Information on why you might be eligible for boiler grants
March 3, 2012
Before you apply to obtain a boiler grant, you should firstly contemplate if you need a completely new central heating boiler. In many cases it could be totally obvious that your existing boiler will no longer be cut out for the task of heating your household and supplying you with warm water and routine baths, but there will probably be a much more easy and economic solution to having a new boiler fitted.
Has your current central heating boiler been maintained? In case you are experiencing trouble with your current boiler, ahead of contemplating a replacement, consider if the existing one might just call for a boiler service. Experts recommend a central heating boiler service annually. Your current central heating boiler is often a complicated product all sorts of components inside making it do the job. A regular examination and service of the boiler will ensure it’s running efficiently. It is possible to most likely find a neighborhood engineer to conduct a one-time boiler service at reasonable cost. However you could also be interested in taking out a maintenance agreement or insurance policy against your boiler. This is a saturated marketplace and there will almost always be deals from the major United kingdom energy providers or professional boiler servicing companies A large number of contracts involves a monthly payment in return for maintenance of the boiler annually, and they’ll can include cover against any break down or unexpected emergency you might have with the boiler.
How old is the existing boiler? Although the age of your boiler won’t relate directly to the requirement for a whole new boiler or boiler grant, it’s reliable advice that modern day boilers are far more environment friendly compared to what they had been. As technologies within the boiler producing sector has improved, new boilers have become far more efficient.
Rather then using the agee of the boiler to consider if it calls for replacing or if you are looking into a boiler grant, you need to examine the boilers performance first. The government produced a rating system together with boiler suppliers in the united kingdom to help you provide a much better idea of boiler efficiency. This is called SEDBUK (Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK).
Your current boiler should fall in a classification in between A-G. A being 90% efficient (that is good) and G being 70% or less efficient (that is bad). If your boiler falls directly into E, F or G category, it’s certainly worth looking into if you’re entitled to a boiler grant. You can navigate to the official SEDBUK website to find your boiler as well as its efficiency score.
To find out more about effectively heating your home and boiler grants or boiler grants in scotland you should go to UKBoilerGrants
Begin Your Health and Fitness Journey Out in the Open
March 1, 2012
The majority of people do not have any concept about what is feasible with health and fitness, and we really are speaking about the range of effects.
For many individuals, starting on a new fitness plan can mean signing up with a gym or exercising at home. Of course, this is a wonderful idea but, if you would like combine your fitness plan with a healthy lifestyle, you may want to go outdoors and enjoy the fresh air while you get fit. Doing this can certainly improve how you feel about yourself and you’ll also be able to find new ways and places to enjoy the physical exercises you enjoy. Keep reading to learn a number of the outdoor fitness methods which can make it easier to improve your health.
Taking walks or jogging is a rather easy option to be fit in the outdoors. The truth is taking walks can be a good way to get going if you see it as a means to increase your fitness. If you know anything about power walking, you already know that it gives you with a way to increase your pulse rate by walking fast. Running, an activity which has been around for many years, is a common choice when men or women opt to increase their fitness at the start of every new year. Motivation is vital and can be attained with varying up your routine by running in new areas and by aiming to reach preset objectives.
Cycling is another activity that is easy to start once you have the equipment required. Cycling provides you with a few different choices depending on whether you prefer to ride on or off the road. This gives you a wonderful option to visit a variety of locations and remain active and fit at the same time. This activity is one that you can enjoy with your family, thereby decreasing the likelihood that you will give up and quit.
We hope what you have found up to here regarding #KW1#, as well as also the particular information about #KW2#, is of assistance for you. Now read on more below to get further information regarding this subject.
You might even want to check out water-based activities as a way of learning new stuff, creating new friendships, and improving your overall fitness. If you feel up to it, you can go swimming outdoors and there are clubs created particularly for those who love to swim in all conditions. Needless to say, it’s not for everybody but people who participate note that they often feel considerably more alert and alive physically. There are other pursuits you can actually engage in on the water like rowing, surf boarding and jet skiing. All of these outdoor activities will help you keep your physical fitness.
