Every month our League provides hints to help members “live green.” If you have a good tip, let us know.
Catherine Franczyk and Mary Tworek-Tupper
Alternate Electricity Vendors - Battery Disposal - Buy Local -
Alternatives to Salt (for traction) - Bring Your Own Containers to Restaurants -
Championing a Plastic Waste-free Illinois - Compost - DuPage Recycling - Earth Day -
Eco-Friendly Holiday Celebration Tips - Electrification - Have a Green Halloween -
Invest in Our Planet (More Native Plants) - Lead Garden Hoses - Light Pollution -
Links to Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose - Local Environment Initiatives - Mosquitoes -
National Weatherization Day - Plastic Utensils - Plastic-free Packaging -
Proper Disposal of Medicines, Prescriptions, & Sharps - Recycle Aluminum Cans -
Recycle Cooking Oil - Reduce Energy Use & Save Money - Reduce Single-Use Pastic -
Reduce Water Usage - Stop Idling Vehicles- Summer Energy Use Tips -
Sustain DuPage - Valentine's Day Tips - Walking for the Environment
2024
August - Walking for the Environment
Many of us are aware of the health benefits of walking for ourselves and others. Walking is also important for the health of the environment.
While climate change is a big problem, every little bit helps. We can be part of the solution by walking rather than driving. Walking, when possible, helps decrease the consumption of fossil fuels and in turn greenhouse emissions.
Based on several studies, 12% to 25% of all car trips are under one mile. These car trips amount to at least 16 million miles annually. Cold engines are extra polluting, which makes these 16 million miles extra polluting.
Our advice is to walk when you can. If not, other options for longer distances include bicycling, taking public transportation, and ride sharing or carpooling with friends.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/pedestrian/safety-education/benefits/environmental-benefits
https://americawalks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AW-Environmental-Benefits-of-Walking-jan-2020-2-1.pdf
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/case15.pdf
Last month the Environment Committee went on a field trip to the Sustain DuPage Garden. As part of Sustain DuPage, sustainability is defined as “social justice for all, a relocalized economy and a healthy ecosystem.”
Located on the grounds of the Theosophical Society in Wheaton, the Sustain DuPage garden is an amazing place to learn about and experience sustainable gardening in a supportive community setting. Growing practices are based on age old techniques that produce delicious and healthy vegetables, herbs, and fruit. They have created a seed bank to build diversity in the types of vegetables and herbs they grow and offer to their community members. When you think of loss of biodiversity, it has also occurred in our food sources.
If one needs examples of reduce, reuse, and recycle in gardens, there is a rain garden, arbors created from buckthorn branches, garden walls from discarded patio bricks, and a large composting area. Cover crops are used to capture carbon and native plants abound.
All are welcome to participate in the garden community. You can come to work, observe, or just sit and enjoy the setting. If you are not able to partake in heavy physical labor, there are other non-strenuous opportunities to engage in.
For more information, please go to https://sustaindupage.com/food-and-garden.
- Make your voice heard by taking action on environmental issues you care about by spending an hour talking with or writing messages to your legislators on April 17, 2024.
- Celebrate with the little ones in your life at the Earth Day Celebration at Lincoln Marsh’s Prairie Patch Play Area on April 18, 2024.
- Attend Earth Day Celebration at Garfield Park Conservatory on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Virtually attend the One Earth Film Festival to watch “Carbon: The Unauthorized Biography” on Tuesday, April 23, at 6 p.m.
- Attend virtually or in person the co-sponsored Wheaton League program on Healthy Communities – Our Water and Watersheds on April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Go to the Wheaton Native plant sale on April 27 from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and add a native flower, shrub, grass, or tree in your yard.
- Help clean up the Prairie Path and Great Western Trails on April 27 at 9 a.m.
- Go for a walk with the Wheaton League at St. James Farm Forest Preserve on Saturday, April 27.
- Go to earthday.org to learn about its Earth Day 2024 commitment to reduce the use of plastics.
- Spend time outside gardening, reading, walking, having lunch, riding your bike, or just taking in deep breaths of fresh air.
March - How to Dispose of Batteries
Batteries power many of our household electronic devices, from remote controls to electric toothbrushes to toys. So what do we do with them, once they are no longer working? Word of caution: Never put any kind of batteries in your recycling bins.
