Defining Time & Space News

Green is much more than recycling and it will make a big difference to our future and the future of our next generations.  Americans are less than 5% of the world’s population but consume over 30% of the world’s resources and generate 30% of the world’s waste.  Here are a few things we can do to make a real difference.

The amount of standby power (power consumed or “wasted” when not in use) that our appliances, computers and equipment use is about 30% of a household’s energy use.  I recently found out that it costs $150/year to run a computer.  That means that it “costs us” about $45 a year to run a computer when we are not using it.  If we have more than one computer at home or many in our office, just think of how that adds up.

It is estimated that we use 10,000 sheets of paper per office worker.  That number is triple what it was just 10 plus years ago (before we all went paperless!).  Just think about the opportunity we have.  Try doing an exercise to ask yourself or others in your home or office “why do we print each sheet and do we have an alternative?”  See what a difference you can make. 

Finally, what can we do to affect the ever changing cost and pollution of using oil?  By driving two less days per week, the average person would save about 143 gallons of gasoline and keep 2,778 pounds of CO₂ out of the atmosphere in a year.  Just think of the impact, this would greatly help our environment, our pocket book, our cars lasting longer not to mention our need for oil.

Wishing you a green day!

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Saving $$ by organizing atlanta
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My final discussion on recycling this month, has to do with plastics.  I want to start by highlighting the word “pre-cycle”. While recycling is great and we need to keep doing all we can of it, the term pre-cycle means that when we acquire items, we proactively think ahead as to whether these items are easily recyclable and even better reusable versus disposable.  A good example is purchasing a reusable water bottle versus buying disposable bottles.  Most water in bottles we purchase these days is no more than filtered tap water.  Filtering systems can be easily adapted to your water system at home or by purchasing a separate filter containers that can be refilled and kept in the refrigerator.

If you are wondering about those numbers on the bottom of all the plastic items you have or might be purchasing and what can be recycled.  They are SPI codes created by the Society of Plastics Industry over 20 years ago to establish a universal and consistent system for manufacturers and recyclers to use.  1 and 2 are the easiest to recycle in most places and can usually be recycled at the curb.  Numbers 3-7 can often be recycled by taking them to your local recycling center.  If you would like to know more about the seven plastic codes, check out http://www.ides.com/resources/plastic-recycling-codes.asp

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Saving $$ by organizing atlanta
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As hard as we try as a society to believe we can “go paperless” we continue to generate more and more paper each year.  Much of the paper we dispose of or “need” to dispose of can be recycled in community recycling centers but now there is an easy way to recycle a lot of paper items even closer to us.

Did you know that many newspaper recycle bins in our communities, schools and businesses can also be used to recycle telephone books, magazines, catalogs, junk mail and shredded paper?  I for one, thought because of the “keep out plastic bags” note on the newspaper recycling bin that I could not recycle bags of shredded paper.   I inquired and found that this note applies to the small bags that newspapers are delivered in because they require too much labor to remove.

Other items to make note of when recycling in the newspaper recycle bins is that we can recycle white paper (but no cardboard or poster board) colored paper (but no construction paper), carbon-less forms, file folders, index cards and envelopes (plain and window envelopes – but no brown envelopes).   Check with other local recycling centers for ways to recycling those things that cannot be put in these newspaper bins. 

If you live in the Gwinnett County area, feel free to call SP RECYCLING  (770) 995-0014, if you have any questions about the green and red newspaper bins in your community or business. 

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Home, Office by organizing atlanta
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Our lives have become more and more consumed with electronic gadgets and we rely more on various sources of power to run those gadgets than ever before.  I thought I would mention a few things that can help us become more “Green” with our electronics as well as with the power that runs them. 

Unfortunately most of the computers and various electronic items we have including our watches have slowly become something that we no longer bother to fix when they no longer work right.   Instead, we just pitch them to attain the latest and greatest.  Most of these items contain materials that are hazardous to our environment and we should be looking for an alternative way to dispose of them rather than the landfill.   It is usually not too hard to check in our communities to see where we can bring computers, printers, batteries and more.  Stores like Home Depot and Best Buy have places that we can deposit rechargeable batteries at any time.  Staples and several other places now collect used computers and equipment to recycle (check stores for fees that may apply).    Some schools and community support groups are also happy to take them. 

Along with the electronics themselves, there is also something we can do to help with the electricity that runs them.  Most of us have many pieces of expensive electronic equipment in our homes and offices but don’t often think about the number of surges and spikes this equipment experiences.  We also don’t think about the amount of electronic noise that is generated also reducing life expectancy of our equipment and maybe ourselves.   I recently learned about a product that provides an energy management system for a home or office to both protect the appliances and equipment, as well as saves energy and therefore directly saves money in utility costs. The system is called EcoPower4.  It is technology that has been used for years in commercial application but has more recently become cost effective to some of us when electricity prices surged as well as the cost of the equipment it protects.  You can find out more details about EcoPower4 by contacting Debbie Aurand with DAMA Healthy Green Solutions at 770.967.2069 or emailing her at aurandd@bellsouth.net.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Home, Office, Saving $$ by organizing atlanta
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Recycling Printer Ink Cartridges is a great way to keep cartridges out of the landfill while allowing us to save and/or make money.  Many places now provide this service but the one that I have used for years is Cartridge World.  By refilling ink cartridges I save 40-50% off of what it would cost to purchase new ink cartridges plus they pay for used ink cartridges that are no longer needed.  Over the last several years our local elementary school has profited over $1000 each year on laser and ink jet cartridges brought it by students, families and businesses.

Cell phones can also be recycled to both keep them out of the landfills and gain cash in the process.  They can be collected and sent to companies like Ecophones for a cash payment.  Ecophones information can be located at www.ecophones.com.

Aluminum Cans are one of the most lucrative of our every day trash.  Coordinating a collection of cans used each day can add up to not only great benefits to our environment but cash in your pocket.   To see an amazing clip from a local earth day project with soda cans, see you tube video link below:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gC4DiTckf0.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Office by organizing atlanta
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