If travel is not an issue, you may want to try sports such as skiing and snowboarding that can only be done in certain times of the year. These sports are typically enjoyed by those on holiday, but you do need to have attained a certain degree of fitness in order to maximize your experience. Actually, you can build up the physical strength required to participate in an activity such as skiing by targeting specific muscle groups during your normal workouts.
You have a world of choices open to you should you decide to get fit outdoors. All you need to do is determine that you will do what it takes to improve your overall health.
Are you looking for more information about green living?You will find more helpful info about green living having an eco-friendly lifestyle and alternative energy for your home here: http://savehomeenergycost.com
A Look At Celebrities Assisting to End Global Warming
February 23, 2012
Global warming is an issue that is increasing in popularity. Global warming is widely discussed and debated about the television, radio, and even online. One of the many reason for this increased media coverage is born in part to celebrities. Over the past few years, a large number of celebrities have publicized their stance on climatic change. In this same time frame, climatic change saw an increase in media exposure. That leaves many wondering imagine if there is a connection and if so, is always that connection doing good?
Among the numerous celebrities who have helped use their well-known name to bring awareness to global warming is that of Al Gore. Al Gore was most well known for his role because the Vice President of the United States, under Bill Clinton. As for now, Al Gore is renowned for his fight against our planets atmosphere. Al Gore is one of the first people in politics to take global warming seriously. Actually, he has done more than that. His award winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, has had much needed attention to this important issue.
Leonardo DiCaprio is another well known figure who has been and that’s still using his name to take attention to the many environmental issues. This highest rated actor has turned into a well known environmentalist. One of the many topics that he brings focus on is that of global warming. In addition to making numerous celebrity appearances at global warning related events, he’s also created his own documentary. This documentary is titled 11th Hour. Since Leonardo DiCaprio is regarded as one of the greatest actors of his time, he’s got the ability to bring much needed care about global warming, as well as other environmental issues.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the one other well known figure that has been using his status to do good for the environment. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a well-known actor turned political figure. In addition to being outspoken on global warming along with his views on the subject, he has also taken action not seen by many other politicians. In California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is long gone laws that reduce the greenhouse gasses emitted inside state of California and even more.
Laurie David may not be well known herself, but you may have likely heard of her husband before. Her husband is renowned as being the co-creator of Seinfeld. She handled a documentary for HBO that covered the science behind global warming. There are also reports that she helped to get Al Gore’s, an Inconvenient Truth, documentary in to the public eye.
The above mentioned celebrities are only a few of the many who have used their celebrity status to create much attention to the hot topic of global warming. In addition to starting their unique environmental groups and making their unique documentaries or television programs that target the issue of global warming, celebrities do far more. Many celebrities are known for providing faces and voices for documentaries, concerts, and other charity events.
Although many individuals see the association with entertainment and global warming overkill, there is a lot that these celebrities while others have done to help in the fight against climatic change. For example, there are a number of documentaries on climatic change, but Al Gore’s documentary saw success more than others partly because of his well known name and status. For many individuals, they may have not heard about global warning or learned the possible affects of it if it weren’t for celebrities.
Many celebrities, such as the ones outlined above are known for showing their support for the environment, but there are individuals that have spoken out against climatic change. One of those individuals is Michael Crichton, a well-known author. In 2002, he wrote a novel that basically claimed global warming is not but a conspiracy theory. On this book, he claimed that lots of environmentalists are using global warming as a ploy for more money for their organizations. His book was met which has a mixture of support and criticism.
Check out the web site Taylor Swift.
Controlling Expenditures Is Critical To Moneymaking Business
February 14, 2012
For years I’ve been saying that intelligent businesses focus on growing sales, not on cutting expenses. “You can’t cut your way to profitability” is one of my beloved sayings.
