Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Trivia Kitar Semula

Kitar semula mempunyai banyak kebaikan. Ia dapat mengurangkan jumlah sampah yang ditanam atau dibakar. Kitar semula ialah satu cara yang paling bagus untuk menjimatkan tenaga dan memelihara alam sekitar.


Tahukah kamu?


2 tin minuman yang dikitar semula dapat menjimatkan tenaga untuk menghidupkan televisyen selama 6 jam.


2 botol kaca yang dikitar semula dapat menjimatkan tenaga untuk menghidupkan komputer selama 50 minit.


2 botol plastik yang dikitar semula dapat menjimatkan tenaga untuk menghidupkan mentol lampu 120-watt selama 6 jam.


70% tenaga dapat dikurangkan dengan mengitar semula kertas berbanding dengan membuatnya dari bahan mentah.




Fakta menarik


Sebanyak 70% sampah yang dibuang boleh dikitar semula.


Tenaga yang tidak dilepaskan dari tong sampah biasa setiap tahun boleh menghidupkan televisyen selama 5000 jam.


Secara puratanya, 20% dari wang yang kita gunakan untuk membeli barang ialah bayaran untuk pembungkusnya yang akhirnya menjadi sampah.


60% sampah dari tong sampah biasa boleh digunakan untuk membuat baja.


75% bahagian kenderaan boleh dikitar semula.


Apabila sampah dikitar semula, ia akan menjadi produk yang baru, ia tidak akan dilupuskan di tapak pelupusan sampah atau mesin pembakar. Jadi, penggunaan ruang tanah dapat dijimatkan dan dapat mengurangkan pencemaran udara.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Where to start:

  • The materials that recycling centers accept vary from region to region, so check your municipality's website or phone book for details.
  • Earth 911 is the best place to find local recyclers, plus recycling news and advice.
  • General recycling tips can be researched online.
  • For unusual items, check out How Can I Recycle This?, which offers recycling tips for anything from karate belts to television wires.
  • And don't forget that recycling can earn you some cash in certain states.
  • Some items should not be recycled as they do more harm than good. The listincludes pizza boxes, wet paper, and more.

More about: Recycling

Recycling is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy, and it's the most commonplace. In 2006, the United States recycled 32 percent of its waste according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the energy equivalent to saving more than 10 billion gallons of gasoline.

Products made from recycled material are becoming increasingly popular, making it more valuable than ever to keep useful materials out of the waste stream.

  1. How to responsibly dispose of holiday stuff

    The boxes are empty, the cards have been read. Time to take down the tree and recycle everything.

  2. Testing out Ace Hardware's CFL recycling program

    For a while there, I was getting worried. While 90% of me hoped that the world would immediately switch over to compact fluorescent light bulbs, there was 10% that was getting very worried that recycling them would never be easy, so they would end up brea

  3. Super Powers: On greening the office

    Where to turn when the task of greening your office falls on you...

  4. Recycling by mail

    Corks, shoes, and other plasticky items can be recycled by mail. Here's where to send what.

  5. Recycle wrap or not?

    Putting holiday papers in the recycling bin depends on the type of wrap and where you live.

  6. Stores that recycle your stuff

    Next time you go shopping, consider bringing more than just your reusable shopping bags. A growing number of retailers are making it easy for you to responsibly recycle castaways.

  7. Surprise! Five things you shouldn't recycle

    Most of us feel less guilty when we toss something in the bin headed for the recycling plant rather than the landfill. Wishful thinking may do more harm than good however.

  8. How to get paid to recycle

    RecycleBank collects your recyclable goods and gives you coupons to use with companies like Coca-Cola and CVS. The program has started in 13 states and is spreading to more.

  9. Does that gift card keep on giving?

    Stuck with a pile of plastic credit-card-like thingies leftover from the holidays? Plenty Magazine knows what to do.

  10. Greening your school

    Does your kid's classroom recycle all those worksheets? What about cafeteria waste? These sites will help raise a generation that is committed to a clean, healthy environment from the start.

  11. Easy recycling of compact fluorescents

    Now 75 percent of Americans will be within 10 miles of a CFL recycling center, thanks to Home Depot.

