Remembering, Conserving and Preserving on Memorial Day

Picture taken by Tiffany Coggins

Memorial Day we typically spend with family and friends. We go camping or have cookouts. Let’s all make sure we remember why we have Memorial Day.

In between our hamburgers and smores, thank and honor all the people who served our country. Let’s not waste the bounty we have. The bounty we have because of soldiers who gave up so much for our country.

Patriotism is more than waving a flag. It means preserving our lands and natural resources. While we celebrate and honor today, also reduce the waste that burdens the countries landfills. Keep plastic out of our beautiful landscape and waterways. Work to reduce toxic chemicals that pollute our amazing land, water and sky.

We owe it to the men and women that defended this country, and gave their lives for this country. We owe it to our children and grandchildren. Be patriotic and reduce, reuse and recycle.

One Business Going Green

I have a fantastic letter to share.  The letter is from a contractor that I have done business over the last few years.  We have a beautiful home, it is only 30 years old, but corners were cut when it was built.  The builder used cheap single pane windows and poor insulation.  We are slowing correcting those issues to have a more efficient and comfortable home.

C & T Siding, which carries Marvin Windows, is the company I hired to replace windows and doors.  While consulting with Carly Sutheimer, I told her about Green Girl Inc.. We talked about going green, reducing toxins in the home, and keeping materials out of landfulls.  This is the letter I recently received from her:

“I just wanted to say Thank You! You have turned me into a Green Girl and C&T Siding into an 85% Green Company! While speaking with you during your project several times I started to think of ways to make our company more “Green.” We have now teamed up with a company that is recycling all of our Vinyl Siding/Windows, Cardboard, and Tyvek (house wrap). We are still bailing all of our aluminum and steel as we always have. It was time consuming to get the project rolling, but I’m so proud to call our company 85% green. I’m hoping in the years to come we will be able to become closer to 100% green. Thank you again for opening my eyes to how important “Going Green” really is. (BTW the alternatives to house hold cleaners/lawn fertilizers were great!)”

I wrote back to Carly, and asked her if C & T was saving money with these changes.  Here is her reply:

“We are saving around $600-$1000 per week in dumpster expenses. Now instead
of having dumpsters at our job sites we have either a Vinyl/Steel/Aluminum
recycling container. We do have a dumpster still at the shop, but it’s only
getting dumped about every two weeks. Before this program we used dumpsters
at every job and our shop dumpster was being dumped every other day.

We are using a company out of Minnesota called Plastic Recovery Technologies
that recycles all of our Vinyl/Cardboard/House Wrap. We are hoping to spread
the word to other companies. Most of the homes we are remodeling have vinyl
siding/windows which adds up in a landfill very quickly. Most of our
customers are now putting on steel/fiberglass siding and we discontinued our
vinyl window line and are strictly putting in fiberglass windows.

My next project is the shop. I’m hoping we can find an alternative to the
fluorescent lighting.

Also you can use this for your readers.

Thank you again for opening my eyes to ‘Going Green.’ ”

This is so inspiring!  I knew Carly was listening to the going green message, but the steps the company took went beyond what I thought they would do.  I’m especially thrilled that C & T stopped selling vinyl, and now recycles the vinyl it removes.  Going green can take some work, but it is worth it.  Going green pays back you and the planet.  Thank-you Carly and C & T Siding!

Plastic Recovery Technologies (612) 910-9431

Toxicity of Vinyl

Wisconsin Is An E-Cycle State

It’s hard for me to believe that people are still tossing electronic waste into the garbage.  There are so many toxins in e-waste such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants.  These toxins have been linked to cancers and other health issues.  When e-waste enters landfulls those toxins can eventually leach into our groundwater.  Not only that, but there are toxins released in the mining and manufacturing of these products.  By recycling these products we reduce the demand for the raw materials, and the energy used to make the electronics.  Recycling e-waste has a great environmental and economic benefits.  So let’s cheer for this new law and keep those electronics out of the garbage.  To find out where you can take your e-waste to dispose of it check the Wisconsin DNR’s website.

E-Cycle Wisconsin – DNR

If want to find out about e-cycling in other states check out the Earth 911 website.  You can also support e-cycling by buying items made from e-waste.  Here are a few places to find some products like that.

TerraCycle

Weisenbach Recycled Products