In business, a dollar earned is nearly the same to a dollar saved since taxes are based on your profits, not income. Essentially, you are taxed on your revenue (sales) minus expenses. Sales and expense control are roughly worth the same. The problem is that it is a lot easier for most people to focus on expenditure control that on top end (sales) growth. And after you hit the apparent costs, you exhaust more and more time on stuff that save you less and less money. It is the 80/20 rule reversed, where you find 80% of your savings from the first 20% of cost cuts. Also, you are restricted on how much you can cut expenses, while your ability to increase sales is essentially boundless, so it makes more sense to focus on growth than on frugality.
So my rudimentary suggestion is for entrepreneurs to concentrate on sales.
I still believe this, but that doesn’t indicate that I’m saying that you be supposed to ignore your expenses. That would be a big gaffe. First of all, spending troubles get bigger more rapidly than revenue. What is a minor concern at $30k per year income is a immense dilemma when you grow to $300k per year. The second reason is that expenditure control is initially simpler and easier to do than sales growth. Your initial swing at expense control will get you the biggest gains. Following attempts at expense control will be more tricky, less successful, and often influence critical business areas like productivity or quality.
The Answer Is To Be Shrewd With Your Cost Cutting.
What’s my pet area to cut expenses? It’s saving energy by way of an ashrae energy audit or energy management. At this point a minor disclosure is needed: I am an energy consultant and get paid to help organizations cut their energy spending. I do energy audits for my customers and usually cut their energy bills by more than 20%.
Now that we have cleared the air, let me clarify why I like to concentrate on energy spending:
-The majority of my customers are manufacturers, and they spend a lot every month on their energy expenses. This is a considerable area of trouble to them.
-Even if you are not a manufacturer, utilities are nonetheless one of your biggest costs.
-Nearly all firms can slash their energy expenditure by 20% or more. I’ve seen savings as high as 59%! I can’t imagine of many areas where you can save this much.
-Energy Management is an area where you will slash charges while increasing output. Any other cost cutting will eventually hurt production or quality.
Industrial Energy Audit Services are industry leaders in ashrae energy audits. Our decades of experience will make your energy audits fast, effective, and affordable. We are so confident that we will save you money, that we guarantee that we will save you 15% or more on your energy bills.
You Are Able To Discover A Lot Of Green Building Materials When You Renovate Your House
February 13, 2012
When people start to think about renovating their houses, more thought goes into what they are intending to change and just what color are they going to use to repaint, but most people give hardly any thought to how their remodeling will impact the environment. The changes in our climatic conditions and global warming are only a couple of the side effects of our pollution of the world. And the situation is going to get even worse before they get better. Wasting our electricity and the lack of recycling are actually two things which are having a negative effect on our planet. Taking this into account youll likely to end up thinking, its not possible to use just about any material without having a large impact on the environment. Well, with the correct information, it isnt tough to generate stylish rooms that both have virtually no impact on your health and also little impact on the environment. Choose your contractor wisely when it comes to water damage repair san diego.
Alright, now you must keep in mind that every single product we purchase will have an impact on our planet, and it might be just the energy sources utilized to transport the item, it’s small however it is an effect. With the various products needed when you are performing renovations like, different paints, window glass and of course wood, we can be creating a negative effect on our planet. Having said that, you can find alternatives.
Regular paints contain a lot of toxic chemicals and solvents, that happen to be harmful to your own health and to the natural environment. You will find paints on the market that dont contain any solvents or toxins, for example latex paints which are water based. And also by using a latex paint which contains no harmful toxins or chemical substances you will not be having such a negative effect on your health or the health of the earth.
When it comes to buying the wood for the job, which you will need to do, try to find “local wood” which means wood that has been farmed locally. This will have a lesser amount of effects on the environment simply because less fuel is being used to transport the product. Additionally try to find wood which contains the Forestry Stewardship Council logo, this signifies that this wood has less of a negative impact on the environment when compared with other woods. The FSC is a worldwide organization thats non-profit and helps by simply ensuring that you dont play a role in the destruction of forested acres around the world when buying FSC approved wood.
