Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or popularly referred to as CFL’s, are a type of fluorescent lamp. Most CFL types were produced to replace incandescent lamps, and these are noted to have efficient life spans, and also feature a considerably reduced light output.

What’s The Average Lifespan of a Typical CFL Lamp?

According to lighting experts, the average lifespan of a CFL unit is from 8 to 15 times that of an incandescent lamp. Incandescent lighting units generally have life spans of around 750 to 1,000 hours. CFL units however, use less power and have longer shelf lives. While CFL’s have a quite higher purchase price, it can save as much as 30 dollars in electricity costs over the lighting unit’s life span.

Environmental Issues Regarding The Use Of CFLs

While compact fluorescent lamps have longer life spans, and save you money on electricity bills, these products contain mercury, which makes their disposal a quite complex one. CFL’s, and other fluorescent lamps generally have small amounts of mercury inside them that are used as vapor inside the glass tubing.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Recycling story from informed sources.

A typical CFL unit will contain as much as 3 to 5 mg of mercury, while some contain 1 mg or less. Since mercury is a highly-toxic material, its disposal in landfills or incinerators poses a major health safety issue, because burning or burying them in the ground can contribute to air and water pollution. This has prompted the National Electrical Manufacturers Association in the US to voluntary cap the amount of mercury placed in each CFL unit.

The European Union has also required lighting manufacturers to cap their CFL mercury content too. The US Environmental Protection Agency also estimates that if all CFL’s produced in the US were dumped in landfills, this would amount to 0.13 metric tons, or 0.1% of all mercury emissions in the US.

How To Properly Dispose And Recycle CFL’s

Here are some tips and precautions for the handling, disposal or recycling or compact fluorescent lamps.

? Find out if your town or city has drop-off points or centers where mercury-containing items are accepted. Because different states have different regulations regarding the handling or disposal of materials containing toxic ingredients, check on your state or city’s recycling regulations first.

? Place a CFL bulb in two plastic bulbs. Most US states require that you place a CFL bulb in two plastic bags, so that it’s mercury content won’t seep out if the bulb gets broken.

? Find out if there’s a retailer in your town or city who accepts the trade-in of old CFL bulbs. Some retailers like Ikea, have major recycling programs for CFL’s, however they may levy a small fee for disposal. Also determine whether your state allows the disposal of CFL bulbs in your weekly trash. Also dispose broken CFL bulbs by scooping the fragments or powder using a stiff cardboard, and also place the materials in a sealed plastic bag, and stuff this into another bag as well.

Knowing enough about Recycling to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about Recycling, you should have nothing to worry about.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

In an average week how much junk mail comes to your home? For the average American family, with two adults and two children, they could probably weigh their junk mail at the end of any given week to equal the weight of a small animal. An average American home can get items from; clearing houses, credit card offers, insurance offers, lottery winnings, mortgage advertisements and promises of lowering monthly mortgage bill, college flyers from schools all over the United States, entries into contests that had never been entered in the first place, solicitations from charities and the ever present retail catalogs!

Along with the simple fact that all of these items are unnecessary and annoying, the amount of waste they create is drowning the average American family in misused, unread paper. How can this issue be dealt with and the waste be reduced, or never pro-duced, for Americans all over the country?

The answer to that question is, yes, there is something we can do to stop the madness of junk mail that litters our mail delivery every single day! There is a group that has done all of the work for us, and they have all of the information needed to put an end to the junk mail that we are assaulted with in just a few easy steps and with the patience of a few weeks.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

First you order the Junk Mail Reduction Kit for $15.00. Once you have purchased your kit, you simply sign on to the website and have the kit activated by clicking on the apropriate link. It is as simple as entering your name and address and the names of any other people living at your house, even variations of a name that appears on junk mail can be added. The next step is to register your name and the names of the others at your address with the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service, which will remove the names from hundreds of mailing lists. This service is a one time fee of $1.00 per name and along with monthly monitoring to ensure your name remains off of unsolicited mailing lists. The option of having mail addressed to “resident,” “occupant,” or even “neighbor,” can be done, too.

