Now that the schoolyear has begun (at least in our neck of the woods,) my thoughts have started to turn to ways I can spread the word about being greenminded.

Whenever the opportunity comes up in regular conversations, I’m quick to start talking about easy and not-so-easy ways to go green. And most people seem fairly receptive to my thoughts and ideas. I’ve only met with resistance a few times. (How can you not believe in recycling? It’s not like Santa Clause or Sasquatch…)

But I would like to try to make a green difference in our town. There are lots of areas that could use improving, and the city government is even working on a few.

That said, I would appreciate some advice on how to start and which projects I should start with.

Here are some of my current ideas:

• Talk to local restaurants about having recycling bins placed by garbage cans.
• Get schools to put recycling bins up. (I’ve been informed by teachers in my family that they tried to put recycling bins up at the high school a few years ago and the kids ignored them.)
• Talk to schools about idling buses.
• Talk to school leaders about the way that green innovations could save them money in the long run.
• Talk to city leaders about plans for bike paths. (The city planner has talked about this, but is meeting with financial and public resistance.)
• Talk to churches about recycling, cutting down on the printing of church bulletins (not likely?) and finding ways to creatively conserve energy.

I know I’ve had more ideas, but they fly in and out of my head on a regular basis. If I don’t write them down, they won’t stay with me for long.

Do you have any thoughts or better ideas? I’m a little nervous about this, and will probably start small and then try to expand my message. I would really appreciate any advice.

It can be hard to go green when living in an environment that you can’t control, such as a dorm.

Recently Ryan wrote in, “I am a college student living in a school dorm. I recycle all of the paper that comes through my notebooks, don’t drink bottled water, but I’m finding a lot of green tips nowadays are geared towards people in their own homes. Could you publish a post about how to be green in housing that you don’t even own? i.e. I don’t have control over AC/heat, hot water tanks, anything dealing with food, etc. I love the green movement but I feel like I could do more.”

Ryan, it’s great that you are thinking about this! And it’s great that you recycle and don’t drink bottled water. Those are good steps.

While you can’t control the heat or A/C, there are several things you can do, and most likely are doing to go green while living in a dorm.

You can recycle your paper, cans, bottles, cardboard boxes, etc. I would think most campuses would have easily accessible recycling on campus. If not, talk to your Resident Advisor (RA) and student services. With going green being on the tips of most tongues, it shouldn’t be hard to get some bins on campus.

While talking with your RA or student services, ask if you can post signs in common areas reminding people to turn off the television and lights when they leave the room.

Not on the first floor of your dorm? Take the stairs when possible. Encourage others to follow suit.

Since you are in a dorm, you are most likely on campus. That means walking to and from class, the cafeteria, bookstore, etc., should be very easy. Walking isn’t only great exercise, it makes a lot of sense on a college campus. Parking was a nightmare on my campus, and it really didn’t make sense to drive for 2 minutes and search for parking for 10.

If it’s rainy or snowing, opt for the shuttle system. Many larger schools have free bus shuttles running regularly.

Walking not really an option? Most campuses are bike friendly, with racks situated outside the bigger buildings.

When you do drive somewhere — a real store, movies, etc. — go with friends. This is also probably something you are already doing, but carpooling saves gas. And don’t forget your canvas bags!

If you use the cafeteria, or eat at your sorority/fraternity house, this is much better for the environment than picking up fast food for your meals. When eating in the cafeteria, you most likely aren’t using and throwing away plastic utensils, plastic wrappers, etc. My cafeteria had actual plates, cups and utensils that they washed after each use. This cuts down on the excess waste going into landfills. If you only do take-out from your cafeteria, consider eating in. You might meet new people, or at least find a quiet place to do some studying.

I did this more out of thrift than out of being environmentally conscious when I was at school, but look around for the biggest washer/dryers. The washers/dryers in my dorm were tiny, but the washers/dryers at the store about 5 minutes away were HUGE. I did not sort, just threw everything in, inserted my quarters and congratulated myself on saving some money.

Speaking of stores, look for used textbooks at the bookstore. When the semester is over, sell those books back. This not only saves you money, but also helps cut down on the paper used to print books. If possible, share books with people who are also taking your class (preferably at different times.)

If possible, take your laptop to class to take notes instead of using paper. 

