of material would be prevented from entering our landfills.

Did you know that currently in the United States, we recycle only 29% of our trash a year? The EPA estimates that if we raised that percentage to 35%, we could help reduce greenhouse gases that would be the equivalent of taking 7 million cars off the road. That is by increasing just 10% more in our recycling habits.

Visit your local municipalities website to learn more on what you can and can not recycle in your community. Most departments of sanitation offer ways to recycle toxic items such as car oil, paint, tires, batteries and electronic equipment. Some special arrangements must be made in order to have certain items removed from the curb-side of your home. Again, please contact your local governmental services to learn more, and to find out where you might be able to drop items to be recycled. 

Remember to find out where you can go to recycle you electronic items. Computers and batteries contain mercury and lead that could leak into ground water if not disposed of properly. The average life span for a computer is three years before we are willing to purchase a new one.. The EPA says that just the U.S Government alone disposes of over 15,000 computers a week, that's not including what the average American consumer does when disposing a computer or electronic device.

We all can do better to improve our recycling habits. Some financial economist estimates billions for businesses that are geared towards recycling and recycling practices. Collectively, we together can make the change we want to see in a more sustainable future.

Visit http://www.earth911.com or contact 1.800.CLEANUP to learn more about safely removing these products from your home.

8 Ways to green up your home for a healthier life

1.  Open up your windows (Ventilate your home) By keeping the windows in your home open and letting fresh air in for a few minutes each day, allows fumes from chemical treated products to evaporate faster, as well as remove dust and particles.  

2.   Turn your home into an oven...complete opposite from ventilation, baking your home allows you to turn the heat as high as possible in your home for a few hours to kill any mold growth without using any dangerous or questionable chemicals.

3.    Insulate your home...the better insulated your house is, the less energy you will use to heat or cool your home. Look for energy saving materials made from recycled products that are none toxic.

4.    Remove your carpet....carpets trap dust, dirt, mold and other toxins from outside in the most heavily used areas in your home. Wood or tiled floors are easier to clean and also much healthier. If you’re still looking to keep some carpet in your home, consider area rugs that can be taken out and cleaned regularly.

5.    Get a new mattress... Most mattresses today are treated with flame-retardant chemicals and slowly release toxic gas fumes over time that could have an impact on your health. Purchase a mattress made from organic materials. Just remember your body and faces are resting on for hours a night.

6.    Get rid of artificial products...All artificial products either personal care or home cleaning, contain harmful toxic ingredients that could be harmful to your health and leave trace amounts throughout your home.

7.    Invest, invest, invest...purchase a home water purification unit to place on your kitchen faucet. Water treatment in the United States is one of the best on the planet, but trace amounts of chemicals from a wide range of variables including, ground water contamination, chemical rain, aging water municipalities could affect the water in your area. It is always better to be prepared.

8.    Buy plants. Load your home with indoor plants. Air quality in the average American home is far worse than it is outside, since American homes in the 21st century are more airtight. Indoor plants help filter the air in the rooms of your home with no energy used. Just water regularly and let Mother Nature do the rest.

The dirty word; "disposable"

Facts are in; we are living in a disposable society. Disposable items make our lives easier and in return, are choking the limitations of our landfills and polluting our environment. Some consider most everyday electronics like computers and phones disposable products-even some people think of cars as disposable.

Items such as razors, toothbrushes, paper, grocery bags, toys, electronics and even discarded food are among the most listed items with disposable packaging. One common factor among all these products is that most if not all, are made from plastic.

Think about all the items that you physically handle on a daily basis. Plastic grocery bags are one of the most rapidly growing disposables to fill U.S landfills. Light, cheaply made, strong, weather-proof and durable, the world is estimated to use over 1 trillion bags a year. Only a fraction of 3.2% is being recycled from the 80% of just what the U.S consumes alone.

Another such item you would most likely handle on a daily basis is the disposable cup. The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups a year. We are all guilty of visiting our local eatery and ordering off the menu with little or no concern about the packaging our food comes in.

The mentality with most businesses is why pay the price for more costly packaging material if the consumer isn't asking for it? Prices are already costly enough to compete effectively in today's market, why go green? The answer is, because a growing consumer base will demand it. The cost of virgin materials and the energy to produce these products will be reevaluated when growing customer demand is met by green innovation and design. The consumer is the driving force to today's growing green market.

The next time you are eating lunch at your favorite restaurant or grocery store, or have a few minutes after super at your local dinner or shopping experience, to find out if the business that you are patronizing, has a sustainable practice when it comes to purchasing or selling products with the minimal amount of packaging material.

You will be pleasantly surprised with the many businesses that employ sound and safe recyclable and disposable practices.

Go Green!