Because the fact that conventional or “snail” mail isn’t instantaneous, it will take a few weeks for things to get rolling but in a few short weeks you will receive customized pre-printed postcards to sign, stamp and mail in and your name will be removed from as many lists that have your name in their data base.

Eventually all of the companies that have your name will be notified and the endless barrage of junk mail will cease. If a piece of junk mail finds its way into your mailbox, simply sign in to your online account and have your name removed as quickly as possible. Just imagine the impact of one house on one street in one town will make and why shouldn’t it be YOUR house?

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Recycling. When you start sharing the fascinating Recycling facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

As more and more people are getting more concerned with the state of their environment, many are now resorting to recycling as a nice method for saving on precious resources. Recycling does a lot of help in protecting the planet, because it helps reduce the amount of garbage we discard.

Recycling is referred to as the process or re-using or re-tooling used materials, into new products or other new derivatives. The most common recyclable materials include metal, glass, textiles, paper and plastic. Let’s take balanced and closer look at recycling plastic bottles.

Plastic is A Commonly-Used, Non-Biodegradable Product

Plastic is a material that’s become a common fixture of our daily lives. We use plastic in different ways. It’s estimated that 40 billion plastic bottles are produced in the US alone each year, and most of them are thrown away right after being used. The plastics that are thrown generally end up in the local landfill, but it also ends up in the seas, rivers and oceans, where they kill as much as a million sea creatures each year.

How To Properly Recycle Your Plastic Bottles At Home

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

Conservationists and recycling advocates note that recycling items like plastic can save us as much as energy as compared to just throwing these off to the incinerator. Here are a few helpful tips for recycling your plastic bottles at home.

? On the bottom of a plastic bottle lies a number in a triangle which denotes the plastic bottle’s process number. Find out if your community has programs or facilities for recycling this type of plastic bottles, since some areas don’t have facilities for recycling certain types of plastic.

? Before you bring your plastic bottles to the local recycling facility, wash or rinse them first. Repeat the process until the insides of the bottles are empty and clean, and don’t smell anymore.

? Remove the caps on the plastic bottle. Depending on which state or county you’re living, some areas pay from 5 to 10 cents for refunding some plastic bottles. The plastic caps and labels can’t be recycled, so it would be better to put them in the trash bin.

? Follow your town or city’s instructions regarding what to do with the plastic bottle, or where to drop it off or deliver. In some areas, the plastic bottles are often delivered to a local bottle bank, and in some areas there is a special curbside collection for these items.

While most of just cringe when we keep hearing stories about a wide array of environmental disasters, the good thing is that many are now springing into action, and are doing their part to keep the planet clean and healthy. As the saying goes, ?think globally, act locally?. We all can do our share to protect the planet, and our backyards are the best place to start doing it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Each time you see your schoolmate or teacher discard a recyclable bottle, can, or printer paper, do you just cringe and gnash your teeth in anger, or should you actually be doing something else? You can do something to prevent this incident from happening again, by initiating a recycling program in your own school. While the activity may take some time and a lot of work, it should be worth your time and effort. Here are some tips for starting a recycling program in your school.

Organize A Team, And Determine How Much Trash Your School Disposes

A nice way for starting a recycling program in your school is to first organize a team, which may consist of students, teachers, administrators and other school staff. You may also need to sell your program to the school administration, so be ready to state your facts and prepare your arguments for it. Second, determine the volume of trash your school produces each day.

To do this, ask your friends or classmates to collect cans, bottles or used paper from other students, and monitor how much is thrown into the garbage bins during class. This information will help you to gather concrete evidence once you present your idea to the school administration.

The best time to learn about Recycling is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Recycling experience while it’s still free.

Find a Company or Facility To Help Handle The Recycling

Once your recycling program is approved by your school administrator, find a company or facility that will help handle your recycling output. Get a phone book, and check out the recycling companies in your area, or talk to the solid waste management or recycling coordinator in your local government. Some towns and cities help provide recycling bins and other containers or drop-off areas, which the recycling company will collect at a certain time.

