Through the blogs on my web site I have shared my experiences of building and installing a solar power system, solar heating  for my workshop, solar heating for the water in our home and even a solar powered lawn mower conversion!  A solar powered attic vent fan helps reduce the summer heat in my workshop. 

While all this renewable energy stuff is "sexy" there's no value in installing solar panels or collectors until you have your house in order.  By this I mean that you need to make sure that your building envelope is as efficient as possible and then reduce consumption by replacing lights and appliances with more efficient ones.  The first step you need to take is to have a home energy audit done to learn what needs improving.  Our home is very tight and reasonably well insulated and my workshop is considered "superinsulated".   I have augmented both buildings considerably to ensure that they are smart, energy efficient structures.  Every dollar spent improving the  performance of your building is well spent and will be reflected in reduced operating costs.  A book that I can recommend is: "The Home Energy Diet: How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy-Smart" by Paul Scheckel.

When I first decided to put up this page, it took me months to think of all the things that we do that contribute to a sustainable way of life.  Many small things that my wife and I do like composting or recycling ink cartridges and batteries escaped my notice for over a month because we never really think about it.

Below you can learn more about all the many measures my wife and I have taken to live lightly on the planet.  Hopefully we will inspire many others to do live more sustainably.  Most are small, simple things that are easy or inexpensive to do.   Drop me a line or call if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

Guy

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does" - Margaret Mead

Some useful links to other sustainable living resources in no particular order:

• Cold Climate Home - a deep energy retrofit of a 1940's Maine house saves 70% in energy
• Home Energy Faire - Ideas for home energy efficiency upgrades
• Build It Solar - many interesting energy saving DIY projects, facts and info
• MapAWatt - blog resource for energy and water conservation
• Midcoast Green Collaborative - a group that is promoting sustainable practices in Maine
• Solar Resources in Maine - green building, solar dealers, organizations
• Home Power Magazine - essential reading for solar and sustainable energy enthusiasts
• Solar Today magazine - Industry news from the American Solar Energy Society
• Yes! Magazine - supporting you in building a just and sustainable world
• Climate Change - Overview of the current science updated monthly
• DSIRE - Rebates and incentives for installing solar equipment by state
• Cheapest solar panels - page that tracks solar panel retail prices
• Cheapest Solar Panel Kit Systems - tracks complete solar electric systems
• Find Solar - locate a solar dealer or installer in your area in the US
• Sustainable by Design - shareware tools for passive solar home design
• Green Fret Consulting - Green Building Consultant
• Window Insulation Panels - triple the U value your windows
• DIY Window panels - affordable version of the commercial product you can make yourself
• Compact Fluorescent Facts - what you may not know
• Energy Federation Inc. - resource conservation-related products and education.

A 2 HYBRID VEHICLE FAMILY

In 2001 my wife replaced her Acura Integra with a new Honda Insight for around $20,000.  This vehicle has consistently achieved an average of 58 MPG while also being an Ultra Low Emission vehicle.  We love driving this sporty stick shift car and use it as our primary vehicle.  Despite its diminutive appearance it is very safe and I can fit my 6ft. 1 inch body in it comfortably.  Due to it's all aluminum chassis and body it weighs about 2200lbs, so the embodied energy to make it is lower than most vehicles. Unfortunately Honda stopped making them in 2006, but have brought it back in March 2009 as a 4 door model for around $20,000, the same low price as the original.

In May 2008 I purchased a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid for about $23,000.  I got the 4 wheel drive model (the 2WD gets better mileage, but I couldn't find one).   I have gotten up to 40 MPG on some trips, but the average per tank is about 28.5 and 33 in city only driving.  It is the most fuel efficient SUV on the road and also has the cleanest emissions.  It is made in a plant that is carbon neutral and even the upholstery is made from recycled plastic, and the seat cushions are made of soy based foam!  Learn more about Ford's Sustainable efforts. 

Both vehicles are rated as ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) by the California CAFE standard

IMPROVING GAS MILEAGE

Right after I got the Escape Hybrid I bought the ScanGauge II Automotive Computer since my Escape model did not come with the fancy computer console.  It plugs into the car's OBDII computer port (under the dash of all vehicles since 1995) and mounts to the dash with velcro.  It provides four simultaneous real time displays of such things as MPG, engine RPM and load, cost per mile, fuel per trip, fuel remaining, miles remaining and other useful info. The built-in Scan Tool allows you to read trouble codes and diagnose potentially expensive problems before they get out of hand.

