The scope of the report includes the US market for building products that meet these definitions of ‘green’:

• made from salvaged, recycled, or agricultural waste content
• manufactured with resource efficient, environmentally friendly processes (minimize waste, energy consumption, pollutants)
• benefit the built environment (conserve enegy, reduce indoor pollutants)
• are recyclable at the end of their useful life

The goal of the report is to identify and prioritize business opportunities for providers of green building materials (and investors) that will increase over the next five years as green building technologies increase their market penetration.  It also offers profiles of the top companies in those markets. 

Buy the report or read more at www.bharatbooks.com

The 30,000-sf, $5.5 million structure at 1095 W. League City Pkwy. will serve as the company’s new headquarters.

Wood from sustainable forests, as well as recycled carpet and countertops, were used to complete the interior. A reflective roof and eight-inch thick concrete walls insulate the building.

Concave light fixtures maximize bulb reflection and allow the building to use fewer lights. In addition, large sun-reflecting glass windows let in natural light but prevent heat from entering the building.

“We’re trying to set an example on the island that green is feasible and effective in the long run,” said Hank Hodde, education director for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Galveston branch. “It has to be more than a fad. Energy resources are just going to continue to decrease.”

About 80 percent of waste that resulted from building the credit union was recycled.

Everyday, thousands of people buy and sell electronics. But sooner or later, that new cell phone, mp3 player or other gadget becomes outdated. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places where you can recycle electronics easily, which results in too many electronics ending up in landfills. Most people agree that recycling of electronics is important, but don’t know an easy way to make that happen.  Here’s a great site that takes moments to look up your old device and find out what value, if any it has.  You can ship it free to recycle, or sell or upgrade.  It’s easy, it’s green, it’s great!

Dell is also offering NextLife refurbished ink cartridges for many popular printer models that print up to 20% more pages than new, reduce waste in our landfills, and reduce resources used to produce new.  EPA estimates in 2003 said we dump 400 million cartridges into landfills each year.  If even 1% of that number was refurbished, it would be the equivalent in CO2 reduction of planting 15,000 trees.  That makes NextLife Ink cartridges a economically AND environmentally good choice!  Go to the Dell site and type in NextLife into the site search.

High percentages of asphalt and concrete can be crushed and reused, and in a place like Haiti, where importing of materials is expensive it makes economic sense as well as environmental sense. 

According to the report, in the U.S. sometimes disaster clean up crews are paid by the yard and so little effort is put into separating materials so that recyclables can be harvested to use again.  The economics of recycling C&D material vary depending on the nature of the project. The bigger the project, the better the economies of scale and Port Au Prince may prove to be huge. In the United States, recycled aggregate usually costs less per ton than virgin when buying recycled materials from another site.  In this case, where the city already owns the materials, the savings will be truly significant.

Read more at http://www.americanrecycler.com/0310/095haiti.shtml

Green Buying:  Smart buyers buy local.  Buy close to the source as much as you can for your holiday foods and gifts.  Keeping money local helps in many ways; it vastly reduces use of fuel for storage and transportation of food and goods.  It puts money in the hands of people who spend money locally, economically empowering the community where you live and work, thereby supporting schools, parks, and other public systems. 

 Green Gifting:  Think conscious consumerism here.  Thoughtful choices might include passing along something that you have loved to someone who would cherish it.  People love homemade consumable gifts, or homemade anything.  Give a Go Local card from AustinFarmersMarket.org that gives ongoing discounts with local businesses.  Give gifts that empower like minded folks.  How about giving someone a set of cloth napkins and a decorative holder to replace paper ones?  Wrap gifts in reusable gift bags or arrange items in a basket…

 Green Decorating: Think “reusable” with ornaments you buy, or go with a theme that includes items from nature; fresh greens, flowers, plants, pinecones.  If you are replacing lights, consider replacing with LED.  These festive lights have a much longer life span than incandescent lights. What’s more, they use up to 90% less energy, are non-UV emitting, and remain cool to the touch, so they’re safer than traditional lights. Put outdoor lights on timers to manage the energy use. 

 Green Waste Management: We generate so much additional waste with guest, gifts, holiday feasts!  Buy foods and gifts with less packaging when you can.  Make it easy to stick with recycling by having clearly labeled bins to show guests how that is handled in your home.  Use real dishes and cloth napkins; wean yourself from disposables.  Compost your kitchen scraps in one of the new under-the-sink systems. 

 Stanberry and Associates wishes you and yours  a green and festive, warm and happy holiday season!

As much as I would love to see the Beach Boys going door-to-door, asking people to recycle, what I mean by “help from the Beach Boys” is the great song that Mikey and Herb perform to the tune of “Sloop John B,” a song made famous in 1966 on the Beach Boys’ Pet Shop album.

This brilliant idea was created by Artisan Media Studios owners Don Hacker and Bob Ingraham, two San Diego entrepreneurs. Artisan Media Studios helps companies get the regional and national media attention that they deserve…and obviously they do it in the most creative of ways!

Click here for the snappy, happy little important message, and the rest of the article courtesy of Greenopolis!  http://greenopolis.com/video/singing-recycling-bins-create-their-own-tune

Protecting and preserving our resources is everybody’s job, and it relies on these R’s…reducing consumption, reusing what we can and recycling what is beyond reuse.

Learning the basics of the new three R’s is simple once you understand the benefits and follow some basic guidelines:

Properly dispose of your recyclable items to insure that they end up in the right place to be recycled, saving the energy and cost required to create a new can, bottle or paper cup. Simple fact: up to 75% of America’s trash can be recycled but current statistics indicate that only 25% is.

When we acquire and consume less, we reduce waste, helping us to become more environmentally conscious as consumers and citizens.

By reusing and recycling we reduce the impact upon our landfills. Which in turn helps to keep our planet safer and cleaner. Simple fact: toxins from garbage in landfills can leak and contaminate our ground water.

Recycling made Simple

      •  No need to remove stickers and labels from bottles, cans,
          jugs and jars
      •  Yes remove tops, metal lids, plastic lids, and caps
      •  No need to wash items clean
      •  Yes empty containers of food waste and no mold

Glass: all types

Metal: most cans, tins and aluminum foil

Paper: envelopes, boxes, magazines, newspapers, copy paper

Plastic: detergent containers, water bottles, milk jugs, food containers, most yogurt containers. For #3-#7 plastic types, check with your local facility.

Simplify by Reducing

Grocery Bags: Whether you chose paper or plastic in the past is not a concern. If you have either around still, reuse them. And for the future say no to both choices. Invest in reusable bags: canvas, mesh, cloth or even homemade bags are all environmentally friendly choices, not to mention more fashionable too.  Any Stanberry agent can give you a FREE reusable tote…

Water Containers: Just say no to disposable! It is recommended we drink 4-16oz bottles of water a day, that adds up to close to 120 disposable bottles per month. Quench your thirst and waste by investing in 3-4 refillable plastic bottles.

Reusable Coffee Mugs: No more double-cup plus a sleeve for the daily grind. Make it personal; purchase a reusable stainless or ceramic option to enjoy your cup-o-joe on the go.

And Lastly, Simply Reuse

Remember that great old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? We’ll it certainly still applies today; if you can’t find a place to recycle it, you can always donate it.

For further questions on recycling, the cans and cant’s or to donate specific items, try these sources:

      •  earth911.org
      •  obviously.com/recycle
      •  freecycle.org
      •  craigslist.org

Every act of conservation and caring matters. We hope the three R’s will become second nature in your everyday life.