However, if your town can’t help you, you may also start a fund-raising campaign to purchase recycling bins and other collection containers. What can be recycled in your school will depend on which types of materials or items are actually discarded away. The easiest and commonly-recycled materials include aluminum, paper, clothes, printer cartridges, printer paper, glass bottles and more.

Once you’re ready to begin, spread the word about your school’s recycling program. You may post attractive, eye-catching signs around the premises of your school, which contain important information about the location of the recycling bins. It would also be great if you use different colors and shapes for your recycling bins, and also stick shiny, attention-grabbing labels or stickers to each container, so that the students and school staff will know what to throw in each of them.

Although some people may get confused about where to put which item at the start, most of them will probably get used to it in the long run. Aside from initiating a recycling campaign, it would also help if you start an environment club in your school, so more students and staff will be enticed to help oversee the campaign. The environment club could also serve as a proper forum for discussing proper waste disposal and other pressing environmental concerns in your community.

That’s the latest from the Recycling authorities. Once you’re familiar with these ideas, you’ll be ready to move to the next level.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Are you planning a trip? Whether it is a trip for business or pleasure; you have options and with just a little research you can find a hotel that is environmentally friendly! There are “Green” Hotels in which the hotel does all it can in order to recycle, reuse and reduce.

Some of the ways hotels are becoming environmentally friendly are by letting guests know that they will only clean the room upon request; that cuts down on the amount of laundry that needs to be washed, electricity that needs to be used to vacuum and the man power itself, that it needs in order to accommodate for daily cleaning.

Hotels can also request that you re-use your towels rather than having them laundered every day. There are programs in some hotels that have bins for recycling glass, plastic and aluminum set up for easy recycling by the guests as well as the employees. Just by making these bins available gives no excuse for why recycling can’t be a success.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Hotels that are on the “Green” list are in the forefront of ways to recycle and they are finding that more than 70% of their customers not only abide by their energy and cost saving measures, they have helped to develop them. Many hotels and motels have put suggestion cards in the rooms for their guests to fill out and have implimented some of the ideas that came right from their consumers.

If a hotel is a popular spot for banquets and meetings, changes as simple as using pourers for sugar and pitchers for cream have been able to cut down on the waste of individually wrapped sweetners and individual cups of cream. There is also less left over to add to the unused, end-of-the-day waste. Some facilities have gone as far as to place notices on tables in meeting rooms and some restaurants to advise customers that water will be poured, upon request.

There are some ways hotels are joining in the cause for an environmentally friendly product that most hotel guests will never see. There are water-saving devices that will save the water that is flushed by about 75%, never affecting the flush in any way, but making quite a difference with the utility costs. Devices such as the toilet tank fill diverter and tiny parts that fit into the head of a shower to cut down on the water useage will not be noticed by the guests but make a big impact on the environment.

Hospitality venues that are using these kinds of measures to cut back on our waste and are environmentally contientious should be the places we choose to stay. If we, as concerned consumers, take a stand and only patronize hotels and motels and B&Bs that are taking the idea of recycling to heart and have made changes to help the Earth, the more hotels will realize that we know how to exercise our choice and will do so even when we are away from home.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Recycling to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Recycling experts.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make, especially in the time when their family is young, is to over spend and buy more toys than children can possibly play with before just feeling overwhelmed. When children are in a play room, overflowing with toys, they often will retreat, feeling there are too many to choose from, and will not play with any of them. It is important to purchase toys that will last for a long time, too. Fewer well made toys will be a much greater gift than more toys that are made without lasting quality.

Children, who are already feeling that they don’t have any control over their environment, will just become more frustrated when a toy breaks in their hands because it is poorly made. Always keep in mind the age and physical development of the child when buying a toy. There is nothing worse than a child picking up a toy that is out of their age-range and they end up breaking it because they’re not developed enough to regulate their hand strength. Children are not capable of making the right choices for their own age group, so it is up to the adults to do that for them.

