Earth Day Tips

1. One pint of motor oil dumped into a storm drain can create a one-acre oil slick on open water. Oil slicks harm wildlife and foul our water source for drinking and swimming. If you change oil yourself, drain the used oil into a clean milk jug using a funnel. Take it to one of the many oil-recycling centers in the area. Every gallon of oil you recycle saves 42 gallons in crude oil. To find out more about where to recycle your used motor oil, call Durham Stormwater Services at (919) 560-4326. Your choice matters.

2. Thinking about spring-cleaning? While cleaning your home, you may be unintentionally fouling the air, water and soil around your home. For cleaner conditions indoors AND outdoors, keep these tips in mind: Avoid cleaners containing phosphates - they can cause algae blooms in our rivers and streams, which can ultimately kill marine life. Minimize the use of chlorine bleaches, which can create toxic compounds in wastewater. Buy concentrates, refilling your spray or squirt bottles. Use non-toxic alternatives such as baking powder for scouring and white vinegar in water for floors and windows. Make cleaner choices for a healthy environment.

3. Have you seen anyone dumping used motor oil, antifreeze or transmission fluid down the storm drains or on a vacant lot? What about paint products, bug spray or other hazardous waste? Not only is this dangerous, it’s illegal! These are toxic wastes and need to be disposed of properly to prevent poisoning our drinking water supply. Help protect our groundwater and waterway habitats by bringing your household hazardous waste to local collection sites. Call 287-8051 for 24 hour Household Hazardous Waste information or visit the Triangle Region Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program website.

4. Thinking about a new car? How does 50 miles to the gallon sound? Consider a gas-electric hybrid when thinking about your next vehicle purchase. These vehicles combine gas engines with electric motors. By getting more mileage per gallon, you’ll save gasoline and money! On top of the money you’ll save on gas, you’ll save money on your taxes - hybrid cars can earn you up to $2000 in tax deductions! You’ll be saving gas and money, reducing air pollution, and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

5. Does your lawn have a drinking problem? You can help put and end to your lawn’s expensive binging. Start by curbing its thirst: Only water your lawn once a week. Apply about one inch of water, slowly and deeply. Be sure to water your lawn only before 10am or after 6pm, never in between, to prevent excess evaporation. Not only will your lawn thank you, but you’ll also be saving precious drinking water and money! Visit the City of Durham's Water Conservation Pages for more information.

6. Trying to decide what to do with your leaves, grass clippings and garden "waste?" Do your yard and our landfills a favor by composting and mulching. This natural fertilizer will improve your garden soil’s fertility and will help to retain soil moisture. Remember that it’s best to keep your lawn 2 inches long and to leave your grass clippings where they’re cut. Have your soil tested for free at the Cooperative Extension Office to see exactly what it needs to support healthy plants and grass. You will be saving money on fertilizers while you help reduce the amount of garden clippings clogging our landfills.

7. If you’re putting too much fertilizer on your lawn and garden, you might not only be wasting time and money, you may also be stunting the plant’s growth as well as contributing to the pollution of our local streams and river like the Eno. To find out how much fertilizer and lime your soil really needs to thrive, ask your Cooperative Extension agents to give you a FREE soil test kit. Help keep our waterways and reservoirs clean and healthy, and minimize your fertilizer use!

8. Did you know that it is the law in Durham to recycle? You must recycle aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, newspaper, and corrugated cardboard. Residents and businesses may be issued citations for not recycling. If you are a City resident and you need a recycling bin or if you are a business and need advice on how to start a recycling and waste reduction program, call the City's Department of Solid Waste Management at 919.560.4185 or visit their website.

9. Burning leaves produces pollutants that can harm your health. Instead, build a compost pile for leaves, kitchen refuse, and other natural debris. By recycling kitchen and yard wastes, you’ll keep this "garbage" out of the world’s overflowing landfills! And if you’ve ever thought of having a small garden or even a houseplant, you’ll end up with a fantastic supplement for the soil as wastes biodegrade and create compost rich in nutrients. Want to know more? Visit the City of Durham's Composting Pages.

10. Not only does junk mail clog the postal system and create a nuisance for you, but it also uses up valuable natural resources and contributes to pollution and litter problems. For every ton of paper generated in the form of junk mail, 17 trees are destroyed. Tons of junk mail goes to landfills around the country every day, depleting precious landfill space. To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, contact the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service and the major credit bureaus and request to be removed from their mailing lists. Visit the State’s Division of Pollution Prevention website to get more details and contact information.