Glass as well as metals are usually easy to recycle which suggests theyre great materials when being Eco friendly. They can be used time and time again and still keep their quality. A fascinating fact about different metals and even glass, is that by recycling these products we save energy, because it takes a lesser amount of resources to recycle than it would to produce new products from these materials. When you have to buy glass or metal products try to get recycled merchandise if you can.
Something you will want to watch out for is the actual company or business which had generated the products. Some claim to be Eco friendly but actually theyre not, so be wary. By thinking about being environmentally friendly when you’re redesigning your house, you won’t just be able to help your own health and well being, but the planet will thank you also. Spending a little more money on these green materials might appear absurd in the beginning, but once you think of the overall rewards, how could you refuse.
For the best quality san diego flood restoration go to www.pacificrestoration.com.
In This Article We’re Going To Be Checking Out Global Warming
February 11, 2012
This may not necessarily astonish you however there loads of individuals who don’t think we are experiencing global warming even though this is been proven by numerous scientists. Global warming is a term that not every person is familiar with so simply to let you know it is caused by the pollution of our planet. This is a thing that is not only heating up our world but something which is having a detrimental affects on our polar icecaps. In this article we are going to be taking an even better look a global warming and explaining to you a number of the dangers involved with this.
One thing I ought to point out to you first is that it’s our own fault that this is happening simply because we’re causing this pollution with power plants, our automobiles in addition to other things we burn. The primary reason our pollution levels continue to rise each and every year is mainly because men and women are burning more standard fuels, which creates more of this pollution every year. There’s, obviously an approach to remedy this problem and that would be to merely stop burning these fossil fuels even though this sounds simple men and women rely on these fuels too much.
One of the bad affects this is having on our planet right now is the melting of our glaciers which can lead to many severe disasters. As the ice melts the water needs to go somewhere and that’s why our ocean levels and other water bodies are continuing to rise and why there’s flooding all over our world. This can also end up causing huge snowfalls in the winter months months for some areas, which can end up altering the weather forever in certain areas.
While some areas will end up flooding, other areas will end up becoming extremely dry leading to fires and droughts in other portions of the world. You ought to be aware that our wildlife and plant life is in addition going to end up being affected by these natural occurring fires. Our world works on a well maintained balance, but when plant and wildlife continue to get killed off each and every year this balance will affect everyone on the entire planet.
Taking care of the planet is a thing that is going to be very difficult to do nevertheless it is going to take every one to begin to make a difference in lowering this pollution. In order to actually heal our world you should be aware that this is not a thing that can be accomplished in a few months, this is something we will need to work on forever. For people who are looking to do your part you should understand that by using a number of the alternative energy sources available today you will have the opportunity to decrease the amount of pollution you end up creating every year.
To read more pertaining to alternative energy tips, examine homemade solar panels website. Plus, you can understand how to utilize alternative energy from direct sunlight and additionally wind to obtain entirely free energy applicable for residential home usage.
Starting Your Own Compost Pile Is Really A Great Way To Start Living Greener
February 8, 2012
The first thing that plenty of individuals do nowadays are starting compost piles to be able to add nutrient rich soil to their gardens. Starting your own compost pile isn’t as difficult as many men and women might think and once you find out how easy it is, it might be something you want to do for yourself. You need to be aware the compost can be made out of many things but you will find that rather than throwing away the old food that would usually end up in the trash you can make use of compost piles to turn it into something useful. Compost piles, as I pointed out aren’t difficult to generate and we are going to let you know the step you will need to take below.
To begin with you are going to need to find a location on your property that is not only out of sight but also something you’ll not smell very easily. Compost piles can emit smells that a lot of folks will find unpleasant which is why you would like to keep this out of smelling distance. When you find a secluded location you can either build or purchase a bin in order to keep your compost contained. Not every person actually uses a bin when starting a pile actually there are plenty of men and women who will simply begin a pile on the ground somewhere on their property.
