Green Tips


There are many things that you can do to help reduce your impact on the environment. Please read through these tips- they're easy and very effective.

  • Things You Can Do Now
  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Energy Saving
  • Green at the Office
  • Recycling at Home
  • Electronics and Computers

    • Things You Can Do Now

    REDUCE PACKAGING:

    • Look for products that have minimal packaging, or packaging that is recyclable, or contains recycled materials.
    • Buy in bulk
    • Instead of buying new wrapping paper , reuse paper or find creative ways to wrap presents.

    AVOID USING DISPOSABLE CUPS:

    • Use a refillable mug at coffee shops. Some companies will even give you a discount! Espresso Royale - $0.25 discount! Starbucks - $0.10 discount!
    • *Use a refillable water bottle (like a SIGG) instead of plastic bottles
    • Compared to PET disposable plastic, ceramic and glass cups reduce water pollution by 99% and solid waste by 86% and 88% respectively.
    • Avoid using (and/or reusing) #1 and #7 plastics (number is on bottom of container). These bottles contain the harmful chemical BPA.

    REDUCE ENERGY USE:

    • Turn off appliances such as TVs, stereos, computer monitors and printers when you are not using them.
    • Unplug your chargers! Chargers use energy even when nothing is plugged in.
    • Turn off lights when you leave the room and take advantage of natural light as much as possible
    • Look for the energy star on appliances
    • Use florescent lightbulbs, but make sure you recycle them when they are done!

    REDUCE PAPER:

    • Print drafts on scrap paper
    • Make double-sided copies
    • Buy post-consumer recycled paper
    • Stop junk mail! Request that organizations withhold from selling your name to others. Write to:

      Mail Preference Service
      Direct Marketing Association
      P.O. Box 9008
      Farmingdale, NY 11735

      Here's an example of how your request should read: 

      Please remove my name and address from your mailing lists.

      Name:
      Address:
      Signature:
      Date:

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    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

    REDUCE
    Reducing how much you buy and consume has the biggest impact on how much waste you produce. Reduce is the first step because it is the most important one.

    • Buy less-use what you already have, borrow someone else's, or buy used products
    • Reduce packaging-choose products with minimal packaging and/or packaging that can be recycled (buying in bulk usually reduces packaging)
    • Avoid disposable and buy durable-always choose products that you can use more than once
    • Good: refillable water bottles, travel mugs, real dishes, silverware, real cameras, rechargeable batteries, reusable cleaning products
    • Bad: plastic bottles, paper and styrofoam cups, paper and plastic plates, plasticware, disposable cameras, regular batteries, one-time use cleaning products

    REUSE
    REUSE Before you throw something away or recycle it, try to reuse it in some way: Be creative! There are tons of ways to reuse things in unexpected ways

    • Wash out plastic food containers and use them for storage
    • Check out Craftster or ReadyMade for some ideas on how to turn everyday items into jewelry, bags, furniture and more!
    • Let someone else reuse your things for you by donating or selling them
      Go to the Links page for places to do this

    RECYCLE
    Recycling saves resources and energy. After you've reduced and reused, don't forget to recycle!

    Go to Earth911 to find out where to recycle things that BU does not currently accept for recycling

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    Energy Saving Tips

    Coming soon...

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    Green at the Office
    Reduce unnecessary energy consumption from office equipment:

    Computer monitors: A Lawrence Berkeley Lab study in 1999 approximated that one computer and monitor left on overnight is responsible for powerplants emitting nearly one ton of carbon dioxide per year! If every computer and monitor in the US were shut off overnight, 8 large powers stations could be shut down and 7 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted! Avoid the myths and shut your computer off.

    Myth: You waste more energy when you shut your computer off

    Myth: Screen savers save as much energy as turning off your computer Shut your computer off if you will be gone for more then two hours (like overnight!)

    Myth: You will lose important data when your computer goes into sleep mode. Enable the sleep feature for the monitor and not the computer's CPU

    Printers: Get the right one for the right job and save energy - printers with a duplexing mode can save around $30/month in paper costs! Ink Jet require only 10-15 watts slower speed, but the energy savings is great if you're only printing drafts and other documents of that nature

    Laser Printers: Energy star printers automatically switch into standby mode and save 65-75 wattswhile in standby, they emit less heat, and therefore decrease costs of air conditioning.

