Category: Go Green

These Chemical Ingredients Have Been Banned or Discontinued

Created during the Nixon administration, the EPA was tasked with protecting our environment. However, their regulatory power is somewhat limited, and there have actually been very few chemical bans they have put in place. These bans, however, have made us all safer and less likely to get various types of cancer.

Here are the most widely-known chemicals they have banned over the years.

PCBs

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls were banned in 1978. The first such chemical ban implemented by the EPA was to address clear indications that PCBs caused cancer in mice and rats.

PCB exposure rates were fairly low to the average consumer, but they turned out to be hard to eliminate once created. This meant that streams and lakes that received industrial waste became permanently contaminated, posing an increased risk of cancer to people.

CHCs and FHCs

It has been over forty years since scientists discovered that certain chemicals word depleting the ozone layer. This was leading to uneven heating and dangerous sun exposure risking the health of millions of people around the world. It was also contributing to the phenomenon that scientists would later call global warming.

Banning fully hydrogenated chlorofluoroalkanes happened in 1978. This was the first step in what became a world-wide ban on certain chemical ingredients in aerosol sprays. As a result, the ozone layer was able to stabilize.

These ingredients are no longer found in aerosols, making those cans safe to dispose in traditional waste.

Dioxins

Later the EPA banned dioxins.  These were most infamous as being an ingredient in Agent Orange which caused chemical burns and multiple types of cancers during and after the Vietnam War. However they were also a byproduct of multiple industrial practices.

They were banned in 1980 as a reaction to public health concerns about cancer being caused by dioxins in the environment where these factories created dioxins as a waste product.

Asbestos

The ban of asbestos has had long-lasting effects. When scientists learned that asbestos created cancer among those who breathe the dust, the decision to ban it seemed obvious.

The 1989 ban on asbestos led to a wide range of changes that affect builders regularly. There are even special rules for how asbestos must be treated if found in an existing building. It was such a popular insulator that it was used in many buildings. Removing it safely is still a costly process – but one that saves untold suffering and costs later in life.

 

Rent a Dumpster for Your Massive 4th of July Party

You’ve rented the tents. You’ve ordered the ice cream. You’ve designated who will bring the ice, and who will bring firewood.

You have planned a birthday party for America that the country, and certainly your friends and family, will not soon forget.

You’re going to make a mess, and you don’t want to make dozens of extra trips hauling full garbage bags to the curb. Or worse, you don’t want all that mess sitting in your garage or back yard for days until garbage pickup day – a day that has been delayed because of the holiday.

You should rent a dumpster.

Why a dumpster is a better option

Sure, you could just buy a bunch of trash bags. After all, you will have help cleaning up. Aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors will all be willing to take a bag or two and walk around the area.

But then what?

Where will you put them? This is not ordinary trash.

After all, most of what made it a fabulous, unforgettable blowout party is also what will bring raccoons and cats, flies and bees, and all sorts of other critters to the pile of trash.

You will want to put those bags in a dumpster.

Designed to save you time and energy in just this sort of situation, a dumpster will also save you headaches and even greater mess.

If you tried to shove all those bags into your trash cans, you would run out of trash cans. Additionally, a lot of communities have limits on how much trash they will pick up at one location on trash day.

Worse yet, even if you could leave all those bags piled up on the curb, one night of neighborhood critters could create a massive mess as the critters attempt to open, eat, and drag those bags back home to their young ones. It could end up looking like a bomb went off, even after your efforts to clean everything up.

In this case, while renting a dumpster might incur a little extra expense, it more than makes up for it in making a more enjoyable party, and easier clean-up and a smaller trash hangover.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/waving-flag-of-united-states-of-america-4386426/

 

 

Save Dumpster Space by Donating to Re-Use Stores

Reclaimed. Re-used. Recycled. Whatever term you want to use, there is a thriving business in giving almost everything one more shot at life.

Most communities have at least one store where lightly used cabinetry, furniture, doors, lumber, and, well, everything is bought and sold. Owners upgrading or tearing down can find one last market. Beginning or thrifty owners find useful fixtures or projects.

And everyone wins.

Save dumpster space – and make money – by reselling

 

For the conscientious homeowner or builder, this thriving middle man market means additional savings in multiple ways.

First, every square foot of space saved in the rental dumpster means a small rental or fewer trips to the dump.

Second, some of these shops will pay a modest fee for the items, or they may even arrange to come pick it up for you. This last option can save labor and time – all of which is favorable to the bottom line.

Finally, there is a feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing you not only saved space at the dump, but you helped out an ambitious homeowner. Your overall footprint, carbon and otherwise, is smaller.