Using this gauge with ANY vehicle will help you to learn how to improve your gas mileage because you can evaluate the performance in real time, and per trip/day/tank.

TIRE INFLATION

If your tires are low it can cost you as much as 3% of your gas mileage.  In order to remind myself to check tire pressure I installed these neat little gauges on the stems that are green if the pressure is good and red if it's low.  A set of 4 retails for $10 - 20.00.

circular fluorescent
30Watt = 150W light

CFL flood light

regular CFL

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS

When we bought our new home in 2001, the very first thing we did was replace all the lighting.  Most of the ceiling fixtures used 100 Watt incandescent light bulbs.  We replaced the fixtures with attractive ones that use 30 watt circular fluorescents with efficient electronic ballasts, available from Energy Federation Inc.   These fixtures produce the same bright warm colored light as a 150 Watt incandescent lamp (2000 lumens) and last 10,000 hours.  Of course we turn them off when they are not actively needed.

We also replaced the 100 Watt recessed flood lights in the kitchen with CF flood lamps that consume only 15 Watts each yet are just as bright.  They are available in warm and cool colors.

In the bedroom and dining room we installed dimmable halogen fixtures so that we can create ambience.  Halogens are more efficient than regular incandescent lamps especially when dimmed down as ours often are.

To learn more about CF lamps, read this Wikipedia page.

CFL SAVINGS CALCULATOR

I have designed a simple spreadsheet that you can use to estimate the monthly savings on your electric bill if you replace old incandescent lamps with compact fluorescents.  You just enter the total wattage of all the lamps in each room and how long they are on per day.  The sheet shows the monthly cost of incandescent lamps vs. CFLs and the savings if you replace all the old lamps with CFLs.

LED FLUORECENT REPLACEMENT LIGHTS

In my office I replaced 2 - T8 4ft. fluorescent tubes with ones that use LEDs.   Each 18 Watt tube replaces a 40 Watt one and produces  the same amount of light.  These new units are expensive at around $60.00 per tube, but they will last much longer and contain no mercury.  They are available in cool and warm colors.  I had to re-wire the fixture to use them.  I removed the ballast and hooked 120V wires to connect to each end of the tube directly.

LED UNDER COUNTER KITCHEN LIGHTS

We light our kitchen with 4 15 Watt CFL flood lights, but if we just need to use the counter top briefly we have installed an LED light strip.  This Sylvania 22 LED strip uses about 2 Watts, compared to the typical fixture that would have 3 or more 12 to 35 Watt halogen lamps.

EFFICIENT NIGHT LIGHTS

We use these inexpensive electroluminescent night lights throughout the house, they use less than a penny worth of electricity per year.  By comparison a typical 7 Watt night light left on all day wastes 168 Watt-hours/day or over 5 Kilowatts a month!

They sell in packs of 2 or 3 at most home supply and hardware stores for $3-8.00 each.  While not quite as bright as a night light with an incandescent lamp, they serve the purpose very well.  Click the image to buy some online.

outlet strip
 

"wall wart"

PHANTOM LOADS

We plug our entire TV and stereo equipment stack into an outlet strip with a single switch so we can turn it all off when it's not in use.  Stereos and any device with remote control - like VCRs and DVD players all stay on all day waiting for the remote signal, this is called a "phantom load".  That can add up to a lot of power.  Our combined stereo equipment and TV uses about 5 Watts when it is "off", that's over 3.6KW per month that would be going to waste if left on!  (see below)

Any electronic device that uses a wall adapter (engineers call them "wall warts") is a potential phantom load that can be switched off with an outlet strip or un plugged when the device is not in use.  A simple rule of thumb - if it feels warm it is using energy, so unplug cell phone chargers etc when you are not using them.  Of course cordless phones, answering machines, VCRs and DVR (digital video recorders) must be on all the time.

MEASURING ELECTRIC LOADS

A while ago I purchased a Kill-a-Watt Meter, a simple device that sells for $20-30.  You plug your appliance into it and it displays, Watts, Amps, Volts and Watt hours amongst other things.  Leave your appliance plugged in for a day to see how many kWh it consumes!  It will record how many hours it measured.  Here are some readings I took of our stereo equipment for instance:

SAVING POWER WITH TIMERS

I have plugged my internet cable modem and wireless routers into a timer that shuts them off every night to save power.  Another one in the house turns my light sculptures on only in the evening.  And one more powers down the stereo and DVR when it's not in use.  The DVR alone draws 26 Watts, and when turned off for 16 hours a day saves us about $2.24/month.

