April 5-11 is National Cell Phone Recycling Week. According to the EPA’s website, if Americans recycled the approximately 130 million cell phones that are disposed of annually, enough energy would be saved to power more than 24,000 homes in a year. Recycling or donating cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping usable materials out of landfills. So drop off your used cell phone at the library today!
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The company that puts out Consumer Reports (Consumers Union) has a website that helps people make environmentally friendly choices. Greener Choices has a section on deciphering green labels to help you understand various claims being made about products. In another section, Greener Choices compares cars, appliances, and other products to one another based on their environmental impacts. This website also has a great list of related websites under the Tools-Resources tab where you can get more information about climate change, renewable resources, and sustainable agriculture.
Did you know the “EPA estimates that 2.6 million tons of electronic waste were dropped into landfills in 2007”? (NY Times 6/30/09) Want to know what you can do about it? Kane County recycles e-waste. The EPA lists electronic recycling programs, too. Or stop by our “Go Green” display to pick up other useful tips to help you recycle those old electronics safely.