What is a Howard County, Maryland GREEN school?

"Since 1999, the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education has awarded Green School status to public and private schools, pre-K through grade 12, that pass a rigorous application process demonstrating their commitment to environmental curriculum and sustainability. Schools must apply for recertification every three years."

With support from teams of teachers, custodians, administrators, and staff at each school, students were able to accomplish some pretty impressive things, including:

• Giving presentations to faculty and staff, the school board, and the Howard County Council about Green Schools and the importance of saving energy;
• Conducting campaigns to increase home energy efficiency: An estimated 100 HCPSS families took the ENERGY STAR® “Change a Light” pledge to replace one incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb;
• Using the Green Schools Tool Kit, a collection of professional energy measurement tools, to investigate energy use – and waste – in their school buildings;
• Creating posters, movies, skits, and commercials to increase school-wide awareness about the importance of saving energy; and
• Writing articles about Green Schools for school newsletters and the Alliance’s Green Schools Gazette student newsletter.

Howard County's 2009 Green Schools are:

• Atholton Elementary School
• Centennial Lane Elementary School
• Dayton Oaks Elementary School
• Deep Run Elementary School
• Forest Ridge Elementary School
• Glenwood Middle School
• Hollifield Station Elementary School
• Longfellow Elementary School

Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-off Day in Howard County, Maryland

When: May 2nd, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Alpha Ridge Landfill Residents' Convenience Area
What: Howard County Residents can bring tires free of charge to be recycled. Up to 10 tires collected, one visit per resident & vehicle. This event is sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Environmental Service.

Note: Commercial vehicles and tires from businesses are prohibited.

For more information, Click Here

Looking for some "eCycling resources in Howard County

Howard County
A Better Way Computer Recycling
9633 Stirling Bridge Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
443-538-4286
www.abetterwayrecycling.com
Accepts computers, network equipment, servers, monitors, laptops, computer accessories,mainframes, printers. We have no landfill & no toxic export policies.

E-Structors
6660 Santa Barbara Road, Suite 25
Elkridge, MD 21075
410-379-3098
www.e-shred.com
Accepts Computers, Monitors, Printers, Electronics

Lazarus Foundation
10920 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-531-8485
www.lazarus.org
Accepts Used Computers

To learn more about what it is to be "green", visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com.

Is Your Toilet Paper Green?

Have you considered purchasing recycled-content bathroom tissues or paper towels when stocking up on these supplies for your home? According to Greenpeace’s recent release of its first Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide, “Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper—just once.” For complete story, CLICK HERE or Visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com for more recycling tips and information.

Plastic Bottle Recycling Increases

According to the 18th annual Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), plastic bottle recycling by consumers increased 115 million pounds in 2007. This 5.2 percent increase enabled the U.S. to reach a record high of more than 2.3 billion pounds recycled for the year. For complete story, CLICK HERE or or Visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com for more recycling tips and information.

GreenFest 2009 in Columbia, Maryland

GreenFest 2009
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
10:00am - 4:00pm
Howard Community College Burrill Galleria

SAVE THE DATE!
GreenFest 2009 "Energy and Water Conservation" will be held Saturday, April 4th, 2009 from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Last year was such a success that we already outgrew our space - GreenFest 2009 will be held at the Howard Community College in the Burrill Galleria. The event will focus on alternative energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and water reuse. As is our tradition, other “green” themes will also be featured, such as green buildings, green consumer products, green landscaping, wildlife and environmental education, and children's activities. One of the exhibitors will be greeNEWit.org which is a Diagnostic Energy Auditing Company here in Columbia, Maryland. For more information, CLICK HERE

Howard County Recycling Program

County Recycling Program participants may place their recyclables out all together. Metal cans, plastics, and glass bottles and jars can be combined with mixed paper and cardboard, without any need for bagging or binding the paper separately. A blue cart, bin or see-through bag is all you need. Yardwaste is still placed out separately. To see a video of the Elkridge recycling facility, CLICK HERE. For more information on recycling in Howard County, Visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com.

Howard County Recycle/Landfill location

Alpha Ridge Landfill
The Alpha Ridge Landfill, located in the western part of the County, is open to both residential and commercial customers. The public can dispose of recyclable materials, trash and household hazardous waste. A residents’ drop-off center is open Monday through Saturday for the public’s convenience. This section provides information on the landfill location, hours of operation, household hazardous waste drop-off, landfill permits, recycling center drop-off, prohibited items, community clean up, recycling and residential trash.

