AbsoluteGreen

Want to learn more about Green Remodeling and Cleaning? Come to my presentation which is part of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Green Living Program series. To register contact debbie/lawlor@njmeadowlands.gov or call 201-460-4671. Hope to see you there!

Did you know you can recycle your CD/DVD’s? I don’t know how many of these I’ve thrown out over the years! CDs are made of polycarbonate plastic and aluminum, which can be reused.

Here are some facts to think about before you trash your cd/dvd’s:
~ To manufacture a pound of plastic (30 CDs per pound), it requires 300 cubic feet of natural gas, 2 cups of crude oil and 24 gallons of water.

~ It is estimated that AOL alone has distributed more than 2 billion CDs. That is the natural gas equivalent of heating 200,000 homes for 1 year. (Did AOL think these cd’s would just disappear?)

~ It is estimated that it will take over 1 million years for a CD to completely decompose in a landfill.

~ A cd/dvd is considered a class 7 other recyclable plastic, most towns can’t accommodate this type of plastic.

This service is FREE. You have to pay shipping but they do the rest. Place your CDs and/or DVDs in suitable shipping package. It is important that you do not include any packing materials and that you separate cds or dvds from cases. Large quantities of non-separated materials will be refused.

Corporate services are available for sensitive information. Recycling collection containers will be dropped off and picked up. For a fee, they will shred the dvd/cd’s and send you a confirmation of destruction. Mention ABSOLUTE GREEN for a discount on setting up this service with your business.

Ship to: Back Thru The Future, 150 Main Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439. Write “FREE CD/DVD RECYCLING ” on the outside of your shipping package.

www.cdrecyclingforfree.com

Questions? E-mail questions to RECYCLE@BackThruTheFuture.com

Last week I went to a series of lectures, given by the NJ-AIA, at The Willow School in Gladstone, NJ. It is a LEED Platnium Building. Platnium is the highest rating of “Building Sustainability” given by the United States Green Building Council. So this was right up my alley! The main barn where we had our lecture was all post and beam (the wood was all construction salvage) it had skylights, fans, daylight timers, cfl light bulbs. windows that open..the air conditioner only ran for about an hour (It was 80+ degrees) due to great ventilation and layout. This was our classroom for the day I must say a the trip to the bathroom is not to be forgotten Yes, of course the paper items are recycled! There are so many great features of this school I could go on and on. The school currently has K-8 curriculum. Tours and lectures are offered if you are interested.

Toxic Cleaning Ingredients

Ammonia is poisonous when swallowed, extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled and can burn the skin on contact.

Antibacterial cleansers containing triclosan—does not reduce the level of bacteria any better then soap, may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs. The European Union has classified triclosan as an irritant to the eyes and skin, dangerous for the environment, and very toxic to aquatic organisms. Its use in cosmetic is restricted in Japan and Canada.

Butyl cellosolve (aka butyl glycol, ethylene glycol monobutyl) is poisonous when swallowed and a lung-tissue irritant.

Chlorine bleach (aka sodium hypochlorite), an all-purpose whitening agent, can irritate the lungs and eyes and in waterways can become toxic organochlorines.

Diethanolamine (DEA) can combine with nitrosomes (often-undisclosed preservatives) to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines that penetrate skin.

Fragrance frequently contains phthalates, chemicals linked to reproductive abnormalities and liver cancer in lab animals and to asthma in children.

Phosphates soften water for detergents but contribute to algae blooms in our waterways, which can kill off fish populations.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Carcinogenic petroleum used in spray-on oven cleansers to dissolve oil and grease.

Sodium hydroxide, found in drain, metal and oven cleaners, is extremely irritating to eyes, nose and throat and can burn those tissues on contact. The warning label on sodium hydroxide products reads “POISON. May be fatal or cause permanent damage if swallowed. May cause blindness. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, mouth and clothing.” The cosmetic industry is now putting it in your skin care products and oral care products.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, used in most detergent products that foam, a common skin irritant. Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and even death.

Wyndham Hotels using Recycled Plastic Bottles for Uniforms

Last month I attended the United States Green Building Council-NJ Gala .  It was held at the New Wyndham Worldwide Headquarters in Parsippany, NJ.  Its a LEED Certified Building and to say the least, is a very cool experince to visit. (I was involved in the building process by suggesting some alternative green building materials) 

Anyway, the Wyndham Staff treated us all to a fashion show of their new Uniforms.  Co-created with Cintas, they are made out of recycled plastic bottles.  Select Wyndham® hotels will introduce the new uniforms beginning this fall by job category. Front desk and other customer–facing employees are required to begin wearing the new uniforms by the end of 2009 and housekeeping and other back–of–house staff by 2010. All new properties are required to provide the new uniforms upon opening.

Personally, I couldn’t tell if they were Kenneth Cole or Dr. Pepper!  The employees all commented on how comfortable and durable the clothes are.  They are fashionable and functional..Kudos to Wyndham!

A Natural Way to Kill Weeds!

Ingredients:
one part salt
three parts vinegar
Directions: Heat ingredients to dissolve salt, cool and spray.
Caution: It kills everything!

Did you know that birds are very sensitive to paint ?  I didn’t know this until the birders started calling me.  Its seems the fumes make them very agitated and nervous. (Think about a Canary in a Coalmine)  Yet another reason to use NO VOC paints!

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.  VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

for more information click on   http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

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