You should start building the pile in layers and the first layer should include leaves, paper bags, newspapers and also paper towels as this will make a good base for your compost. Grass clippings, smashed up eggshells, used coffee grounds as well as any vegetables that could end up in the trash are some of the items you can start using for your second layer of compost. With regards to meat which has gone bad it is better off to throw this away and not add this to your compost pile as the meat can turn rotten and ruin your pile. When you have your two 1st layers down allow that to set for 1 week or more, mix it all together and then start creating two more layers on top of it.
Something else you are going to need to do is keep the pile covered as much as you possibly can and it’s important to put holes in the cover so that the compost pile can in fact breathe. Some men and women do not want to wait in order to have their compost pile ready to be used, and for you folks there are enhancers which can be a added that can be bought any hardware store.
When you eventually mix this compost in with your garden soil you will see that your vegetables will end up being larger and loaded with more nutrition than if you just use regular earth. For people who want to start a compost pile you need to now see that it’s not nearly as difficult as you might have believed in the past. Aside from that, this is the primary strategies in the direction of a green living that is definitely both good to man plus the planet.
Begin looking at all the strategies concerning how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, it is worthy adhering to and may spend less money down the road. Visit the finishing a basement blog page and learn more recommendations on eco friendly suggestions when it comes to house remodeling.
Could Now Be The Perfect Time For Solar Energy?
February 7, 2012
If you live in Massachusetts, the answer is a resounding yes!
Due to the many incentives at both the state and federal level for solar panels, there has never been a better time to go green with solar power. Just about all residential systems have the ability to pay for themselves in less than five short years.
Currently the installation cost on a 5 kW solar panel set up is around $25,000. This system will yield nearly 6,000 kWh of electricity annually in Massachusetts and supply just about 60 percent of the typical residential home’s electricity requirements.
There’s a Commonwealth Rebate which will deduct $2,000 off the top of the selling price. Moreover, if you live in a moderate house or earn a moderate income, you most likely will be given an extra $2,000 reduction. Or if you happen to have been unlucky enough to have your residence damaged during last year’s tornadoes, you shall be given an additional five thousand dollars off.
You will also receive both federal and Massachusetts state tax credits. Currently the federal tax credit is currently a whopping 30 percent and the state credit is for $1,000. Following the rebates coupled with the tax credits, you’ll be able to acquire a 5 kilowatt solar panel array for about $16,000, even less if you happen to qualify for the moderate income or moderate home value adders.
A system of that size here in Massachusetts will give you an average of about 80 dollars worth of electricity monthly yielding an annual savings of $1,000.
But the long-term profits come from auctioning off your SRECs. One megawatt hour (1,000 kWh) is worth 1 SREC and a 5 kW system will ideally yield just about 6,000 kWh annually. Since the state has forced the utility companies to acquire a small portion of their electrical power via renewable methods, they will be compelled to provide you with around four hundred dollars for every one of your six SRECs to say that you’re generating electrical energy for them. So that’s an extra $2,400 in tax-free income straight into your wallet every year.
Now you can see how a $16,000 solar panel array can be paid off in slightly less than five short years considering that it brings in $3,400 annually including electricity savings together with SREC revenue.
Solar panels are additionally among the best home improvement options available to the Mass. resident. For a price of $16,000, it should raise the value of your residence by $20,000. That’s a 125% return on investment. Just about all home improvement projects never pay for themselves totally. Solar panels not only increase the value of your own house more than they can cost you, they will make you money each year on top of everything else. They are even exempt from property taxes for 20 years.
And we should not forget the primary reason these incentives exist at all – to save the Earth. A 5 kW solar panel array is going to reduce your carbon footprint by almost one-hundred tons of carbon dioxide over 25 years, the equivalent of planting 800 trees. Each year, it is going to stop the equivalent of about three tons of coal or 20,000 cubic feet of natural gas from being burned to produce electricity.
