CarbonFeet

It may come as a surprise to you, but there is a really good chance that the town or city you live in offer a service you may not have heard of; an energy audit.

Cities and towns all over the country have started doing this, where an auditor comes to your home and goes through your living space and helps you to see where you could make changes that will not only help you conserve energy but will help you save money! What a bonus it is to save money by doing the right thing.

There are so many changes you can make in your home to impact the way we recycle and in the end, will help you keep some of the money in your pocket.

Having recycling bins set up so that you can properly sort the items that are recycled is a great first step. That activity alone can cut down greatly on the items that end up in the landfills rather than where they can be recycled.

Keeping your televisions, DVDs, stereos and computers plugged in to a power strip or surge protector rather than directly into the wall and then turning off the power strip will cut back greatly on power “leaks” that can cost you money on your utility bill.

Being aware to turn these items off, is the first step, and then having them plugged into the power strip will just further the action for saving money and energy.

Don’t leave a light on when you walk out of a room and no one else is in there. And have you changed your light bulbs from the traditional ones to the compact flourescent kind?

Did you know that the newer lights use 75% less energy to run and they will out live a traditional light bulb by up to 10 years? Make the changes that need to be made in your home.

Don’t run the dishwasher or the washing machine unless they are full. It’s a waste of energy and water to run a cycle through the dishwasher when it’s only half full. Don’t turn it on until you have a full load to wash and then just wash them all at once.

Use microfiber cloths for cleaning all kinds of surfaces like furniture, counters and sinks. The bonus is that these items can be tossed into the washer and are perfectly able to be reused again and again.

Think of the savings in paper towels alone! Talk about a win-win; if we use fewer paper towles, then that means fewer trees need to be cut to make them in the first place. How can we go wrong with thinking like that?

Take shorter showers and see if you can pick up a shower head that is a water-conserving item, already in place, that will save you money and you’ll never even notice the difference during your shower.

There is so much you can do in the efforts to recycle, just be sure you’re doing your part.

If you enjoyed reading about Recycling – Are You Doing Everything You Can?you can read more articles like this at Dave Winterman’s website on general recycling information.

One of the most innovative ways of recycling materials that have probably been over-looked came in the form of a contractor re-using bricks from a brick wall that needed to be torn down during the construction of an addition to a home.

The contractor learned his trade from one long time mason worker who believed that if you have brick as part of your building project, it could last forever.

He believed that the only structures that were worth a plugged nickel contained the strong and classy component of brick; also adding that more brick is better.

How could you go wrong following that kind of advice? In the Age of Recycling, as this time in our lives could be described, what would be the sense in sending perfectly good bricks off to a landfill?
If we are going to be efficient at recycling, our best course of action is to prevent waste, right? Here are some ideas the contractor had when talking about recycling the brick wall, one brick at a time and his suggested materials.

This project may not be one where any kind of further education degree required, but it is a laborous task and keep in mind the fate of your back from bending and picking up throughout this activity. The only materials needed are, a bucket with water, brick hammers and some muriatic acid for those really stubborn cement-clinging bricks.

This project could really make an impact on the home renovations in keeping with the theme of recycling, if done properly.

The wall needs to be taken down a brick at a time. The best way to do this and still keep the bricks in tact is to be patient and methodical. Tapping the bricks away from the mortar may sound easy but it is a sure test of patience when, in the back of your mind, you continue to think about how much more easy the task would be if you were using a large sledge hammer to do the job!

Once you have the bricks removed from the wall, begin to remove the mortar from each individual brick by chipping at it with the tapered end of the hammer.

There will be some instances where the mortar is not going to come off so easily and it is suggested that by placing the brick into a 5 gallon bucket of water, that should almost always make it easier for the mortar to come off the brick.

In cases where the mortar is still clinging onto the brick after a few dips in the water, try soaking the bricks in a solution of water and muriatic acid. Please remember to pay close attention to the instructions when using muriatic acid and be sure to wear gloves and protective goggles.

After the bricks have soaked in the acid and water mix, all mortar should come off by using a wire brush and cleaning them off.

Reuse the bricks anyway you choose and walk away from the project knowing you’ve done your best to recycle!

If you enjoyed reading about Recycling – Even Bricks Can Be ReUsedyou can read more articles like this at Dave Winterman’s website on general recycling information.

In today’s world, where the idea of recycling is not an option, but a necessity, having your own compost pile is a great activity and resources in keeping with the mandatory recycle laws. The bonuses of composting heavily outweigh any negative connotations compost piles have had to defend themselves against; mainly, the smell.

Because food waste, when compiled properly and maintained can create rich soil that can be reused on lawns and gardens, it seems the thought of not having one is the poorer choice. We have to eat and there is inevitably an excess and waste, that it seems like a no-brainer to put our scraps and law clippings to good use.

To begin your project you will need a compost bin. Compost bins can be built or purchased. Before putting out any money for this project, check with your town hall to see if they sponsor a program that will provide residents with the bins.

If your town doesn’t provide bins specifically for composting, you should check with local hardware or home improvement stores. These bins can also be found online or via gardening center websites or catalogs.

If none of these options pan out, a compost bin can be built with just a few materials and tools. All that is needed to build your own compost bin would be; some wood, concrete blocks, pallets, wire and maybe even a garbage can with holes poked in the bottom.

The only thing to keep in mind when constructing a compost bin is to remember to incorporate a way for excess moisture to escape and a great way to do that is to be sure there are holes at the bottom of the bin but that they are not so big that little critters can climb into the bin and wreak havoc! It’s best to keep the drainage holes no more than half an inch in diameter.

Placement of the bin should be somewhere shady, where it can drain properly and where it will be fairly easy to access without being too close to become a “smelly” problem inside your home (or the home of your neighbor)!

The first level of compost should allow for air passages as well as drainage. A layer of smooth rock placed loosely on the bottom of the bin will work to do the trick.

When you start to add to your compost you should think in layers; start with the bottom layer of coarse materials to further enable the air and drainage passage, and then layer between “brown” waste and “green” waste.

“Brown” waste may consist of, autumn leaves, wood chips, saw dust, pine needles, paper towels, newspaper and coffee filters and “green” waste consists of, food wastes, fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass clippings and weeds. Another tip is to add a layer of soil on top of each layer of waste because that will help speed up the process.

One last maintainance tip is to always fluff your layers as you go by using a hoe or a compost turning tool. You’ll also want to be sure to “toss” the entire pile once in the spring and again in the fall, wehre you turn the entire pile upside down with the bottom ending up on the top of the pile.

Enjoy your compost pile and know that with every item added it is one less item for the waste that will be left for future generations to contend with.

If you enjoyed reading about Recycling – How To Start And Maintain A Compost Pileyou can read more articles like this at Dave Winterman’s website on general recycling information.