See how much you can learn about Recycling when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

When buying gifts and toys for holidays and celebrations, remember to take a deep breath and know that what you end up buying will be played with, probably in a rough manner, , so you’ll want it to last. What’s the sense in spending money on something that is made so poorly it falls apart after the first time out of the box? (I guess you could always revert back to the box-idea and give them that to play with!) But the toys that last are usually the ones that are made from good, solid materials; like wood. Wood is such a great material to make things from and as long as it’s FSC-certified, you won’t have to worry about harmful toxins coming off when the child is teething and the bonus is that it could last for several generations (reinforcing that reuse idea, all the more).

You may even be able to get some of the original money set out for the product by selling it on Craigslist or eBay. If you’re thinking of selling it at a yard sale, just know that you won’t come close to getting the “value” of it because the yard-sale-mentality is to get what you can for as little as possible, but you still can get something monetary back if you do this.

Find toys that will last for a long time and can either be passed down through the generations or re-sold for a little pocket money. Keep in mind that when it comes to children and toys, more is not better and making informed purchases based on the child and the quality of how the toys are made, are in the hands of adults. Most toys and games come with an age range printed on the packaging and it is important to not buy gifts that a child will not be capable of playing with for a few years.

When word gets around about your command of Recycling facts, others who need to know about Recycling will start to actively seek you out.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Recycling to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Recycling experts.

Recycling is an activity that’s long been used by many societies. During these times where a lot of people worry about environmental issues such as pollution, global warming and the depletion of natural resources, recycling has become a way of life for many people. Many materials can be recycled, from paper, glass, metal, aluminum, clothing, textiles, electronic goods, to light bulbs and even used water.

Why Recycling Used Water is Important

Water recycling is primarily done to turn back dirty water into something that’s useful. While the thought of using recycled water may be offensive to some, recycled water actually has a lot of uses. It can be used for watering wetlands, crops, as well as for other industrial uses. If properly treated, recycled water can actually be used again as drinking water.

Reusing or recycling water means that you’re saving money on your water bills, because you’re using less of it, and also means that you’re actually using less fresh water for watering your lawn, washing your car and washing your clothes, plates and other items. Conserving water, as well as recycling used water, puts less strain on local water treatment facilities, and also makes more fresh water available to communities for drinking, washing and cooking.

How Water Recycling Is Done

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Recycling, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Most sewage today is generated by residential, institutional, commercial and industrial establishments. This includes household liquid waste from baths, showers, toilets, kitchen sinks, which are disposed through the sewer system.

In a waste water recycling process, dirty water goes through a maze of extensive cleaning and treatments. The treatment methods may include the use of chemicals and other methods which eliminate bacteria and other harmful matter, as well as to return water back to its safe-to-use state.

Recycling water helps to ensure the livability of fragile natural ecosystems such as swamps, rivers, streams and lakes, and also helps in the management of existing water sources.

Recycling Black And Gray water At Home

Most of us don’t even know that there’s a definition for different types of waste water. There’s ?black? water and there’s ?gray? water. Water is considered gray when you wash clothes, clean vegetables, take a shower, brush your teeth or only lightly contaminate the water. Gray water can also be reused or easily recycled. Black water refers to water that’s used to chop meat, rinse fish, or flush the toilet. Black water can not easily be recycled, because it may contain feces or other bacteria, therefore it needs to go to a waste water treatment plant to be properly recycled.

As potable water supplies are becoming more limited, and there’s fear of widespread water shortages, recycling water has become a popular idea these days. Recycling water not only helps households, businesses and other industries, but also helps allow wildlife and other fragile ecosystems to survive.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Current info about Recycling is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Recycling info available.

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.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Recycling, keep reading.

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The following article presents the very latest information on Recycling. If you have a particular interest in Recycling, then this informative article is required reading.

With the way technology is out-doing themselves year after year with newer, better, bigger and improved products for computer users, you can just imagine the amount of waste that is generated when consumers upgrade along with the process. One household may have one or two computers to upgrade on a yearly basis but if you add to that computers and monitors from even a small business, the numbers add up very quickly.

