Got2BeGreen

Six ways to Save in 2009

2008-11-20T13:10:27Z

In order to gain passage in the House of Representatives the recent financial bailout bill included $150 in additional “sweeteners.” These sweeteners included energy efficiency and renewable energy tax credits. According to an article on the TheDailyGreen.com by Dan Shapley, the new tax bill “is filled with important incentives that will keep the solar and wind power industries competitive, and that means they should continue to innovate, producing more power at ever more affordable prices.” There are also several provisions that homeowners and other regular taxpayers can take advantage of.

Shapley offers the following six provisions found in the bill:

1. $500 for energy efficiency
If you can, wait until Jan. 1 to install new insulation, energy-efficient windows or an energy-efficient furnace, boiler or air conditioner.

A tax credit of up to $500 that expired in 2007 has been renewed for 2009. It covers up to 10% of the cost of a range of projects that meet certain specifications. Do $5,000 worth of qualifying work, and you not only get a $500 rebate, but also savings on energy bills for years to come.

Why wait? Of course, the heating season begins before Jan. 1, giving homeowners facing a northern winter reason to invest now - but because Congress let the tax credit lapse, work done in 2008 doesn’t qualify.

Also note these important limits, which cap the amount you can claim for any particular project:
- Windows: $200
- Exterior doors, roofing or insulation: $500
- Most heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements: $300
- Furnaces or hot water heaters: $150

Remember, your overall tax credit is capped at $500, so if you install $5,000 worth of exterior doors and $2,000 worth of new windows, for a total of $7,000, you can still only claim $500 - even though 10 percent of all qualifying work equals $700. Also, the tax credit applies only to equipment, not labor.

Find more information at the Alliance to Save Energy or Energy Star or Department of Energy web sites. Note that much of this information reflects the tax incentives in place in 2006 and 2007; for the most part, the 2009 tax credits are identical, but updated criteria for which products qualify, for instance, will be published soon.

2. $2,000 for geothermal
The new tax breaks include a new incentive to install ground-source heat pumps, according to Ronnie Kweller, spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy.

The old credits had been capped at $300 and were included under the overall energy efficiency improvement cap of $500. No longer. Now you can claim up to $2,000 of the cost of installing a geothermal heating and cooling system, and the cost is separated completely from other energy-efficiency improvements you might claim. Like the energy-efficient tax breaks, however, this incentives doesn’t apply to work done in 2008.
Ground-source heat pumps are installed underground and use the constant 50-degree subsurface temperature to cool air or water in the summer, and heat it in the winter - both of which reduce the cost of heating or cooling year round.

3. $2,000 or more for solar power systems
The bill extends for another eight years a tax credit that covers 30 percent of the cost of new photovoltaic solar power systems on homes.

The existing tax credit, which was capped at $2,000, would have expired at the end of 2008. Now, it’s good through 2016 - and there’s no longer a dollar cap on the 30 percent rebate.

4. $500 or more for a fuel cell or microturbine
The tax incentive that had covered 30 percent of the cost of fuel cell or microturbine systems in homes, which lapsed in 2008, has been restored for 2009 and through 2016. It covers up to $500 per 0.5 kw of capacity.

5. $7,500 for plug-in hybrid cars
The first 250,000 buyers of plug-in hybrid vehicles now qualify for a $7,500 tax rebate.
A similar tax credit for hybrid vehicles had been capped at $3,500.

6. Wildcard
Keep an eye out for new incentives from your state, since the bill also authorizes an $800 million government bond program that encourages states to create incentives for new and existing energy conservation and related programs. Some of that money is likely to be used toward state tax breaks and other incentives that will vary by location.

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Recycle by Mail

2008-11-19T21:31:26Z

Curbside recycling is just the beginning of our recycling options. We found the following suggestions on Green Yahoo. By using the suggestions below a simple trip to the post office can accomplish a lot.

Plastics and Packaging Recycling

Earthworks - this company recycles PVC plastic cards (hotel keys, gift cards, etc.). Once these items are collected they and turn them into sheets that new cards can be made of. If your retailer doesn’t accept used cards, you can just drop them in the mail. Mail old cards to: Earthworks, c/o Halprin Industries, 25840 Miles Road, Bedford, OH 44146. Please note: magnetic strips are okay but don’t send credit cards or those that contain paper backing.
Recycline’s Preserve Gimme 5 Program - this company collects clean plastic containers that have a #5 stamped on the bottom such as yogurt cups, ketchup bottles, sour cream containers. The recycled plastic is then used to create razors, bowls, and many other cool products (that you can also send back when you’re done with them). To maximize eco-benefits, the company suggests using ground shipping.
TerraCycle - this company creates shower curtains, totes, and funky fashion accesssories out of old energy bar wrappers, drink pouches, and other packaging. It recycles wine corks too. In some cases, you need to mail in large quantities so look for a drop-off location or send in your neighbors’ stuff too.