Alkaline batteries are single use, and we know them as AA, AAA, C, D, etc. Alkaline batteries are considered benign and can be thrown out in your regular trash. They are not
to be put in recycling bins.
Rechargeable household batteries contain toxic materials and are not to be thrown out in your trash or recycling bin. These batteries contain toxic materials, which can enter the environment through landfills and also pose a very dangerous fire hazard. They must be taken to a household hazardous waste facility.
Luckily, we have a Household Hazardous Waste Facility nearby in Naperville, which accepts non-alkaline, automotive and sump pump batteries. This facility is open to all residents of Illinois and is free of charge. It is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Additional information
Battery FAQs
Battery Chemistries
February - Bring Your Own Containers to Restaurants
Your environment committee continues to look for ways we can reduce our single-use plastic usage. An easy way to do this is to bring your own containers for your unfinished meal. A good way to remember to do this is to keep a container in your car so it’s always handy.
Building this “reuse and reduce” habit prevents these containers from ultimately ending up in the recycling system, which in turn uses more energy, or worse ending up in our landfills. It also sends a message to the restaurants that we care about waste and want to do our part.
January - Alternatives to Salt (for traction)
Make a resolution to use alternatives to salt, specifically sodium chloride, to deice your walkways and sidewalks.
Salt spreading damages vegetation, pollutes water supplies, and corrodes cars. Here are some alternatives for improved traction:
- Sand
- Non clumping cat litter
- Coffee grounds
- Pet friendly ice melt products usually means it's friendly to vegetation and water supplies.
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice data base includes a listing of deicers.
If you chose this resolution, the Environment Committee and Mother Earth thanks you!
https://grist.org/article/de-salt-of-the-earth/
https://www.ecowatch.com/sustainable-alternatives-winter-salts-2656111075.html
2023
- Buy locally grown food.
- Purchase products in recyclable packing.
- Use real plates and cutlery Or compostable plates and biodegradable utensils.
- Compost food scraps.
- Use natural items, e.g., pinecones, for decorations.
- Use glass containers for leftovers.
- Bring reusable shopping bags when you shop for food and presents.
- Serve tap water rather than bottled water.
- Carpool to events.
- Use LED holiday lights.
https://earthfriendlytips.com/enjoy-an-eco-friendly-thanksgiving-with-these-easy-tips/
https://www.sustainablerookie.com/homeandlifestyle/how-to-sustainable-christmas
https://earthfriendlytips.com/have-a-green-holiday-with-eco-friendly-christmas-decorations/
- DIY, borrow, or buy your costume secondhand.
- Purchase locally grown pumpkins.
- Look for treats with minimal packaging.
- Use every part of your pumpkin. Toast the seeds, and compost the pumpkin after use.
- Use reusable or biodegradable plates, cutlery, and cups at your party.
- Purchase décor you can use year after year.
- Don’t use fake spider webbing outdoors in your trees and bushes. Many small birds and animals do not have the strength to break away from the webbing.
For more information, check out these articles:
"Green Your Halloween," Yale Sustainability blog
"Let's Make Halloween More Sustainable!," Greenly.earth
Peak bird migration is from Sept. 6 to Oct. 6. Two thirds of the birds travel at night guided by the moonlight. Light pollution results in birds becoming confused and losing their way. Please turn off all unnecessary lights to help the birds safely arrive to their winter location.
Learn more about the effects of light pollution with the links below.
- National Park Service article on the effects of light pollution.
- Effects of light pollution in DuPage County on fireflies.
- Five principles for responsible outdoor lighting.
- Overview of the Dark Sky advocacy organization.
August - Summer Tips for Energy Usage
The sustained high temperatures we’re experiencing this summer put a strain on the pocketbook with higher than normal electric bills and a strain on the electric grid with increased usage of air conditioning, threatening power outages. ComEd has hints to save money and power.
- Shift your energy use away from the higher-priced hours which are on weekdays between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dishwashers and washers and dryers use a lot of energy and release unwanted heat. Run your dishwasher at night, and do your laundry on the weekend.
- Pre-cooling your home is the biggest savings opportunity. Lower your thermostat for central air conditioner to 69-72 degrees from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., and set it to a higher temperature during the afternoon. While keeping your home cool throughout the day, pre-cooling reduces the need to run your air conditioner when prices are typically higher.
- Set your ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise in the summer to push air down for a cooling effect.
- Remember to close your blinds during the day to keep the sun from heating your home. Open windows at night for cool, fresh air.
- Cooking out on your grill, instead of using your stove or oven, will also save energy and keep heat out of the house.
The reality of climate change guarantees things will probably get worse before they ever get better, but climate actions, even small individual actions, to reduce energy will help the planet's future.
ComEd has other ways to save like Hourly Pricing.
As we all consider ways to do our part to use less carbon-based energy, this month we are sharing a video from the Naperville Sustainability Task Force on how one of their leaders modernized his home with clean energy options. Carl Van Drill has been on a journey of understanding and has taken concrete action to minimize his family’s carbon footprint. I found it fascinating and instructive because of his practical approach. I hope you find the time to watch this 30-minute video. No matter where you are on your sustainability path, I hope you find it useful.
May - Compost Awareness Week - May 7-13
For those of us who may have lived on a farm, tended a vegetable garden, had grandparents with vegteable gardens, heard stories of Victory Gardens during World War II and now in Ukraine; we may be aware that composting was and is a natural extention of the gardening activity. My Dad turned the soil in our vegetable garden every year by hand with a pitch fork. Yes, I can still smell the soil as he turned it over. As he turned it over, I saw evidence of the food scraps that had contributed to the rich Illinois soil. I marveled at the life in the soil, funny looking pill shaped insects, ants, thousand leggers (well okay maybe not a thousand but a lot) so much life moving in the soil. To top it off the worms were the funniest in my young fascination and curiosity in dirt.
There are so many opportunities for us to consider how we can add to the rich life cycle that composting shows us. Some of our DuPage communities contract with haulers to provide resident compost/garden waste bins, at an additional cost. Check you city/town website to confirm if they provide the service, if not, take a moment to tell them you’d like your city/town to provide the service.
If you have a yard you can create your own compost pile. Here’s a link to a SCARCE Education Sheet on how to make your own compost container.
These flyers cover all the key benefits of composting and include information about sources for education and information.
I encourage you to investigate the benefits of composting. I promise it’s not a smelly, gross thing to do. In fact, we are a part of the solution. I hear frequently, that we have come to expect our community goverments to solve our problems. They can’t do it alone. If they don’t know what we as residents want, then our requests are not considered when they develop their plans and initiatives. And finally, the earth, she knows how to heal and sustain herself, it comes naturally. Now it is our time to help restore her vitality, her problem solving capacity. Give her healthy kitchen/garden scraps to boost the soils health. We will be rewarded, how nice.
April - Earth Day April 22 – Invest in Our Planet
Earth Day is a celebration of the earth and our environment. On Earth Day, we recognize how closely we are connected to the earth and our responsibility to protect it.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day, on April 22nd, is invest in our planet. We ask you to invest in our planet by planting native plants this spring. Native plants are adapted to our local environmental conditions and as such, require less maintenance, less water, and no fertilizers or pesticides. In addition to adding beauty to our gardens, native plants attract local wildlife and support pollinators like birds, butterflies and bees.
If you want to help save monarch butterflies, plant one or more varieties of milkweed. If you love birds, plant natives such as golden alexander or purple coneflower to attract the beneficial insects that baby birds eat. If you want to plant a tree that has a significant positive impact on the environment, plant an oak tree. Oak trees support more life-forms than any other trees in North America.
There are many native plant sales in our area, staffed by knowledgeable gardeners, to help you with your questions and decisions. In addition, their website plant listings contain helpful information on sun exposure needs and whether they attract butterflies, birds, bees, etc.
Here's a list of easy-to-grow native plants.
March - Championing a Plastic Waste-free Illinois
Your Wheaton Environment Chair attended Lobby Day in Springfield on February 28th. This lobby day was focused on support of SB100/ HB2376 (Gong-Gershowitz) I am happy to report that the House Bill HB2376 was advanced out of committee on February 28th.
Although it was a rainy, blustery day, the Coalition for Plastic Reduction conducted a press conference and we all spread out to meet with our Legislators.
Our Lobby Team met with Representative Janet Yang-Rohr Dist 41 and Senator Laura Ellman Dist 21. We explained our concern and provided facts and information on why the ban of polystyrene is so critical from a human health and environment health perspective and is a first step in reducing single use plastic. Janet Yang-Rohr agreed to co-sponsor the bill and Senator Ellman leads the Senate Environment Committee and understands the details and especially the urgency to develop alternative products that are compostable/biodegradable.