What is the problem with throwing computers, their monitors, TVs and the like away with the rest of our trash? The main concern is that with CRTs and TVs they each contain approximately four pounds of lead per unit. Lead cannot be biologically broken down and if it were placed in a landfill there is the possibility of the landfill becoming contaminated with the toxins from lead. Lead poisoning has been associated with several health problems in children, including, learning disabilities and behavior issues and in some extreme cases, where high doses of the lead has been found, there have been reports of seizures, coma and even death. There is always the risk of lead toxins seeping into a water source if left in a landfill and any results of lead poisoning are made even more tragic because they are so easily preventable.

In addition to the lead in some household items like computer screens and TVs, the plastic parts of these items sometimes contain a component that is called, brominated flame-retardant that helps the item to be resistant to flames in case of a fire. Unfortunately, while the exact results of exposure to this additive are undocumented there is sure to be some kind of negative result that it’s just better to steer clear of.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

In an effort to keep these potentially hazardous materials out of landfills there are many other options for ridding your home of older, outdated technology. The first option should be to check with your community to see if there is a program set up to receive older CRTs and TVs for recycling. For instance, in Massachusetts, where I live, many cities and towns were given grant money for the specific purpose of setting up such a program.

If your town does not have such a program the next place to look would be at a local TV repair shop or even an electronics retailer because they may be able to reuse what you want to throw out. Some areas even have electronic recycling companies that will come to your residence or business and pick up such items and from there they are responsible for the recycling of the items. Even if a piece of electronic equipment can no longer be used for refurbishing an older model they can always be dissected and the individual components can be sold for their scrap value.

No matter what the item is that you want to recycle, there is a way to do it, all you need to do is make a phone call or two and you will have done your part to follow the recycling laws.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Styrofoam is a closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam material that’s made for thermal insulation, packaging and other craft applications. The Dow Chemical Corporation owns the trademark for the product, and this is used for a wide range of applications. Among these include insulated sheathing, pipe insulation, packaging and craft applications. Styrofoam is also placed under roads and other structures to prevent freezing, thawing and other soil disturbances.

The Terrible Environment Legacy of Styrofoam

Because polystyrene is made from petroleum, it’s highly-flammable and contains a toxic chemical called benzene. Styrofoam is known to take a long time to break down once it’s disposed and thrown in a landfill. It has been noted that animals who ingest it incurred blocks in their digestive track, causing starvation and death. Styrofoam continues to be a commonly-used material, because it’s used for padding in appliance packaging, and for storing different food items. Because of Styrofoam’s highly-toxic nature, nearly two dozen cities in the United States have banned its use for whatever purpose.

Neat Ideas For Recycling Styrofoam

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Recycling experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Recycling.

Instead of just throwing Styrofoam straight into the garbage bin, you can actually recycle this material, and create in into different items or products. Here are a few important guidelines for recycling this toxic, non-biodegradable material.

? You can actually use Styrofoam as a fishing float. You can also turn it into a pool, bath or beach toy for your kids. Slice or cut out simple shapes, and make a sail using a toothpick, lollipop or some thin stick. You can also design Styrofoam into rings or squares that the children can use as a float in the pool.

? Styrofoam boxes can also be used for leftovers to help germinate seeds. Make a few holes in the bottom layer, then add some dirt, seeds and water. Styrofoam blocks can also be used in vases for making unique silk flower arrangements. You may also cut Styrofoam strips into flat strips for use as plant markers. Styrofoam meat trays may also be used for placing your watercolors, paint, clay dough and other materials.

? In the United States, the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers has organized a mail-back initiative, where consumers can send their polystyrene packages or trays through the regular postal service. However, if you really got a lot of Styrofoam in your storage room or cellar, you may be able to make some money out of it. You can refer to the Recycled Plastic Markets Database, and look for buyers of a wide array of plastic and polystyrene packaging.

While it may take some time before the use of Styrofoam and other polystyrene products is discontinued, all of us need to continue dealing with the Styrofoam that ends up in our hands or kitchen tables, and also ensure that it doesn’t end up in our landfills. The good thing is that expanded polystyrene foam packaging is being recycled at a rate of around 10 to 12 percent each year, which is a good start at least.

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Recycling. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Recycling.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO