Protecting Our World   Living Green – Living Clean

Home and Businesses

Facts

 More than 20,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of aluminum foil.  All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.

Water:

1.  About 75 percent of the water we use in our homes is used in the bathroom.

2.  Faucets can drip at a rate of one drop per second, wasting more than 3,000 gallons of water a year.

3.  Toilets can leak at a rate of 200 gallons a day, adds up to 73,050 gallons of water a year.

4.  Toilets made before 1993 or earlier, you probably have an inefficient model that uses between 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush.

5.  A five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water.

6.  Letting your faucet run for 5 minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

7.  A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a 5 minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons.

8.  The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load. Newer, high-efficiency washing machine models use less than 28 gallons of water per load.

9.  Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves up to eight gallons of water per day, 240 gallons a month, and 2,880 gallons a year.

Paper:

10.  One million tons of recovered paper is enough to fill more than 14,000 railroad cars.

11.  Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough energy to power the average American home for five months.

12.  Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74% less air pollution and uses 50% less water.

13.  Every Sunday 500,000 trees could be saved if everyone recycled the newspaper.

14.  Every day Americans buy 62 million newspapers and trash 44 million.

15.  The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year.

16.  Recycling a stack of newspapers just 3 feet high saves one tree.

Aluminum/Steel

17.  The average American throws out about 61 lbs. of tin cans every month.

18.  Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours.

19.  Americans throw away enough aluminum every month to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.

20.  Every day Americans use enough steel and tin cans to make a steel pipe running from Los Angeles to New York…and back.

21. Americans throw out enough iron and steel to supply all the nation’s automakers on a continuous basis.

22.  When you toss out one aluminum can, you waste as much energy as if you’d filled the same can half-full of gasoline and poured it into the ground.

23.  More than 50% of a new aluminum can is made from recycled aluminum.

24.  At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!

25. In one year in the US, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light     18,000,000 homes.

Glass

26.  Most bottles and jars contain at least 26% recycled glass.

27.  Glass never wears out—it can be recycled forever.

28.  Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every two weeks to fill the 1,350-foot towers of the former World Trade Center.

29.  States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.

Plastic

30.  Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap Texas.

31.  Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every year.

32.  It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottle water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars.

33.  8 out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste.

34.  Plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill.

35.  Plastic bags…it is estimated 100 billion of them are used in the US each year.—about 332 per person.  Only about 4% are recycled.

36.  If everyone in New York City gave up water bottles for one week, they would save 24 million bottles from being land filled.  One month on the same plan would save 112 million bottles, and one year would save 1.328 billon bottles from going into the landfill.

Package/Garbage

37.  $1.00 out of every $11 Americans spend for food goes for packaging.

38.  Americans dump the equivalent of more than 21 million shopping bags full of food into landfills every year.

39.  In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times their adult weight in garbage. Add it up, this means that a 150-lb. adult will leave legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for their children.

40.  The average baby generates a ton of garbage every year.

41. The landfill gas produced daily at Fresh Kills Landfill is enough fuel to heat 50,000 homes.

Junk Mail

42.  If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, we would save up to 150,000 trees annually.  If a million people did this, we could save up to a million and a half trees.

43.  The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes. 

44.  The average American still spends 8 full months of their life opening junk mail.

Styrofoam

45.  Each year American throws away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups, enough every year to circle the earth 436 times.

46.  Styrofoam/Polystyrene…It is un-recyclable-you can’t make it into new Styrofoam.  The industry wants you to assume it is - don’t BUY it!

47.  American throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year.

Microwave/refrigerator

48.  Microwave ovens use around 50% less energy than conventional ovens.

49.  A refrigerator built 20 years ago uses 70% more energy than today’s energy-efficient models.

Electronics

50.  Nationally, TVs, VCRs, DVD and CD players, cordless phones, microwaves use 5 percent of our domestic energy and cost consumers more than $8 billion annually.