  12. Ask the EcoGeek: recycling CDs

    The perpetual scourge of EcoGeekiness is obsolescence. We pay good money for what we see as a good product, and then five years down the line we're surrounded by useless junk.


Where to start:

In order of water savings starting with the most bang for the buck, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute:

  • Replace water-wasting fixtures with state-of-the-art products, starting with your showerhead.
  • Fix a toilet that leaks water from the tank into the bowl, or replace an old toilet with a new "low-flow" model.
  • Fix a leaky faucet, replace an inefficient one with a newer model, or add an aerator.
  • If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis. (It's probably not cost-effective to replace your conventional machine if it still has a few years left in it.)
  • Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water in pulses of 10-20 minutes with 15 or more minutes in between, allowing the water to soak in properly.
  • Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants.

More about: Saving water at home

For most households, the vast majority of water is used indoors. You can get the biggest water savings in your home by installing efficient fixtures and fixing leaks.

But there are other ways too. Water and electricity are linked; the water-supply sector uses large amounts of energy to transport, treat, and deliver water. On the flip side, vast quantities of water are required to generate power. Use less power and you'll save water, and vice versa. 

Food for additional thought: Meat is far more water-intensive to deliver to the table than vegetables. Skip meat once a week at your home, and the water savings upstream is significant.

  1. How to green your kitchen

    Everybody gathers in the kitchen ... which makes it a prime target for green tweaks.

  2. Hey, get out of the shower!

    35 liters is considered to be an adequate shower, in England anyway. The ECO Showerdrop will tell you when you've had enough.

  3. How to save energy around the house

    From shutting down the electronics and picking up a book (gasp!) to closing your curtains at the right time, here are 21 simple things you can do to save energy, and cash, in your home.

  4. Clean your car without toxics or water

    Cheaper than the car wash and kinder to your water bill, the Eco Touch spray will shine your car without harming the environment.

  5. Dishpan hands go green

    A green strategy for hand-washing your dishes.

  6. Low-cost ways to conserve water at home

    Pop quiz: Which uses less water, hand-washing your dishes or using the machine?

  7. Save energy by saving water, and vice versa

    We have a climate problem. We also have a drinking water problem in some parts of the U.S. These two problems are related.

  8. Dry to the bone

    A selection of online tips for conserving water -- something much of the U.S. needs to do right now.

  9. Grey water for flushing

    Large-scale projects sometimes install systems to treat and re-use grey water from sinks for flushing toilets. Now, you can do this in your very own home!

Old cell phones (iStockPhoto)

Where to start:

  • Give cell phones back to their manufacturers or donate them to charity.
  • Return iPods to Apple for recycling or sell them for parts.
  • Keep old TVs out of landfills by taking them to a safe e-cycling facility.
  • Take e-waste to stores like Best Buy and Staples that have recycling programs.
  • Search Earth 911's database of recycling locations across the U.S.

More about: Recycling electronics

Computers, cell phones, game players — we upgrade and toss out the old ones fast. But these gadgets can't go into the garbage because they're filled with toxic materials. Many manufacturers and retailers are starting to take their electronics back, so you don't have to deal with it. Or find a responsible recycler near you.

  1. Greening your electronics

    Upgrading your computer or cell phone doesn't have to send plastics and hazardous chemicals to the landfill. Learn to buy green, extend the life of your products, and recycle carefully.

  2. Get paid to recycle your cell phone

    Flipswap trades in your old phones for cash, credit, or charity. This is another good way to keep old electronics out of the garbage.

  3. Recycling by mail

    Corks, shoes, and other plasticky items can be recycled by mail. Here's where to send what.

  4. Let go of the old phone

    The EPA estimates that there are 100 million unused cell phones stashed in homes across the country. Here are several options for disposing of them responsibly.

  5. Radio Shack Offers Cash For Old Gear

    E-waste is loaded with toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. It's a good thing, then, that Radio Shack is offering some decent incentives to recycle old computers, TVs and cell phones.

  6. A look inside electronics recycling

    Video from our recent visit to an e-waste recycler in San Jose, California, where we saw with our own eyes what goes on with those unwanted TVs, cell phones, and computers...