February - Stop Idling our Vehicles
This month the Environment Committee is emphasizing the impact of idling vehicles on climate change. A recent article by Jenny Whidden of the Daily Herald and Report for American tackled this topic. Thanks to Jenny Whidden for making this available to our committee for the Live Green Tip.
Here is Jenny’s article:
“While many of us are accustomed to idling our cars while we wait as a train passes by, in line at the end of a school day or in the morning to warm up our vehicles, the habit creates more smog and greenhouse gases than we might think.
Limiting the practice, scientists say, could have a measurable impact on the health of the environment.
Idling for more than just 10 seconds produces more emissions -- and uses more fuel -- than stopping and restarting your engine does, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Personal vehicles create around 30 million tons of carbon dioxide annually just by idling.
"While the impact of idling may be small on a per-car basis, the impact of the 250 million personal vehicles in the U.S. adds up," the Department states. "For saving fuel and reducing emissions, eliminating the unnecessary idling of personal vehicles would be the same as taking 5 million vehicles off the roads."
In terms of fuel, researchers estimate idling from heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles combined wastes about 6 billion gallons of fuel annually, about half of which can be attributed to personal vehicles, according to the department.
The tailpipe emissions gas-powered cars emit while idling also contribute to ground-level ozone air pollution -- more commonly known as smog.
"We're concerned about vehicles for burning gasoline in part because the carbon dioxide they produce affects climate, but also because they produce nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons and particles, all of which can be harmful to human health directly as pollutants," said Donald Wuebbles, a climate scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This is a potent concern in the Chicago area, one of the worst regions in the country for air pollution. In July, the American Lung Association ranked the Chicago metro area 16th out of 226 areas in average days per year with high ozone.
Wuebbles, who co-led a 2021 statewide climate change assessment, added that stronger winds in the Chicago region help alleviate the smog issue for the area, but higher temperatures make air quality worse.
"The warming climate is going to make air quality worse because those reactions that form ozone are temperature-dependent," he said. "If the emissions would remain constant, with the number of vehicles going up and the amount per vehicles remaining constant, then the ozone issue and the particle issue would both get worse because of the changes in climate."
While many newer vehicles already automatically stop and restart at traffic lights, people can take further steps to reduce idling by manually turning off their vehicle when having to wait for an extended period of time.”
You can read the rest of the article with this link to the full article on Mailchimp.
Two years ago, my husband and I took Commonwealth Edison up on its offer to select a different supplier for our electricity. We looked at all the options they provided and chose Clean Choice Energy, which supplies all of our energy needs through renewable energy sources. We have been really pleased with our decision; we regularly receive a report that shares with us the positive impact of our choice on the environment (e.g., it provides a recap of what we saved: the equivalent of x number of trees or the equivalent of x number of vehicles off the road). We also receive a regular newsletter from the company that shares great tips for living a “green” environmentally friendly life. We know there are many choices in renewable energy. Rather than recommending this particular company, we encourage folks to look at all the companies that offer renewable energy alternatives for your electricity needs.
2022
November - Recycling Cooking Oil
Reasons for recycling cooking oil:
- avoid clogged kitchen pipes
- protect local sewer lines
- create renewable energy
- reduce green house gas emissions
- rely on domestic oil resources
- lower repair costs.
Save your used cooking oil in a glass container that you can bring to a recycling event. This can be oil you have saved for several months. Although we think of the trend to cook turkeys in cooking oil as a major reason for recycling it; we use cooking oil all the time and by building the habit of saving your used oil you can contribute to a cleaner environment.
October - National Weatherization Day
1. Seal leaks around moveable building components, such as doors and windows, with weather stripping. Choose a material for each specific location. The selection chart at energy.gov can aid in this process.
2. Seal leaks around stationary components with caulk.
3. Add foam gaskets to electrical switches and plugs.
4. Replace single-pane windows with more efficient double-pane, low emissivity windows.
5. Add insulation as needed in your attic, garage, and/or exterior walls, especially if your home is older.
6. Check your dryer vent to make sure it is clear. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.
7. Keep the fireplace damper tightly closed when not in use.
8. If you have a humidifier, be careful not to set it too high, to prevent mold growth.
9. Consider a home energy assessment, either professional or do-it-yourself.
10. Find more information at www.energy.gov.
September - Reduce Energy Use and Save Money
Electricity use in our homes varies a lot during the day especially in the summer. Now with climate change, the usage also varies into the Autumn and Winter months.
