/* added RDW 9may09 */ /* added RDW 9may09 */

Sunday, May 31, 2009

PNC More LEED Certified Green Buildings than Anyone!

PNC has made a significant commitment to being green ... and was the first bank in the US to apply green standards and has more LEED certified building s than any other company ... on earth!

They have even registered the trademark "Green Branch".

" ... commitment to “green” business practices has enabled us to lower costs, increase efficiency and productivity as well as improve the health and vitality of the communities where we live, work and play. ... more buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) than any
other company in the world. ... term “Green Branch” is federally registered as a trademark of PNC. ... More than 40 Green Branch® locations opened since 2002, ..."


Via: PNC.com LINK
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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Thermal Energy Leak Detector

By now most of us know we need to insulate and / or caulk to stop air infiltration. OK ... how do you find the leaks?

In some cases it is obvious; when you can feel the draft ... but sometimes you need a little more help.

Black & Decker's thermal leak detector can " ... spot hidden energy leaks in your home ... Shine the light on the wall and set the reference temperature ... When the temp changes by 1, 5 or 10 degrees F (user adjustable), the light will change to red or blue to indicate a hot or cold spot ... "

"Energy Star states that plugging the leaks and drafts in your home can save up to 20% off your heating and cooling energy costs ..."



Via: Black and Decker LINK

Friday, May 29, 2009

Keeping Your Home Energy Efficient ...

In previous posts I listed some free and some low cost ways to save money / energy., Not everyone is able or willing to do some of these tasks ... yet they want to get the energy gains ... so what to do?

There are a number of services / handymen that will do these kinds of projects for you. I saw this one, Home Care Maintenance Services, while browsing the net ...

" ... HCMS home mechanics will come to you. ... preventive maintenance program lowers the total cost of home ownership, ... reducing energy consumption and utility bills ... maximizing the life of your home's components, equipment, and systems ... eliminating preventable failures and repairs ..."

Saving energy goes right to wallet in the form of less money spent! By not replacing appliances before their expected service life you also save money and reduces landfill waste.


Via: Home Care maintenance services LINK

Terracycle - How Juice Pouches are Turned into Totes and Backpacks

Watch this video to see how terracycle re purposed used Capri sun juice pouches and turns them from waste into totes and other products ... for sale at Target.com

The finished products can be found on-line at Target.com LINK

Terracycle has programs to help groups collect and return juice pouches ... "Sign up for free and collect juice pouches. We will pay $0.02 for all Honest Kids, Capri Sun and Kool Aid Drink Pouches and $0.01 for all other brand drink pouches you collect. You will receive free shipping boxes delivered right to your door."




Via: terracycle LINK

Thursday, May 28, 2009

mobGAS© Mobil Application to Track YOUR Impact on the Climate


Knowing how your behavior can impact the planet is a great way to help make changes ... mobGAS© " ... will be the first mobile application about climate change with wide distribution in Europe and world. ... aims to make the connection between daily activities and the emissions of Greenhouse Gases and ... suggest changes to improve individual performances. "

" ... application includes several icons representing activities or appliances that are usually used every day (more than 60). These activities or appliances ... will finally be converted in individual emissions of GHG [green house gas] that may be compared with the weekly average or with country and world average."

Some tips / facts from mobGAS ...

"... bus carries the same number of people as 10 fully occupied cars, but takes up a third of the road space and emits half of CO2 per km per passenger. ... when your charger is not connected to the phone, it is still draining electricity. Unplug your mobile charger when you're not using it ... Reducing the temperature by just 1°C can cut 5-10% off your family's energy bill and avoid up to 300kg of CO2 emissions per household and year...."


Via: mobGAS LINK
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New Life for Capri Sun Juice Pouches


Anyone with kids has probably used juice boxes or the capri sun juice pouches. Any green-type person is probably torn between the convenience these provide and the waste these create.

Terracycle will help you return these containers and re purpose them as back packs or bags. These are converted to other products - reused - as they are not yet recyclable. The material is a "... polyester-reverse side printed to aluminum then laminated to polyethylene (a plastic polymer) ... this packaging is not recyclable." These bags and backpacks are in effect ZERO carbon footprint ...

They can be found on-line at Target.com LINK




Via: terracycle LINK

Monday, May 25, 2009

Cisco - One Million Acts of Green


Cisco's One Million Acts of Green (OMAOG) project challenges us to think about how we as individuals act and how are actions can affect the planet.

OMAOG has lots of god resources to help, including blogs, tips, links, etc. as well as a challenge video from Cisco CEO John Chambers.

There is a calculated total (see picture at right) showing the combined results in the US an World Wide.

" ... Cisco launched One Million Acts of Green ... to show that individual, organizational, and community acts of green add up to something significant. ... It can be small: install a low-flow showerhead, take public transportation instead of driving, use a refillable coffee cup. Or something bigger, like covering your roof in solar panels."

" ... asks you to form a community, record your acts of green, and share your ideas to encourage others. It shows the power of people coming together and working toward meaningful goals—the power of the human network."



Via: One Million Acts of Green LINK

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Green Laces

Athlete Natalie Spilger is trying to get athletes to consider their impact on the environment ... through a program called .. green laces.

"... athletes, ... can be particularly hard on the environment. ... Natalie Spilger is hoping you'll take a minute to consider your carbon footprint, ... a lot of waste in sports, from the fuel used in traveling to and from venues, to non-recyclable waxed cups of Gatorade they give you, to the plastic water bottles, to the stretchy, Styrofoam wrap we use to wrap our knees, for our shin guards, or tie our hair back, ... athletes can be pretty carbon intensive as a group."

" ... Spilger founded GreenLaces, a non-profit outreach organization that targets athletes and their fans to encourage them to become more eco-conscious. " See the video for more details ...




Via: greennexxus / green laces LINK

greenfiber insulation

Insulating your home is one of the easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient in both the summer and winter. A poorly insulated attic allows heat to escape in winter and keeps the houses cooler in the summer.

green fiber insulation is made from recycled paper fibers ... "high-efficiency thermal insulation and effective R-value., ... permanent and proven fire resistance for the life of the structure., ... Reduce nuisance noise when used in walls., ... made from 85% recycled paper fiber., ... Support energy conservation programs focused on environmental responsibility."

An added bonus, beyond the recurring energy savings, is that you may qualify for a Federal Tax credit. For more details check
energystar.gov LINK




Via: greenfiber LINK

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Low Cost Energy Saving Tips !

In an earlier post I wrote about some free energy savings tips. Once you have covered these basics it is time to move on to some that are, while not free, are low cost ... and further ways to save energy.

"Install low-flow showerheads and sink aerators, ... Seal and weatherstrip your windows and doors, ... Add ... pre-cut pipe insulation to exposed pipes, ... look for the ENERGY STAR® label, found on more than 40 different products, ... Replace your five most used light bulbs with ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent bulbs to save $60 each year in energy costs."



Via: Alliance to Save Energy LINK

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Reynolds 100% Recycled Aluminum


Most everyone should know that aluminum is 100% recyclable. Producing "new" aluminum from old aluminum uses significantly less energy, 80% less. Reynolds has aluminum foil from 100% recycled aluminum ... in a totally recyclable package.

" ... Reynolds Wrap® Foil from 100% Recycled Aluminum ... made from a mix of pre and post consumer aluminum ... packaging and core are made from 100% recovered paper and the inks used on the product packaging are water-based."

"... as clean and safe to use with food as ... virgin, aluminum. ... requires heating the metal to more than 1200°F, which burns off any debris in the metal. ...sent through a filtration process, poured and rolled into thin sheets ..."

Used aluminum foil is not as easy to recycle as aluminum cans ... to find a recycling location near you check www.earth911.org >>> LINK

Via: ReynoldsRecycled.com LINK

Friday, May 15, 2009

No cost Energy Saving Tips !

The Alliance to Save Energy has a number of energy savings tips ... in this post I'll cover those that are free of cost -- and fairly easy to do ...

