Recycling one ton of paper, you save

• 4,077 kilowatt-hours of energy
• 6,953 gallons of water
• 463 gallons of oil
• 17 mature trees
• 3 cubic yards of landfill space
• 2 barrels of oil
• 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity
• generates 74 percent less air pollution
• enough energy to power the average American home for five months

Recycling one aluminum can, you save

• enough energy to run a television or computer for three hours
• run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours
• half a gallon of gas
• us from seeing one less aluminum can 500 years from now

Styrofoam/Polystyrene #6

• It is un-recyclable – you can’t make it into new Styrofoam. The industry wants you to assume it is – DON’T BUY IT!

• Each year Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups, enough every year to circle the earth 436 times.

Popularity: 52% [?]

What happens to animals and birds when they die? Where do flowers and leaves go once they have fallen off of their home plant or tree? Where do dead animals go when they decompose? They are part of the natural recycling system of nature. When natures items return to the earth when they die, they are broken down by insects, bacteria, worms, maggots, and fungi. The nutrients and chemicals from these return to the earth into the soil and may go into rivers and oceans to create more plants and nourish animals. This is the natural process in which waste materials are reused. This is a never-ending cycle of death, decay, new life, and growth.

Garden composting is a great example of this natural process. Composting is a valuable source of recycling. It rots down food waste, vegetable peelings, as well as garden waste. Once again, the worms, bacteria, and insects break down the compost pile into reusable soil.

Nature has a very efficient way of handling waste. It is tough to call it waste when it is such a valuable commodity to the life cycle. It is the purest organic fertilizer to nature.

While nature is very good at reuse and recycling, humans can be very efficient at wasting materials. In one day the United States disposes of more 90 million bottles and jars; more than 46 million cans; and over 25,000 television sets (not counting the amount of televisions put into landfills due to the HD change). Although some of these resources are used again, most of them are dumped as garbage. As more and more accumulates, the demand for holes in the ground, landfill sites, in which to deposit waste has grown rapidly. Human waste may travel many miles before it is finally dumped. Domestic waste from New York is mostly transported to landfill sites in neighboring states as well as out to sea.

The Earth’s natural cycles of decomposition and recycling can cope with some human waste. However, the huge amount of waste that humans throw away is overloading the system. The problem is made worse because many of the substances manufactured by humans are not biodegradable. This means that they do not decompose easily. Glass, tin, styrofoam and some plastics are not biodegradable. Some of these take many years to break down and some never break down. Waste materials that are dumped and do not decompose quickly cause pollution. These pollutants cause problems for nature to resume the process of the original idea of organic fertilizer. There needs to be pollution control in order for nature to takes its course by reusing natural waste.

Popularity: 56% [?]

Plastic bags are becoming used daily.  Whether you take them from your local store and reuse them in your indoor garbage can, or carry some items to a friends house.  Do you give kids, friends, family or neighbors anything held tightly in a plastic grocery bag? If you say yes to any of these, please ask yourself what those people will do with the plastic bag. Will they be recycled? If you use a plastic bag in your indoor garbage can, then you throw it away in your outside garbage can, is it still finding its way to the dump or possibly in the ocean, lakes, or streams? Is the bag you are holding/using today the one that a bird will try to eat? Will your bag be the one that is lodged into another animals’ digestive system? Find a reusable shopping bag and use it everywhere you go. You might need to carry items to the park, gym, or the library. Use reusable bags for every occasion and you can even wash most reusable bags in the washing machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhxX1g9A2OM&feature=player_embedded

Popularity: 63% [?]

Our awareness must be expanded to address this issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxNqzAHGXvs

Popularity: 60% [?]

Have you ever encountered a property that had such a vibrant flower garden that it stopped you in your tracks for a minute? Maybe a neighbor on your block has a vegetable garden that grows some of the most delicious looking vegetables that you’ve seen in a home garden? Well, it’s likely that the gardeners are passionate about what they’re doing, but it’s also a sure bet they have extremely healthy soil that is helping them out. How can you get that type of soil? Easy! It just takes a little composting know-how.

Composting isn’t difficult, and it’s one of the best green family ideas you can get started on because everyone can chip in and it benefits both you and the environment for an ultimate win-win situation.

How Composting Helps The Environment

Humans waste a ridiculous amount of food. When you create a compost, you reduce the amount of trash being dumped into landfills hat are already way too full.  Instead of throwing the table scraps into the garbage heap, you give nutrients back to the soil which in turn will give nourishment to whatever it is you’re growing.

How To Start Composting

The first thing you’re going to have to do is decide on a place for your compost pile. This can either be in a bin that sits in a corner of your yard, or if you have an area that it inconspicuous, you can simply pile it on the ground. It will decompose all on it’s own.

Once you’ve decided on where the compost pile will go, you have to “start piling”. However, it is important to know what goes into a compost pile. The most common reason that people run into trouble is because the they added the wrong items.

Basically, there are two types of materials that are great for composting. First, you have wood products which can include wood chips, straw and leaves that will create space throughout the pile that allows air to circulate throughout the pile.

Second, there is food and grass material. Fruits, vegetables, grass, and coffee grounds all fit well into a compost as these provide moisture for the bacteria to survive and digest.

You can also regularly turn the compost (using a rake or hoe) to be sure it’s getting air and decomposing properly. The compost is ready when it has turned a dark brown color and you do not recognize any of the materials that were added.

Now you can use the what’s left over to grow an amazing lawn and/or garden and you helped reduce the size of your local landfills!

Popularity: 46% [?]