Recycling Tips (Consejos sobre Reciclaje)

Try These Recycling Tips

Then just keep it going :)

General:
• DO recycle old furniture, clothes, kitchen gear, bedding, books, and music.
• DO Recycle plastics, paper and rubber according to your town's recycling program.

Reuse Plastic Bags:
• Use them for drainage in the bottom of plant pots or hanging baskets.
• Use them as packaging material.
• Use them as 'doggy bags'.

Recycle Paper:
• Buy a blue recycling bin (or bags) and throw all unwanted paper or cardboard into it.
• Use wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and boxes for presents.
• Use old children's drawings and paintings to wrap presents.
• Use old envelopes can be used for shopping lists, to-do lists, and notes.
• Use old calendars, colorful pictures, etc. They can be used to make your own envelopes.
• Give old magazines, books to friends.

Recycling Ideas for the Home Garden:
• Use aluminium trays from pies under potted plants.
• Use egg cartons, plastic bottles, or take out containers for planting seedlings.
• Lawn clippings can be used to cover weeds.
• Use plastic ice cream containers for seed labels.
• Use plastic bottles to hold tools and nails etc in the shed.

Water Conservation Tips
• Water your lawn only when it needs it OR not at all. Set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Think about converting your lawn to native plants.
• Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints.
• Don't run the hose while washing your car.
• Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors.
• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
• Shorten your showers.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
• Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs--and only there.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Turn off the water while shaving.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator.
• Don't defrost frozen foods with running water.
• Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan.
• Use the garbage disposal less and use garbage can more.
• Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
• Water during the cool parts of the day.
• Dispose of hazardous materials properly. One quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water.

Interesting Facts:
• 1 lb of hamburger or steak uses some 2,600 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 lb of bread requires 500 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (8 oz.) of chicken requires 330 gallons of water.
• Growing one cotton T-shirt requires 256 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 egg requires over 100 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (8 fl. oz.) of milk requires 48 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (2 oz.) of pasta requires 36 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (4.6 oz.) of oranges requires 14 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (4.3 oz.) of tomatoes requires 8 gallons of water.

Home Energy Tips
Interesting Facts:
• The average house uses about 38 percent of its total annual energy use on heating.
• Install a central air conditioning system only when whole house air conditioning is needed.
• Replace aging appliances with newer energy efficient models.

Heating:
• Set your home thermostat as low as comfortable (65 to 68 degrees F is suggested) when the house is occupied.
• Set back the thermostat by as much as 10 F at night or when the house is unoccupied during the day.
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically provide the setbacks mentioned above.
• Close the fireplace damper except during fireplace use.
• Replace furnace filters once a month during the heating season.
• Remove any obstructions and clean heating registers regularly.
• Have certified maintenance personnel service and check your furnace regularly every three years for gas fired furnaces.
• Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows.
• Upgrade ceiling insulation to R-38
• Install storm windows over single pane windows.
• Replace aging furnace, when needed, with an energy efficient model.
• Replace single pane windows with energy efficient double pane windows mounted in non-conducting window frames.

Hot Water:
• Repair leaky faucets.
• Reduce the temperature setting of your water heater to warm (120 F).
• Add an insulating blanket to your water heater.
• Install low-flow showerheads.
• Wash clothes in warm or cold water using the appropriate water level setting for the load. • Replace water heater, when needed, with an energy efficient model.

Cooling:
• Open windows at night to bring in cool night air; close them during the day.
• Shade west facing windows.
• Draw cool night air into the house with a whole house fan.
• Use room air conditioning only where needed and install energy efficient models.
• Install a central system air conditioner only when whole house air conditioning is needed. • Maintain an air conditioned house at 78 F or higher.
• Plant deciduous shade trees on the west and south sides of your house.

Major Appliances:
• Maintain refrigerator at 37 to 40 F and freezer section at 5 F.
• Maintain stand alone freezer at 0 F.
• Choose a refrigerator/freezer with automatic moisture control.
• Use toaster oven for cooking small meals.
• Adjust the flame on gas cooking appliances so itís blue, not yellow.
• Run the dishwasher only with a full load of dishes.
• Regularly clean the lint filter on your dryer and inspect the dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked.
• Replace aging major appliances, TVs and VCRs when needed, with energy efficient models. Compare the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance by looking at the Energy Guide label when shopping for new appliances.

Lighting:
• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Use task lighting whenever possible instead of brightly lighting an entire room.
• Install compact fluorescent lamps in the fixtures which receive high use.