11. Every day, Americans spend an extra dollar more for every $10 they spend on groceries. Why? To pay for the boxes, bags, and other packaging that those products come in. Here are some tips on how to keep the cost and waste down: Bring your own reusable bag to the grocery store. Buy your food in bulk instead of individual servings so that you cut down on waste from packaging. Use reusable containers for leftovers and for your lunch bag. Finally, cut back on fast food meals: they pollute more than your arteries!

12. Did you know that the US produces half of the world’s garbage, but has only 6% of the world’s people? In the US, each person generates about 4.3 pounds of trash a day. For a family of four, that’s more than three tons of trash each year! Here’s an activity to do with your family: Have your kids hold on to all of the trash they generate in the course of one day. At the end of the day, look through it and talk about what can be recycled and what is simply waste, and what trash could have prevented by using reusable containers? Remember: there is no "away", so start recycling today. Want to know more about recycling? Visit the City of Durham's Waste Reduction pages.

13. Did you know that toilets are the most common source of household water use? A leaking toilet can waste more than 150 gallons per day! Although you may not see or hear water running, your toilet may have a silent leak. To test for a silent leak, drop a little food coloring into the tank. Wait for about 20 minutes, and don’t flush. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a leak. These leaks are easy to fix with parts from you local hardware store - make the repair and save water and money! Want to know more about water conservation? Visit the City of Durham's Water Conservation pages.

14. Transportation consumes about 25 percent of the total energy used in the United States. Carpooling to and from work and other activities with people that live in your neighborhood vicinity can save you money by lowering your vehicle maintenance costs, while it also reduces traffic congestion, helping keep air pollution down - not to mention your stress level! The average commuter can expect to save $300 to $1000 a year in transportation expenses by participating in a rideshare program. So try carpooling and be part of the solution to air pollution!

15. Most of us rely on our cars for transportation, but there are simple things we can do to be more environmentally friendly drivers when we do. First, avoid revving or idling your engine over 30 seconds. Always accelerate gradually, maintain the speed limit and use cruise control on the highway. Avoid waiting in long drive-through lines - turn your car off and go in. Minimize use of air conditioning if you can. Use an energy-conserving grade of motor oil and get regular engine tune-ups, and don’t ignore "check engine" or "service engine soon" lights. Fill your gas tank during cooler evening hours to cut down on evaporation, avoid spilling gas and don’t "top off" the tank.

16. Is your water bill getting out of hand? Take control and start by taming your outdoor water use. Only water your lawn once a week. Landscape your yard with attractive drought-tolerant plants and use mulch to help retain soil moisture. Make sure that sprinklers are watering only the landscaping, not the driveway, sidewalk, or street. In just a few simple steps, you’ll be saving money and water! Want to know more about water conservation? Visit the City of Durham's Water Conservation pages.

17. To conserve water in the bathroom, try to take shorter showers, about 5 minutes. Want to do even more? Try a "Navy Shower." Due to a lack of fresh water aboard ship, sailors were taught to get wet, turn off the water, soap, lather, and scrub, and then briefly turn the water on to rinse - a good routine for all of us! As a part of the long-term solution, install water efficient showerheads. They deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less and are relatively inexpensive. Visit the City of Durham's Water Conservation pages for more information.

18. Use less stuff! There are many ways to reduce waste in your home. Use cloth towels and napkins instead of paper. Use washable utensils and plates instead of throwaway plastic picnic gear. Use a lunchbox and thermos for school or work. Share magazines and newspapers with a friend, neighbors, a nursing home, hospital or library. Donate used goods such as clothing, furniture and toys to a thrift shop, day care center, charity or second-hand store instead of throwing them out. Visit the City of Durham's Waste Reduction pages for more information.

19. Cleaning your car can actually dirty the water. Car wash waste contains dirt, oil, brake dust, rubber, heavy metals, and soap. These chemicals are all harmful to streams and lakes - our source for drinking water. If car wash wastewater flows into the street, storm drains carry the pollution directly to a nearby stream. Find a clean way to wash your car! At home, make sure the wastewater drains to a large area of lawn where it can soak into the ground. Or, visit a commercial car wash that treats and recycles the wastewater. Commercial car washes use up to 60% less water than do-it-yourself methods. Your choice matters.

20. If you care about clean air and clean water, get involved and make your voice heard! Let your elected representatives know that the environment matters to you! Write or email your local, state legislative, and federal candidates and tell them what you’re doing as an individual, then ask them how they plan to protect your health and the environment. Remember to vote and make your opinion count! Visit congress.org to find out how to contact your elected officials.