Read on for more a summary - click the link below for more details >>>

"Turn off everything not in use ..., Check the furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each month, and clean or replace it as needed ... During hot months, keep window coverings closed on the south, east, and west windows. In winter, let the sun in., ... Activate "sleep" features on computers ... Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use ... , cold water washing of laundry ..."



Via: Alliance to Save Energy LINK

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Green your Fridge


Here are 10 steps / tasks you can do to green your refrigerator.

Greening your Fridge means saving energy, making food last longer, using green cleaning products, and saving money while you are at it ...

Some are easy and basically free ... others are more involved ...

" ... refrigerator consumes more energy than any other household appliance. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the average American fridge uses around 1,383 kilowatt hours a year, which is 14 percent of your household's electrical needs ..."

" ... DITCH THE PLASTIC, UPGRADE (AND DOWNSIZE), FORGET ICE AND WATER DISPENSERS, FILL 'ER UP, MIND THE (EXPIRATION) DATE, KEEP IT CLEAN … NATURALLY, VACUUM THE COILS, CHECK THE SEALS, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, TAKE YOUR TEMPERATURE ..."

Here are some details ... see the link below for more ...

Replace plastic containers with glass " ... great reasons to switch to glass ... Glass keeps food and beverages colder, ... is an all-natural, recyclable material, ... can go from fridge to microwave to table without having to transfer and generate additional dirty dishes. "

Vacuuming the coils in the back of the fridge can save money by allowing the refrigerator to work more efficiently ..." refrigerator coils ... are ... dust magnets ... The more dust, the less efficient the fan is at removing heat. Twice a year, use a vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment to clean thoroughly around the coils."


Via: vegitariantimes LINK

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Biodegradable Trash Can Liners


I recently needed to by more garbage can liners for my simplehuman garbage can and found that they now offer biodegradable bags.

Per the text on the box (itself recyclable cardboard) it says " ... eco-friendly plastic degrades naturally ... made from an oxo-biodegradable plastic ... designed to degrade naturally into the earth".

" ... Traditional plastic is constructed of long, repeating polymer chains. ... bonds of these chains are very strong—too strong, in fact, to degrade naturally into the earth. ... additive ... interrupts these bonds, breaking the chains up into much smaller pieces. ... Mother Nature can break down the liners so that 50% is decomposed within 1-2 years. ... contrast to traditional plastic bags that may take upwards of 500 years to degrade—if at all."


Via: simplehuman LINK

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Global Recycling Network

"Global Recycling Network is an electronic information exchange that specializes in the trade of recyclables reclaimed in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) streams, as well as the marketing of eco-friendly products."

You can find links for recycling all sorts of things including minerals, textiles, rubber and tires, consumer items, and waste vegetable oil ...

Via: Global Recycling Network LINK

Friday, May 8, 2009

How Green do you Clean ?

Part of YourGreenJourney involves choices made for cleaning products. How much do ytou know about green cleaning? Take the PlanetGreen Green Cleaning Quiz ... see what you know and what you can learn >>>

These 10 multiple choice questions pose some easy and not so easy questions ...

Take the quiz ... How did you do? What did you learn?


Via: PlanetGreen LINK

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

RecycleMania


How to harness the natural competitive nature of college kids and increase recycling ? Make it a kind of college challenge.

Enter RecycleMania " ... a friendly competition ... for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities ... Over a 10-week period, schools report recycling and trash data which are then ranked according to who collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate. ... participating schools watch how their results fluctuate against other schools and use this to rally their campus communities to reduce and recycle more.

" ... a project of the College and University Recycling Council (CURC) ... Staff administration for RecycleMania is provided by the National Recycling Coalition (NRC). [a] non-profit advocacy group with members that span all aspects of waste reduction, reuse and recycling in North America.


Via: RecycleMania LINK

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Save Water Brushing Teeth


I saw an interesting "factoid" on a 10 pack of Colgate-Palmolive toothbrushes ... that by turning off the water while brushing you can save up to 4 gallons of water.

