Where to take your crap...

A site that is great for finding local recycling centers, where you can take household items that cannot go in a curbside bin, what you can do to prevent pollution and how to help the environment.
earth911.com

Protecting Our Waters

Protect the Lagoon and Other Waters
Keep your trash secured and dispose of it when you reach land
Operate at speeds posted for the sake of wildlife and help prevent erosion
DO not dump any sewage into the water
Maintain your boat and make sure you have no oil leaking or other fuels, same for your car
Make sure in your own yard the only thing that goes into the storm drain is rain
Dispose of household chemicals at a collection site
Use native plants and use environmentally friendly products for fertilizer and pest control

Cleaning

When drying clothes outside, turn darker colors inside out to prevent fading. Window wash with 2 T. of vinegar and 1 gallon of water; use newsprint to avoid streaks. Use one part borax with 2 parts water and dab on stained clothing.

Local Library

I love to read, and going to the library is cheap entertainment for me…in a geeky way. Monday is my library day because I’m already in the area, if not weekly than at least every other. My preference is to read true stories, about people, whether famous or not or just learn something new. I check out several books just in case one doesn’t work out for me. Going to the library is very green!
We have many to choose from in my area, check out: http://www.brev.org/index.htm

Plastic Bags

While in NC on vacation we spent our days in the beautiful mountains but the one thing I noticed here and there…plastic bags. Stupid grocery bags just blowing around or stuck in a bush. I started thinking. Here no houses are around and yet those ugly bags are. Why? Then I remembered my trip to the landfill with Kaden’s class. They had fences up just to catch those fly away bags, and they were all over. I have news for you…they don’t disappear people! So buy yourself a bunch of cute reusable bags and when you use them be proud of your green self!

Help Our Troops Call Home

Wow an idea to be green and help out our Soldiers? Recently my husband received an envelope with this website on it, being my brother is currently in Iraq serving in the Army I checked it out.
What a great idea this is. You can recycle your old cell phone and the proceeds are used to purchase prepaid calling cards for our troop.
Most of us don’t even know what to do with our old phones so go on this site and get a postage paid envelope to mail yours.
http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/

Christmas Lights

Most Christmas lights sold now are LED’s. At first I didn’t care for the hue of the lights because they were different enough from the old skool ones that you can tell from a far. Now I am use to them. LED’s are initially more expensive, but they cost less to use and last longer. My husband found some on EBAY last year and purchased some to see how good they were…because they were much cheaper than in the stores. The nice thing about LED’s is that they stay cool no matter how long they are on, and if you read my cheap decorating tips with cotton then you know why cool lights are better.

Christmas Lights

I’m thinking this could be green but maybe to some not. For Christmas I have almost all my lights on a timer. They come on right before I get home (that’s nice) and they go off before I go to bed. How can this be green? Well many people forget to turn them off, especially those outside. I no longer have to think of that. I have purchased enough timers over the years to cover all areas. They get packed away with the lights. I also do not use lamps or lights other than Christmas most of the season. My husband doesn’t care for this type of lighting all the time but Santa likes it!

A/C...love it!

A few years ago we replaced both a/c units in our home for more efficient ones. Being we have a 2 story home it made no sense to run the air to cool the entire house when we are sleeping upstairs so having 2 units were costly but most cost effective. At that time we installed programmable thermostats. If you do not have one, spend the money on it you will save in the long run. You can set your program for weekends and weekdays. I spent many mornings, prior, adjusting the a/c at times forgetting and having it run all day. With these thermostats you do not have to worry about it. Mine allows the temperature to be changed 4 times throughout the day. So it gradually gets cooler towards the time we come home, and the coldest at night for sleeping. They have a “hold” button if you are going to be away then it will stay on whatever temp you set it to. I love to sleep in a cold room and our monthly bills show this year’s reading compared to last, and I am still using less KW than a year ago! My bills are smaller than in the past, which I’m sure is largely due to the newer units but the thermostats help to.

Charging

One of the easiest things you can do to go green, and it will save you lots of money, is buy a battery recharger. The year I got my digital camera was the same year I got my 8 hour charger. Anyone that takes photos knows you go through lots of batteries, and the worst is when you are out and that shot doesn’t wait. I later purchased a 15 minute charger which is my preference. Initially the cost is high to get set up but trust me, it saves you very quickly. I recommend one that will charge different sizes. My new camera has its own Nikon rechargeable battery, my husband purchased 2 additional ones so I am always ready to take photos. Keep them charged, keep extras ready to go and you will never have to worry about it again…just remember where you put them, I’m missing like 4!

*My battery chargers

Simple Changes

Anyone can make simple changes to make a difference. Don't litter & put it in the right place…even if it's not yours. Buy reusable bags to take grocery shopping – they hold so much more. In 2007 I went on a class trip to the landfill. I found it very interesting and learned so much. The hardest thing for them to control is plastic bags just blowing around, tons of them. They have fences up to try and catch them but they are everywhere. What a waste! Styrofoam never breaks down, remember that and think twice about using it. One month I decided to see how much I can cut back on my electric. I have to admit that my house has to be cool!!!! But I did dry many loads outside instead of using the dryer. I had the lowest bill ever in this house. It did take more of my energy to use less powered energy and I couldn't see myself always doing that but it made a huge difference. I don't want to sound "preachy" but at least recycle in your home. It is so easy and bins are free. You can recycle so much more than a few years ago. Set an example for others and GO GREEN in some way.

If you live in Melbourne Florida, my area, and would like to request bins: A set of three bins are provided to single family residents free of charge (If you do not live here try your local waste management for where to get your bins).
Just call the recycling hotline at (321) 953-6302.
Keep Brevard Beautiful, Inc. (321) 537-6801, to receive reports of littering by motorists. An alleged offender will receive a letter from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office with information about the problems associated with littering.