Recycle Your Old Computer and Give It New Life!
A computer’s life span averages 4-5 years. When you decide to replace it, what do you do with your old one? Throwing it away is simple, but what if you could give it new life? A green life....
Through
Reconnect, you can! Reconnect is a free Dell and Goodwill Industries drop-off program that recycles ANY brand of computer equipment in ANY condition. Simply dropoff your used computer at a Goodwill
donation center in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.You can also request a receipt at the time of donation for your taxes.
Reconnect is just one of several computer
recycling programs. Learn about other computer recycling initiatives.
Recycling plastic in Montgomery County? It's all good.
We recycle water bottles but not yogurt cups? What about takeout containers? Thankfully, Montgomery County residents will no longer have to negotiate the vagaries of proper plastic disposal.
As of July 1, residents of single-family homes in Montgomery County will be able to recycle just about anything plastic, including all plastic bottles, containers and lids, jars, pails, buckets, and food-grade plastic tubs. Even flowerpots and kitty litter containers qualify.
One caution: If the plastic contained a hazardous material (motor oil, anti-freeze, or insecticides), it is not recyclable. Learn more from the Department of Solid Waste.
If you need more recycling bins or bigger bins to hold all that plastic, they’re free. Call 240-777-6410, or place an online request.
Free paint in Montgomery County!
Sprucing up around the house? You can get your paint for free! The Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste program takes in many gallons of unused paint. On the premise that the best way to dispose of paint is to use it up, they are experimenting with a program that makes this paint available to the public.
Available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, the paint is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and colors are not guaranteed. Use the paint at your own risk; recipients must sign a waiver.
For more information, contact Rick Dimont by email or 301-840-2774.
Recycling household hazardous waste in DC just got easier.
When the District's semi-annual Household Hazardous Waste and E-cycling event at Carter Barron Amphitheatre became the site of a major traffic jam, the DC Department of Public Works saw the light.
Beginning May 17, District residents will be able to drop off hazardous waste and expired electronics on a weekly basis every Saturday at the Benning Road Trash Transfer Station, located at 3200 Benning Road NE, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Later this summer, drop-offs will also begin at the Ft. Totten Trash Transfer Station.
Just say no to green gloss!
It’s about stewardship of the big blue marble. So please, don’t fight global warming by shopping for frivolous stuff. If you’re going to use your precious natural resources to shop (time, money, and gas), look for an ENERGY STAR model to replace an inefficient appliance or light bulb. Tell merchants who try to attract your business with a veneer of green they’re missing the point.
Optimize your water heater
Put an insulative jacket around your hot water heater, and insulate the pipes around it. Insulative jackets cost between $10 and $20, and you can get pipe insulation for less than $1 for six feet. Also consider turning the temperature on the water heater down to 120 degrees. It saves money and prevents scalding.
Use CFLs
Replace your incandescent light bulbs (the cheap ones you probably got at the grocery store) with ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). By replacing even your five most frequently used light bulbs, you'll save $100 per year. If every family in the U.S.A. did this, we’d reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one trillion pounds! (For those counting: there are 12 zeros in a trillion.)
Save 10% on your heating and cooling costs just by setting your thermostat back when you're not home and while you're sleeping. Program your thermostat to 78 degrees F or higher in the summer and 62 degrees F or lower in the winter. If you tell it to return to your preferred temperature before you return home, you won't ever know the temperature changed, until you look at the reduction in your energy bills. Select ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to save resources without sacrificing water pressure. An efficient showerhead will save a family of four up to $285 per year. They can cost less than $15, and installing them couldn't be easier: they just screw on.
HVAC maintenance is key to healthy and efficient heating and cooling. Get a professional tune-up every two years. It will cost around $100, but will save 5% to 10% on your heating and cooling bills. Also, clean or replace your filter every month. Dirty filters block normal airflow and significantly reduce the efficiency of the system, which wastes your money.