Knowing the facts about reducing, reusing and recycling is the first step you can take toward finding simple ways to help make a difference in our world.

1. Start with your shopping list. Buying concentrates with 99% product and only 1% packaging is a great way to reduce what goes into our landfills.  Use refills for items such as liquid soap, window cleaner and detergent.  The containers are larger, but they’re made from thinner, stripped-down materials.  Purchase paper and plastic goods with the “recycle” logo.  And remember to recycle your plastic grocery bags; most grocery stores have a bin you can put them in on your next trip to the store.
2. Reuse when possible.Give new life to old products by donating unwanted clothing, appliances, furnishings and household items to charity rather than sending them to the landfill.  You can even get a tax credit for this! Find handy, practical uses for boxes, jars, containers and more in your home, workshop or office.  Many school art departments welcome these items, as well.
3. Recycle, recycle, recycle! Check within your community to see what types of recyclables are accepted in your area.  Likely items include plastic milk, water and juice containers; glass jars of any kind (preferably clear); metal cans; newspapers, magazines, phone books; and cardboard boxes.  Many of these items can be made new again while saving our Earth’s resources.

DID YOU KNOW…

• 32% of magazines generated as waste are recycled
• You can power a light bulb for four hours with the energy saved from recycling one glass jar
• 61% of newspapers generated as waste are recovered for recycling
• Every person in America contributes 4.4 pounds of trash to our landfills each day
• Each ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water
• One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours

HERE ARE SOME ECO-FRIENDLY SITES FOR FAMILIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RECYCLING:

www.earth911.org

www.epa.gov

www.kab.org

www.recycle.net

Gas-Saving Tips

With gas prices though the roof and no relief in sight, here are a few helpful hints for saving at the pump.

• Fill up in the early morning or late evening; gas is densest during these times, which means more bang for your buck.
• Don’t top off your tank; in warm weather, fuel expansion causes overflow
• Participate in a car or van pool, or talk to your employer about telecommuting or flex hours that would keep you out of bumper-to-bumper traffic
• Don’t start and stop your engine needlessly.  Idling for one minute consumes the gas amount eaquivalent to when you start the engine.
• Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds.  Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%
• Ensure your tires are properly inflated.

For more information, visit www.aaa.com/gasprices or www.gasbuddy.com.

If you’re looking for a home in the greater Des Moines area, call me first.  I am a full-service REALTOR and can help you list your home properly for the current market and I can help you find the right home as a buyer’s agent.  There may not be a better time to buy, so contact me today!  Virginia Gruver, RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts.  515/577-2412  Virginia@RealEstateConcepts.net.  Licensed to practice real estate in Iowa.