Before recycling toner/ink cartridges

Just because the indicator on your printer or copier says "low toner/ink" doesn't mean it is time to put in a new cartridge.  My workplace sent out an email out to the staff today explaining what this is about and how it works.  I have included it below with permission.  Thanks, David!

ink cartridges (source)

This environmental tip is the best kind.  It not only helps to reduce waste and strain on the environment, it saves the company money!

 It’s time to talk about printer/copier toner/ink and when is it REALLY time to recycle it and when can you squeeze a little more life out of it.

 This question usually revolves around that “helpful” little indicator that tells you that it’s time to change your cartridge. Sometimes that indicator is a little warning light, sometimes it’s an annoying pop-up every time you print.  Although it may seem helpful, the only person that indicator is really helping is the manufacturer.

 The truth is, the ‘low toner/ink’ indicator is actually a VERY rough guide.  Your printer/copier has no accurate way of telling how much toner/ink is left in your cartridge and is only going off your page print count. So – if you print pages with not much ink on them – or even those pages that print accidentally that come out blank – they all count towards the page count of the life of your toner/ink cartridge.  Once a set number of pages has been printed, the warning indicator will fire off and encourage you to change toner/ink although you could still have a ¾ full cartridge.

 The ONLY thing that’s a good indicator of a low toner is fading and/or streaking on the page. Even when you start to get streaking, you can take the toner out and rock it from side to side and STILL get dozens if not hundreds of pages from that toner.

 So – please consider ignoring the little indicator next time it goes off.  Now you’ll know when you’re running out and you can help save the company some money and save the planet at the same time.

Green highlights:

• use less toner/ink cartridges 
• save money (those cartridges are expensive!)
• less waste

Will you use your toner/ink cartridges to the max?

-TJ

It's tax time!

I stumbled on an unexpected way to have zero waste.  I was getting ready to do my taxes, but didn't have the program yet to do it on my computer.  I took a look online to see what store had the best price for the program I use and came across a download version that is exactly the same as the one I purchase at the store each year.  The great thing about the online version is that there is no box, no CD and no sleeve.  Which also means no clutter and zero waste! 

last year's tax program waste

This is a great way to consider the environment.  There are no emissions to manufacture the CD's and packaging, no emissions to transport the product to stores, no emissions to go to the store to buy the product and nothing will end up in the landfill.  It was easy to do and the email with the download link was in my inbox by the time I finished the purchase.

Here are links to some websites where you can download a tax program for yourself.

• Costco download to purchase  
• Staples download to purchase
• StudioTax free download

Green Highlights:

• no emissions
• zero waste
• nothing will go to the landfill

Will you try a download instead of purchasing a CD?

-TJ

Zero waste at Bulk Barn

I've been thinking more about zero waste since my daughter sent me this article Bulk Barn Has Embraced the Zero Waste Movement.  This is exciting!!! Starting February 24th, 2017, Bulk Barn now allows you to bring in your clean, reusable containers at all their stores across Canada.  I have been looking at their website to see what products I can buy there in bulk so I can use my own containers instead of buying prepackaged and then throwing out the package.

 

This past weekend, I went on an adventure with my daughter to Bulk Barn for our first zero waste shopping trip.  I took along an assortment of jar sizes and packed them in a cardboard box that has handles cut in the sides.  The box was just the right size to fit in the shopping cart.

• 1 cup x 6
• 2 cup x 6
• 4 cup x 3
• 6 cup x 1

Knowing how many cups each jar holds was helpful so I had an idea of how much I was buying.  I am very particular about the chocolate chips I buy for baking and only buy one brand.  I would prefer to buy them without packaging, so I bought just enough to make a batch of cookies and I will have a taste test.  I also took along the Tupperware container I keep my oats in and bought just the amount I wanted.  

I took along some empty jam jars to reuse.  Because they had some glue on the outside from the labels, I was unable to refill them.  I like that they are uniform and all weigh the same which should make shopping easier, so I'll have to get the glue off for my next trip.

  

I was surprised at what all you could buy bulk.  They even had Epsom salts!  Buying bulk could even help with your weight.  If you enjoy having chips for a treat, you could buy a small jar full of corn chips, cheese sticks or cheese cruncheez for just one portion instead of buying a whole bag which will inevitably get eaten.

Let's support this great initiative and hopefully more stores will go zero waste too.  It's time to rethink how we shop.  

Green highlights:

•  reusing containers
• reducing the amount of garbage going to landfills
• reducing emissions from manufacturing

-TJ

My gun is ready to caulk

I have this mysterious water leak in my basement laundry room and just when I think I have found the source and fixed it, I find water on the floor again.  The exterior wall where the water seems to be coming in is on the side of the house where the rain usually hits.  It is also the wall with the electric meter, dryer vent, a window and other entry points for wiring.  We have already caulked around the dryer vent and around the electric meter where the concrete had crumbled and was no longer doing its job.  I took a good look at that wall and noticed a gap in the window sill mortar joint.