Needless to say from all of the incentives currently in existence that right now undoubtedly is the perfect time for solar panels. The Commonwealth Rebate in addition to the federal and state tax credits trim down your startup costs. And the electric power savings along with the SREC program add significant revenue and boost your home’s resale value.
Furthermore there’s no telling how much longer these types of incentives are going to be in existence. The Commonwealth Rebate has already been reduced recently and the federal tax credit is threatened every year.
Lastly, while this business grows, increasingly more financing alternatives are becoming offered to homeowners, making solar panels economical for everybody. Without a doubt if you’ve always wanted to get solar panels, there has certainly never been a better time than now!
Gary S. Best resides in Massachusetts and spent months researching the different incentives and financing options before deciding to purchase a 5 kW solar panel system in 2011. He has since started a web site, www.MassSolarInfo.com, educating residents about solar energy in Massachusetts and providing them with a way to easily receive free estimates and save up to $500 off their own installation.
Could Now Be The Right Time For Solar Energy?
February 6, 2012
If you live in Massachusetts, the answer is a convincing yes!
As a result of the variety of incentives at both the state as well as the federal level to purchase solar panels, there has never been a more rewarding time to go green with solar panels. Most residential solutions can pay for themselves in about 5 short years.
Currently the retail price on a 5 kilowatt solar panel set up is approximately $25,000. This system will produce nearly 6,000 kWh of electricity annually here in Massachusetts and provide close to 60% of the normal residential home’s electricity requirements.
There is a Commonwealth Rebate that will deduct $2,000 off that price. Moreover, if you happen to live in a modest residence or earn a moderate wage, you will receive a further $2,000 reduction. Or if you happen to have been unlucky enough to have your home damaged during last year’s tornadoes, you shall receive a further five thousand dollars reduction.
There also are both federal and state tax credits. Currently the IRS tax credit sits at a massive 30 percent while the state credit is good for $1,000. After the rebates and additionally the tax credits, you’ll be able to obtain a 5 kW solar panel system for only $16,000, less should you receive the moderate income or moderate home value adders.
A complete system of that size here in Massachusetts will provide an average of close to $80 worth of electricity monthly to get a yearly cost savings of $1,000.
But the best long-term profits come from the sale of your system’s SRECs. One megawatt hour (1,000 kWh) is equivalent to 1 SREC and a 5 kW system will ideally generate nearly 6,000 kWh annually. Since the state has required the electricity companies to generate a certain portion of their electrical energy from renewable sources, they will be compelled to pay you about $400 for every one of those six SRECs so they can say that you’re generating electrical energy for them. So that’s an extra $2,400 in tax-free revenue right into your wallet every year.
So now you can see how a $16,000 solar panel array can be paid in full in slightly less than 5 years considering that it nets $3,400 annually including electric bill savings and additionally the SREC proceeds.
Solar panels may also be one of the best home improvement options open to the Massachusetts home owner. With a selling price of $16,000, it should increase the worth of your residence by $20,000. Now that is a 125% ROI. Almost all home improvement projects don’t ever pay for themselves fully. Solar panels not only raise the worth of your home more than they run you, they will earn you money each year as well. They are also exempt from property taxes for 20 years.
And additionally we should not forget the reason why these types of stimuli exist in the first place – to save the Earth. A 5 kW solar panel system can slash your carbon footprint by almost one-hundred tons of carbon dioxide over twenty-five years, the equivalent of growing 800 trees. Each year, it will prevent the equivalent of 3 tons of coal or 20,000 cubic feet of natural gas from being used to create electrical energy.
Needless to say from all of the stimuli currently at your disposal that now truly would be the best time for solar power. The Commonwealth Rebate in addition to the federal and state tax credits reduce your startup expenses. And the electric power savings and also the SREC program supply significant revenue and boost your home’s resale value.
Plus there is no telling how much longer each of these incentives are going to be in existence. The Commonwealth Rebate has already been lowered once plus the federal tax credit gets endangered each year.
