http://www.cleangreenrush.org/CGR/Blog/index.cfm Greener Living for Rush County Indiana en-us Greener Living for Rush County Indiana Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Full Partner http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1234 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1234 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Danny Spears) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:00 CST Celebrate A Green Christmas with Clean Green Rush Green Christmas Decoration If you are at all artistic or crafty it can be great fun to make your own Christmas decorations, cards and stocking fillers. Here are a few ideas. Pine cones can be "improved" with a little paint, glitter or artificial snow. Just attach a small piece of ribbon with some hot glue. Homemade Christmas decorations such as stars and moons can be made for your tree with standard play dough or construction paper. Use cookie cutters or stencils for shapes. Be Creative! Send Green Christmas Cards. There are now lots of charities which sell cards for a variety of good causes. If you really want to by-pass all that envelope stuffing, send an e-card. This isn't so great if you like to display your cards, but it's a great way to be a little more environmentally conscientious. Homemade Christmas Cards are easy to make. Recycled coloured paper or card, glitter, scissors, glue pens or sticks and a few fancy coloured pens ar ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1254 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1254 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Danny Spears) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:00 CST Recycling Drop-off Containers At various times throughout the year it has come to the attention of Clean Green Rush that the recycling containers located next to Kroger and the Sheriff's back garage are being used to dispose of non recyclable garbage (i.e. lawn furniture, dirty diapers, wax faced cardboard, paper plates and utensils, styrofoam, used hamster bedding, etc). Dumping non-recyclable products (garbage and trash) into the recycling containers takes up valuable space for legitimately recyclable materials. As you may have noticed, the recycling containers are emptied three times a week yet are often overflowing with material. Eliminating non-recyclable materials in these containers will not only open up more space, but it will also reduce sorting and processing costs. Garbage and other non-recyclable items contaminates the collection and all of the contents become trash and increases costs, Because this is paid by your tax dollars, keeping costs low is critical to keeping the ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=977 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=977 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Carole Yeend) Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:00:00 CST Propane Cylinders and Small Tanks If you find a propane tank or cylinder of unknown origin, don't assume it is harmless. Exercise extreme caution. don't move it. and let law enforcement or your fire department know its location immediately. Also beware when purchasing a propane tank from exchange service without a close check of its condition. Methamphetamine cooks are buying propane tanks from the exchanges at Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc., and emptying them of the propane gas. Then they fill the propane tanks with anhydrous ammonia for using in their recipe for methamphetamine. After they are finished with the propane tanks, some cooks return them to the store. The stores refill the tanks with propane gas, unknown to them that the improper substance was inserted in the tanks, and sell them to their consumers. Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive and weakens the structure of the tank. It can be very dangerous when mixed with propane gas and hooked up to a grill, recreation vehicle, etc. You ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=966 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=966 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Carole Yeend) Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:00:00 CST Recycling Pizza Boxes Be careful when you recycle a pizza box. Since it is made from corrugated cardboard it seems like something Ithat should be recycled. Maybe. While the box itself typically is recyclable, once it gets soiled with grease or food that portion is no longer able to be recycled. In fact, if you recycle paper products, like cardboard, that have grease or food on them you can be doing more harm than good. Contaminated cardboard can ruin an entire batch of recycling. It can even increase the cost of recycling for a municipality because of damage to machinery, disposal costs for the non-recyclable material and wasted time, materials and efficiency. To avoid this problem and do the right thing with your pizza box, you can tear off any portion that has not been touched by food and recycle it. Be sure to tear off any adhesives that may be on the box (i.e. coupons or advertisements) because these can mess up the recycling process just like food. Source: www.Earth911.com (a re ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=942 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=942 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Carole Yeend) Thu, 14 May 2009 12:00:00 CST I frequently get calls about the disposal of household batteries. First a word of caution about any batteries: make sure the batteries are separated so that their terminal ends cannot touch as they might spark a fire. The risk is minimal; however the Departement of Transportation has very strict regulations about the shipment of batteries because the risk exists. Therefore it stands to reason to take a least a little caution while they are in your possession. You can drop each battery in a plastic bag or put a piece of tape (any kind) over the terminal. Little button batteries can be placed on a strip of tape and another strip of tape over the top. You devise whatever creative means you like to avoid the batteries making contact. This applies whether you are trashing or recycling. Residents are advised to dispose of Alkaline batteries (non-rechargeable) in their regular trash. This is a change in policy from previous years because now there is very little metal in U. S. made alkaline b ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=924 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=924 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Danny Spears) Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:00:00 CST Earth Day 2010 April 22 has been designated Earth Day around the world. However, let's consider a more inclusive community wide "Earth Celebration" in 2010. Clean Green Rush and the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) has determined April 22 - May 15, 2010, to be the time in which Rush County will celebrate the earth. The theme for this celebration is, "Living Sustainably in ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=868 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=868 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Carole Yeend) Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:00 CST February 21, 2009 was our last eScrap event where we collected 13,617 pounds of electronics for recycling. Many of you ask where we take them. This shipment (transportation courtesy of Fraley and Schilling Trucking, Inc) went to Recycle Force, LLC at 754 North Sherman Drive in Indianapolis. This group takes apart the items completely and recycles the material. The CRT tubes and television tubes are shipped to Arkansas to be incinerated in a special facility. This is a large part of the cost of recycling responsibly so these tubes are not packed in a shipping container and sent to China. Phones calls have been coming in two or three times a week asking when the next collection will be held. No date has been set yet. My best guess is sometime in mid-to-late September. The lack of storage space prevents us from accepting them at our Tox-Away Center day (the first Saturday of each month). P. S. Click on the link to Recycle Force, LLC to learn more about this interesting group. The electr ... http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=2 http://www.cleangreenrush.org/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=2 recycle@rushcounty.in.gov (by Carole Yeend) Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:00 CST SHARING THE GREEN Living in a more environmentally friendly way is a choice many of us are making. Even I am amazed how little effort some of these changes require. The challenge for me is remembering and practicing until the change becomes a habit. We "old dogs" can learn. And, you need not feel like you must do everything green. Rather pick and choose what works best for you. Today I received my January/February 2009 copy of Indiana Living Green, a hoosier's guide to a sustainable lifestyle. This magazine is published by Lynn Jenkins and edited by Jo Ellen Myers Sharp. You can read their publication online at www.IndianaLivingGreen.com or take a regular subscription. Topics in this issue include articles on wind power, saying 'I Do' to green weddings, and no idling anytime. Lynn has a weekly segment on Fox 59 morning show and gardeners will recognize Jo Ellen from her gardening columns in the Indianapols Star. Have you found a website or a publication that others might enjoy? Perha ...