To fix the gap, I bought some silicone caulking that is for concrete.  The kind I bought has a 30 minute rain ready time, which was good because we have been having a lot of rain.  I checked all the window sills and found a couple more that needed repair that I took care of as well.

This caulking does not clean up nice with water and I found my hands were covered in a sticky film.  I rubbed some sand on my hands and that got rid of the stickiness.

I also have a crack in the garage floor where moisture seeps up into the garage.  Since I have almost a full tube of caulking left, I will use it to fill that crack too.

Green highlights:

•  preventing water damage 

Have checked your window sills lately to see if there are any cracks and gaps?

-TJ

Keep your cracked teacups!

It's been a while since I have posted here.  This is a quick life update.  Things have been pretty crazy with one daughter that got married 2 weeks ago, my other daughter expecting my first grandchild and some surgery and recovery thrown in the mix.  I still have to finish writing about "The Project" that we started some time ago and I have a couple more things to do before the room is finally done, but I will get there!

I have been looking for ways to store my costume jewelry so that it is on display to make it easy to find something to go with what I am wearing.

I found this neat idea when I was searching online and that is to use teacups.  I have  a collection of teacups that look so pretty in my china cabinet.  I even have one that was passed down to me from my mother that once belonged to my great-grandmother.  I also have some teacups that are now cracked.  They are so pretty that I haven't thrown them out, but they are no longer useful for drinking tea out of. 

Instead, you can use them to store and display jewelry.  You could have them sitting out on your dresser or bathroom counter or put them in a drawer so that every time you open the drawer you see something pretty.  Earring with hooks can be hung on the cup and other types of earrings can go inside the cup.  You can put necklaces, bracelets and pins in the saucers.

You could also put the saucers under a potted plant like I have with this air cleaning Pathos that I started from a cutting.

Green Highlights

•  reuse cracked teacups
•  reducing waste

Have you found another use for cracked teacups?

-TJ

Cream ready to expire

I came across an almost full container of half and half cream in someone's fridge that was about to expire.  They were not going to be able to use it up, so instead of leaving it there to be dumped down the drain, I said I would bring it home and make ice cream.  Since it will be frozen, it will keep past the expiry date.

Home made ice cream

I already had a full day planned for today, so I wanted to make this quick and easy.  I used a no cook vanilla ice cream recipe and added cocoa powder to make it chocolate.  Here's the adapted version of the recipe I used.  

Chocolate Ice Cream

2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
almost 1 litre half and half cream (10%)
add enough milk to cream make 2 4 cups
2 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and cream-coloured.  Add cocoa and mix in slowly.  Add cream milk mixture and vanilla.  Mix well.  Follow directions on your ice cream maker.

 Green highlights

• reduce waste

Do you look for ways to use something up instead of throwing it away?

-TJ

 

My first LED light bulb

I bought my very first LED bulb, which was for a nightlight, quite a while ago not realizing there had been  change in light bulb technology.  We keep a nightlight on at night near the bedrooms so that if someone gets up, they don't bump into walls.  The light bulbs I used were about 6 or 7 watts.  When I went to buy replacement bulbs I found some that were LED  and only used 0.6 watts so I decided to give them a try.  LED's also have a long lifespan, which will mean less waste going to the landfill.  

low energy LED light bulb

It wasn't until recently, when I was talking with a coworker, that I discovered that a low energy light bulb had come on the market that was better the CFL curly fluorescent bulbs.  I bought some CFL's when they first come out but I found them to be expensive, they didn't always last as long as advertised and some brands gave off a dim light.  For these reasons, I went back to buying incandescent bulbs.

Now there is a whole array of low energy, long lasting LED bulbs and I am in the process of converting my light fixtures to LED.  The LED equivalent of a regular 60w light bulb uses around 9 watts.  I even saw LED replacements for fluorescent tubes.  I am not going to throw away perfectly good light bulbs, even if they are incandescent,  so as my incandescent bulbs burn out, I am replacing them with LED's.  I can also give some of my incandescents to my children who are living in apartments.  They don't pay for electricity and since these LED bulbs aren't cheap, why spend the money to leave them behind when you move out?  For money saving coupons, go to Save On Energy.

Green Highlights:

• reducing energy consumption
• sending less to the landfill

Have you started switching your light bulbs to LED?

-TJ   

Take-out extras

When we get take-out, there are extras that are put in the bag like ketchup, salt, sugar, napkins, coffee cup lids and so on.  How often do we get more of these extras than we need or even some that we don't use at all?  These unneeded or unwanted extras will most likely end up in the garbage which is such a waste.  

