Goal For The Green

No, I don’t mean your computer.  There there’s a good website called -haveUrebooted.com, where you can get a free mail-in label or  find a drop- off location near you.

Did you know cell phones are one of the least recycled electronics in the world?  Over 100 million go out of use every year in the US alone.   They are horrible for the environment, if they get thrown away, and every part of them can be recycled.

Many of us reboot, when we upgrade or change carriers.  Most of the cell phone stores are drop-off locations, or are participating in the reboot program.  So, why reboot?  Well,  it’s free and easy, it’s green and good for the environment, and it saves energy.   When you recycle your cell phone, it helps recover valuable materials used in the manufacturing process.  It  also helps prevent unnecessary mining of these raw materials, that can be reused.

The EPA has targeted recycling cell phones, because as hard as it may be to believe, only 10% of all cell phones are recycled each year.  This is because most people don’t know where to recycle them.  By recycling cell phones, we are making a significant contribution to help save the environment.  It is also beneficial to those in need, even our soldiers overseas.  In fact, recycling just a million cell phones, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 33 cars off the road for a year.  A “green” step in the right direction.

At haveurebooted.com, you can host a reboot fundraiser for your organization, or you can request to have a reboot drop-off box at your place of business.  You can even register to win reboot gift cards, valued at up to $500!  But, it doesn’t end there.   You can get your creative juices flowing, and create an original commercial about recycling cellphones.  Then, you post it in response to the HaveUrebooted video at You-tube.  If your video is chosen, you could win a Dell laptop!

So, clean out your junk drawer, recycle (reboot) that old cell phone, and get creative, and most of all have FUN!  Here’s to you and working toward a better tomorrow!

See where the cutest ladybugs live!

Perhaps you have been looking for simple ways to “go green,” or become more eco-friendly.  Did you know the easiest place to begin you “green” quest is in your kitchen?

Best of all , I love it when a company whose product is in nearly everyone’s kitchen, jumps on the “green” crusade.  Reynolds, the makers of Reynolds Wrap® Foil, now have an economical and versatile version of their foil, made from 100% Recycled Aluminum.

The process of making Aluminium foil from recycled aluminum, is just as clean and safe to use with food, as foil made from new (virgin) aluminum, which is maufactured from the the mineral bauxite.  Until recently, Reynolds had been unable to find a consistant supply of recycled aluminum, that could meet their standards of strength, performance and durability.  That has all changed now.

The 100% recycled version of Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil, is made from post- consumer and post-industrial aluminum.  Post- Consumer Aluminum includes stadium seats, automobile components, cookware, gutters and siding.  Post -Industrial is scraps form industrial cable.

The process of melting down recycled recycled aluminum requires heating the metal to more than 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, burning off any debris in the metal.  Then the molten metal liquid is sent trough a filtration process, then poured and rolled into thin sheets.

Environmentally, there are benefits to buying Reynolds Aluminum Foil Wrap made from 100% recyclable Aluminum.  There is 80% less energy used during the process of turning recycled material into foil, as opposed to the making of foil from new virgin materials.  The use of  manufactured and recycled content, creates the loop of reduce, reuse, and recycle that helps ensure the overall success of recycling.  It also produces fewer emissions, such as greenhouse gases and landfill waste.

The cool thing about aluminum foil, the regular or the recycled version, is that it can be recycled again after use.  Just rinse, crumple and toss in your recycle bin.  You will need to check with your local recycling facility to see if they accept aluminum foil.  Visit www.earth911.com for recycling locations or check with your local municipality.

Be sure and check out these Green Kitchen Facts and some recipes.  Reynolds has done a fine job of bringing you the same durable quality you’ve come to know and trust in Regular, Heavy Duty, or 100% Recycled Aluminum foil.

See where the cutest ladybugs live!

Ladybugs are also known as ladybirds.  They are not just considered one ladybug, but a family of them.  There are nearly 5,000 different species of ladybugs, of which more than 400 species are common in North America.

In her lifetime, (usually several months) a female ladybug will lay more than 1,000 eggs. The male ladybug is slightly smaller than the female.  As they age, their spots fade.  Under the right conditions , the Asian Lady Beetle,  can have a lifespan of 2-3 years.

When they fly, they beat their wings on an average of 85 times per second.  However, they won’t fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  They also, don’t like being in direct sunlight and hot temperatures.

It has been said that ladybugs stink.  This is because, if they sense that they are in danger, they can create a chemical smell that both stinks and tastes terrible, so that birds and other predators won’t eat them.  Pretty smart for a little bug.

Their favorite food is aphids, of which they will eat more than 5,000 in their lifetime. No wonder they are so valuable to your garden.  They chew their food from side to side.

It has been said that Red Ladybugs are a symbol of “luck.”  Fact is, we are the “lucky” ones, when ladybugs show up in our gardens and eat our unwanted garden pests!

See where the cutest ladybugs live!