The timer that I found uses less than 1 Watt and has a battery backup so it never loses time, it is available from Harbor Freight for under $10.00.  A nice feature is the button at bottom right that allows manual override ON/AUTO/OFF/AUTO.  This makes it simple to turn on the load with 2 button presses and then leave it in AUTO mode to shut down at the next programmed interval.

SAVING POWER WITH A ROOM OCCUPANCY SENSOR SWITCH

When I walk into my workshop, I walk through the ground floor to get to my 2nd floor office.  The light switch is by the front door, and I turn on the light at night and I used to end up leaving it on for hours so that I could see to get back out.  This really bugged me, so I installed a Room Occupancy Sensor Switch for about $15.00.   It senses motion in the room from up to 30 feet away and turns on the light for several minutes - and remains on if it sees a moving person.  I can adjust the sensitivity to motion, the time delay, and the room darkness before it will switch on.  It is shown at left with the programming cover removed.  I can press the bottom panel to manually override the switch on or off.

PROTECTING ELECTRONICS

If lightning hits your home or power lines you could lose all your electronic equipment.  Think of what that would cost to replace, and the potential data loss from computers! 

I installed 3 devices from Delta Surge Protectors, 2 in the circuit breaker box and one in the telephone interface box.  In spring 2007 we had a massive lightning storm and 2 strikes right on the power line that damaged the pole transformer for our house.  The surge protectors saved all our equipment except the cable modem - the surge came in the cable wiring.  This is the best insurance you can buy for your equipment.

OUTDOOR LIGHTING

The path from our house to my workshop is over 70 feet,  on a moonless night it is totally dark our here in the country, so I installed several solar powered floodlights to light my way.  These inexpensive lights use a solar panel to charge a battery inside in the daytime, then turn on automatically at dusk.  Depending on how much sun they get during the day they will vary in brightness and duration at night.

To light our parking area so that we can see to unload our vehicles I installed a motion sensor flood light that turns on for only 5 minutes at a time.  This saves more energy than one that turns on at dusk and stays on all night.

GREEN SOURCED ELECTRICITY

With 2 home businesses and 2 full time residents we consume an average of 550KWh/month which is significantly less than an average household (880KWh in 2006).

Maine has one of the greenest renewable electric supply portfolios thank in part to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  Maine's grid power sources include about 30% renewable generation, of which most comes from hydro and over 1% wind.

SOLAR POWER

In August 2009 I installed a 4kW solar electric array (23 175-Watt panels) on the west facing roof of my workshop with the help of friends and neighbors.  This will offset over 1/2 of our electric bill on an annual basis.  My detailed blog shows the whole process from financing to completion.  You can see near real time performance statistics here.

In 2011 we had 3 months of net zero electric supply, with room for more panels, we hope to reduce our dependence on the utility even further.

SOLAR CHARGED LAWN MOWER

In 2005 I converted an old 22" gas lawn mower to use a battery powered DC motor that charges from solar power.  This means that I am eliminating one one the most polluting machines that there is since there are no emission controls on small gas engines.  Also my mower is much quieter and uses free energy!  Click here to learn more about how I did the conversion. 

Cordless electric mowers are available from $400-800 and up, my conversion cost me over $500, and the solar panels and charger add about $400.

ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES

Our major and smaller appliances all have good Energy Star ratings for efficiency.  For instance our refrigerator which has a freezer on the bottom with a separate door consumes an average of 225 Watts when running.  Refrigerators are one of the biggest electrical energy users in the home and replacing old ones can have a dramatic impact on reducing your electric bill.

USING ENERGY SAVER OPTIONS

Our dishwasher has energy saving features that allow us to set it for Air Dry which does not use the 500 Watt heater.  We also use the Normal Wash setting most of the time to reduce energy as it is a shorter cycle that also uses less water.   We use the delayed start feature to start the wash cycle after the sun has heated the water in our storage tank on sunny days.

Incidentally using a fully loaded dishwasher uses considerably less water than washing them by hand, so we use it for most of our dish washing needs.