When placing your order, why not take a proactive approach.  When I order Chinese take-out, we always have over half a container of sweet and sour sauce left over that gets thrown out.  Now I ask them for a smaller container.  They also include packets of soy sauce which we never use, so I am going to start asking them not to include the soy sauce.

Tim Horton's has a Take 12 coffee that you can order.  It is a large container of coffee that comes with cups, lids, stir sticks, cream and sugar.  If you know your group will not be using any of these extras, why not mention it when you place your order?  I did some tidying up in an organization's kitchen the other day and found a stack of these lids that had never been used.  They went in the recycle bin, but it would have been even better if they had not been included with the order in the first place.

unused coffee lids

  If we start speaking up and asking for only the extras that we need, we can make a difference.  Maybe the restaurant industry will take the hint and start asking customers if they would like any of these extras included with their order.  The restaurant will save money and there will be less going to the landfill.

Green highlights:

• reducing waste
• sending less to the landfill

Are you proactive when you order take-out?

-TJ         

Green smoothies that are green

I went to a ladies event on the weekend called "New Year, New You" with a focus on how to be healthier.  The finale of the event was a demonstration on how to make a healthy smoothie that was green because of the ingredients that went in it.  We got to taste test which I was glad to have the opportunity because I never would have made one of these otherwise.
This smoothie was made with a water base, 2 stalks of celery, a splash of orange juice, about half a banana and 2 handfuls of spinach.  The orange juice and banana tone down the taste of the other ingredients so it doesn't taste like a liquid salad.
I have been wanting to eat healthier and this is where I am going to start.  I am going to have one of these smoothies for lunch a couple times during the week and on weekends replacing the carbohydrates that I usually have.
One of the reasons I am writing about this here is because of how the produce is stored.  I don't buy much fresh produce because it doesn't keep long and I don't want to have to eat a whole lot of it at once to use it up and I don't want to have to throw any out because it has gone bad.

Here is the beauty of this smoothie:
- you can freeze the spinach and take out only what you need.
- you can freeze the bananas which is great because I do not like them when they get too ripe. I am going to freeze them (peeled and cut in pieces) when they are just the ripeness I like.
- I am also going to try freezing the celery in whole stalks.

(source)

Another ingredient you can add is plain or Greek yogurt which will add protein.  It might take me a while to use up a container of plain yogurt because I need to acquire a taste for it, so I am going to try freezing what I cannot use by the expiry date in ice cube trays then store in a plastic container.  All I will have to do is pop a yogurt cube or two in my smoothie.

The other reason that makes this smoothie green is that I am going to buy organic spinach and celery.  Celery is known for being grown with a lot of pesticides and I want to pass on that.  I was surprised to learn that celery is very good for you.  Check here to find out more about celery.  The produce has to be dry before freezing so it doesn't clump together, so instead of trying to wash and dry spinach, I am opting for organic.  Plus, it's got to be a challenge getting all the pesticides off every spinach leaf.

I am excited about making these changes and improving my health.

Green Highlights:

• freezing produce to eliminate waste
• buying produce that wasn't grown with pesticides or herbicides

How green is your smoothie?

-TJ     

It's not garbage yet

I have an aversion to throwing things out that are not garbage.  Why fill up the landfill with stuff that someone else can use?  Instead of throwing it in the garbage, why not see if there is someone that would want it.  

(source)

I had a large bag full of bubble wrap so I posted it on Kijiji to give away for free.  In no time 3 people had responded to the ad.  I wanted it give it to someone that would put it to good use and not use it just to pop the bubbles.  I figured someone would want it for packing, but this person wanted it for insulating windows.

(source)

I googled bubble wrap for a picture to use in this post and to my surprise using it for window insulation came up.  The person I gave the bubble wrap to says he puts it between the windows or you can click on the source link above, to find out how to apply the bubble wrap directly to the window.   

The next time you have something you no longer want or need, try posting it on Kijiji and see if someone else can make use of it.

Green Highlights:

• giving something away instead of throwing it out
• another use for bubble wrap
• reducing energy use

Do you have something you can give away instead of throwing it in the garbage?

-TJ

Timed just right!

Houses look so pretty this time of year decorated with Christmas lights.

(source)

 But what I am also noticing is that some homes leave their Christmas lights on all night and some even all day too.  Why not use an outdoor timer and have them come on when it is starting to get dark and them have them turn back off later?  That way, you don't have to think about it turning them on and off and it is one less thing to think about at this busy time of year.  I like to set the timer so my Christmas lights come on around 5:00 in the evening and then turn off at 11:00.  That's plenty of time to enjoy them without excessive use of electricity and it will cost less.

Green Highlights:

• use less electricity
• save on your electricity bill

Do you have your outdoor Christmas lights on a timer?