Shift Your Habit has some interesting water facts ... " Families that regularly let the water run while brushing ... could conserve as much as 7,500 gallons of water annually and save roughly $15 per year in water costs."

US-wide that would amount to " ... an estimated 146 billion gallons of water per year—enough to fill more than 220,000 Olympic swimming pools."

" ... typical bathroom faucet flows at a maximum rate of 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Surveys suggest that up to 40 percent of American adults don’t turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth."

Turn off the faucet while brushing and save some water ....


Via: Shift Your Habit LINK

Monday, May 4, 2009

greenthing - 7 Ways to be Green


greenthing "... is a public service that inspires people to lead a greener life. With the help of brilliant videos and inspiring stories from creative people and community members around the world, Green Thing focuses on seven things you can do - and enjoy doing. Join people from 196 countries doing their green things and making a difference."

The seven things are "walk the walk, stay grounded, all-consuming, easy on the meat, human heat, plug out, and stick with what you got".

>>> Check out the video for details on each of the seven ...


Meet Green Thing from Green Thing on Vimeo.





Via: greenthing LINK

FreeCycle - Novel Way to Recycle Your Stuff


Freecycle is a neat way to help get rid of stuff while recycling at the same time. The idea is that you join a Freecycle group and then post your WANTED, OFFERED and see who has what you want / needs what you have.

The whole idea is about keeping stuff out of landfills. I belong to 2 Freecycle groups and have managed to easily freecycle 2 bicycles, numerous kids books, numerous kids CDs, bubble wrap, and lots of kids toys. I have done well with getting an enormous quantity of lilies from folks thinning out their gardens.

So .. if you have stuff that is too good for the landfill and do not want to eBay it ... check out Freecycle.

Their mission " ... is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."



Via: Freecycle LINK

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Environmentally Friendly Packaging

EnviroShellEnviroShell's packaging (Winterborne LLC) is a great alternative to plastic blister packs. EnviroShell is both recyclable and made from post consumer wastes. I saw several products packed this at my local Costco.

Basically the package is a layer of cardboard / pressed paper on bottom with one on top ... with cutouts for the products ... this is covered with a #2 plastic molded part and the three parts are glued together.

The result: Easy to open, easy to recycle and environmentally friendly. And no cuts from opening typical hard shell blister packaged good.


Via: EnviroShell LINK

Bonnie Plants - Come in Biodegradable (not plastic) Pots

Most potted plants come in #5 PP containers that are not very easy to recycle (few facilities) or in plastic that is not marked. Bonnie Plants offers plants in biodegradable containers so there is no plastic to throw away ...

" ... Bonnie Plants ... available in our exclusive 4- and 5-inch peat pots, ...introduced a new line of earth-friendly products this season under the "Going Greener for You" banner. ... is a company-wide effort toward environmentally friendly products. ...Included in the first phase ... are ... Exclusive biodegradable peat pots ... Jumbo biodegradeable fiber pots ... New recycling and reuse practices and facilities"

"Peat pots,...are 100 percent biodegradable. ... can be put into the soil "pot, plant, and all,"... peat pots have already prevented more than 100 million pounds of plastic from ending up in landfills. ... are the country's largest wholesaler of vegetable and herb plants for home gardeners."

" ... recycling facility at our headquarters reuses and recycles supplies, tags, pots, and plant container trays."


Via: Bonnie Plants LINK

Friday, May 1, 2009

GreenWorks Philadelphia



Philadelphia has been making great strides in becoming a greener city. They have been able to increase the participation rate for curbside residential recycling by going to a co-mingled stream ... and there is more to come.

Philadelphia has the goal of becoming the "Greenest City in America ...
ambitious goal that Mayor Michael A. Nutter has set for Philadelphia ... an opportunity to reposition and repurpose Philadelphia as a city of the future. ... Philadelphia's dense and durable stock of housing, infrastructure and amenities position us to prosper in a carbon-constrained future. ... Greenworks Philadelphia as its guide, 21st century Philadelphia will face the challenges and opportunities created by recent global shifts and reposition itself as a city of the future."

Via: Phila.gov LINK