It takes 95% more energy to make an aluminum can from raw materials than from recycled aluminum

The Green Machine is available for public recycling as follows:

1st week of the month: Alpine Bank Parking Lot, Steamboat Springs

2nd week of the month: Ladies Aid Hall, Yampa

3rd week of the month: Safeway Parking Lot, Steamboat Springs

4th week of the month: Oak Creek, behind Colorado Bar

Everyday Sustainable Living Practices
A Ten Point Action Plan
By Lyn Halliday

It might not be practical to ask you to go out this very moment and rebuild your home to green standards, purchase a hybrid vehicle, and stop flying in airplanes. But what if you could make a few small changes, ease your way into some behavioral modifications, and be part of the larger effort to make a difference for future generations? Would you do it? What if doing so saved you money, and improved the health of your family?

1. Start Small, Save Big
If you think “KWH” is a new radio station…

Then, it might be time to take out your electricity bill and give it a good review. How many KWH (kilowatt hours) do you use per month? How has your usage varied over the past year?

Some appliances, like your refrigerator and hot water heater, are on all the time. Replacing an old refrigerator with a newer energy-efficient model can decrease its electricity usage by half, saving you enough money to pay back your investment in a relatively short period of time. Lowering the settings on your hot water heater, or using an on-demand hot water heater, can also mean significant savings. You can save 20% of your energy bill by replacing an older inefficient heating system with a newer energy efficient one.

2. See the Light
If you think of football when you see the term “CFL”…

Then, it might be time to look into changing your light bulbs to CFLs (compact fluorescent lights). Changing one conventional (incandescent) light bulb to a CFL saves about $69 a year (source: EnergyStar™). Start with the lights you use most frequently.

3. Common Cents
If you are not sure which sustainable practices make sense for you…

Then, perhaps you should focus on practices that save dollars.  Not all sustainable practices require you to spend money; in fact, many are behavioral and cost nothing—but save a lot. Some are just plain common sense.

• Reduce energy use in your home
• Turn out the lights when not in use
• Turn down thermostats when not at home or use a programmable thermostat
• Close blinds at night to keep heat in (check out the newest insulated window treatments)
• Only do full loads when using the dishwasher and clothes washer. Hang laundry on the line
• Turn computers and electronics off when not in use
• Seal drafts around windows and doors
• Turn your hot water heater setting down
• Clean air filters and ducts regularly

4. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
If you think “co-mingling” refers to your last date…

Then it might be time to learn more about recycling. Could it get any easier? Place two trash bins in your kitchen, a small one for non-recyclables, and a larger one for co-mingled trash. In the co-mingled bin you can recycle aluminum (it takes 95% more energy to make an aluminum can from raw materials than from recycled aluminum) and tin cans, plastics 1 and 2 including plastic bottles (minus the caps), glass jars and bottles, newspaper, pizza boxes, cardboard, paperboard—yes that means cereal and tissue boxes!—magazines and junk mail. Have a family meeting to discuss recycling. You may find your kids know more about it than you!

In some areas, you can place your recycling at curbside (check with your garbage hauler). To drop off recyclables in Routt County, look for the Green Machine closest to you (see sidebar). The recycling center on Downhill Drive is also open Monday through Friday. If you are skeptical about where it all goes, ask Waste Management to take you on their Materials Recycling Facility Tour.

Many other household items can be recycled or donated, including toys, clothes, tires, batteries, household hazardous waste, ink cartridges, and fluorescent bulbs. Electronics, such as computers, cell phones, old TVs are especially important to recycle since they can contain toxic materials.

You can further reduce your waste with smart consumer choices. For example, you can buy in bulk, purchase food in reusable containers, purchase products that use less packaging, and select biodegradable items. You can also compost if you have the space and can be bear safe. In-home compost units are now available.

New products are becoming available every day to help make sustainable choices easier and more affordable—even fun. Some plastic cups are made of corn or sugar cane that is 100% compostable. Does your favorite local restaurant use take-out containers made of 100% biodegradable material instead of Styrofoam or plastic? If not, maybe you should ask them to.

5. Light on the Land and Air
If you think “CO2” belongs in a text message about Colorado…or
If you think “Greenhouse gasses” are……………well, anyway…

Then it might be time to calculate your carbon footprint using one of the many carbon calculators on the internet such as www.epa.gov, and consider these practices to reduce emissions in your lifestyle.

