Q: Do caps need to be removed from plastic or glass bottles in order for them to be recycled?

A: Caps should be removed from plastic or glass bottled before you place them in a recycling bin. Most plastic caps are made from a different type of plastic and may be recyclable depending on your community recycling program. You will increase the chances that your plastic or glass bottles are recycled by removing the caps.
Check out www.earth911.org


Q: I've heard of bio-degradable trash bags...do you know where I can find those?

A: www.ecoproducts.com/Home/home_biobags/home_index_biobags.htm


Q: Do you know how much energy is saved by turning off a light or light on an hourly basis.

A: Incandescent lights should be turned off whenever they are not needed. Florescent lights should be turned off if you will be leaving room for 15 minutes or more.
See the following website for more information on this subject:www.energysavers.gov/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280


Q: I re-use the plastic supermarket bags as my garbage can liners. Is there something else you can recommend?

A: Plastic supermarket bags can be returned to the grocery store for personal re-use or recycling. They can be re-used in your home as garbage can liners or as you would use other plastic bags. If you find yourself with too many plastic bags at home, begin to use the re-usable grocery bags instead of accumulating more plastic bags than you will need.


Q: Finding volunteer opportunities for helping the environment. Any websites you recommend?

A: www.volunteermatch.org
www.networkforgood.org/volunteer/
www.earthday.gov/volunteer.htm
www.nature.org/volunteer/?src=l6


Q: Is there a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) location in the State of California? How do you find it?

A: www.localharvest.org


Q: Do CSA's grow animals also?

A: Many CSA’s raise animals and sell meat, dairy products and honey. Check out the www.localharvest.org website for more information.


Q: What are other options for storing garbage at home? Is it possible to skip using plastic garbage bags all together?

A: Using bio-degradable plastic bags or brown paper bags are alternatives to using plastic bags. Composting is another option to reduce waste and the use of plastic bags.


Q: I am concerned about flushing my cat's soiled litter in the toilet. What impact does that have? What are better ways to dispose of soiled litter?

A: From The Sierra Club website…
“The greenest cat litter is made of recycled paper, followed by sawdust, wheat chaff, oat hulls, or other biological materials. But more than half the litter in the United States is made of Bentonite and neither Bentonite nor silica gel litter should be flushed en masse, as they can gum up plumbing, but flushing a few particles probably won't cause trouble. Most municipal sewage systems can handle pet waste, but it should not be flushed where sea otters live, since studies have found some of these animals to be infected with toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease carried in cat feces.”


Q: Is there a good way to weigh options (disposable diapers - trash vs. cloth diapers - water use).

A: www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/49/1/Reusable-cloth-vs-disposable-diapers.html


Q: How should I dispose of not-green cleaning products? I don't know what to do besides pouring it down the sink?

A: Look into your local city of regional “Household Chemical Waste” collection events.
Or www.earth911.org


Q: What type of questions should you ask your dry cleaner to see if they are using environmentally friendly chemicals?

A: Check out this article from the Wall Street Journal about eco-friendly dry cleaning with resources at the end of the article to find one near you!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122834783552077505.html