So You Want to Go Green?

Learn how to Go Green at home and at the office, and why!

What's the Problem?

The world's population is growing faster today than it ever has before. Due to the fast growing population, many of the world's natural resources are shrinking in size, and some have already been depleted. People want the same type of future for their children and their grandchildren, but if we hope to give them that then we must take care of our air, our water, and our fuel sources (Go Green Initiative). Everyday we throw away household items that contain dangerous chemicals that can be extremely harmful to our environment. There are so many different things that each and everyone of us can do to help out the environment, and in the long run, it would make all the difference for future generations. Recycling and making some tiny adjustments to the way you operate at home, at work, and even at school can help out our environment tremendously. It is not just us as individuals who are helping, but also waste management companies are helping too.

5 Go Green Tips

G enerate compost.

R ecycle everything.

E valuate.

E ducate.

N ew forming habits.

(Go Green Initiative)

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Companies are helping too!

Landfill Gas to Energy	Recycling	Waste-to-Energy
Landfill gas is a renewable energy source, which has the power to generate tons of energy, and by using the landfill gas energy, it helps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Waste Management, Inc.). Landfill gas is also great, because the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has now endorsed landfill gas as an environmentally smart alternative energy resource, which helps reduce our dependance on fossil fuels (Waste Management, Inc.). The process: As organic waste decomposes in a landfill, it naturally emits methane gas, which can be harnessed for use as an energy source, such as wind. The harnessing is made possible by drilling a series of collection wells into the landfill. The methane gas is then captured to use as an alternative fuel. The captured gas can then be used to generate electricity for homes or it can be piped offsite to be used as an alternative fuel source. (Waste Management, Inc.)	Recycling is one of the fastest and easiest ways that an individual can help to improve our environment, and it is almost effortless! You can do one of two things: 1. Contact a recycling company near you and sign up with them. They will then give you a recycling bin, which you can then use to put glass, plastic, paper, metals, and all cans! You can even recycle electronics as well! 2. Collect all of your recyclables and bring them to a recycling plant nearest you! Did you know that... One glass bottle will power a computer for twenty-five minutes. Recycling all plastic drink bottles and jugs helps to save energy to power homes. One aluminum can saves as much energy as it takes to run a television for three hours. (Waste Management, Inc.)	The average person generates about 4.5 pounds of waste per day, which can be reused to generate power (Recovered Energy). Waste-to-energy plants currently process over 30 million tons of trash each year, or about 14% of America's solid waste. These factories work in 3 different ways: The Mass Burn Approach (MB): The plants generate electricity and/or steam from waste by feeding mixed municipal waste into large furnaces which burn trash and produce power. The Refuse-Derived Fuel Approach (RDF): The plants remove recyclabe or unburnable materials and shred the remaining trash into a uniform fuel. A furnace may be located on-site to burn fuel and generate power. Modular Plants: These plants are similar to MB plants, but they are smaller and can be quickly assembled where need be. (Recovered Energy)

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10 ways to Go Green at home
(Tagore)

10 ways to Go Green at work
(Hattam)

Change Light Bulbs

            - Use compact flourescent bulbs (CFL) to save energy and money. CFL's convert
most of the energy they use into light energy instead of heat.
     2. Unplug Things That Glow
            - Unplug anything that has an LED that glows after you turn it off. This includes the
computer printer, the television, and even a cell phone charger.
     3. Recycle Electronics
     4. Audit Your Energy
            - Helps you to know where exactly your using all of your energy at home. Auditors
can be found through your utility company, or an auditor can be hired, but that is
more expensive. An energy audit could save someone up to 30% on their utility bills.
      5. Support Local Farmers
            - Buying fresh foods from a local farmer is not only fresher, but you are helping save
energy too. Food delivered to grocery stores wastes so much gas and money and is
terrible for our environment.
      6. Fix the Drip
            - Make sure to check and repair all leaky faucets and/or toilets, because a dripping
faucet can waste up to 74 gallons of water a day, and a leaky toilet can waste up to
200 gallons!
      7. Let the Grass Grow
            - Spending less time maintaining the lawn gives it time to grow and absorb maximum
sunlight in order to stay green and healthy. Spending less time on the lawn means
you do not need to waste as much water on it.
      8. Check for the Label
            - When replacing or purchasing an appliance, choose an Energy Star label. Energy
Star's appliances are all guaranteed energy-efficient.
      9. Do Full Loads
            - It wastes so much water when only a few things are thrown into the laundry, so to
save water and energy, make sure to wash with full loads of clothes.
     10.   Become Friendly With the Backyard
            - Having birds and little bugs in your backyard is a great thing, because they help
maintain the rest of the unknown to you ecosystem. Just make sure to have out a
bird bath with water and food.

Be Smart About Lighting

            - Try to remember to turn off the lights when leaving a room, and try to use as much
natural light as possible.
     2. Maximize Computer Efficiency
            - Try to make it a habit to turn off the computer and the power-strip it is connected to
when you leave the office for the day.
     3. Print Smarter
             - Utilize both sides of the paper, and print in black and white whenever possible.
   Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of
   post-consumer recycled content.
     4. Don't Print If You Don't Have To
              - Think before you print! If it can be saved on the computer or viewed via email, do
   not print it out and waste more paper. Post policies and such things online for
   employees to view, versus a printable copy.
     5. Recycle It All
              - Try to recycle everything that your company uses. All the papers, ink cartridges,
old computers/televisions, old cell phones, envelopes, magazines, and anything else
you have at the office. It is also good to have recycle bins around the office.
      6. No More Name Brand
               - When ordering office supplies or furniture, make sure it is made from recycled
material.
      7. Watch What and How You Eat
               - Bring your own coffee mug and utensils for office meals, and have reusable plates
   and such out for use. Also, providing filtered drinking water helps reduce the use
   and need for plastic bottled water.
      8. Rethink Rentals
               - Use busses, trains, or subways while traveling for business instead of renting a car.
   Try to invest in videoconferencing to reduce employee traveling.
      9. New Ways to Commute
               - Carpool, bike, walk, or take the transit to work instead of driving your own car by
   yourself. It helps to cut down on gas emissions in our atmosphere.
    10. Have a Healthy Office Environment
               - Use nontoxic cleaning products, and put plants in your office space, because they
   help absorb indoor pollution. Buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of
   volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Works Cited Page

Brianna Nicole Halpern. bh01480@georgiasouthern.edu. Published 11 November 2008.