• Walk, bike, carpool or take the bus—feel better too!
• Consider clean renewable energy sources
• Use eco-friendly cleaners; they work well and reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals
• Use a HEPA filter on vacuum cleaners for cleaner, healthier air

6. Make a Difference by Making Smart Choices
If you think it’s too difficult for one person to make a difference…

Then start with a few choices that have a low impact on your lifestyle.

• Choose products that are reusable, last longer, and can be recycled
• Purchase items made from 100% post-consumer recycled products
• Buy products that are grown or made locally
• Buy organically grown and produced products
• Choose biodegradable products and those with less packaging (plastic bags can take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose!)
• Install low-flow devices on faucets and showerheads
• Fix leaks immediately. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day
• Instead of buying plastic bottles of water, filter your own water. Use reusable mugs, cups and water bottles
• Use eco-friendly pooper scoopers and cat litter
• Shorten your shower time

7. Advanced Sustainability 201
If you are a superstar and already do all of the above…

Great! Here are some advanced steps:

• Make educated choices when building, remodeling, or buying a home. Look for energy efficiency, usage of recycled materials, good site design, and indoor air quality enhancement features

• Use Energy Star-rated appliances and equipment in your home and office

• Use paints and adhesives that have zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Off-gassing from VOCs can be harmful to humans

• Purchase a vehicle that uses clean renewable fuel or is more fuel efficient

• Consolidate trips

• On the road choose eco-friendly hotels (best to research individually)

• Select restaurant menu items that are sustainable. For example, certain fish are abundant, well managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways (such as US farmed tilapia and Alaska wild salmon. (see the Marine Stewardship Council website www.msc.org)

• You can promote sustainability through purchasing products from companies that support sustainable practices—cast your vote through educated choices! Look for local businesses that have worked to achieve their Sustainable Business Certification from the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association on www.steamboat-chamber.com

• Choose investments that support sustainability

• Lease office space built to green building standards

• When buying a home, request a certified EcoBroker® as your realtor

• Get active in your community and support local non-profits

• Learn about ethical consumerism

8. A Word on Water and Sustainability
Conserving water also saves energy and reduces the amount of wastewater that must be treated at the sewage treatment plant or through your septic system.

Nothing is more precious than clean water, and sustaining clean water supplies can be translated into many daily lifestyle choices.

Using less toxic material in the household, means less harmful materials enter the environment and potentially find their way into water supplies. In Routt County, household hazardous waste can be recycled for a small fee by calling the hotline at 1.800.449.7587.

Never dump anything down the storm drains. You may not know that storm drains on streets and in parking lots drain directly to the river without any treatment. Sweep walkways, driveways and parking lots to remove debris instead of hosing down surfaces into storm drains. And don’t litter!

Landscape with drought tolerant plants to minimize the need for watering. Set conventional irrigation with timers and/or sensors to reduce water usage and maximize efficiency. Early morning is the best time to irrigate. Minimize the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers.

9. Sifting Through the “Green” Claims
Unfortunately, not every business or product that claims to be “green” is acting in a verifiably environmentally conscious manner. Scrutinize products and services carefully, read labels and find out what they mean. Ask questions.

10. Everybody counts
If you still think that you can’t make a difference, that your contribution doesn’t count, think of it this way. If every person reduced his or her carbon footprint by 25%, multiplied by 303 million people in the U. S….. Well, you do the math. Or simply think of how a sustainable lifestyle can save you money.

Here to Help
If you are interested in setting up a mini-seminar on sustainable lifestyle for your neighborhood, business, or group, contact Lyn Halliday, Environmental Solutions Unltd, LLC at 970.879.6323.

Features

Green Under the Gondola

Yampa Valley Footprints

Kitchen Design
“Where do I start?”

Garage for the Mountain Lifestyle

Steamboat Real Estate - A Better Approach for First-Timers

Departments
The Green Scene

Everyday Sustainable Living Practices

Burn a Tree and Help the Planet

If It Looks Like a Duct

Smog Alert! Inside Your Home

Clean Water Act Down the Drain

Builder Perspectives

Water Wise

Countertops: Clean, Safe, & Functional

Decor & Style

Designing More with Less

Real Estate

Set the Stage for a Fast Sell

Looking Around for Great Value

Artist Profile

Diane Cionni

Archive
Winter 2007