Creative Ways to Re-Use Your Recycling

Incandescent Flower Vase

In fourth grade I was thrilled to learn that the school play we would be performing that year was called Planet Earth and that my friends and I would be singing songs about reducing, reusing and recycling. I was an eco-geek even as a child! My dad can tell you how annoying I was, hassling him about not using every last scrap of 2 x 4 from his construction jobs. When I looked at the overflowing dumpster I was upset to know that it was all just going to the landfill to sit in perpetuity  But the lessons I learned in the fourth grade have stuck with me, and I still try to prioritize Reducing first, Reusing second, and Recycling third.

The City of Durango implemented a Single-Stream Recycling program on February 4th, and now city residents can recycle a much wider variety of plastics, paperboard, and egg & milk cartons. Make sure you sign up to receive a new recycling bin! I appreciate the City taking the steps to make recycling more efficient and comprehensive for our community. Don’t forget you can still reduce and reuse before the products eventually make it into the recycling bin.

To reduce your consumption of high energy fossil fuel products, such as plastics, consider bringing re-usable bags to the grocery store (yeah, we all know we should be doing this!), but are you bringing old shampoo bottles to one of our great natural food groceries to fill up on bulk shampoo?

Now let’s explore some of the fun and creative ways of re-using all kinds of products. Click on some of the links for Do It Yourself (DIY) guides.

I miss having a garden in the winter time, but a great way to have fresh, local greens in the winter and reuse plastic lettuce containers is to grow microgreens on your windowsill. Microgreens are packed full of nutrients and make the perfect addition to sandwiches, salads and soups! Key components are having a growing material, holes for drainage, plenty of sunlight and covering the seeds with a wet paper towel until they sprout.

Here’s a clever glass jar photo frame idea. Clean the label off a glass jar, stick a photo in it and turn the jar upside down. I think it adds a neat fish-eye effect to the photos too!

Have some old incandescent light bulbs? You may if you read our blog post from December comparing light bulbs. Use an old incandescent bulb as a flower vase. Be careful since you’re dealing with fragile glass! See instructions in the link, using a stronger wire if you want the vase to stand instead of hang.

Consider this nifty cork mat either for the front door or bathroom. Since these projects take a lot of corks, you’ll need to start throwing lots of dinner parties this winter or encourage your friends to start collecting their corks for you! Or if you only have a few, you can make a cork pot trivet instead.

I love this Jet Pack idea! I might use this for a future Halloween costume, even though I’m no longer in the fourth grade! Just take a couple two liter soda bottles, silver spray paint, red felt for flames, and some webbing or cardboard to use as backpack straps  and VIOLA, you’ll have Buzz Lightyear rocketing around the house in no time!

I’m not sure if you've ever shopped for cookie cutters at Williams-Sonoma before, but they can be very pricey! Here’s a simple way to make cookie cutters from soda cans. Heavy duty scissors for cutting and needle nosed pliers for bending should work quite well.

Now what to do with the extra shampoo bottles besides filling up at the co-op? Sailboats that will easily float in the bathtub! Make a sail out of straws and lightweight fabric, stick one end into half a cork with superglue, and secure the sail to the boat with rubber bands. Rubber Ducky watch out!

There are millions of inventive ways to reuse items before eventually recycling them. I hope this gets some of your creative juices going. Now get out there and make something! And fourth grade Sandhya wants to remind you to: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

About the Author

Sandhya Tillotson provides intake and outreach for clients in the weatherization program and performs coordination of weatherization projects. Originally from California, Sandhya earned her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Colorado College in Colorado Springs. After moving to Durango in 2010, Sandhya is thrilled to be working for a local environmental non-profit and spending her free time volunteering, running, biking, climbing and exploring the vast wilderness that makes up Durango's backyard.

I forgot to include the link for the cookie cutters: http://pinterest.com/ericalouise/recycled-and-diy-things-for-children/

Local Businesses Earn ‘Resource Smart Certification’ and Achieve Greater Efficiency in the Workplace

The Resource Smart Business Program (RSBP) is pleased to announce Durango Coffee Company and For the Birds are now Resource Smart Certified as ‘Ramping Up’ for upgrading their lighting and completing three RSBP assessments. A natural fit for the program, these businesses enlisted the help of the RSBP to make positive changes by reducing energy consumption, increasing worksite wellness and promoting sustainable business practices in the workplace.