Lastly, while this business matures, a greater number of financing approaches are becoming offered to homeowners, making solar energy affordable for everybody. Without a doubt if you have always wanted to get solar panels, there has never been a better time than the present!
Gary S. Best lives in Massachusetts and spent months investigating the various incentives and financing options before deciding to purchase a five kW solar panel system in 2011. He has since created a web site, www.MassSolarInfo.com, educating residents about solar energy in Massachusetts and providing them with a means to easily get free estimates and save as much as $500 off their own installation.
The Green Living Guide to Recycling the Usual and the Unusual, part 1
February 4, 2012
American’s throw away a staggering amount of trash. In fact the average American throws away 1500 pounds of trash yearly. The good news is that nearly everything you use in daily life can be given a second life through recycling. Some things need to be broken down into the plastic, glass or metal they are made of. Others are given a second life, and sometimes a third and fourth life by donating them to others, or to charity. This guide is the first part of a series that will educate you on how to cut down on waste in landfills by recycling countless household items.
Aerosol Spray Cans: First make certain your aerosol can is completely empty. If it is you can drop it off at a nearby recycling center or place it in your curbside recycling bin if you have that option. 5,300 US communities offer curbside recycling, with more joining up every day. Some places even offer buy-back programs for aerosol spray cans. Bring them in and they’ll pay you a few pennies for every can you return. If you want to recycle your spray can, just pull the spray cap off and make sure it is empty.
Antiperspirant or deodorant sticks: If your brand has a dial on the bottom, it’s likely that the dial is made from a different type of plastic than the rest of the stick. Remove the dial before you place it in the plastics bin. The Tom’s of Maine brand sells a deodorant stick that is made solely of recyclable plastic #5, and Kiss My Face makes a roll on dispenser that is completely biodegradable.
Backpacks: Here’s an interesting twist on recycling – give your old backpack a second life by donating it to the American Birding Association. They’ll take it and turn it over to a researcher who will use it while they track neotropical avian behavior. Also, keep an eye out for events hosted by the Great American Backpack Exchange. Take your gently used backpack or book bag to these events and they’ll be put to use by students and needy children.
Batteries: It is crucial to recycle batteries. Single use household batteries contain materials that are hazardous yet recyclable. Look for a household hazardous waste facility in your community. Many stores also recycle batteries – hardware stores, auto supply stores and office supply stores, to name a few. Many of the above named stores also accept rechargeable batteries for recycling. Car batteries contain lead, so they can’t go into landfills. Thankfully almost anyone who sells car batteries will accept them for recycling.
Beach Balls: Yes they’re plastic. No, at this time there aren’t any officially designated Beach Ball Recycling facilities that we know of. The best way to recycle that old beach ball – put a patch on it and give it away, or donate it to a thrift store.
Books: It’s usually easy to recycle paperback books – just put them in your curbside recycling bin. Same thing with hardcover books, with an extra step. You have to remove the cover first. But without a doubt the best way to recycle a book is give it to someone else to read. Here are a few ideas along that line: Donate used books to a library or school. Donate them to a hospital, hospice or assisted living center. Give them to a charity thrift store. You can even trade your books with other readers, or sell them on eBay or Craigslist.
Carpeting (nylon): The Carpet America Recovery Effort is an organization dedicated to recycling carpet and keeping it out of landfills. Go to carpetrecovery.org to find a carpet reclamation partner in your area. While you’re there check out the nifty counter that ticks off how many pounds of carpet are diverted from landfills while you read the page. Many carpet manufacturers also offer carpet recycling programs – Shaw, Milliken and Flor to name a few.
Cars can be recycled too! Go online and donate a car to Volunteers of America at CarsHelpingPeople.org (or call 877-721-4862 toll free). Not only will your car get new life, the money it raises will bring new hope to the millions of homeless, veterans and children at risk VOA helps yearly. Local programs that make a real impact make VOA the best place to donate car