LIVING
GREEN
indoors
: : * s
T IR E S Local efforts
promote a smooth
ride nationwide.
Piles of tires can pose problems from
excessive landfill consumption to
mosquito breeding grounds.
Best Steps
Ask about recycling when
you replace your old tires. Regulations
in all but two states (Delaware and
Alaska) keep scrap tires out of the
landfill, so it’s common for retailers to
contract with recyclers. They’ll turn
tires into rubber crumbs that become
new products such as outdoor
surfacing. If you have a tire at home,
contact your local waste management
service. Be prepared to take it to a
disposal facility and pay a fee.
C T R O N IC S
Hme time for
rbishing programs.
Unwanted TVs, computers, and other
common electronics (known as
E-waste) are perhaps today’s biggest
concern because of the increasing
volume and limitations. Metal and
glass pieces can be removed, but what’s
left piles up in landfills and leeches
toxins into the ground.
Best Steps
Now required in some
states, some manufacturers and
retailers have mail-in or drop-off
programs for their own products.
The best course for a newer computer
is to donate it for refurbishing. For
options, see
electronicstakeback.com
or the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s “Plug-in to eCycling”
program (
epa.gov/ecycling
). And
with all electronics, ask yourself, “Do
I really need a newer model?”
LABEL LESSONS FOR
NEW PURCHASES
When you buy carpet made from
plastic bottles or doormats made
from tires, you’re helping “close
the loop” on waste. Look for labels
that indicate a product contains
recycled content. Post-consumer
content (materials that otherwise
would have been thrown away) is
thought to be greener than pre-
consumer content, which refers to
waste collected during manufactur-
ing Products labeled recyclable
have the most meaning when
they’re necessary purchases or have
a short life span. For example, it’s
more important to be able to
recycle a glass food jar than a vase.
re's no overnight
solution fo r givingyour
old softie a new life.
With only a few mattress recycling
facilities in the U.S., this is one of the
more problematic categories. Springs
are recyclable, but there’s not a big
market for the other components.
The store where you purchase your
new mattress may offer to take your old
one, but it could still go to the landfill.
Best Step*
You may be able to donate
your old mattress to a shelter, but
probably not a charity that handles
resale, such as Goodwill or Salvation
Army. Consider giving it one last shot at
being used through
freecycle.org—
an
online exchange that offers a variety
of items, all for free.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS OCTOBER 2009 9 9
The well-known F0
was a college student’s winningcontest entry in
1970, the same year as the firsfEarth Day.
