Recycle City residents realize that it's up to them to help protect the environment. In this house, the Savemor family tries to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Sue and Seymour Savemor and their kids, Sidney and Sheila, also try to reduce their energy use and avoid buying hazardous substances.
Visit them and see if you can pick up any ideas to use in your home.
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around your house that you could donate to a charity or a community warehouse instead of throwing them out.
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When the weather is clear, the Savemors hang clothes on the line to dry. It saves energy and makes the clothes smell great.
Sidney and Sheila built a compost bin in the yard after hearing about how to do it in school. They use the bin to recycle grass and yard trimmings, and also add coffee grounds, egg shells, and vegetable trimmings from the kitchen. As the waste degrades and turns into compost, they use it to help their garden grow.
While they sometimes need to use their car, the Savemor family tries as much as possible to use bicycles to get from place to place. Bikes don't pollute or use non-renewable fuels—and they're good exercise.
The Savemors hold a garage sale twice a year to sell usable things that they no longer want or need. That way, they not only help the environment, they make money, too!
In addition, they know that many everyday items—such as bags, plastic containers, and coffee cans—can be used more than once. As part of a project for Miss Redux at school, Sheila and Sidney came up with ideas for how some things can be reused at home:
BUT motor oil cans or pesticide containers CANNOT be reused because they contain harmful residues. They must be discarded following the manufacturers' instructions on the label.
Although sometimes they can't find a safe substitute for a toxic cleanser, the Savemors have found a number of ways to use safer alternatives. (When they can't find a safe substitute, they use as little of the toxic substance as possible to do the job.) Some alternatives they use are:
The Savemors keep all home appliances, like the refrigerator, in good working order. They follow the manufacturer's suggestions for proper operation and maintenance.
When old appliances need to be replaced, Sue and Seymour always check the energy efficiency on the new appliance. They also buy appliances that offer a longer life span and a good warranty or repair policy. The longer the appliances last, the more the Savemors save.
When an old appliance has to go, they call local recyclers who pick it up and use it for scrap.
The Savemors keep recycling bins in the kitchen so no one accidentally forgets and throws something into the trash that could be recycled. They recycle plastic, glass, paper, and aluminum and other metal cans.
The Savemor family knows that the best way to manage waste is to reduce it at the source. If you don't buy it, you won't have to throw it away. Here are some things the Savemors do to reduce waste:
Whenever the Savemors cut the grass, they leave the grass clippings on the lawn instead of raking them up and putting them in bags. It's called grasscycling. It's good for the lawn because the grass breaks down and all the nutrients from the clippings go right back into the soil.
Because the lawn is receiving these nutrients, it doesn't need chemical fertilizers or even as much water. So, the Savemors save money, time, and energy—and keep all those bags of grass clippings out of the Recycle City landfill!
Sue and Seymour rigged a tire swing from the tree for the kids, keeping one more tire from becoming waste and providing a great time for anybody who uses it.
Of course, when the Savemors are done recycling at the end of the day, there are always reruns to watch on TV.
The Savemors use some simple guidelines to reduce waste:
This fireplace was made from old bricks that the family recovered from a building that was torn down.
The Savemors burn logs made from pressed wood. Pressed wood, made from recycled wood scraps and sawdust, burns cleaner that most other wood-based fuels. (Open fireplaces can add pollution to the air indoors. An enclosed wood stove that burns sawdust pellets can heat a home and cut down on the amount of pollution in the air.)
The Savemors listen to Recycle City air pollution control reports on the radio and stop using the fireplace when air quality warnings are issued, such as on cold nights when the temperature keeps smoke close to the ground.
The Savemor home has solar panels to generate electricity. These panels are made up of solar cells that absorb light from the sun and turn it into electricity, which can then be used to do things like heat water and power home appliances.
Solar energy is a great source of energy because it is non-polluting and renewable (meaning it won't run out)! When we use renewable energy, we can reduce our use of other forms of energy that create greenhouse gases and pollution that warm our planet and contribute to climate change.
Every house in Recycle City has an insulated attic to reduce the need for energy and to conserve heat in the winter. Insulation also keeps homes cooler during the hot summer months. The Recycle City Power Co. gives home owners a rebate for insulating their houses.
Every house in Recycle City has been weatherized by sealing all of the air leaks around doors and windows, ceiling lights, attic hatches, and pipe and wire penetrations with caulk. Sealing these air leaks saves energy by keeping heat inside the house during the winter and cool indoor air from escaping during the summer. It also makes the house more comfortable and less drafty.
Every light bulb in Recycle City has been replaced with a more energy efficient fluorescent or LED light bulb. Citizens are saving thousands of dollars using less electricity to light their homes, streets and city buildings.
