Water Conservation Made Easy - Simple Ways to Save Water

When it comes to going green, little changes make all the difference. Fixing that leak, shortening your shower, and upgrading your appliances are all simple, but effective ways to conserve water.

Go Low-Flow—By switching your older model shower heads to low flow, you can save up to 3 gallons of water each minute. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that by making the switch you could lower your consumption (and water bill) by 25-60%.

Turn Off the Tap—Turning the water off while you brush your teeth can save eight gallons of water each day per person. For a family of four, that's 11,680 gallons of water saved each year.

Shorten That Shower—Depending on flow, your daily shower uses anywhere from 2-5 gallons of water a minute. By cutting your typical 10-minute hygiene routine in half, you can save 10-25 gallons of water each day.

Check for Leaks—At a drip rate of one drip each second, a leaky faucet can waste 3,000 gallons a year. Even so, that might not be your biggest concern. Silent toilet leaks can waste anywhere from 100 to 150 gallons a day. Make the most of your water by keeping your home leak-free.

Refrigerate Drinking Water—Running the tap to get a cold glass of water can waste more water than you think. Keep a jug of water in the refrigerator instead to save water and time.

Upgrade Your Appliances—If you have an older appliance model, consider replacing it with a never, Energy Star labeled model. Energy Star appliances use up to 50% less water and electricity.

Run a Full Load—Make the most of the water you use by only washing full loads of dishes and laundry. If you have to run a smaller load, be sure to adjust the water setting.

Buying an Energy Efficient Washing Machine

Front Loading Machines: Front loading washers may cost a bit more at the store, but they are more energy efficient since they have a larger capacity meaning fewer loads need to be done, less water is used so there is less water to heat, and the higher speed spin cycle removes more water from the clean clothes easing the dryer's work load.

The Energy Guide Label: By far the most important tool in choosing an energy efficient washing machine is the Energy Guide label. The information on this yellow sticker will give you information as to how much energy is consumed by that model. This by far is the most valuable comparison tool since it is not created by the manufacturer but rather by the US Department of Energy.

Energy Star: Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that recognizes the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly appliances and electronics on the market. On an average, Energy Star washing machines use up to 50% less energy than their counterparts.

Load Auto-Sensor:There are washing machines available that use sensors to determine the size of a load of dirty clothes, and then add the appropriate amount of water to the washing machine. This allows the user to save on the energy used for the water pump. Also, if hot water is used it is not wasted.

Book Recycling Helps The Environment

Book recycling is becoming more and more common as companies and people are converting to computers. Whether it's reading an e-book, an instruction manual, or looking up research material, you may not need these types of books as much as in the past. The push to eliminate paper waste is growing among many companies and people as they do there best to reduce the amount of paper waste. This is where book recycling comes into play.

In 2008, a record-high 57.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paper and paperboard products represent the largest portion of our municipal waste. Paper and paperboard products account for 33% of all the waste collected.

There are many of programs centered on recycling, but how do you find one that does book recycling? Many recycling programs may not even do book recycling; yet they charge a subscription fee or are heavily subsidized by tax money. In spite of this there are a handful of companies who currently do not charge any money for book recycling.

There are companies that take the extra time and resources to process these books and actually recycle them to be made back into paper. Why is it so difficult to recycle books? Hardbound books are hard to recycle because of their heavy glue content, vinyl and low fiber content; most unused or obsolete hardback books end up in the landfill. Under some cases, these books are recycled through mulching and becoming compost or insulation.

Listed below are a few familiar products that are made from recycled paper:

• Masking tape
• Dust masks
• Bandages
• Coffee filters
• Lamp shades
• Insulation

By recycling your damaged or obsolete books you can make a large environmental impact. Here are a few ways book recycling can help the environment: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saves considerable landfill space, reduces energy and water consumption, and decreases the need for disposal (i.e., landfill or incineration which decreases the amount of CO2 produced).

Ingredients
8 ounces cooked whole wheat spaghetti
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 cup parsley
8 ounces mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Toss cooked noodles with eggs, parmesan and parsley.
2. In greased 8x8 pan, put half the noodle mixture, followed by half of the mozzarella. Repeat.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.