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What to do to make a better environment
Start at
home with the three R’s:
Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you discard by buying durable goods, not buying packaging that is toxic, and using products that don’t deplete our natural resources and do allow reuse of the product.
Here are ways to reduce water usage:
Install
flow-reducing shower heads and aerators, automatic shut off hose nozzles.
water conservation devices for toilet tanks. When you buy a new clothes
washer, look for a
front loader which uses about half the water of a top loader, and also uses less
energy.
To
reduce the amount of paper in your life, donate old books and magazines
to hospitals,
schools and nursing homes.
Just say “NO” to
.
Get your
name removed from junk mailing lists and you will lighten your annual paper load
by 41 pounds or more. Contact the Direct Marketing Association at
https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/ to learn the best way to reduce the junk mail
load. New American Dream
http://www.newdream.org/junkmail/form.php has partnered with an organization
called
41pounds.org who promises to completely remove you from up to 95% of the
junk mail lists by contacting each organization from which you receive mail
and/or catalogs for a one-time fee of $41.
41 Pounds
will send out forms to have your name removed from mailing lists.
Change your
lights to change the world.
By replacing the
conventional bulbs your 5 most-used light fixtures with ENERGY STAR qualified
options, you will not only help the environment, but you will save money on your
energy bills as well.
Reuse items so that you extend the usefulness of what you buy---and think creatively!
Use resealable containers for food.
Glass
jars can be great containers for nails, screws and craft items. Give your old
toothbrush a new life as a tool for cleaning grout. Instead of putting your
coffee into a paper or foam cup, keep a ceramic mug on hand for the java or tea,
and use that old compact disk for a coaster. You can even save the silica
packets that come with new items, and put them into your boots and gloves to
keep them fresh and dry. And remember to take a fabric tote bag to the store
with you. It’s not only environmentally efficient, but it is quite fashionable
as well!
Recycle items made of paper, cardboard, glass, steel, aluminum and plastics marked with a recycling symbol. These items can be used over again in a different form, and this means we preserve our natural resources, save manufacturing energy, generate less pollution and cut down on the amount of trash and dollars for disposal.
Recycling is easy---once you get the hang of it. Look for product packaging that identifies it as being recyclable or made from recycled materials.
Here are some of the symbols to look for:
Glass Aluminum Steel Recyclable
Plastics (with different numbers, depending on the plastic)
You can drop off recyclable metal, glass and paper in the marked bins at the Sherborn Transfer Station, located just south of the Natick/Sherborn Town line on Route 27.
The Sherborn Transfer station is open to all residents of the Town of Sherborn.
Pick up your transfer station sticker at Town Offices on Main Street.
Here are some hints for recycling:
· Keep papers clean and dry, and do not tie them with string. Rinse all cans, bottles and jars.
· Call 508-655-2387 for information about disposing of TV’s, air conditioners, tires, car batteries, paints and computers. For easy reference, check Earth 911 at http://earth911.org/search-recycle-details?location-id=b1b09f6c26ab39ab&what=Used+Motor+Oil&where=01770&max_distance=25
Another way to recycle is to donate the reusable household items that you no longer need. A great place to drop off items is at Sherborn’s Swap Shop at the Transfer Station. It costs nothing to drop it or swap it, and your trash just might be another person’s sought-after treasure.
You can give usable old clothing to clothing donation boxes at the Hap
Ruane Transfer Station, and make the unuseable clothing into cleaning rags.
,
You may also want to contact the local newspapers to see if they offer reduced prices for advertising free reusable items. Online, Craig’s List is also a great way to sell or give away what you don’t need.
Check Charity America at http://www.charityamerica.com/index1.cfm so that your donated items can be matched with organizations that need them. Even old computers are not obsolete for people who need them. Look online for Computers for Schools, Goodwill Industries, National Christina Foundation or Share the Technology.
Give your old cell phone another chance. Like
other electronics, cell phones contain 
heavy
metals, and the batteries are also very toxic. Sherborn has a partnership with
Charitable Recycling which takes our shipments of cell phones and refurbishes
the usable ones for worthy charities. They also remove the heavy metals from
the unusable phones and recycle the rest. There is a collection box the
Sherborn Transfer Station/Hap Ruane Recycling Center on Route 27 (North Main
Street) just south of the Natick town line.
Recycle old eyeglasses.
Charities
distribute them for use in third world countries. Sherborn’s Lion’s
Club collects eyeglasses at the post office and Town Hall.
Support recycling by buying products made from recycled materials.