Two Mad Geeks

Sometimes it seems like modern America is one colossal plastic palace. The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?

Link: The Daily Green

If you live in an area where water shortages are not an issue, consider yourself lucky. Nearly 450 million people in 29 countries face severe water shortages. Predictions indicate that within 5 years, at least 36 U.S. states will face water shortages due to a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, and waste.

But there is hope — research has shown that residential water use could be reduced by as much as 50 percent through efficiency. Here are a few simple, low-cost suggestions for reducing your family’s water consumption.

Link: Yahoo! Green

Just when you thought technology was making “snail mail” obsolete, the U.S. Postal Service announces a vital new service that lets you recycle cell phones, iPods and other electronics — as well as printer inkjet cartridges — via mail. For free!

Link: Computerworld Blogs

CFLs contain up to 5 milligrams of mercury, which is quite a small amount; compare that to older home thermostats and mercury fever thermometers, which contain from 500 to 3,000 milligrams. But given that nearly 300 million CFLs were sold in the U.S. in 2007, according to the Wall Street Journal, it can still be a concern. In several states tossing CFLs in the trash is even illegal.

Take them to your community’s hazardous waste collection site. If you don’t know where that is, call town hall, or look up waste management or public works departments in the phone book. Sometimes you can drop off items at a location any time, while in other communities there are designated days when they accept waste.

Link: The Daily Green