Use it to your advantage

Of course, you don’t have to only be a donor – although it is a smart way to reduce your workload and impact your environment and community.

You could be a patron. When you are embarking on your next project, stop by the local re-purposing store to see if maybe they have something you could use. Is there a door here that fits your building but saves you buying new? You can get it for a fraction of the cost. Is there a mirror that will work over the new sink to give a room the rustic feel you need?

With a little bit of imagination, time, and the investment of some elbow grease, a re-use store can help every part of your next building project be a little better.

Old lumber can be re-used with dramatic effect.

Photo by Dmitry Demidov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/weathered-wooden-surface-with-scratches-on-sunny-day-3800468/

Pick the Right Sized Trash Bag for the Job

There are a mind-boggling number of different garbage bags on shelves today. Between various brands, bag types, applications, material, and sizes, one could be forgiven for simply grabbing a box and running to the next aisle hoping for the best.

There are more than a dozen different sizes of trash receptacles in homes. The most common types have many brands competing for their trash bag business. Here’s a guide to the types of cans you have at home, and which size trash bag fit them the best.

First, you need to know that the bags are measured in gallons, which can cause confusion. It helps if you imagine liquid poured into the bag, outside of the container, filling it completely. In reality, the bags don’t hold that much, and often would not stand up to holding that amount of liquid.

4 gallon trash bag

These small boutique trash cans are the workhouse of the home. Found in nearly every room, some people opt to not put any bags in them at all. However, a small 4-gallon bag will do nicely. It will keep your can clean and leave plenty of room to tie the bag shut before putting it out to the curb in your larger trash bin.

8 gallon trash bag

Commonly referred to as the kitchen trash bag, the 8-10 gallon bag can be found in every home. Big enough to hold food and refuse from a couple of days of cooking, it is also small enough for anyone to carry out to the trash bin – even your youngest helpers. And it fits comfortably under most kitchen sinks.

12-15 gallon trash bag

This work room or garage trash bag is perfect for hearty use. It can hold a lot of trash from several projects, or one big one. Watch out, though. When full, this bag can be a load to carry!

20 gallon trash bags and larger

Designed for heavier outdoor or industrial use, bags are made to fit receptacles of nearly every size. These can hold bags within a bag, and are often used as liners rather than trash bags. That is, they are used to keep the bin clean while other smaller trash bags are placed inside then dumped into garbage trucks or dumpsters.

Remember: bagging your garbage is a good choice for keeping your trash bins clean. Check with your community guidelines about which kinds of garbage bags are acceptable at your waste site.

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

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Spring time is almost here, and the warmer weather might be pushing you to attend to your yard for the first time since the first frost. This might seem like a daunting project, but there are several easy and fast ideas that will transform your outdoor space.

The first thing that might help bring your yard back together is a fresh layer of mulch on any showing dirt or garden space. The topsoil or leftover mulch from the previous spring might have lost its color, evenness, and spread, making now the perfect time to put some more down. Taking the time to rake out a couple bags of fresh mulch throughout your garden will not only add vibrancy, but also protect the soil from coming rain.

Before putting down mulch, consider going to your local flower and plant shop to purchase a couple of both ground plants and pots. These in combination with the mulch will put the color back in places that used to be covered with snow and ice.

Adding vertical components to your yard such as trelicases will also add visual depth to your backyard. These will allow vines to grow upwards instead of out, controlling where your plants are growing and adding to the aesthetic at the same time. If you have a garden, you can use vertical features to make space for things like beans and cucumbers to grow as well.

If you have the space, digging a hole for a small pond may also be the cheap and easy landscaping project you are looking for. Nestling a plastic basin – bought from your local or chain hardware store – into a corner or along a fence will also begin to attract more neighborhood wildlife! You will soon notice birds, squirrels, and maybe even frogs and turtles gathering in your yard.

If you are looking for a way to repurpose things from your garage, painting rocks or old gardening tools (watering can, flow pot, etc.) and placing them tastefully around your yard can add a creative aspect to your outdoor space.

Though these are just the start of ways you can quickly and cheaply transform your yard after the long winter, the list of possibilities is endless. Regardless of what you choose, take the time to throw away or refurbish your old or worn items and refresh the view from your window!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is That Spill in My Garage?

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When it gets to be time to clean out your garage, and you have worked all day to get it cleaned out, you are likely to see something you haven’t seen in a long time: your garage floor.

And there you are likely to find a wide variety of spills and stains.

Here is a handy guide to the kinds of stains you might find, and how you should go about cleaning them up.

Gasoline

A common spill in the garage is gasoline. This kind of spill happens most often if you use a gas powered mower or trimmer.  These often require that you mix gas and oil in a separate container and then fill the mower or trimmer through a spout. Those spouts are prone to leak.