LOWERED HOT WATER TEMPERATURE

Like most water heaters, our old tank heater came set at a default of around 130F which can scold you in 30 seconds.  I set our new (2010) tankless heater to 115F to reduce our propane consumption.

If you find that you add cold water when washing or showering, then you can turn down the thermostat on your water heater to the point where you no longer add cold water.  This will save all the energy that goes to waste heating water above the temperature that you actually use.

I wrapped our solar storage tank (a 40 gallon electric water heater that is not wired) with fiberglass a blanket.  This simple inexpensive action will reduce heat losses by 25% - 45%. This will save around 4% - 9% in water heating costs.   Blankets are available at most hardware stores for about $10.00.  Note that they often sell a top piece separately from the side-wrap.

CONSERVING HOT WATER

Like many houses, our main bathroom is on the 2nd floor at the far end of the house from the water heater.  A total of about 45 feet of copper pipe that must be heated before hot water arrives at the faucet.  This takes over a minute - longer in colder weather.  This wastes a lot of water (and well pump energy) as we used to run the shower and wait for it to warm up!

I installed a pump made by ACT, Inc. Metlund Systems, for around $330.  This unit conserves energy by using a 57 W pump to draw hot water up to the faucet at the press of a button - and re-circulating it back to the water heater, it shuts off once the water is hot enough, typically in less than a minute.   Click the image to learn more.

DRINKING WATER

Our water comes from our own well and we run it through a Brita pitcher filter to remove the metallic taste of the copper plumbing in the house.  We do not drink bottled water.

LOW FLOW SHOWER HEAD

We installed a low flow shower head that I measured at 1.6 Gallons per minute yet it has good pressure and an invigorating spray.  For reference a few years ago average showerheads delivered about 5 to 8 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 psi (normal city water pressure).  The current standard for low-flow heads is 2.5 gpm at 80 psi.  The pressure from our well pump is a nominal 45psi which aids in reducing flow. 

A 10 minute shower in our home uses about 16 gallons vs 50 gallons at 5 gpm, or 25 gallons at 2.5 gpm.  Here is some interesting info about low flow shower heads.

We could think of our well water as "free" until we consider the 1600 Watts that our well pump uses.

DUAL FLUSH TOILET UPGRADE

I installed Hydroright dual flush adapter kits from ACE Hardware in both our toilets.  At about $25 they are affordable and simple to install, it took me about 20 minutes.  A round fixture replaces the handle, it has 2 buttons - the top one is low flush and the bottom larger button provides a full 1.6 gallon flush.

This can save thousands of gallons a year.

EFFICIENT CLOTHES WASHER

We purchased an ultra efficient washing machine in 2001. Staber washers use 67% less water, 50% less energy, and 75% less detergent compared to traditional top load agitator washers. It is the only top load horizontal-axis washer made in the U.S. There are also many design advantages compared to front load washers.

While these units are pricey at around $1300, the energy savings pays for it rather quickly.  It saves electricity on our well pump which is a significant energy user (240 Volt, 1600 Watt), not to mention propane used for water heating and electricity costs to operate the washer.

RAIN BARRELS

We have 2 50 gallon rain barrels that we use in the warmer months, one that captures water from the house roof, and one from my workshop, each has a hose spigot on the bottom.  We use the water on the garden and vegetable beds to reduce the load on our well pump.  

I made my barrels from a surplus 50 gallon fertilizer barrel obtained for $10.00 from the local feed store.  I painted the white translucent plastic dark green to prevent the sunlight from causing algae growth, and installed a hose bib at the bottom.  I  raised it on bricks so it was above the level of the garden to improve the flow.  A cover prevents debris from entering.

A company in Maryland called Aquabarrel sells barrels and kits for conversions along with downspout adapters etc.

solar collectors on wall

water heater and
solar storage tank

SOLAR WATER HEATING

In July 2006 I purchased and installed a complete solar kit that augments the propane domestic hot water heater.  The solar collectors mounted on the south wall of the house pipe heat into a 40 gallon storage tank when the sun is shining.  This tank feeds into the propane water heater which now runs much less often.

Solar water heaters are one of the simplest, and least expensive ways to reduce energy in your home with an average installed cost of $4-8000.  The design goal is to reduce the energy required to heat water by 75% per year, with a 90% savings in the summer.  See real-time performance stats here.