51.  Almost four million computer diskettes are thrown away every day, which equals over one and a half billion disks per year or a stack of disks as tall as the Sears Tower in Chicago every 21 seconds.  It will take nearly 500 years for the disks to degrade.

52.  e-waste – electronic waste computers and their peripheral equipment, televisions, VCRs and DVDs, radios, photo copier, fax machines, cell phone, video games and cameras take up space in landfills and a major source of toxic chemicals.

53.  It takes more than 2 pints of oil to create a new toner cartridge shell.  It takes over 1000 years for the cartridges to decompose in a landfill.

Lighting

54.  Lighting consumes up to 34% of electricity in the USA.

55.  CFL (fluorescent light bulbs) uses 75% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and last up to ten times as long. We would save more than $600 million annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emission from 800,000 cars.

Miscellaneous

56.  Improperly sealed/caulked windows can account for up to 25% of total heat loss from a house.

57. The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year.  This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste.

58.  A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year.  That’s a lot of containers…

Strategies

1.  Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate load size selection on the washing machine to save water.

2. Installing a new toilet could save a family of four more than $90 on their water bill annually, $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet.

3.  Today’s dishwashers are about 95% more energy-efficient than those bought in 1972— Replace the old dishwashers.

4.  If just 1% of American homes replaced an older toilet with a new Water Sense labeled toilet, the country would save more than 38 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

5. Repair leaky faucets that drip.

6. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.

7. Take a shower bath instead of tub bath.

8.  Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when not water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.

9.  If you need to warm up or defrost small amounts of food, use a microwave.

10.  Many idle electronics-TVs, VCRs, DVD, and CD players’ cordless phones, microwaves- use energy even when switched off to keep display clocks lit and memory chips and remote controls working. 

11.  Recycle paper is made into paper towels, notebook paper, envelopes, copy paper and other paper products, as well as boxes, hydro-mulch, molded packaging, compost, and even kitty litter.

12.  Recycle aluminum….Energy saved from recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to the amount of electricity the average home uses over 10 years.

13.  Upgrade computers instead of purchasing another one.  Donate computers, cell phone to not-for-profit charities get a tax deduction.

14.  Recycle oil and take to a drop off center.

15.  Recycle newspapers…

16.  Use reusable coffee mugs for coffee time in the office or home.

17.  Reduce or never use Styrofoam cups, etc….

18.  Purchase CFL light bulbs (fluorescent) if bulb breaks, proper clean-up is necessary.

19.  Paper or plastic…paper is better because trees are a renewable resource.

20.  Use cloth or mesh bags when shopping instead of plastic or paper.

21.  Check windows and doors to make sure they are properly sealed or caulked.

22.  To keep hazardous substances out of our groundwater and homes…use soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and a coarse scrubbing sponge can take care of most household cleaning needs.

23.  Instead of using a standard drain cleaner, pour a quarter cup of baking soda down the clogged drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Close the drain tightly until fizzing stops, then flush with boiling water.

24.  For an effective glass cleaner, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water.

25.  Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers.

26.  To clean up mildew and mold, use a mixture of lemon juice or white vinegar and salt.

27.  A paste of baking soda, salt, and hot water makes a great oven cleaner.

28. “Help the world reduce its footprint—one step at a time” Recycle your athletic shoes with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe. (Any athletic shoe is recyclable)

29.  Use lunch boxes instead of brown bags when packing lunch.

30.  Opt to receive e-bills instead of paper bills, e-statements instead of paper statements, and pay your bills online instead of using checks and envelopes. (And you save postage)

31.  Purchase eggs in paperboard carton instead of Styrofoam one.

32.  Use refillable razors instead of disposable razors.

33.  Use reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper.

34.  Aluminum foil… Wash if necessary, flatten, and reuse at a later time. 

35.  Stop unwanted junk mail.

36.  Baby Wipe containers use to store and organize just about anything. 

37.  Bags –Plastic Grocery Bags use in your car as a garbage bag, use for liners for trash cans, use for lunch bags, and return to the grocery store to be recycled.