NOTE: The Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Center at the Landfill is open Saturdays, 8 am to 4 pm through November 2008. To get more information about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle, visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com.

Green Solutions September 17, 2008

You’ve heard about the problems, now learn about the solutions.

The Business Monthly and Susquehanna Bank present the first seminar in our Banking on Business Success Series: Green Solutions.

Keynote Speaker Stan Sersen, CEO and founder of the EnviroCenter and the Green Building Institute joined by a panel of industry experts will present:
- Options and opportunities for you and your business to become greener
- Tactics to lessen your carbon footprint
- Green choices that keep an eye on your bottom line!

Green Solutions
September 17, 2008
7:30 – 10 a.m.
The Gathering Place
$40 includes the cost of breakfast.

For more information or to register, CLICK HERE

How to recycle batteries

Okay how did we get from recycling plastic and paper to batteries? Well most people by now know how to recycle paper and plastic, but I never know what to do with batteries. Can you throw them away? is that illegal? Don't they have acid that can leak out and destroy things, like your radio if you keep them in there for 20 years? and what about rechargeable batteries? what's the story with them? So let's learn a little about this and this is the perfect time to feel free to chime in. Well come to find out that nowadays, most batteries don't really pose that great a threat to the environment like they once might have, because they contain much less mercury. But still some people want to do all they can, so if you must dispose of your battery the "eco friendly" way, here's what you can do. First there are local ways to dispose of your batteries. Check out Staples website for information on turning in batteries as well as other electronics. If you want to learn more about batteries and how to dispose of them, visit BatteriesPlus.com. To get more information on disposal of batteries, look at About.com which has a good breakdown for battery recycling options. If you just want to dispose of the battery, don't throw it in the trash can. To see what Howard County will accept at the landfill if you want to dispose of a HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) including batteries, click here to go to Alpha Ridge Landfill.

What can be recycled?

What can't? Just about anything really. Most people recycle plastic and paper/cardboard. But there are many other normal everyday items that can me recycled as well. One common one in the summertime is.....grass. That's right, did you know you could bag your cut grass and leave it on the curb where you place your plastic/paper recyclables, and the grass will picked up by a separate collector. You could also drop it off at Alpha Ridge Landfill Resident's Convenience Area. You can also include small brush/limbs, hedge clippings. But you cannot leave DIRT for recycle pick up. I don't think dirt is currently recycled into anything else. The County prefers you leave your grass in clear plastic bags, or trash bags left open so the collector's can easily see what is being left out and if it is for recycling. Howard County picks up weekly. Check your local listings. For more information, visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com or visit Howard County Government information about recycling.

greeNEWitFEST in Howard County, MD on July 19, 2008

greeNEWit FEST is an eco-friendly party in the park. There will be live local reggae music by KB Drive, great tasting local beer, wine and food from "on the fly".. In addition to greeNEWit, LLC the host energy auditing company, we will have other green companies set-up to promote their products, answer questions and share what positive changes they are making in our community. greeNEWit FEST will be a green event. Therefore we will run the entire event off of Solar Power. In addition we will promote a zero-waste initiative.

The reasons for this event are two-fold: raise money for the Green Building Institute and promote conscious interest in both our planet and global energy issues. This will be a fun-loving, laid-back event, and most importantly we plan on really soaking up the sun.

Entrance Tickets are $10 per person by mail or $11 on line. Buy your ticket here!

Drink tickets are $2 each. Call 443-668-7210 for ticket information.

So where to start....recycle what you use

Howard County Recycling Program

County Recycling Program participants may place their recyclables out all together. Metal cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles and jars can be combined with mixed paper and cardboard, without any need for bagging or binding the paper separately. One bin or see-through bag is all you need for your recyclable containers, mixed paper and cardboard. Yardwaste is still placed out separately. For more information, visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com

Let's start at the beginning

What is recycling?
Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the waste hierarchy. For more information on recycling, visit HowardCountyisGREEN.com

Welcome to HowardCountyisGREEN blog

What is HowardCountyisGREEN blog?

Here we will attempt to inform and educate what the "green" or "environmentally friendly" movement is about and how it affects individuals and businesses. We will also provide tips and information to help consumers and businesses utilize various "green" initiatives that will help the environment. We will try to explain it in easy to understand terms hat will assist you in your "live green" everyday life.

Our goal is two-fold:
1) to help consumers and businesses gain knowledge about how to consume less and recycle more.

2) to promote "green" related events, educational material, and educate consumers on environmental friendly products and services here in Howard County, Maryland.