Posts Tagged ‘green living’

The Negative Effects Throwing Away Your Cell Phone Has on the Environment

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

For whatever reason, many people do not consider the harmful effects that throwing their used cell phone away has on the environment. In an era where things like global warming and Green Living are at the forefront of many conversations, it is time that everyone starts thinking about donating these so that they can either be recycled or become refurbished cellular phones instead of waste.

Almost every household in America has a minimum of one cell phone and many have used phones laying around not even being used. The metals and chemicals that are used to manufacture these phones are not only toxic but they require energy to make as well. You wouldn’t throw away a light bulb for no reason that still has life left in it so why would you simply throw a phone away?

Toxins

Cell phones are right up near the top of the list of electronics that are polluting landfills. Lead, mercury and arsenic are among the toxic chemicals that are used in the production of these phones. It is true that your cell phone only contains a very tiny amount of each of these chemicals however, you need to look at the big picture of over 140 million of them being disposed of annually. This enormous figure makes for a haunting amount of toxins that are leeching into the Earth’s groundwater. As the number of thrown away used phones increases, so does the negative environmental effects.

Breakdown

Not only are the toxins harming the environment, they are not exactly biodegradable either. They are created from metal and plastic parts that will become nice permanent fixtures on landfills. You may as well wrap them up in a plastic shopping bag as well since neither is going to break down for the next 1000 years.

An average lifespan of a cell phone is approximately 18 months but most are replaced long before this point. This means that each person could potentially throw 40 cell phones away through the course of their life. When you multiply that number by the number of users worldwide, you are given a devastating negative environmental effect.

Accessories

The cell phone isn’t the only culprit filling landfills. Each phone brings with it a number of accessories as well. Every time you upgrade, there are also additional accessories since most are not interchangeable. All of these add up too. Many landfills do have regulations about accepting electronics but accessories are small and easily concealed in trash bags.

What You Can Do

Since it is unlikely that cell phones will ever be given up, you can do your part to at least help minimize environmental threats. Instead of throwing your phone away, find out where you can donate or recycle it. Many providers offer postage paid return bags that you can send your old phone back to them in and they will take care of either recycling or refurbishing it.

Take steps to stop the negative effects of these phones today and bring awareness to those around you to not carelessly dispose of their phones as well.

Author Bio: Scott Bradshaw writes articles that focus on cell phones, cellular apps, and mobile services. He encourages people to save money with refurbished cellular phones and avoid signing contract extensions by purchasing used cell phones.

 

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The Effect Dry Cleaning Has On The Environment And How You Can Help

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

You can often literally smell toxic odors when you walk through the door of most dry cleaners. Do you realize that you are paying with your hard earned money to have your finest clothes soaked in harsh chemicals that are not only toxic to you but to the environment as well?

Most dry cleaners use a chemical that is called perchlorethylene (perc), which has many negative health effects from something as small as a headache to something as severe as kidney damage. The EPA has proven chemicals to be hazardous to their workers and the people living in close proximity to the facility.

Traditional dry cleaning facilities pollute the water, air and ground. The release of toxic vapors while transferring clothes from washers to dryers as well as venting coming from the dryer exhaust airstream is damaging the environment.

What Can You Do?

Choosing a high quality dry cleaner that cares about the environment is the most important thing you can do. Professional dry cleaners are aware of issues and are doing their part to make changes. Ask your cleaner to explain their cleaning methods and safety practices and how they handle their waste streams. If your dry cleaner offers the new wet-cleaning system, consider using this option instead.

Additionally, if you can smell solvent upon entering the facility, you may want to consider checking out the dry cleaner on the next corner. There are enough of them to be choosy. Professional dry cleaners will also offer reusable dry cleaning bags so be sure to ask if they have this option available.

Positive Changes Dry Cleaners Are Making

There is approximately 30,000 dry cleaners across the United States that share concerns presented from cleaning solvents. Many cleaners have taken steps and reduced their use of harsh chemicals by 60%. They did this by replacing old equipment with newer models that reduce vapors leaking into the air and by utilizing better waste management techniques.

An increasing amount of dry cleaners are utilizing new practices that significantly reduce toxic exposures. Regular cleaning, maintenance and inspection of equipment helps reduce perc emissions. Some dry cleaners are also installing vapor barriers as well as building enclosed rooms that stop perc from escaping into the air.

Make A Difference

If Green dry cleaning isn’t available yet in your city you can make simple changes to make a big difference. Many items that are marked “dry clean only” do just fine being hand washed. Avoid the toxins, save your money and take the time to hand wash your garments.

Also, natural fabrics such as wool do not require constant cleaning and they can be aired out. In the future, avoid buying dry clean only clothing and explore wrinkle-free options. More designers are offering Eco-friendly fabrics that do not require as much care. Finally, use reusable bags when dropping off your dry cleaning. This is the easiest step you can take to help the environment. There is absolutely no need to use a standard plastic bag and throw it away.