Electricity usage is the least during the night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and highest in the afternoon and early evening (about 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.). These hours vary by time zone and electricity provider. Try to time your use of appliances to the hours of least demand. If you have an electric car, charge it during the night hours.
If it is too inconvenient to use the night hours, remember using appliances from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 10p.m. is better than the 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. time. The more you shift away from peak times, the more you save on your energy bill. Weekends are usually considered off-peak hours all day so do your laundry on the weekend.
Consider running your air conditioner and cooling your house before 2 p.m. and then either turning it off or raising your thermostat during the peak hours. If you have a smart thermostat, you can easily program this. Some providers also provide the option of Central AC Cycling where your energy provider cycles your central air conditioning compressor for a limited time to save money and energy usage during the summer. As we enter Autumn and Winter months, consider changing your programmed thermostat to reduce the temperature while you sleep. In fact, it is heathier to sleep with cooler temperatures, higher heat temperatures can cause nasal dryness, congestion, and static electricity. Check you furnace humidity setting to increase humidity in the winter months for comfort.
Depending on your electricity provider, you can find pricing plans that take advantage of your careful use of electricity and reduce the load on the electrical grid. Some examples include “Time of Day Pricing” and “Hourly Pricing” with ComEd. The websites of your provider should provide good information about your choices. The alternative is a flat rate. Your provider may be able to help you decide if you are a good candidate for their plans. It is to their advantage to move electrical usage to non-peak times.
Another way to save is to avoid running your appliances on very hot days. Keep track of the weather reports. Providers can send you notifications to help you make informed choices.
Besides saving money, you’re reducing the need for additional power plants and contributing to a greener world.
August - Plastic-Free Packaging
Have you noticed how many products are packaged in plastic? Scan the store shelves, and you’ll see rows and rows of plastic bags, trays, tubs, tubes, bottles, and blister packs. They’re everywhere! Plastic packaging has become so pervasive that most of us don’t even notice it, and we fail to be appalled. But we should be! The waste is enormous, and recycling cannot begin to take care of it.
So it’s important that we look for items that are loose or packaged in eco-friendly materials. There are companies that make it their mission to avoid plastic; many are found online. One such company is right here in Chicago. It’s called “Meliora”, and it produces natural cleaning and bath products in plastic-free packaging. One of their best is the Gentle Home Cleaning Scrub, with tea tree and peppermint oil. It does a great job of cleaning sinks and tubs and smells wonderful! Check Meliora out at meliorameansbetter.com. Go local, and go green!
Mosquito season is upon us! No one wants mosquitoes to get out of control, but there are concerns about spraying.
Clarke is the company that sprays for most municipalities and mosquito abatement districts in DuPage County. To answer questions about spraying, here is a link to frequently asked questions.
If you need to be cautious about monarch caterpillars in your yard; you can also register for notification of mosquito spraying in your area. Then you can cover up your plants for protection.
Clarke also treats standing water to prevent mosquito eggs from hatching. You can report standing water situations on their website.
To prevent mosquitoes from hatching in your own back yard; make sure there is no standing water, and this includes draining your flowerpot saucers and changing bird bath water. With the concern about the avian flu, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is requesting that bird baths be empty until the end of May.
April - Earth Day is April 22 -- Invest in Our Planet
The theme for this year’s Earth Day, on April 22, is to invest in our planet. We ask you to invest in our planet by planting native plants this spring. Native plants are adapted to our local environmental conditions and as such, require less maintenance, less water, and no fertilizers or pesticides. In addition to adding beauty to our gardens, native plants attract local wildlife and support pollinators like birds, butterflies and bees.
If you want to help save monarch butterflies, plant one or more varieties of milkweed. If you love birds, plant natives such as golden alexander or purple coneflower to attract the beneficial insects that baby birds eat. If you want to plant a tree that has a significant positive impact on the environment, plant an oak tree. Oak trees support more life-forms than any other trees in North America.
There are many native plant sales in our area, staffed by knowledgeable gardeners, to help you with your questions and decisions. In addition, their website plant listings contain helpful information on sun exposure needs and whether they attract butterflies, birds, bees, etc.