You will likely recognize the smell of gasoline stain. Sop up any excess fluid with a cloth or rag, then dispose of that in the trash after allowing the cloth to sit in a breeze to allow gasoline to evaporate. This will keep it from becoming a fire threat in your trash can. The remaining stain can be treated with kitty litter or sawdust which will help draw the remaining liquid out.

Oil

Another common garage spill is oil. This can happen the same way the gasoline spills happen, because many two-stroke engines require a mix of gasoline and oil, so these spills often happen together. Additionally, it can happen if you change your oil in your garage. It is not unusual for a little oil to get on the floor from a drip, or perhaps even a spill if you accidentally knock something over.

As with gas, you should sop up excess or standing fluid with a cloth, kitty litter, or sawdust. After allowing it to air out until the odor diminishes, you can then sweep it up into a trash bag and throw it away.

Windshield wiper fluid

A third, most common spill in a garage is windshield wiper fluid. This is frequently colorless, but might have a sweet odor, if you’re adventurous enough to have a sniff.

Cleanup is very straightforward, just sop up the excess with a rag or towel. Luckily this poses no threat in your trash.

If you are routinely finding these stains under your car, and you note that the spill returns after you have cleaned it up, the problem isn’t your garage, it’s your car. Take it to your mechanic to make sure that the leak can be fixed and it quits messing up the garage you worked so hard to clean!

Driveway stains. Photo by Jon Moore on Unsplash

 

I Found an Old Chemical Barrel Cleaning Out My New Property, What Do I Do?

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You are excited to get out into that  old structure on the back of your new property. There’s lots of junk in there: metal that would have to be scrapped, parts of things that crumbled or broke as you moved them. But you weren’t expecting this.

There under a tarp are a couple of barrels of some sort of liquid. Perhaps you can read the label or perhaps they are covered over with grime and dust from years of neglect. For some reason the previous owner could not dispose of what’s ever inside these barrels, or else they believed it would one day come in handy and kept it safe.

But now it is yours.  and you don’t know what it is.

What should you do?

esist your urge to see

First you have to resist your curious urge to check what is inside. It is natural to want to pry open the lid and have a look at this new mysterious liquid you own. You might be thinking to yourself, “How bad could it be?”

In actuality it could be really bad. After all there is a reason the previous owner did not dispose of it. It is possibly extremely hazardous material. Opening it could pose a hazard to you and others working in that area, and could even make the space uninhabitable.

Worse yet, some sealed materials deteriorate over time, and when you open the barrel, exposing them to oxygen could give them fuel they need to burst into flame.

Call the fire department

If the label on the side of the barrel is clearly labeled and  you can read the numbers,  you should call your local fire department and speak with a firefighter. This firefighter can tell you what exactly is contained in the barrel and what you need to do to safely dispose of it.

If the label on the side of the barrel can’t be read,  firefighters will respond to your location. They will bring the apparatus they need to investigate what’s in that barrel in a way that keeps everyone safe by preventing a fire or sickness from inhaling noxious or dangerous fumes.

It is easy to forget that firefighters strive to prevent problems rather than merely responding to them.  one phone call allows them to do their job and helps to keep you and your property safe.

Let firefighters tell you what is in the barrel. Picture by HafisFox via Pixabay.

 

Disposing of Your Artificial Christmas Tree Responsibly

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Your artificial Christmas tree may save you a trip out in the cold winter weather to cut down or purchase a living one, but after years of sweeping away the plastic needles you may be debating on if it’s time to let it go.

Before tossing it to the curb, consider two more eco-friendly avenues of disposing of your artificial Christmas tree:

Donate it!

Local charities may be open to accommodating your used Christmas tree. While finding ways to sustainably dispose of your tree are good options, donating it for reuse and repurposing is the most eco friendly! Charities such as Goodwill and Salvation Army are good options to start with, so long as your tree is in decent shape. You could also try online buyer-seller avenues such as Facebook marketplace.

Recycle/repurpose it!

While correctly recycling your artificial Christmas tree is a viable option, you should not throw it in with your regular weekly or bi-weekly recycling. This is due to a common component of artificial trees: PVC, a material that many recycling plants cannot properly process. If your city has the capability to process a wider variety of plastics, it is worth checking if they are also able to process your tree. Otherwise, err on the side of caution and call your local recycling center.

Your local recycling center may be able to accommodate a special pickup and disposal of your artificial tree for you. Call ahead to make sure this is an option, but it is likely that there is a source for properly recycling your artificial tree in your area. This will ensure proper handling and processing of the plastic. Before doing this, make sure that you have completely taken down all of your decorations, leaving a bare tree. Leaving non-recyclable items or that can’t be accommodated items on your tree can further disrupt the recycling process.