Author Bio: Eliza Reeder writes articles that deal with environmental concerns and eco-friendly living. She encourages everyone to help protect our planet’s future by doing things like using reusable dry cleaning bags. You can find more eco-friendly living tips on her reusable bags site.

 

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Green Living Tips – What We Can Do to Make a Difference

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Did you know that there are lots of small changes you could make in your life in order to reduce your impact on the environment? You could incorporate the principles of green living to your daily life with remarkable consequences.

Our planet Earth is getting to the point where green living is no longer an option exercised by a few individuals but a necessity. Our planet is getting poisoned at such a fast pace that our next generation might find themselves at a point of no return.

It is now common knowledge that our over dependence on fossil fuels as well as our use and throw culture has brought us to this point.

The popular misconception about green living is that we are expected to lead a deprived existence. Yes, it certainly helps if all of us reduced our consumption levels so that industrial pollution could be reduced. There are lots of things we could do to reduce our consumption on non-renewable natural resources without really reducing the quality of our life.

You might be more inclined to go green if you realized the huge benefits it could have on your health as well as your bank balance.

Car pooling and public transportation are great ways to show your support for the green movement. This has benefits for everybody concerned and your commute time could actually reduce if more people followed this practice and reduced the pressure on the road transport system. Many Europeans walk or cycle to work and the health benefits are obvious.

We have become so used to taking our cars for even short errands in the neighborhood that this is fuelling an epidemic of obesity. Added to this is our preference for a meat based diet which has a very high impact on the environment. There have been a lot of studies devoted to the amount of greenhouse gases caused by herds of cattle maintained for dairy and meat purposes.

You do not have to give away your car or become vegetarian. All that is required of you is that you reduce your consumption of these things. Increase your consumption of organic fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and you will quickly see a change in your overall health and fitness levels as well.

Were you also aware that how you do your laundry affects the environment? Always remember to do full loads of your washing machine so that you do not waste water. Don’t waste hot water on your dark clothes, instead saving it for your whites. Your clothes dryer takes up a lot of energy as well. See if you could dry your clothes on a line in the fresh air. The one thing to avoid using is chlorine based bleaches because of its link to cancer and the depleting ozone layer. Use a bleaching agent that is hydroxy powered. Likewise use vinegar instead of fabric softeners.

If you are really interested in knowing more about living in an environmentally conscious manner, you could get lots of information on the internet that can help you make a difference to the planet.

Author Bio: I am basically a graduate at the University of Hamburg and you can get awesome articles and valid information from the ones which I submit specially for you to take a look at. Check out Green Images, Green Graphics or Green Pictures.

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Recycling Tips – Using World War Two to Inspire You

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Most people consider recycling to be a recent phenomenon of the green revolution, however, there is evidence of recycling taking place from as long ago as 400BC. It was around the mid 1900s though that recycling was first given real attention. During the Second World War, resources were hard to come by and Governments ran massive recycling campaigns to ensure nothing was wasted.

Here are a few examples of what was recycled and for what reason…

- Metal and tine were recycled for use weapons, tanks and aircraft.

- Rubber was collected to make new tires.

- Boiled bones were recycled to make glue for aircraft, ground up to make fertilizer or turned into glycerin for explosives.

- Left over food provided feed for chickens, pigs and goats and people would bring their scraps to communal bins.

People were also encouraged to mend belongings, such as clothes, rather than buy new. Campaigns such as ‘Make Do And Mend’ and ‘Sew And Save’ advised people on how to recycle textiles and make clothes last longer. Knitting also became very popular around this time.

Families had to plan meals carefully to ensure that food did not go to waste. With no fridges or freezers, perishable food had to be bought in small quantities and substitutes had to be found for foods that were no longer available. Meat fat was commonly saved to make pastry, and even the cream from milk was stored in a jar and shaken to make butter and buttermilk.

Everyone did what they could and came together to achieve a common goal. At first the Government’s had to tell people what to do and regularly remind them of it, but it did not take long for people to become accustomed to it, and not only recycle themselves, but also remind their friends and neighbors to do it too.

It is sad that it took people such a long time to recognize the importance of recycling, and also that it took such unfortunate circumstances to draw it to our attention. These days, we realize the importance of recycling to preserve the Earth’s resources and to reduce pollution.

Even so, we are still failing to recycle a lot of items that are recyclable. Though we know what we should be doing, and though it is not difficult for us to do it, there is still a very relaxed attitude to recycling. Too many of us simply cannot be bothered to recycle, and that is undoing the good work being done by those who do take the little time and effort required to recycle.

The uses of recyclable materials may be different now from what they were during the War, but we can still look to our grandparents and the older generations for tips and inspiration. If they could do it, then why can’t we do it too? We should all be doing what we can now, and not be waiting around for a major crisis to kick-start us into mass recycling again.

Author Bio: Ware 4 Recycling Bins Ltd have been promoting cost effective recycling bins, trolleys and waste containers for over 5 years.

Category: Society
Keywords: recycling tips, recycling, recycle, green living, green, environment, environmental, society

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