Tri-Cities Recycling Program

Recently, there have been rumors going around that there really isn’t a recycling program in the Tri-Cities, and that all of the collected recyclables go into the landfill.  I looked into this a little more.  Although there may not necessarily a recycling facility in the area, there is definitely a program.  Last time I was at the Waste Management facility, there was a completely separate section for recycling, with all of the types of recyclables separated and ready to be recycled.  And, there are curbside programs.  All of these would be too costly for the cities and companies to maintain if there wasn’t really a system, and even though you pay extra for the service, it still would not make business sense for them to have both services when only using one.  Therefore, I have concluded that the recycling program in the Tri-Cities is real.

Reusing Plastic Ziploc Bags

I used to use a lot of plastic Ziploc bags for my school lunches, and I would only use them once.  It sickened me how much plastic I used – and it still does.  I’ve recently decided to take my plastic bags home, wash them out at home, and reuse them at lunch the next day.  They’re still useable as long as they’re not ripped, so I figured I would give this experiment a try and see how long they last.  So far, it has worked very well.  I’ll report back after I’ve tried it out for a while and have seen how well it works.

Company Says It Is Possible to Use Only Renewable Energy by 2050

Energy consulting firm Ecofys recently released a report explaining how it is possible to use only renewable energy by the year 2050.  Here’s how it works:

First off, the scenario includes a 15% lower energy demand.  This is due to the use of more energy-efficient technologies, buildings, and engines.  Solar energy would supply about half of electricity and heating, and 15% of industrial heat and fuel.  For this to happen, solar energy would have to grow at a slower rate than it is now. 

The report also envisions growth in wind, hydro, and biomass power.  Geothermal power would be expected to double. 

Also, it is expected that buildings be built to more energy-efficient standards.  This would need to be done at a rate of 2-3% of all buildings per year, something that Germany is already accomplishing. 

This will have to start somehow, and Ecofys offers many options: minimum efficiency standards for all products, energy conservation in all product design stages, strict energy efficiency criteria for new buildings, an energy tax, help to undeveloped countries to pursue alternatives, public transportation expansion, and making everyone more aware of energy consumption.

Source: Team TreeHugger: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/100-percent-renewable-energy-by-2050-is-possible.php?campaign=th_rss_science

Environmentally Friendly Cleaners: Follow Up

A while ago, I reported about environmentally friendly cleaning supplies that I made.  I have finished evaluating them, and wanted to give a follow-up on each of the cleaners. 

All Purpose

The all purpose cleaner worked very well overall.  It is an excellent substitute for store-bought cleaner, and has much less of an environmental impact.  Because it’s fairly easy to make, it can be considered a practical, cleaner alternative to store-bought, chemical-based cleaners.  If you don’t want to take the time to make the cleaner, a store-bought, natural cleaner, such as Green Works brand, would be a good alternative.

Air Freshener

The air freshener did not work as well.  In fact, it was mostly like spraying water into the air.  I would recommend adding more than just one teaspoon of lemon juice, as it is relatively a small amount of what is put into the total product.  Instead, I would look into at least one or two more teaspoons, and will be trying this later on.

Glass Cleaner

The glass cleaner works very well overall as well.  Being as it is easy to make, and all natural, it qualifies as practical sustainability.  If you want to avoid the work of making the cleaner, I recommend an all-natural product from the store.