Turn that morning coffee into a greener cup of Joe

If your like almost everyone in America, you can not start your morning without a cup of coffee. And for most of us in our busy lives, the quick stop to your local coffee house before you start your day is the first thing on your morning to do list.

Today, most of your favorite local java shops offer paper cups made with a portion of recycled materials that are biodegradable. If not, talk to the owner ask ask him or her to switch to paper based cups or ask them if it would be alright if you would be able to bring your own cup from home with every stop. Some retailers in the coffee business offer incentives to customers who provide their own cups.

Stop by your local resale shop to purchase a good ole fashion ceramic mug to take with you when you buy your favorite cup of coffee. Make sure to leave it in your car or bag so that you do not forget it for every purchase of coffee. Take an additional mug with you to work to leave at your desk. When that morning break comes, and you want that cup of Joe from the cafeteria, you can set an example of  good green company policy buy supplying your own cup.

Absolutely, do not accept any hot beverages in a styrofoam cup. Styrofoam is one of the leading products that are clogging landfills in the Unites States, rivaling plastic water bottles. The chemicals used to create styrene used in styrofoam cups, is said to cause extreme respiratory problems with people with weak or compromised immune systems.

Simple and green conscious steps towards a greener environment are easy and cost effective.

Buy organic

Buying organic foods like meats, dairy products, fish, fruit, coffee and tea is perhaps one of the most important steps to improving the environment. A trip to your local market that supplies locally grown fruits and vegetables result in less energy used to transport products and goods to your area.

Foods are typically grown in soils that have been fertilized and sprayed by chemical fertilizers and pesticides to prevent insect infestation, extended shelf life and added preservatives to flavor and improve taste and packaging convenience. Certain scientific studies suggest that the rise in illnesses like digestive problems and some cancers are linked to the chemicals we use on our foods. Conventional foods today have the highest levels of contamination then ever in our history.

Organic foods are grown without the use of chemically synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones added to alter the fruit, vegetable or meat. Farmers who grow organic products or goods improve the environment on the farm by sound soil ecology practices and are able to produce more nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Not only purchasing organic products good for the environment, it is also good for your health. You can take big strides in a more healthier lifestyle by taking small steps to buying organic versions of the everyday products you purchase. You will be taking care of the planet and your health all at the same time.

My correspondence with the President of the USA

A few months ago, I wrote the President of the United States and was pleasantly surprise today when I received in the mail a response. Unfortunately, my scanner cuts off a portion of the letter, but I am still stoked about our correspondence and felt compelled to share it with everyone. The letter has the Presidential Seal on White House stationary as well as the envelope has the official White House Seal.

Granted the postage date reads two days ago, and if anyone has been paying attention to the news as of late, the President has been in Europe for the last 5 days. It is post marked on the 22^nd of this month and makes reference to what I was writing about. Chances are, one of the White House Aides wrote this letter and they used the Presidential Auto Pen to sign his name.

There is also a recyclable water mark embedded in the letter, which also surprised me because I wrote to Obama expressing our Nations need to take the lead with Green Technologies. I wanted to share this letter with everyone for the simple fact that an ordinary citizen can take the initiative and express to our leaders what we as US Citizens, would like our country to be in the future.

Thank you President Obama, for taking the time to write back.

 “Barack Obama 2012”

A proud American who strongly supports this President.

Jason Gosseck

Take the Punch out of Paper

Recycling paper is considered one of the easiest means of preventing green house gases like methane, which is 23x’s more potent than carbon dioxide, from entering the atmosphere-the 4^th largest cause of gas emissions. In America, the average person consumes over 700 pounds of paper a year, the world’s highest per capita, than fast developing countries like Latin America and Eastern Europe which averages close to 100 pounds per person per year. Emerging economies like China and India are the fastest consumer of paper products on the planet. While the populations growing consumption will outpace paper recycling programs, implementing daily steps can always make the difference in how we address this situation.  

By recycling paper which can then be used in products like tissue, paper towels, newspapers, game boards, egg cartons, insulation and packaging material, products made from 100% recycled content will have used 44% less energy, produce 38% less greenhouse gases, 50% less water and 100% less wood. If 1200 pounds of paper equal 1 ton, the amount of resources saved if per ton of paper recycled would estimate to save 17 trees, 60,000 gallons of water, 225 kilowatts of energy, 275 lbs of sulfur and 350 lbs of limestone. That would take 40% of commercial and residential paper waste from going into a landfill.

Think about how many times a day you touch paper-books, napkins, paper dishware, magazines, cereal boxes, labels, catalogs, packaging, copier paper, tissue, money, businesses cards-now just imagine the impact it would have if you recycled all that paper you handled. It is possible to achieve a significant reduction in paper waste if everyone begins to take an active role in recycling paper in our lives. Simple steps can start with you. Remember to recycle your paper waste today. Together, we can all make a difference.