  7. Japan's landfills abound with gold, silver, and platinum

    Millions of electronics discarded each year have created so-called "urban mines" -- and are evidence of the progress still to be made recycling.

  8. Free recycling programs get needed attention

    Now there is no excuse to see a computer in a Texas landfill: A state law, enacted on Labor Day, requires any company selling a computer to offer a free consumer recycling program.

  9. Recycling an old iPod

    Give your old iPod back to Apple or recycle it for cash, among other options, and you can move on to the next song with a clear conscience.

  10. My hometown figures out that e-cycling matters

    Westport, Connecticut, now recycles TVs, computers, and cell phones every day except Sunday. Do you know where to safely dispose of your electronics?

  11. What to do with your crummy old iPhone

    The greenest cell phone is the one you're currently using. But if you have to have the new iPhone, what's the best way to dispose of your old one?

  12. Bluetooth? iPhone? Don't just ditch the old phone

    When it's time for a new cell phone, recycle the old one. Turn it in to the manufacturer or donate it to charity.

  13. E-cycling at a store near you

    Retailers may not always make it obvious, but more and more of them will take back computers, iPods, mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators, and more -- even batteries.

  14. My new TV is coming! Now, about my old one...

    A new purchase begs a vexing question.

  15. Recycling by mail

    Get rid of your old electronic junk -- free, fast, and easy, with the help of the USPS.

  16. TV recycling picking up steam... because it must

    Keep an eye peeled for a "takeback" event near you.

  17. Is the post office your future recycling center?

    The postal service is great at delivering little bits of stuff to the right place. What if it turned its sights on recycling?

  18. Recycle that old TV

    When you upgrade to a new flat-panel HDTV, make sure your old set doesn't pollute the planet.

  19. Guaranteed payment for recycling your electronics

    What if you actually got paid to bring your old electronics back when you no longer needed them?

  20. Recycle, re-ink

    Options for recycling printer cartridges, saving bucks and waste.


How to responsibly dispose of holiday stuff

3votes

Christmas tree recycle symbol

The holidays are over. Now, it's time to get rid of your tree and figure out what to do with all the extra stuff accumulating in your home. Resist the temptation to just pile everything into big black garbage bags and send it to the dump.

Here are suggestions for post-holiday disposal that's light on the planet.

Christmas trees can't biodegrade in landfills so take advantage of tree recycling events. Many communities offer curbside pick-up or have established places where you can bring your tree for recycling. Find out what your nearby options are at Earth911. Consider starting a Christmas tree recycling program if need be.

Take the time to remove everything from your tree. "Tinsel is a no-no for Christmas tree recycling because the trees will be composted or mulched, and the tinsel won't break down in this process," says Trey Granger at Earth911. "The same thing goes for the artificial snow that can be added to make trees white." If you leave tinsel on, it will be removed by hand so your tree can still be recycled. It's a different story for trees with spray-painted snow. Granger says they'll be sent to a landfill.   

Skip the tree bag. Instead, the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests wrapping your tree in a sheet to avoid a trail of pine needles when you carry it out of your home.

You can also reuse your tree. Some ideas: Consider placing it in your backyard or in a pond as a refuge for wildlife. Lay the branches as mulch on planting beds when the weather warms up. Turn dried pine needles into a potpourri.

Here are some ideas for the most common waste associated with the holidays.  A general rule of thumb: Finding a way to reuse something is always best for the planet. Recycling comes in at a close second.  

  • Old incandescent holiday lights can be recycled through HolidayLEDs' free mail-in program.
  • Donate glass ornaments or see if you local recycler accepts them. Paint, feathers, sequins, glitter, and other decorations may make them difficult to recycle.
  • Greeting cards are accepted by most curbside programs. Restrictions may apply for those that have electronic parts or metallic coatings, according to Earth911.
  • Wrapping paper and gift bags are not great candidates for recycling, although it all depends on what they're made of and what your local recycler takes back. Follow these guidelines to make sure your gift boxes are properly recycled.
  • Electronic waste can really pile up after the holidays. Many retailers now take back old cell phones, laptops, and other unwanted stuff. There are also options for those who prefer to recycle by mail. SeeEarth911 for more ideas.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Saving energy at home


Overloaded electrical outlet (iStockPhoto)

Where to start: