Picture this: The light bulb went out in your room. After a successful change you now have a dead light bulb in your hands and don’t know how to it should be properly disposed. Or let’s say you just had a huge party at your house (BYOB) and the next morning there’s dozens of beer cans and bottles laying around that are going to pile up in the garage. Or, perhaps you have a small bag of old batteries accumulating but feel slightly guilty throwing them out.
If you can identify with these situations or can list more, then you’re definitely like any other college student out there who doesn’t have a clue on how to recycle beyond your plastic and papers. Most of us don’t have the time or care to do the research for where to locate proper recycling centers. Why take an extra trip lugging around trash in your car? However, maybe there would be a slightly more incentive for those who are interested in earning or saving some cash. Here are a few useful resources that will help you be a green hero. Plus, who doesn’t like to save money, right?
Save energy, unplug: One thing we should all be aware is phantom energy usage, which refers to leaving unused electronics and appliances plugged in and charging all night. Remember it’s the small differences that have the biggest impact. Americans waste 50% of their energy usage on phantom energy which costs billions of dollars, according to environmentalist Holly Johnson. And you’re not helping yourself either. Fun Apple tip: charging your phone all night is bad for the battery and makes it more dependent on constant charging shortening its usage. For this quick fix, simply try to turn off your laptops, tv’s, hair straightener and lights when no one is using them, and be aware of how long you are leaving a device charging. This has provided me more of an excuse to light my beautiful scented candles around the house (but don’t forget to blow them out if you leave, haha…) Try this for one month and I promise you will notice significant changes in your next electricity bill. Mine dropped by $20 and I live with 3 other people.
Locate a recycling center: Most glass bottles, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans equal to 24 oz or larger can be cashed in at $0.10 each. Now I’m not that great at math but 50 cans could easily accumulate around my house which puts me around $5. If your house is hosting a party, why not get a little bit of extra cash to order guac. I strongly encourage everyone to check out this link: http://www.iwanttoberecycled.org/learn. Not only does it help you find your local recycling center, but it easily breaks down how to dispose of difficult/dangerous/confusing waste products such as automotive fluids, electronics, and batteries, and how it can impact our planet. Saving water: If you live in California this concept is pretty much drilled hard into your livelihood. Depending on your housing situation, most of us are familiar on how quickly the water bill can add up. Using your dishwasher on an energy saving setting can save up to 2 gallons. The typical usage for handwashing can easily exceed 6 gallons of water. Also be conscious of the green or quick setting when doing laundry. Likewise, remember to turn off the water when when you’re brushing your teeth.
Clean your lint trap: Probably a really weird tip to consider, but cleaning your lint trap could save you from a fire hazard. Beyond the most dangerous scenario, a clean lint trap is key to sustainable laundry habits. If your lint trap is really clogged up. your clothes may not be drying as well the first time. Instead of putting it through 3 cycles, remember to check your lint trap before and after you do your load. You could be saving yourself a whole 10 kilowatts and $1.00!
Hope this proved to be helpful. You don’t need to own solar panels and a home grown garden to be a green hero. Remeber, its the little changes that add up (literally)!