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June 2008
Plastic shopping bags can add up to thousands for one family in a single year. Recycling is one option. Reducing the number you use is another. Buy a few reusable cloth shopping bags. You’ll reduce your recycling efforts, save gas money to the recycling center, and eliminate using a manufactured material that persists in our environment.
May 2008
Dispose of chemicals properly. The health and safety of people and animals, as well as the health of our communities and the environment is endangered when household hazardous waste products -- including many lawn chemicals -- are discarded in household garbage, sinks or washed down storm drains.
April 2008
Earth Day happens this month! What can you do to honor the “Environmental Movement” that stimulates us to protect our quality of life and use our natural resources wisely? Recycle your glass, paper, plastics, metals, and clothes and furniture at the HFCA Recycling Center, Pike County recycling events, or local charitable drives? Reuse your consumable goods as much as possible instead of tossing them in the garbage after one use? Have a Family-Fun Day of outdoor clean-up activities around the home? Get into the habit of picking up your pet’s waste? Find ways to reduce your energy use?
March 2008
Many people don’t realize that the average pile of dog waste contains 3 billion fecal coliform bacteria, plus other microorganisms, and can have a significant negative impact on water quality. During a recent pilot project in a small neighborhood park, TBEP used a hand-held GPS (Global Positioning System) unit to map the locations of dog waste piles found along the park’s pathways. Using the data from the first month, they developed a map displayed on a large poster as a key component of a monthly pet waste information station set up at the park. The outreach project made a significant difference. The monthly mapping data show that the number of dog waste piles is down by 48 percent in the park since the education project began, and down by 20 percent along the greenway leading to the park. Hopefully, our community doesn’t have to resort to mapping piles of dog poop to encourage cleaning up after your pet!
February 2008
Water running across your driveway can pick up pollutants, such as motor oil. Make sure that your car is not leaking fluids and recycle used motor oil at the HFCA Recycling Center.
January 2008
Where did you store those oil cans and bottles of pesticide? Oil and chemical spills will seep into our aquifers and pollute our drinking water. Make sure your chemicals are properly stored.
December 2007
Be mindful of your neighbors and don’t blow your leaves onto their property. Leaves can be taken to the Public Works facility on Maple Ridge for disposal.
November 2007
Remember that the following are not acceptable for recycling by Waste Management in the “commingled” bin: aluminum foil/pie plates; ceramic cups/plates; mirror and window glass; light bulbs; heat resistant ovenware; drinking glasses; flower pots; Styrofoam. Separate bins are available for scrap metals (wire/pipe/pots/etc) and plastic bags/wrap.
October 2007
When out for a round of golf, don’t toss that water bottle or soda can in the trash next to the tee box. Wait until you get back to the clubhouse. If there’s no recycling bin, suggest that the clubhouse set one up. In the meantime, take it home to recycle.
September 2007
The household electronics recycling event, held at the Blooming Grove Township Building for Pike County residents, was very successful. Fifteen (15) tons of electronic equipment, including 390 televisions and computer monitors, were collected in the one-day event. Pike County will hold a second electronics collection in Milford on September 8. Please encourage your elected officials to continue this needed recycling event. If your company has electronic equipment for disposal, encourage recycling! Advanced Recovery (advancedrecovery.com) is an EPA certified electronic waste facility.
August 2007
How much energy do you think could be saved by turning off computers at the end of the day? Probably more than you think! A typical desktop PC with a 17" flat panel LCD monitor requires about 100 watts -- 65 for the computer and 35 for the monitor. Doesn't sound like much? Left on 24/7 for one year, the system will consume a whopping 874 kWh of electricity. That's enough to release 750 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- the equivalent of driving 820 miles in an average car. To reduce power usage by as much as 75 percent, turn off your computer when you won't be using it for an extended period of time and enable power management features during shorter periods of inactivity.
July 2007- No Report
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