My system cost me $3200 but my net cost after Maine State's 25% refund and the 30% Federal tax incentive was $1440 (not including installation which I did with friends and neighbors).   To learn more about solar incentives visit the DSIRE web site for state by state listings.

To find a solar installing contractor in your area, click here.
Click the images to learn more.

DEMAND WATER HEATER

In June 2010 our tank type water heater blew a leak, so we replaced it with a Rinnai R75LSi tankless propane unit.  This reduces the standby heat loss from the tank and operates more efficiently since propane is only used when hot water is needed.

Click the image to see my installation blog.

STUDYING HEAT LOSS

SOLAR HEATING

In 2001 I built a solar augmented heating system for my workshop.  You can see all the details of that project on my site.  Solar heated water is used to heat the radiant concrete floor via tubing embedded in the concrete.  This system has significantly reduced my use of propane for heating the building.  A tankless propane heater augments the stored solar heated water as needed.  I use less than 400 gallons of propane and less than 1 cord of wood per heating season in my 1200sq. ft. workshop, see my annual usage stats here.  And see the real-time performance stats here.

To find a solar installing contractor in your area, click here.
Click the image to learn more.

INSULATING EXPOSED FROST WALLS

The frost walls of my workshop are exposed above ground by up to 24" in places.  So I covered them with 2" of blue foam board and exterior sheathing.  This reduces the heat loss dramatically along the base of the interior walls.

ADDING EXTERIOR INSULATION

To improve the insulation of the exposed concrete walls of our daylight basement, I added 4" of rigid foam insulation to the outside.  This adds about R24 to the wall and should prevent it from remaining below freezing for much of the winter.  It's a simple and relatively inexpensive process to add rigid foam to any exterior wall and the benefits can be significant in cold climates.  Click the image to learn more.

INSULATING DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMING

During our energy audit in November 2008 we found several doors and windows with air leaks from around the framing.  Here I show how I removed the trim and found huge gaps that required filling with spray in foam.  Click the image to learn more.

BUILDING INSULATION

When I converted my open barn to a heated work space, the first thing I did was to contract the installation of spray in isocyanurate foam (Corbond) that completely seals the building with high R value insulation (R7.5/inch).   My workshop is considered "super insulated" with R30 walls and R45 roof, and it is very well sealed around doors and windows.

For new construction I recommend spraying in 1 to 2" of foam and then adding fiberglass over that.  This yields the best performance characteristics of both types for the best price per dollar in my opinion.  Another popular choice is blown in dense pack cellulose.

The single best way to reduce your heating and cooling energy costs is to insulate your building well.  Most buildings are poorly insulated and have many air leaks that allow heat to escape.  Simply identifying and sealing the cracks around doors and windows can dramatically reduce your heating costs -- see above.

A SOLAR ATTIC VENT HELPS COOL MY OFFICE

This simple elegant vent only works when the sun is shining and heating up the attic above the office in my workshop.  It has reduced the attic temperature by 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.  I have noticed it does not get as hot in the office in the middle of the summer.

A HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATION SYSTEM

The drawback of having a very well sealed building envelope is that indoor air quality can suffer.  One needs to exchange the air in a building about every 3 hours for optimum health.  While this is easy in the summer as the windows are all open, it is not sensible to leave them open in the winter!  An HRV system uses blowers to exchange the air in the building while recovering most of the heat that leaves the building and using it to heat the incoming air. 

The unit I installed is relatively inexpensive and is over 80% efficient.  The air in the building feels fresh all day and I just feel better and more energized at work.  Click the image to learn more.

PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS

In my workshop I installed 2 digital programmable thermostats.  I set back the heat outside my business/working hours to save heating energy when I'm not using the space.  There are 3 types available: 24 hour, weekday/weekend, and 7 day timers.   My thermostat allows me to set 4 different temperatures at 4 adjustable times each day on weekdays and different settings on weekends.

HEATING WITH CLEAN BURNING WOOD STOVES

We heat my wife's basement work space with a wood stove, and I also supplement the solar/propane heating in my workshop with a stove that I added in 2005.  Replacing an old wood stove or fireplace with a more energy efficient appliance can save fuel, money and protect you and your family’s health. Older stoves that were manufactured before 1990 burn wood inefficiently which wastes firewood, pollutes the air in your neighborhood and creates dust inside your home. Newer stoves can reduce smoke and dust, as well as cut heating expenses.  Our Regency F3100 stove is 77% efficient for instance.  I also improved the effectiveness of my workshop stove with a heat reclaimer.