Thus far, Durango Coffee Company and For the Birds have both upgraded their lighting to LED, resulting in annual savings of over $1,197 and $305, respectively. For the Birds is also working on installing more insulation and has updated their mission and vision to incorporate sustainability principles. By reducing operational costs, these businesses will see a return on their investment in just one to two years.

“It’s an honor to recognize these businesses for their efforts and accomplishments in striving to be ‘Resource Smart’,” said Gwen Lachelt, La Plata County Commissioner. “We look forward to supporting them and other local businesses as they reduce energy consumption and work toward long-term sustainable business development in La Plata County.”

Durango Coffee Company is conveniently located at 720 Main Avenue in historic downtown Durango. A local's favorite for over 15 years, serving Durango's freshest locally roasted coffee, the largest selection of fine quality teas, and an extensive selection of ever-changing kitchenware. 

“The RSBP has enabled us to reduce our energy use to improve our bottom line, as well as help our employees, customers and the environment,” commented Tim Wheeler, owner of Durango Coffee Company. “The $1,194 we are projected to save annually is good for our pocket book, and the 22,085 pounds of greenhouse gases we’ll prevent is good for our community and the earth. I recommend all businesses in the four corners area look to 4CORE and the RSBP for help in improving their resource efficiency and therefore their bottom line; they are a wonderful community resource.”

For The Birds is located at 1560 E. 2nd Avenue on the river trail at Rotary Park. For the Birds is Durango's own nature store. When you shop at this locally, owned independent business, you are helping support local nature education and conservation organizations. They provide space and program time for Durango Nature Studies, Bear Aware, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, and La Plata Open Space. They can be found on the web at www.forthebirdsdurango.com.

La Plata County businesses are invited to participate in the RSBP by applying online at resourcesmartbusiness.com. A total of 30 businesses are expected to participate and become ‘Resource Smart Certified’ by the end of 2013.

For more information or to apply for RSBP certification, please visit the website or contact Amanda Saunders with 4CORE at (970) 259-1916.

Taking Recycling and Recovery to the Next Level

Recycling, reuse and remanufacturing activities create jobs and can be done profitably and sustainably. The biggest obstacle to improving recycling locally is the limited availability of suitable land of sufficient size located close to Durango. To address this issue, a group of local business owners have spent several years planning a Resource Recovery Park. This project cleared its first major hurdle in December of 2012 when the conceptual development plan for the Resource Recovery Park was unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

Many municipalities have recycling, composting and scrap metal facilities but they are often in separate locations which makes it harder for a resident to “do the right thing.” The vision for the Resource Recovery Park (RRP) is to co-locate these services and then add other innovative components which will be unified by a common goal yet be composed of a wide range of businesses. The scope of activities, services and businesses will surpass anything else currently being done in Colorado, the Four Corners or the Rocky Mountain West. This will create jobs within the park, support new jobs in the community, and increase the awareness and image of our region, leading to increased tourism. In summary, the RRP will turn waste, which is an expense and a liability for our community, into marketable products that will dramatically increase local employment opportunities.

Americans are currently producing an average of 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day. In La Plata County alone, this means we are producing one ton of waste every 12 minutes, enough to fill more than 2,000 semi-trucks every year. When the waste from Archuleta and Montezuma Counties is included, we produce a ton of waste every 7.5 minutes, enough to fill 3,500 semi-trucks annually.

According to the EPA, the current average recycling rate in the United States is about 32%. According to a study conducted by Columbia University and Biocycle in 2007, Colorado has a recycling rate of 12.5%, the 12^th worst in the nation. This low recycling rate means that there is an abundance of valuable raw materials available. The RRP will recycle, repurpose, or reuse cardboard, paper, paperboard, cans, plastics, glass, wood, scrap metal, food waste, electronics, textiles, and other discarded items and materials.

Phase 1: Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

The main feature of this phase will be a mostly manual sorting facility designed to process residential co-mingled recyclables, commercial source-separated and co-mingled recyclables, construction and demolition waste, and other high-value waste streams where recyclable materials can be recovered that would otherwise have been landfilled. It is anticipated that mixed paper, cardboard, paperboard, plastics 1-7, tin, aluminum, glass, scrap metal, wood, asphalt, concrete, and drywall may be recycled. This facility will serve the five-county region of Southwest Colorado and provide a local, reliable MRF. The City of Durango has filled part of this niche for many years but will be unable to sort the recyclables they collect after they complete their remodel. This facility will meet the needs of county residents, local municipalities, and local builders/contractors.

Phase 2: Composting

A composting facility will receive organic materials from Durango and the surrounding areas via commercial collection and public drop-off.  These materials will be managed onsite using controlled processes to produce valuable organic soil amendments that will support local agriculture, gardening, landscaping, parks and sports facilities, soil reclamation and erosion control activities. Composting will be achieved using covered aerated static piles, vermicomposting, mycelium, turned windrows, an in-vessel system or a combination of these technologies depending on which prove to be the most appropriate for the site.  Materials processed will be comprised of mostly yard trimmings and source-separated food waste, which together make up 27% of the waste steam.  The compost facility will provide an opportunity to divert a large percentage of the waste stream from landfills, potentially doubling our community’s recycling rate, while directly and indirectly creating dozens of local jobs.

Phase 3: Metal

Durango and La Plata County produce approximately 10,000 tons of metal annually. Some of this is recycled in Farmington, Cortez or even on the Front Range, but much of this material is landfilled (at an expense) because there is no local scrap facility. This facility will purchase metals from the community, which will create jobs, reduce waste, and bring money into our community.

Phase 4: Green Business Incubator

This phase will encourage and facilitate green-entrepreneurialism. The main feature of the incubator will be facilities that provide relatively low-cost office, research, storage, and manufacturing space on a sliding scale to some permanent, but mostly start-up businesses that will utilize components of the waste stream as a basis for a business model. Fort Lewis College graduates, other community members, and businesses attracted from outside the region will have an opportunity to test their green business model in an established and supportive environment without a large financial penalty for failure. This will enable new businesses to take risks that would not otherwise be possible, creating new jobs and careers along the way.

The Resource Recovery Park is consistent with our community’s desire to minimize our environmental impact and promote economic development. The RRP will create a comprehensive development with flexibility in mind and enough space to meet our community’s needs far beyond our ability to predict what those needs will be. The RRP will be a long-term asset to our community by enabling, encouraging and facilitating recycling, re-use and remanufacturing businesses.

About the Author

Mark Thompson, founder of Phoenix Recycling, is working with Tim Wheeler of the Durango Compost Company to facilitate the creation of the Resource Recovery Park. Mark started Phoenix Recycling in 2000 in Durango, Colorado, offering recycling and waste collection,shredding service and co-mingled construction waste recycling.Phoenix won the "Green Business Leadership" award from the Durango Chamber of Commerce in 2004.

BP America Partnering with Local Energy Efficiency Organization

BP America is partnering with the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) and the La Plata Energy Council (LPEC) to host regional meetings that will explore   interest, viability, benefits and possible drawbacks of converting local vehicle fleets to run on compressed natural gas, or CNG.

The meetings come as falling price and reduced emissions of compressed natural gas (CNG) are prompting a discussion among local vehicle fleet managers about transitioning to CNG as a transportation fuel.

“BP America was a founding partner of our organization,” said Gregg Dubit, 4CORE Executive Director. “We look forward to facilitating the exchange of information through these regional discussions and exploring the many moving parts of CNG viability for fleets.” CNG is currently less expensive and burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, making it an affordable and environmentally preferred option for many fleets.

CNG meetings are planned to assess fueling, range, power, maintenance, return on investment, regulations, synchronization between vehicle attainment and fueling stations, and conversion of existing versus the purchase of new vehicles.

Guest speakers with expertise in these areas will be present to inform dialog among regional fleet managers. Fleet managers invited to these meetings include those from the City of Durango, La Plata County, Fort Lewis College, and Southern Ute Community Action Programs Road Runner Transit, among others.

A fleet manager survey is currently underway regarding CNG potential. 4CORE and partners will use this data to further dialogue, address issues, and collaborate on potential solutions.

To Kill A Watt

By Patty Dickinson

I have been interested in finding the kilowatt usage of some of the electrical items in my home. All you need is a "Kill A Watt" meter to do the testing. This handy little meter can be checked out from the Durango Public Library, La Plata Electric Association and the La Plata County Extension Office.

Note: If going to the library head for the Reference Desk. This is the first desk you come to after arriving on the second floor either by stairs or elevator. I recommend not asking at the information desk on the first floor (the first desk as you walk into the library), as not all employees are aware this handy item is available for check out. 

Instructions come with the meter but I also found the links here helpful along with this video.

This meter measures volts-amps (VA) (if appliance is on), watts, frequency in hertz, kilowatt hours (kWh) and phantom loads (if the appliance is off). I chose to do my experiment on phantom loads so I would know what appliances to leave unplugged unless in use. I thought that would be an easy way to start this experiment as I plan to do more later when I have more time so I can save even more money and be more energy efficient, which is my ultimate goal.

Once I started, I found myself really getting into this. I even had my son stop by to assist with a couple of these just for fun. Here are my results, and remember these are phantom loads (with the appliance off):

Appliance	Watts / VA	kWh/Hour
Stereo	121.7 / 0	0.0 / 0
Curling iron	19 / 22	0.0 / 0
Floor lamp	0.0 / 0.0	0.0 / 19.56
Small "touch-on" lamp	19.9 / 0.0	0.0 / 0.0
Food processor	0.0 / 0.0	0.0 / 7.43
Blender	0.0 / 0.0	0.0 / 3:43

Note that the longer the appliance is left connected the more accurate the reading. 
I have several zeros for kWh/hr because I just took an immediate reading.

Appliances that cycle such as refrigerators and freezers should be left connected for longer periods (one to seven days) to produce a more accurate reading. I plan to do more research on my appliances/electrical devices using the other categories on the meter. I also plan on doing the actual kilowatt usage when these appliances are on.

If you're into saving money...give this a try!! Have fun and Kill A Watt!!

About the Author

Patty Dickinson began an internship at 4CORE on Oct. 2nd this year sponsored by SCSEP (Senior Community Service Employment Program), a program to assist seniors re-entering the workforce. She came to Colorado in 1978 after graduating from a nursing program, fell in love with the state, went home to northern Illinois, packed her things, moved, and has been here for 34 years. She has worked as an administrative assistant for the State of Colorado and La Plata County after starting her career in nursing. Patty has an interest in resource efficiency and is very excited to be at 4CORE. When not training at 4CORE, Patty enjoys hiking, biking, wildlife observation, cooking, organic gardening and studying nutrition. She will begin working on her Nutritional Consultant certification and will be receiving that in the near future.

Solar Roadmap Unveiled in Southwest Colorado

The Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE), in conjunction with Optony, hosted a regional meeting on the Solar Roadmap in January, which identifies opportunities to improve the access of residents to solar energy. The Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative (SSTI) team, including 4CORE and Optony energy consultants, is helping local communities benefit from greater use of solar energy by developing tailored roadmaps for local jurisdictions identifying steps they can take to increase activity in the residential solar market.

For the past year, the SSTI team has been working with stakeholders in Pagosa Springs, Cortez, and Durango to evaluate the potential for development of residential solar power generation. The SSTI is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Rooftop Solar Challenge program, with a goal to make going solar easier and more cost effective across the U.S.

The meeting shared findings with interested communities, citizens, and the installation and home builder industries. Topics included an overview of the SSTI program and the goals it has set for local communities, tools and resources available, market development opportunities, and general solar market trends in financing and technology.

4CORE will be initiating a meeting in the future to discuss a Solarize program, or a time limited campaign to install solar in our region at discounted prices. 

Comparison of Three Household Bulbs

There have been a lot of discussions lately about the different types of light bulbs available to American consumers. These discussions usually focus on the energy savings associated with Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diode (LEDs). But, do they really save you money in the long run as compared to (Incandescent) IBs?

Using the standard of a typical 60 watt IB light bulb in a typical home to make a comparison to the actual cost of each type of bulb over the life of the bulb, we can see how they stack up. Assume that the advertised life span of any one bulb is as advertised  understanding that there is always variability when comparing several bulbs of the same type. The total cost is strictly from a consumer’s point of view. Assume that the costs of manufacturing or transportation is essentially the same for all three.

So, looking at the three types, let’s compare:

Bulb type	Energy Used (watts)	Lumens	Life Span Hours	Cost per Bulb
IB	60	860	1,000	$0.25
CFL	14	800	10,000	$1.50
LED	12.5	800	200,000	$25.00

This data is collected from a popular home improvement store using popular bulbs of each type. Looking at the data, you can see that an LED lasting 200,000 hours will cost about $288 to operate based on 11.5 cents/kWh. You add the cost of the bulb and you come up with a total cost of $313 for the life of that bulb. Now, 200,000 hours is almost 23 years of continuous time, and there is a good chance that you will not burn that bulb continuously for 23 years. So, if you even estimate that you will have this light on for only 5 hours per day, then that bulb should last you a little over 109 years.

To make a fair comparison, you have to use 20 CFLs to equal the life span of an LED. For the CFL, 20 CFLs at 10,000 hours each will cost $322 to operate; and if you add in the cost of the 20 bulbs, about $30, then your total cost is $352.

You will need 200 IBs to make it to 200,000 hours and the total cost of operation for those 200 bulbs is about $1,380. You add in the $50 cost of those bulbs and the total cost of IBs is $1,430. Looking at this in a little broader way, we get this information:

	Hrs of life	# Bulbs for 200,000 hr	Watts/bulb	Total Watt	Watt/KW	KWhr	$/KWhr
LED	200,000	1	12.5	2,500,000	1,000	2,500	0.115
CFL	10,000	20	14	2,800,000	1,000	2,800	0.115
IB	1,000	200	60	12,000,000	1,000	12,000	0.115

	Total Elect Cost	Bulb $	Total $ for 200,000hrs	$/year (5hr/day)	3 bedroom house ~ 40 bulbs - $/yr
LED	$288	$25.00	$312.50	$2.85	$114.14
CFL	$322	$1.50	$352.00	$3.21	$128.57
IB	$1,380	$.25	$1,430.00	$12.59	$503.60

Here one can see that a typical three bedroom home with approximately 40 bulbs on for five hours a day, will have a significant savings over a year with LED or CFL bulbs.

Therefore, in the long run, it looks like the LED is the best deal you can get, followed closely by the CFL. However, there are many other considerations that you need to mak,e such as your intended use of the bulb and how long you will need that particular use. The combinations of those two are endless and there is where lighting selection can sometimes be difficult. And, I have obviously ignored costs of installation and disposal.

For example, since CFLs and LEDs put out little to no heat, you would not want to have one in your livestock incubator (to warm chicks or eggs). Sometimes you want the heat supplied by the IB light. If you were providing a light for a device or building that is not long lived, you might want to shy away from the added cost of the CFL and LED. If heat prevention is important to you, then the CFL or LED would be a good choice. Also, sometimes in small town stores, you will not find a large selection of bulbs to choose from, and the local store owner may not even stock some of the more efficient LEDs and CFLs; sticking primarily to the historically popular IBs.

What can make an LED or CFL really handy is the fact that you can usually increase the amount of lighting in your home without increasing energy usage as compared to IB lights. The only caution is that, at least with the CFL bulbs, some of these in larger sizes may not fit in typical lighting fixtures in your home, especially if the lighting chamber is enclosed or confined.

About the Author

Charles W. Thompson is the SW Colorado Area Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development in Lewis, Colorado. Charles wrote this article with his brother Francis L. Thompson, who designs and builds commercial and military satellites and helped developed satellite TV. Upon seeing the article in the 4CORE November newsletter on lighting, Charles submitted this article as food for our reader's thoughts.