If neither of those options seem to be the right one for you, feel free to look for inspiration on other websites that give options for repurposing your tree and its parts. While the tree as a whole may not be fit for another year of Christmas/holiday celebration, smaller components like the base or individual branches may be able to be crafted into smaller mantelpieces, centerpieces, or door frame decorations.

Before hastily disassembling your artificial tree and throwing it away, there are many sustainable options you should consider before tossing it to the curb!

Dispose of your artificial Christmas tree responsibly.

Photo by Ryutaro Tsukata from Pexels

Why Trash Pandas Hate Big Daddy Dumpsters

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Recently our office was been getting a lot of complaints that were hard for us to understand. Literally hard to understand. The messages were a series of squeaks and growls. They were sometimes very short, and other times they filled our entire answering machine queue.

After weeks of this, we knew we had to get to the bottom of the phenomenon, so we took a tape to a local animal expert at the Cincinnati Zoo.

As she reviewed the tape, she created a list of possible suspects, and had it narrowed down to three or four finalists. Finally she asked, “What does your company do again?”

When we explained that we provided the area’s strongest and most reliable dumpsters for residential or industrial purposes, she nodded knowingly.

“You have yourself some angry raccoons.”

Photo by Dim Hou on Unsplash

Raccoons are trash pandas

Typically raccoons don’t care much about what you call them. Some people call them trash bandits because of the markings on their faces that make them look like they have tied a mask over their eyes.

Other people just call them vermin, because they can congregate around people and even thrive living off our waste products. These people assert that the movie “Over the Hedge” is a documentary, and that it accurately portrays the fact that it is nearly impossible to defeat a raccoon’s effort to get into your trash.

It was certainly a loving fan of raccoons that first called them “trash pandas.” For unlike other trash-eating animals like possums and rats, the markings and long fur on raccoons makes them appear cuddly and approachable, and in many ways like a small panda.

But why were the trash pandas pranking our office?

 

Of course, even though the specialist we contacted was able to identify the sounds as coming from raccoons, no one actually “speaks” raccoonese. Not even at the zoo.

We thought we would be left to speculate until recently Big Daddy Dumpsters actually hired a raccoon to appear in our ads. After a long day of shooting … err, he prefers if we say filming … our commercials, he opened up at the charcuterie table.

“Have you ever tried climbing into a Big Daddy Dumpster?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he continued. “Imagine if you were less than a foot tall. It’s impossible. You can’t eat like that. You can’t LIVE like that.”

So there you have it, raccoons hate Big Daddy Dumpsters because they are critter-proof.

 

This Spring, Host a Neighborhood Clean-up

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The snow has melted, the leaves are budding, and everyone in the neighborhood has fired up their lawnmowers and leaf blowers for another season of outdoor activity. You even see some new hardware on the block – Stan seems to have gotten a new push mower, and Michael’s apparently switched over to all electric tools.

Further up the street, Mrs. Cooper has plans to take out her trellis.

As you look at the clutter in your own garage, you realize that you might need a dumpster in order to get rid of all the crap you’ve accumulated over the years. The door you took out in the remodel? There’s no place for it in the house now, it is an orphan. That last 8 feet of quarter round? It’s now warped from being under the chicken wire. And the chicken wire? Bent and a little rusted from years of anticipation but no real duties.

Then a brilliant idea forms.

You could host a Neighborhood clean-up day

You’ve noticed that other people are in the same situation you are in. Their basements and garages are cluttered. (Well, not Trevor. Trevor’s is spotless, like everything else. But that’s how he deals with his own issues.) And they have projects they would like to do, but they just need a friendly shove in the right direction.

What if you announced a date, and got a few neighbors to go in on a dumpster for the neighborhood?

Suddenly you and your neighbors are sharing the cost of waste disposal, and providing a big push towards getting your neighborhood spruced up all at the same time.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Choose a date a month from now and circulate it through word of mouth or with a door flier
  • Ask people to let you know the things they hope to be able to throw away
  • Work with local re-use agencies like St. Vincent DePaul to set up a way to donate items that can still be used
  • Work with a Big Daddy Dumpster representative to determine the right size dumpster for whatever remains
  • Ask people to provide a contribution toward the dumpster.

When dividing the cost, don’t worry about precision and fair cost – you’ll never get the math to work out perfectly, and why would you want to? Instead, just ask people for what they think is fair. What you will find in the end is that you likely recover the full cost, and you have enough to buy food for a Saturday Evening cookout.

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