March - Proper Disposal of Medicines, Prescriptions, and Sharps
This month we are honoring World Water Day on March 22nd by reminding our members that old medicine, prescriptions and sharps must be disposed of properly. Residents have been known to dispose of medicine down the toilet or sink and this creates serious water quality issues. Medicines cannot be filtered out of the water, so these harmful meds end up in our streams and are extremely detrimental and can be fatal to aquatic life.
In DuPage County you can drop off medicines at:
- Carol Stream Police Department, 500 North Gary Avenue, Carol Stream
- Regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 156 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville – Check the website here for hours:
- DuPage County Sheriff's Department, 501 North County Farm Road, Wheaton
The Sherriff’s department also accepts sharps (needles) drop off. Here are
photos of the entrance and the containers for disposal.
At the Sheriff’s Office, there is also a designated parking spot right in front so that you can quickly drop off without searching for a parking spot.
Some Walgreens have stores are designated as medicine/prescription drop off locations.
February - Give the Earth Some Love on Valentine's Day
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, join us in showing our love to Mother Earth.
- Send an e-Valentine or a recycled paper Valentine. Recycle Valentines you have received that you aren’t keeping. You can also save them for next year, to craft some new homemade Valentines.
- Give organic or fair-trade chocolates. Organic chocolates are produced in an eco-friendly manner without the use of pesticides, and fair-trade chocolates ensure that cacao farmers work in healthy, sustainable, and safe environments while receiving a fair wage for their products.
- Give a flowering or green potted plant instead of the traditional bouquet of flowers. Yes flowers are wonderful, but this time of year, most flowers are transported in from warmer regions and the environmental costs of shipping are significant. Plants add beautiful long living accents to any home or office. These photosynthesizing wonders can convert CO2 we exhale into pure oxygen and eliminate toxins in the air.
- Give your Valentine a Wheaton League membership or make a donation on your Valentine’s behalf to also celebrate the Leagues 102nd Birthday. Since the 1960s, the League of Women Voters have been at the forefront of efforts to protect air, land, and water resources. In line with LWVUS priorities, the Wheaton League works “to protect our planet from the physical, economic, and public health effects of climate change …”
2021
As an environment committee and with the help of our opt-in Member team, we have been contacting our legislators as the Build Back Better Legislation has been developed. We are thrilled that the infrastructure portion of the bill will be signed by President Biden, and we thank everyone for their action.It matters when we act at any level appropriate for us as individuals.
We have paid close attention to the Climate Bill in Illinois and this past week we got details about what is contained in the bill and next steps. Our work in Illinois is actually just starting as we follow the implementation of the bill. Watch the recording of last week’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act Virtual Town Hall providing further information for you.
As we move fully into the month of Thanksgiving, we are certainly grateful for our members and your support of our climate efforts.
In the macro sense, we have done the work of letting our legislators know how we care as individual constituents. Our work will continue into 2022 as we follow developing details and outcomes from COP 26 in Glasgow.
In the micro sense, here in DuPage we can take individual action. Each item we recycle gets totaled up and the more residents participate the more our government officials will know that we care. Read about the Wheaton monthly recycling event. Although the headline references electronics there are additional items accepted. This is a drive-thru and drop-off event for DuPage County residents.
Can’t make it to this event? View more on-going electronics recycling opportunities around DuPage County.
October - Recycling Aluminum Cans
The Environmental Committee is committed to finding ways for our members to help reverse climate change in both big and small ways. This month we are asking you to continue to recycle your aluminum cans and to encourage others to do so, because this small effort has a big impact.
According to the Aluminum Association, producing secondary aluminum saves more than 90 percent of the energy and emits only five percent of the greenhouse gases as making primary, or new, aluminum.
This is excellent for climate change, as greenhouse gas emissions are driving factors in the current climate crisis. Also of interest, is that aluminum is very sustainable as it can be recycled an infinite number of times.
So, keep up the good work as you continue to recycle your aluminum cans.
September - Reducing Single-Use Plastic
Single-use plastic is an environmental catastrophe. This month our committee developed the following list of things we all can do to reduce our use of single-use plastic.
- Consider the items you purchase, and the amount of packaging used to make it a retail shelf item. Choose items that you absolutely need and choose products with the least amount of packaging or are packaged in boxes, glass containers or coated cartons.
- When shopping for loose produce items put them in your cart carefully without using extra bags.
- Bring your own reusable bags to the store for checkout. Not just grocery stores but all stores you shop at. If you forget your reusable bags, ask for paper bags.