Are there any other green tips for dorm dwellers that I’ve forgotten or didn’t think of?

Although the actual number of holiday cards that we received in the mail this year went down, we still got several. And I never know what to do with them. I hate to throw away picture cards, am too lazy to put them in our photo album, and really don’t want to put them up with our other decorations.

Then I found out about the Recycled Card Program at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.  St. Jude’s Ranch is a non-profit youth home that provides counseling and help for troubled kids.

You simply mail any and all greeting cards to the ranch by February 28, 2009, and the kids at the ranch will make them into new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back made with recycled paper. The cards are sold in packets of 10 for $8.00.

The program began more than 30 years ago, and the ranch has received more than a million cards from all over the world.

If you have any cards you would like to donate, please mail them to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

The kids make general Christmas cards, religious Christmas cards, Easter cards, birthday cards, thank you cards and all occasion general greeting cards.

If you’d like to buy some of these environmentally-friendly cards, you can email cards@stjudesranch.org, call 1-800-492-3562,  or mail your request to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, ATTN: Donor Office, P.O. Box 60100, Boulder City, NV 89006-0100.

What do you do with your old greeting cards?

Image by Flickr user Gingher used under a Creative Commons License.

Planning to trade up your electronics over the holidays? Do not throw your old computer, mobile, mp3 player or television into the trash can – they all contain materials that can be toxic. Instead, recycle that e-waste!

The Consumer Electronics Association reports that each American household owns about 24 electronic products.
 
Those electronics contain many harmful chemicals that can contaminate landfills. eRecycle.org reports that many of the materials in electronics devices can be recycled, saving resources. Those same products contain high levels of toxic materials, which can become hazardous waste when thrown away.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to cut down on the dumping of those chemicals with a campaign called Plug-In To eCycling.

The goal of the program is to make it easier to donate or safely recycle old electronics and work with communities, electronics manufacturers, and retailers to promote shared responsibility for safe electronics recycling.
If your old equipment is still in pretty good condition, then donate it! Hand it down to a friend or family member you think might like it. Or donate it to a local charity or school. Or put it up on your local Craigslist or Freecycle.

The EPA has a great list of charities, organizations, and retailers that will accept electronics donations.

There are a couple of charities not listed – Recycle for Breast Cancer  accepts all sorts of electronic donations. You simply fill out the online form. They will ship you a stamped package for your old electronics.

Cell Phones for Soldiers  will send your old mobile overseas so deployed soldiers can call home. You can also donate calling cards to this organization.

If your equipment is damaged or not working, you can find other ways to safely recycle it.

Many cell phone providers will accept your old phones, and even give you a trade-in for your upgrade

There are also several options for people with electronics that are damaged. Several big box electronics stores like Best Buy and Sam’s Club accept old rechargeable batteries, phones, mp3 players. Some will charge a fee for the proper disposal.

Not everyone will have to pay, though. The state of Washington recently passed a law that will take effect January of 2009 requiring electronics providers to pay for recycling.

If you’re looking to dispose of your equipment for free, you can also check out the Wanted section on craigslist. We broke our iPod a few months ago and found a guy through Craigslist that wanted broken iPods so he could refurbish them. I’ve also seen people looking for broken laptops and phones in our Craigslist wanted section.

How do you recycle your used electronics?

Recycling is one of the easiest enviro-friendly things to do. Make it quick, hassle free and automatic!

Find out what local services are available. What can be recycled in your area? If you can’t find out exactly, go for paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. You don’t have to always search for the numbers of the “types” of plastic.

Set up your recycling area- this could be as simple as a separate “garbage can” which is the new “recycling bin,” reusing a paper grocery bag with handles under the sink, or you can be fancy with the ecopod Home Recycling Center. Having things be easy and workable is crucial for succeeding long term!

Buy anything possible recycled! Nowadays, you can find recycled paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins, and facial tissue in most local stores! For those who think that recycled toilet paper is used toilet paper that has been recycled, it’s not! Have no fear! If you just can’t break your attraction to the velvety soft Kleenex that you have always used, put recycled paper in the guest bathroom! Or, keep a roll of recycled paper towels on hand for when you wash the windows or soak up a big spill…something that is not everyday so your hands won’t mind!

Check out the cook ecopod Home Recycling Center here.