21. Not too far? Don't take the car! If it’s a short trip downtown or to a friend's house, don't drive. Instead, hop on your bike or simply walk! You'll be saving gas, reducing air pollution from your car's exhaust, and getting some exercise. Transportation consumes about 25 percent of the total energy used in the United States. When people drive, they are responsible for releasing harmful chemicals into the air. So combine all of your errands into one trip. Be part of the solution and cut down on the amount of driving you do on a daily basis by carpooling, walking, or riding a bike.

22. At the office, each of use can do a few simply things to help conserve energy. Start by turning the lights off when you leave the room for more than a few minutes. Do not leave electric heaters on when not required. Turn off your computer, monitor and lights when you go home for the day. Dress yourself for variations in indoor temperatures. And if you're the last person out at night, turn off the lights, printers, and photocopiers. Less electricity will be used, less coal will be burned, and less pollution will be released into the air. Remember that conserving energy begins with each of us, and you can make a difference!

23. Here are a few simple tips on how to save water in the kitchen: Only run your dishwasher when it’s full. Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water whether it’s full or just partially full of dishes, so make the most of it! If washing dishes by hand, fill the sink and use a stopper instead of leaving the water running. Keep drinking water in your refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water cools down, and thaw out food in the refrigerator or in the microwave oven instead of under running water. Learn more about water conservation.

24. Here are some no-cost tips on how to conserve energy in your kitchen everyday: Use the right size pot or pan on the stove for the item you’re cooking. Don't preheat your oven except for baking, and cover pots and pans when cooking. Set the refrigerator's temperature to somewhere between 36° and 39° F, and the freezer to somewhere between 0° and 5° F. Make sure to clean the refrigerator coils and switch the refrigerator to its power-miser setting. Finally, turn your water heater down to 120° F. Remember that conserving energy begins with each of us, and you can make a difference!

25. Here are some tips on how to help save water in the laundry room: always select the proper water level for laundry. With most washing machines, you can control the amount of water used for each load. And did you know that a front-loading washing machine uses 1/3 less water than a top-loading machine? To save energy, use cold water for wash, and try to wash full loads. Remember that conserving water and energy begins with each of us, and you can make a difference.

26. Have you ever wondered what to do with things like old appliances, bicycles, computer equipment, scrap metal, and mixed paper? Much of what you may consider trash may be someone else’s treasure. You can visit the A to Z Recyclery on the City of Durham’s website to find out ways to donate or recycle items that cannot be collected curbside in your recycling bin. You’d be surprised at what can be donated or recycled at many Triangle locations. The A to Z Recyclery can tell you how.

27. Do you have a pest problem in your home or garden? Think twice before you spray a pesticide. Pesticides are poisons! Is the weed or insect problem really worse than the poison to you and your family? Find out everything you can about the pest. Make sure to try natural solutions first. Chemicals should only be used as a last resort, after you have learned all you can about the chemical and its effects on your health. For more information about natural alternatives to pesticides, contact the Agricultural Resources Center at (919) 967-1886 or visit www.ibiblio.org/arc/.

28. Did you know that one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in only 7 years? Or that one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only 6 years? Every year, between 8 and 10 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters. Sadly, most never find homes. Too many animals competing for too few good homes is the most obvious consequence of uncontrolled breeding. Stray dogs and cats pose a threat to public health and property. Low cost spaying or neutering is a solution to pet overpopulation and is available at most shelters.

29. Did you know that the average vegetarian lives six years longer than the average meat-eater? While wheat gluten might sound foreign to you, meat substitutes are nothing new. The Chinese were eating tofu more than 1,000 years ago, and the earliest meat alternatives in the West were developed by John Harvey Kellogg. In the 1940s, meat substitutes gained wide popularity as a penny-pinching alternative during wartime. In the '60s, they became a big hit with "flower children," and today are earning a permanent place in today’s health-conscious cupboards.

30. One of the best ways to help the environment is to learn more about your surrounding ecosystems. Local nature centers can make environmental education fun - take a hike, go on an animal watch, or have a simple picnic. Spending time outdoors will give you a better look at the natural world around you. Having knowledge about local plants and animals and your impact on these habitats will allow you to make more informed decisions. Contact your local parks and recreation department to find out about the nature programs that are available. In Durham, visit http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/parks/education.cfm.