38.  Plastic Beverage bottles wash out and fill with water to store for emergencies.

39.  Shoe Boxes use to store mementos like cards, children’s artwork, store small toys, recipes, art and sewing supplies.

40.  Compact Discs use as coasters.

41.  Egg cartons use to sprout seedlings before transplanting, use as packing material, store golf balls, and use to store jewelry.

42.  Envelopes use to store receipts, storing or carrying coupons, writing grocery lists.

43.  Eyeglasses- take out the lenses and use for Halloween costumes, have your optometrist make them into sunglasses or donate to an organization which takes old eyeglasses.

44.  Fabric softener sheets use as stuffing for stuffed animals and decorative pillows, reuse in your sock or underwear drawer, tear the sheets in half before using in the dryer to reduce the number of sheets, use to dust your house and place inside shoes at night to keep them smelling fresh.

45.  Flower pots use when placing flowers at a cemetery, use to scoops for pet food or potting soil, use for making sand castles, keep a small pot by the dryer to collect lint.

Use pots for a candy jar, store gardening tools, storage for toys, etc…

46.  Greeting cards, Christmas cards, etc… use as bookmarks, make into an ornament, reuse as a post card.  Pay only postcard postage!

47.  Glass jars, store nuts, bolts, etc, keep on desk for storing paper clips, rubber bands, etc.  Use glass for starting plants indoors and use for excess seeds. Use for storing spaghetti sauce, homemade soups, cookies, etc.

48.  Juice cans use for potting plants indoors and use as a scoop for pet food.

49.  Laundry baskets use for curbside pickups, use for picking apples, pears, etc, for gathering leaves, use to story children’s toys in a closet, and line with a blanket and use as a pet’s bed.

50.  Plastic milk jugs make into handing flowerpots, use as a scoop for dog/cat/bird feed.

51.  Mouse pads use as a place mats, cut into strips and place under heavy items so they don’t scratch the counter or desk.

52.  Mugs use to store change, pencil/pen holder, candy dish at home or work, or use as a “vase” for a bouquet of flowers.

53.  Papers/Newspapers use to clean mirrors, wrap fragile items for packing/storing, use to line the bottom of a tent (inside) for insulation, roll into “logs” for campfires.

Use to line your kitty litter box, shred and save for packing material, shred and use to line your hamster/ bird cage.

54.  Plastic containers use butter bowls as flower pots, poke holes in a butter bowl and use it as a colander, paint the outside and use as a Easter basket, use for cereal bowls,

use as an outdoor water dish for dogs or food dish.

55.  Plastic utensils… DON’T BUY!!!

56.  Shoelaces save and use for anything you would use string for. Braid three or more together to make bracelets, attach to ceiling fans/light fixtures as a pull chain, use to tie support plants, use to hang a small bird feeder from a tree, use as curtain tie-backs.

57.  Shower Certain use as a trap for grills, wood, etc., cut and make into a curtain for the bathroom window, line the trunk of your car with it when transporting dirty items, use to cover your outdoor plants when the weather drops to freezing and use for a drop cloth or for covering furniture when painting.

58.  Suitcase… store children’s toys and store out of season clothing to free up closet space.

59.  Tires use as a large flower pot for your yard, attach to a tree and use as a swing, and place in the desired area, fill with soil, and then plant melons or other plants which require mounds.

60.  Toilet paper rolls schools might need for art projects, wrap double-sided tape around the tube and use to remove lint; stuff a few plastic bags into tube and place the tube in the car. It will keep bags tidy and on-hand for when you need one.

61.  Toothbrushes use for polishing shoes, cleaning threaded mechanical parts, cleaning greasy auto parts, cleaning combs, and use to clean the grooves between the tiles in our bathroom.

62.  Crayons can be recycled through a company named LAF Lines.

Sara Lanier
Deep South Unified Project
Homes and Businesses Team Leader  PRINT A COPY TO DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR CLUB - BELOW

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