Apparel and Shoes

Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe - this program has collected almost 22 million worn out athletic shoes since 1990. The shoes are ground up and turned into athletic fields. Nike prefers that you drop off shoes at participating stores, but you can also mail them.
Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling Program- this company turns your old Patagonia clothing into new garments. Visit their website for specifics on what they take back and where you can send it.

E-waste

Battery Solutions - this company sells boxes that you can fill up with batteries (both rechargeable and non-rechargeable), cell phones, PDAs, iPods, and others. The $24 fee includes a pre-paid FedEx shipping label.
GreenDisc - this company recycles CDs, DVDs, video and audio tapes, and their cases. You can also send in most computer related waste-anything from printer cartridges to mice to laptops. It costs $6.95 to process up to 20lbs of waste. But before paying to recycle these items check out this post.
Waste Management’s Think Green - this program sells recycling kits for batteries, CFLs, fluorescent tubes, and electronics. Prices vary depending on item. Fill the box they send you and mail it in.

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Guide to Safer Plastics for Food and Beverages

2008-11-18T17:11:27Z

Confused by the triangles and number symbols on plastic containers? Are some plastics safer to eat and drink from than others? This is a great article from Lori Bongiorno via Green Yahoo:

It’s worth avoiding the following plastics when you can. You can identify a plastic by looking at the recycling code number that appears inside a triangle at the bottom of many containers.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach phthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer.

Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It’s marked with recycling code 6.

Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, “sippy” cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 (also includes any plastic that doesn’t fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories) and/or the letters “PC.”

In response to the widespread concerns about BPA, baby bottles and other items made from alternative materials are springing up. Experts say stainless steel is your best bet for reusable water bottles right now. ThinkSport and Klean Kanteen are two widely available brands.

The following plastics are considered safest for food storage. Glass and stainless steel are also good options.

Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4.

Polypropylene (PP), code 5.
Here are some tips for using all plastics safely:

Don’t microwave food plastic containers. Chemicals are more likely to leach out when plastic is heated. “Microwaveable plastic” doesn’t guarantee that chemicals won’t leach. Cover foods in the microwave with wax paper or a plate. If you do use plastic wrap, then make sure it doesn’t touch the food.

Avoid putting hot foods in plastic containers. Let leftovers cool off before storing them in plastic.

Take good care of plastics by not washing them with harsh chemicals, and dispose of scratched and worn containers. Research has shown that older, scratched items will leach more, says Kathleen Schuler at the Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy. (Don’t put them in the dishwasher if you want to be completely risk-averse, she suggests.)

For more information you can visit the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Smart Plastics Guide (PDF).

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Amazon to Begin Battling Excess Packaging and “Wrap Rage”

2008-11-16T17:42:34Z

With the holidays quickly approaching we thought we’d write about one of our biggest pet peeves - the wasteful packaging and shipping materials used when items are shipped. According to Wikepedia, wrap rage (or wrapping rage or package rage) is the common name for heightened levels of anger, frustration and violence resulting from the inability to open hard-to-remove packaging. Not only is all the packaging annoying, it’s also extremely wasteful. Amazon, one of the biggest offenders, has decided begin to minimize packaging waste as well as begin to”fight the battle of wrap rage.”

Don Willmott, Forecast Earth Correspondent, wrote the following article for LiveWire via GreenYahoo:

How many boxes has Amazon sent you over the years? And how many boxes were inside those boxes? America’s leading online retailer is finally getting serious about cutting down on packaging waste.

Its environmental manifesto makes it clear that CEO Jeff Bezos is making an effort to do the right thing, not only for the environment but also for his own bottom line:

“We’ve developed software that determines the ‘right-sized’ box for any given item based on dimension and weight. As a result, we’ve achieved a dramatic reduction in the number of packages shipped in oversized boxes, significantly reducing waste; our goal is to always have the product ship in the ‘right-sized’ box.”

Amazon is also fighting back against “wrap rage,” that frustration you feel when you simply can’t open hermetically sealed clamshell-style packages without stabbing yourself with your scissors. The sight now highlights products with “frustration-free” packaging and invites you to send in your own photos and videos of package unwrapping experiences that have driven you crazy.

“It will take many years, but our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in frustration-free packaging,” Bezos said.

This is a movement we can get behind!

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Freecycle

2008-11-15T15:30:57Z

The Freecycle Network is a nonprofit grassroots movement with members from across the globe. The goal of the movement is to reuse and recycle “stuff” and in doing so, keep it out of landfills. Each group is moderated by a local volunteer. There are 4,627 groups made up of 6,090,000 members around the world. It is free to sign up and to find a local community where you can give (or get) free local stuff. Check out their website for more information and to join.

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