- If you must use plastic bags look for those that are made of recycled material.
- Carry your own reusable coffee thermos or water bottle. Ideally made of glass or safe stainless steel.
- Bring your own container to restaurants for leftovers to take home. You’ll be surprised how the restaurants appreciate this effort.
- Many grocers have bins for recycling plastic bags identified with the recycling symbols 2 and 4.
- Use paper bags for your garbage instead of plastic.
- For dog and cat poop, use bags made of recycled material. Many pet stores now offer biodegradable versions.
- Speak up. If businesses use throw away utensils and beverage containers, ask them to consider using glass and to stop using plastic straws.
- When ordering food for pick up, request no utensils.
- Carry your own metal or paper straws and utensils.
- Use bar soap instead of liquid. There are some great bar shampoos and conditioners, as well as hand soaps.
- And finally, here is a link to a petition telling Portillos to end their use of Styrofoam.
August - Learning about Local Environmental Initiatives
Your Environment Committee has been focusing on learning about local environmental initiatives. This month we have a webinar suggestion for viewing. On July 13, the Regional Climate Action Plan was introduced and instituted. We think you will find this webinar informative and encouraging. We especially applaud Aurora and Geneva for tackling the issues of climate. We hope you find the presentation enlightening as we work to understand the issues we face and how, we as citizens, can encourage our municipal leaders to take action.
Our local farmers markets present a perfect way to support our local purveyors of fresh and nutritious food. Organic farmers provide the best alternatives to grocery-bought vegetables and fruits. They are soil conservationists and follow organic best practices when growing and harvesting. The benefits of these markets are many. Fresh weekly ripened produce at our fingers without the additional energy inputs of traditional transportation and brick and mortar store infrastructure. Grocers are one of the highest contributors to greenhouse gases because of the vast energy required to keep our food refrigerated. In the book, Drawdown, it is the #1 target for carbon reduction opportunity. As individuals we can have impact: Bring your own bags, and you help reduce single-use plastic. Making purchasing decisions to buy local builds the demand for these alternatives.
The Wheaton League Environment Committee has been following and supports the development of the Prairie Food Co-Op. Attached is an article from the Sierra Club River Prairie River Group Summer Newsletter.
This month, we focus on our precious resource: Water.
Reducing our water usage reduces the energy required to process and deliver it to our homes and conserves water; thereby reducing your personal carbon footprint.
Here are some reminders of actions we can take in our bathrooms.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
- Use a low-flow shower head and faucet aerators.
- Install a dual flush or low flow toilet or put a conversion kit on your existing toilet.
- Don’t use your toilet as a trash can for wipes and other hard-to-decompose products.
- Take shorter showers. A typical shower uses five to ten gallons of water a minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off.
- Take baths - A partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.
- Fix leaks.
- Turn down your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. The standard temperature is 140 degrees.
The following links provide more insight into water conservation:
Do Chicagoans Need To Conserve Water? Experts Say Yes.
25 Tips from Volusia County
Ways to Save Water from American Rivers
As we commemorate Earth Day in April, we encourage our community members to take action to engage in community clean up, recycling, reusing, and repurposing of household items that we no longer need or want.
Here are links for River Sweep Clean Up and Recycling:
To repurpose items, the following organizations welcome donations:
To donate durable medical equipment like crutches, wheelchairs, etc. or for less costly short-term rentals:
Did you know that garden hoses contain lead? Hoses made with lead leach lead into the water we put in our children’s pools, the water we use to wash our dogs, and the water we use for our vegetable gardens. How many times do kids drink directly from the hose? The only way to dispose of them is in your regular garbage, where they go to the landfill.
Hoses without lead are available. Carefully read the labels on the hoses and look for “lead free” to be readily called out on the packaging. Lead Free Hoses make great GREEN gifts for Earth Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day presents. Also great for housewarming gifts and baby shower gifts!
Have you collected a supply of plastic utensils from carry out food? DuPage PADS will accept them for their clients. 705 W Liberty Dr, Wheaton, IL 60187. Please keep in mind that reduction is the most environmentally friendly option for waste reduction. You can always decline plastic tableware and thus reduce the plastic in the waste.
Do you want to know what you can and can't recycle? Non-recyclable items create problems for recycling facilities and cause the recyclables with the item to be added to landfills, certainly not your intention. Check out SCARCE’s list.
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