FIREWOOD 1

I fell trees on our 2.5 acre wooded property that I cut with an electric chain saw.  I split the cut wood by hand, and stack it to season for 6-9 months before burning.  Heating with wood is carbon neutral and renewable, so long as responsible forestry management practices are used.

FIREWOOD 2

In addition to felling trees on our property, I also gather standing dead wood from our woods and windrows that I cut up and stack inside.   This dry wood lights easily burns clean.

ELECTRIC YARD TOOLS

I use an 18 Volt cordless weed whacker to trim the lawn edges.  It runs for well over an hour on a charge. 

I also use a 16" electric chain saw on a 100ft cord.  It's just as powerful as gas ones without the smelly gasoline, noise or pollution!  I have felled 70ft trees that were over 20" at the base with this saw.  It is essentially solar powered since it runs off our solar power system during daylight hours.

WINDOW INSULATION PANELS

Windows are the single largest source of heat loss in most homes.  The folks that built our home in 2000 installed very good  Marvin windows.  These units are wood framed with tightly sealed vinyl sliders and they have dual pane low E glass filled with inert gas.  With all these features they have a very high R value (about R-3) and low air leakage.

My workshop came with very inexpensive wood windows that were loose fitting and drafty.  In the winter I seal them from the inside using AEP window insulation panels.  These light weight double glazed plastic panels clip onto the inside of the window frame like a window screen and form an airtight barrier that seals the window with double pane plastic.  At around $9.00 per square foot they represent the least expensive off-the-shelf solution for leaky windows in older homes. 

In February 2008 we installed these panels throughout the ground floor of our home, click here to learn more.

MAKE YOUR OWN INEXPENSIVE
WINDOW INSULATION PANELS

In 2008 my friend Topher designed a home made version of the panels above.  The cost of materials is under $1.30/sq.ft. compared to over $9.00/sq.ft. for commercially made ones (above) and they are just as effective and almost as attractive.  Click here  for detailed instructions on making these yourself.

WINDOW SCREENS

INSULATING WINDOW SHADES

Our passive solar home has many south facing windows in the master bedroom and 1st floor living/dining area.  Even though we have the best windows we can afford - double pane, gas filled, low-E, wood framed with sealed vinyl sliders the R value is still only around 3.

We installed high R value pleated honeycomb window shades in all 5 windows of our bedroom that add about R4.6 to the windows when they are lowered fully.  They are made to order by Symphony Shades.  Each shade comes with side tracks that hold the shade and prevent air leakage around the sides.  Symphony shades are expensive but they will dramatically reduce our heating  loads in the winter, so we should recover the cost in a few years.  They are available in various styles from light filtering to room darkening, with a range of decorative colors to choose from.  We chose room darkening ones so that we can sleep in after the sun is up.  We are very pleased with these attractive units and they seem to work very well - at least the propane monitor room heater seems to run a lot less in the winter.  On frigid but sunny winter days we open them early for the solar gain and close them at dusk.

HOME GROWN FOOD

We have 5 raised vegetable beds that we seed with various veggies including peppers, rhubarb, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, peas, beans, chard and a variety of herbs such as basil, dill and rosemary.

We have 4 high bush blueberry bushes that produce a bountiful crop.  And our crab apple tree produces 70+ lbs of fruit from which we can make over 20 jars of crabapple butter per year (2009).

We also make an effort to purchase locally grown and organically produced foods from local farmers at the farmers market and local natural food stores..

RECYCLING

Our small rural town (pop. 2500+) started curb side pickup of mixed stream recycling in 2010.  This includes cardboard, paper, newspaper, clear glass, plastic (5 types), tin and aluminum.  The program has become very successful. 

With 2 home offices we end up with a lot of paper that we can recycle.  Since we ship and receive a lot of goods, we re-use as many cardboard boxes as we can yet we still have a lot of packing materials to recycle.  We take our surplus packing peanuts and bubble wrap to the local shipping store for re-use.  In the winter we are able to utilize newspaper and cardboard to light our wood stoves as well, cardboard makes excellent kindling.