    Also: Remember to turn off your printer when you are not using it.

    Copiers: Energy Star models automatically go into standby mode and can reduce electricity use by over 60%

    Faxes: Energy Star models cut energy costs by up to 50% by going into standby

    Reduce Paper Use: The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per year - 10,000 un-used papers creates a stack 4 feet high and weighs 100 pounds. Given that most paper is used in offices and paper comprises 40-50% of landfill trash, offices should do their best to reduce paper consumption! One of the best ways is to move towards becoming a paperless office and create hard copies only when necessary.

  • Edit documents on screen
  • Print e-mails and webpages only when necessary
  • Use a stick-on label on the first page of fax, rather than a full-page cover sheet
  • Make double-sided copies and set the copier to the duplex mode to reduce energy. Mentor Graphics in Oregon created a policy in which all copy orders would be double sided unless specific requests were made for single sided orders. They also encouraged employees to make double-sided copies by putting up posters in the copy room. In one year they decreased copy paper use by 35% and saved more than $15,000!
  • Buy unbleached paper and reduce the amount of chlorine that gets into the environment
  • Buy post-consumer recycled content paper
  • Recycle ink cartridges and copy toners. To recycle your ink cartridges and toners, please fill out a form for pre-paid packaging. These common office items can release dangerous chemicals into the environment if they are not disposed of properly.

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    Recycling at Home


    Enjoy the off-campus community and take advantage of services the city of Boston offers, such as Curbside Recycling or food composting bins. You can make a huge difference recycling at home. For example, if just one household reduced its waste by 5% and recycled what remained, 309 pounds less of carbon equivalent could be emitted into the atmosphere! (EPA Climate Change and Waste Report).

    General Energy Saving Tips:

    • Make your house windpowered! Go to NStar for more information
    • Test your home for air tightness by holding a lit incense stick next to windows, doors, electrical boxes/outlets, plumbing and ceiling fixtures, etc. If the smoke travels horizontally, you have located an air leak. Contact your landlord and have him/her seal the leaks with caulk or weatherstrips
    • Cover windows with plastic cover in the window to prevent a draft
    • Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter. Turn it down when you are not in the house.
    • Make sure your landlord cleans or replaces filters on furnaces as needed
    • Keep baseboard heaters and radiators clean
    • Utilize natural heating and cooling mechanisms: keep shades open during winter days and closed during summer days
    • Consider using a fan in addition to an air conditioner to distribute the cooled air more effectively without increasing your electricity bill too much
    • Have your landlord insulate your hot-water storage tanks and pumps
    • Focus lighting on areas where you really need it, rather than trying to brightly light the entire room
    • Use energy saving lightbulbs
    • Wash clothes in cold water
    • Dry items at the lowest temperature
    • Dry items outside whenever possible
    • Clean the lint filter after every load

    In the Kitchen:

    • Only run the dishwasher if it's full
    • If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running between rinsing
    • Wash fruits and veggies in a basin rather than by letting the faucet run
    • Start a compost pile rather than using the garbage disposal and save LOTS of water. Learn how to start your own compost here.
    • Keep your fridge between 37 and 40 degrees F and your freezer at about 5 degrees F
    • Cover food in the fridge - uncovered foods release moisture and make the fridge work harder
    • Clean the coils on your fridge once a year
    • Look for blue flames in gas stoves - yellow flames indicate inefficient gas burning

    In the Bathroom:

    • Reduce the amount of toilet flushing. Use the old rule of thumb, "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down"
    • Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors
    • Put a brick or a plastic bottle filled with pebbles, sand, etc. in your toilet tank and save 5-10 gallons a day
    • Turn the water off when you brush your teeth or shave
    • Take shorter showers

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    Electronics and Computers


    Not sure when to turn off your computer? Read the Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy

    • Does the computer still work? Donate it! Try out different places like Computers for Schools which donates gently used computers to schools or National Cristina Foundation which donates computers to people with disabilities.
    • Don't throw out computer monitors or televisions. The screens contain hazardous materials like mercury and lead.
    • Staples will take old computer screens, cellphones and some electronics. Visit their website to find the closest store near year.
    • Take your broken iPod to any Apple Store and you'll recieve 10% off your next purchase!
    • When buying a new electronic (such as a DVD player or new sound system) make sure that the product has a "take-back" program. Companies like LG Electronics, Sony and Toshiba, will take back your used or broken products and recycle them for you.