-TJ

A green gift exchange

Whether is it with family, co-workers or an organization we might belong to, it's the time of year when we get asked to take part in a gift exchange.  This year, why not make it a green gift exchange?  Instead of going out and buying something brand new,  have everyone give a gift that is used.  It could be something you already have and don't want, but someone else would appreciate or you could shop at a resale store or website.  You can find anything from china, crystal, books, tools, sporting goods, art, music, movies, jewelry and the possibilities go on.

(source)

Here is a list of some organizations that have stores in my area (London, Ontario) to get you started.  I've included links to their websites for more information and so you can see if they have a location near you.

• Good Will
• Value Village
• Kijiji
• Bibles for Missions
• Salvation Army
• Talize
• St Vincent De Paul
• Kid Cents
• Mission Services of London

Many of the stores in this list are non-profit organizations so your purchase will be helping other people.  You could even put a bit of a twist on your gift exchange and have everyone donate something at the same time.  You can do some decluttering  and shopping all at once.    

Green Highlights:

• reusing items instead of buying something new
• donating items

Will you do a green gift exchange this year?

My new energy efficient window

One of the unfortunate events mentioned in a previous post, TJ's series of unfortunate events, was that the window beside my front door got smashed.  It was a while before I had a chance to shop around for a new window so we spent almost the whole summer with the window boarded up.  I learned a bit about energy efficient windows in the process.

The window we had was a single pane 5 mm sheet of obscure glass that was not energy efficient.  It was replaced with a thermal unit made up of 2 panes of 4 mm glass which I had tempered.  Since it is right beside  the front door and goes almost to the ground, I wanted something strong that wouldn't break easily.  We went with obscure glass again for privacy and I wanted it to be low E. 

Low E is a film that reflects light and heat back to its source.  That means it reflects heat into the house in the winter and outside in the summer.  This is great for energy efficiency, but I found out that low E has to be applied to the inside pane and cannot be applied to obscure glass.  Since my inside pane was obscure, we had to forgo the low E.  The new window is still more energy efficient than what we had.  I like the look of the new window better than what we had before and I am happy that it is more energy efficient.

Green Highlights:

• replaced a single pane window with a thermal pane

Do you have any low E windows in your home?

-TJ

Useful vines

Alternative to using string for bundling yard waste

We have regular yard waste pick up in the city where I live.  I have 2 garbage cans that I use just for yard waste and I like to make sure they are full for our scheduled pick up.  Last weekend I filled them both up, but I still had a trumpet vine that I wanted to take down.  This was planted from a shoot from our main plant and it has started taking over the front of the house.  I thought I could pull down the growth and put it in a couple of 5 gallon pails, but when I got it all down there was way too much. 

(source)

 I didn't have any string to tie it up with so I used a few strands of the vine itself.  I wrapped them around the bundle and tied the ends so it would hold.  When I got home at the end of the day, the garbage pails were empty and the bundle of vines was gone!  I didn't need to use a manufactured product and it didn't cost me anything.  I have some ivy I want to get rid of which I will use to tie up some more bundles. 

Green Highlights:

• using vines for string

 -TJ  

Turn down your wattage

It isn't always necessary to have a room fully lit.  Here are some ways you can lower electricity usage.

Dining Room
I enjoy being in my dining room, so sometimes I bring my laptop in and work on it there, like I am right now.  My dining room has a lovely brass and glass light fixture with 6 light bulbs hanging over the dining table.  Every now and then, I take off the glass shades and wash them.  This allows better light and it looks nice when they are sparkling clean.

The first option I have to use less electricity is a dimmer switch.  We dim the lights when we do not need the full brightness, which is most of the time.

The second option is a little lamp I put in the corner that has a 13w curly fluorescent bulb in it.  I have had this lamp for years and it was sitting on a shelf in the storage room with no lamp shade because it had gotten old and fell apart.  I was at a garage sale where they were selling a brand new, still in the wrapper lamp shade that fit this little lamp perfectly.  I only paid 50 cents for it!  It ads a nice ambiance and works well when not a lot of light is needed.

Family Room
The television is in our basement family room.  We can light this room by turning on 4 wall sconces or using a lamp.  When I am watching a movie, sometimes I will use the lamp which has a curly 13w bulb.  Other times I will use no electricity at all to light the room.  Instead, I light a scented candle.  There is really no need for more light than that.  I can enjoy my candle and save electricity.

Not only am I saving money using dimmer switches, less light bulbs, lower wattage bulbs and candles, I was also able to make use of something that another person did not need.

Green Highlights:

• use less electricity by using dimmer switches
• use less electricity by using lower wattage bulbs
• use less electricity by using less light bulbs
• use candles for light
• shop at garage sales

Have you lowered your energy usage by using less lighting when you don't need a fully lit room?

-TJ