STYROFOAM RECYCLING

Until recently there was no way to recycle the crumbly white Styrofoam packing that many larger products come packed in.  A Florida company RecycleTech will recycle any Styrofoam that you send them (at your cost by first class mail).  Just mail it to them in the original box the product came in, but first remove all extraneous bags, labels etc.  Note that shipping this stuff can get expensive, even by Parcel Post!

PACKING PEANUTS

There are 2 types of peanuts currently in use: starch based and Styrofoam. 

The starch peanuts dissolve in water and can be disposed in the trash or compost.  A quick test, touch one to your tongue, if it sticks - it's starch.

Re-use the Styrofoam peanuts, or take them to your local packing/shipping store in re-used store bags, most stores welcome your contributions.   

compost jar

envirocycle composter

COMPOST

We cook mostly vegetarian meals, and keep a compost container on the kitchen counter.  All our vegetable scrap goes in this well made ceramic jar which has a lid with a carbon filter in it to reduce the smell.  Of course we try to empty it before the point where the contents start to rot!

Note, if you get fruit flies in your kitchen from your compost bin, a good way to eliminate them is to put out a shallow bowl with apple vinegar in it and a drop or 2 of dish washing liquid.  The flies are attracted to the vinegar and the detergent reduces the surface tension so they drown.

We dump the contents into our EnviroCycle composter which sits at the corner of our front porch.  This is the best unit we have found since it is so easy to use, just turn it over 3 times every so often to mix the contents.  There is no smell, and the roller base collects the compost "tea" which when diluted makes excellent fertilizer.  The compost itself gets dug in to our flower and vegetable beds.

RE-USING ZIP LOCK BAGGIES

By simply rinsing them out we re-use baggies many times over before they wear out or we leave food in them so long it gets moldy!  We use the stronger freezer type bags since they last longer.

BATTERY RECYCLING

We ecycle all our rechargeable batteries by taking them to local drop off sites which are located in retail stores nationwide (including Radio Shack) that are organized by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) .  Click here to find your nearest drop off site.  I have recycled batteries from laptops, emergency lights, cameras, power tools, cell phones etc.  Rechargeable batteries contain toxic cadmium, lithium, lead, acid and other chemicals that don't belong in our landfills.

Did you know that automobile lead/acid batteries have been recycled since the beginning of the auto industry?  They are one of the most recycled products in the world!

PRINTER CARTRIDGE RECYCLING

Since 1999 the US postal service has made free mailers available for returning printer cartridges for re-use.  The plastic mailers are typically located in the lobby, no postage is required.  We have recycled all our cartridges this way.  Also Staples stores offer a $2.00 credit to their Rewards customers for cartridges.

REDUCING JUNK MAIL

I made a rubber stamp that says "please remove from your mailing list - thanks".  When I get any junk mail that has a prepaid return envelope and a return order/contribution form, I stamp the form and return it in the envelope provided.  Eventually they get the message.

You can also sign up with the National Do Not Mail List, it's free and easy to get yourself removed from catalog mailings.  This only works with direct mail advertizing, the rubber stamp will work with non-profit and political mail.

PAPER OR PLASTIC? . . . NEITHER!

Both types of bag have trade-offs that are unacceptable.  We use cloth bags to carry our groceries, and re-cycle the plastic and paper bags from other stores.  Whenever practical I decline the use of a shopping bag from most stores.  Our local Shaw's grocery has finally started selling green canvas bags emblazoned with their logo, we have several Trader Joes canvas bags we have had for years.

FIX IT - DON'T TOSS IT

When something breaks my first impulse as a "well trained American consumer" is to toss it an buy a new one.   But I have a broad range of skills that I can apply to repairing everything from furniture to electronics. 

Case in point: our 37" flat screen LCD TV stopped working, the HD input failed.  I opened it up and identified the motherboard.  By looking up the make and model on-line I found a supplier of surplus replacement parts.  At a cost of a little over $100 I found a replacement board.  It took about an hour to replace using nothing more than a screwdriver, ingenuity and patience.

SEPTIC TANK

Every 5 years or so we have our 1000 gallon septic tank pumped out.  The company that provides this service, Pat Jackson Inc., delivers the contents to a processing facility that recycles the waste into fertilizer.  This particular form of recycling came as a surprise to us too!  Yes, I know, you're thinking "These guys even recycle their own shit!"

TWITTER

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