      E-Tech Recycling (http://www.etechrecycling.com/)


      Phone:(503) 693-8939 or (703) 421-4340
      Fax: (503) 693-8939 or (703) 421-4340
      Address:
      1600 NE 25th Ave Suite E
      Hillsboro, OR 97124

      21580 Atlantic Blvd, Suite #120
      Sterling, VA 20166
      Note: Company capable of recycling computers, monitors, telephones, and related equipment, and various other electronic items.

      Genesis Recycling (http://genesisrecycling.ca/)


      Phone: (604) 533-2537
      Fax: (604) 533-2537
      Address:
      19632 40th  Avenue
      Langley, B.C. V3A 6L7
      Note: Company who's capable of recycling all types of computers, printers, monitors, phones, and numerous other electronic components.

      IBM PC Recycling Service (http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/products)

      Phone: (888) SHOP-IBM (Reference part number 06P7513)
      Note:IBM can recycle any manufacturer's PCs, including system units, monitors, printers, and optional attachments for $29.99 which includes shipping.
      Parts capable of recycling: any manufacturer's PC, monitors, printers, and optional attachments.

      Phone: (888) 452-5642 or (708) 756-9838
      Fax: (708) 756-4094
      Address:
      1001-59 Washington
      11th and Washington
      Chicago Heights, IL 60411
      Parts capable of recycling: All types of electronic equipment and material, including computers (mainframes, monitors, terminals, CPU's), printers, fax machines, modems, bridges, hubs, copy machines, consumer electronics (radios, CD players, dvd players, clocks, calculators, telephones, cellular phones), components, and various other types of plastic and metal.

      Phone: (408) 453-4511
      Fax: (408) 453-4511
      Address:
      Refer to web page (multiple locations)
      Note: Back Thru The Future Microcomputers is one of the largest computer recyclers in the United States and are a women's owned business. The company recycles microcomputers for corporations, educational institutions, government, and individuals. With millions of microcomputers being displaced each year by newer technology, Back Thru The Future has committed itself to finding uses for this older technology and preventing it from becoming a high tech waste.
      Parts capable of recycling: All computer equipment. For corporations, educational institutions, government, and individuals.

      Phone: (800) 711-6010
      Fax: (570)879-2008
      Address:
      Envirocycle, Inc.
      Rt. 81 Ext. 68
      PO Box 899
      Hallstead, PA 18822-0899
      Note: Envirocycle, Inc., a company of The Matco (Environmental Group) offers responsible asset reclamation and  disposition services to the electronics industry. In 1995 alone, Envirocycle dismantled over 465,000 monitors and 2,000,000 pounds of electronic equipment.
      Parts capable of recycling: All electrical components and Monitors.

      • Total Reclaim (http://www.totalreclaim.com/)

      Phone: (206) 343-7443
      Fax: (206) 343-7445
      Address:
      Total Reclaim Inc. Seattle
      2200 6th Ave. South
      Seattle, WA 98134
      Note: Total Reclaim provides environmentally responsible asset reclamation and disposition services to the electronics industry. Total Reclaim is the Pacific Northwest's largest electronics recycler, handling 9,000,000 lbs of monitors, televisions, and other electronics in 2004.

      Phone: (800) 323-1574
      Fax: (847) 455-3232
      Fax: (630) 231-6565
      Address:
      3700 North Runge Avenue
      Franklin Park, IL 60131

      1600 Harvester Road
      West Chicago, IL 60185
      Note: United Recycling is the disassembly and de-manufacturing operation of Untied Recycling Industries total asset recovery concept for environmentally safe disposal and recycling of excess, obsolete, or end of life commercial, industrial, military, and consumer electronic material.
      Parts capable of recycling: Computers and peripherals, cell phones, office, and telecommunication equipment, laboratory/medical equipment, and many other electronic materials.

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