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.