Text Box: Keepin’ It Green  

 

 

Text Box: FEATURED GROUP This issue’s featured group is the Green Committee of the United Partnership for Better Community.  Established in 2007, the Partnership’s newest task force is committed to making Wauconda a more green community.  Led by Mark Knigge, the other members of the group include Jane Fidler, Jackie Soccorso, Tim Staton and Ryan Sutton.  They are working on numerous projects including a monthly e-newsletter, giving out reusable shopping bags at the Wauconda Chamber of Commerce Expo in February, gathering contact information for various recycling efforts in the community, and encouraging other organizations in the area to incorporate recycling programss into their regular routines - such as the Reuse-A-Shoe program, use of CFL light bulbs, and getting more recycling bins for around town.  The group would welcome more team members and would love to hear your suggestions on how to keep our town and our world greener!   If you know of a business, organization, or individual who’s doing a great or unique job of ‘keepin’ it green’, let us know.  We’d love to have them included in our Featured Group of the month.  Write us at waucondagreenteam@gmail.com  to let us know.  We’ll be in touch! Text Box: TIPS Unplug your electrical devices when they’re not ‘on’.  Machines such as refrigerators, toasters, coffee pots, televisions and cell phone chargers still use energy when not technically ‘on’ – this can account for up to 10% of your electric bill.   Encourage your family, friends, and co-workers to drink from reusable mugs rather than throw-away cups.  You can launch a ‘mug movement’ in your office or home!  Trade your individual bottled water for reusable water bottles.  Wash, refill, and drink up!    Did you know…If every coffee-drinking American used a refillable mug instead of a disposable cup, it would save the environment almost 7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emission per day.                                 Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) are all the rage.  Free CFLs are available to Village residents while supplies last at three locations: the Village Hall, the Environmental Quality Department located behind Village Hall, and at the Public Works facility located on Slocum Lake Rd.  ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer.  A power plant will emit four times more mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to the amount of mercury to run a CFL bulb for the same amount of time.  CFLs contain over 100 times LESS mercury than a fever thermometer.  Even though this amount is so small, used CFLs should still be properly disposed.  Used CFLs can be recycled, but should not be placed with other household recyclables.  Drop off locations for used CFLs have been set up at the Wauconda Village Hall and Public Works facility.  Residents can also take used CFLs to any household chemical waste collection event held by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County.  See  www.SWALCO.org for dates.  To learn more about CFLs and their benefits, please go to http://www.epa.gov/mercury/ For more information on the United Partnership, please go to www.unitedpartnership.org.

 

Text Box: RE-USABLE NEWS   Reuse-A-Shoe Campaign             We are now in our second year of recycling used athletic shoes.  Every year, millions of shoes are thrown into the landfill – when they could be recycled.  Nike has a program in which shoes are ground up and used in the manufacturing of playgrounds and tracks at schools.  Not only are we saving landfill space, but it cuts down the cost of building new schools.  There are a number of places here in Wauconda to drop off your used athletic shoes (they must contain no metal and cannot be high heels, dress shoes, etc.).  Please contact ‘Keepin’ It Green’ at waucondagreenteam@gmail.com  for a list of drop-off sites.  So far, we’ve collected over 1,000 pairs of shoes.  Let’s keep it going!   Adopt-A-Roadway                         The Village of Wauconda recently started a new program – picking up litter along our Village streets!  We are in need of groups – businesses, communities of worship, families and friends – who want to ‘adopt’ a street or two, and pick up the litter along that stretch of road three times per year.  The Village will provide you with trash bags and beautiful vests to make sure your group stays visible while you work.  Contact the Wauconda Public Works Department at (847) 526-9610 for more information.   Electronics Recycling             Wauconda features a household electronics recycling program for all residents.  There are two options.  The first is to bring your electronics to the Township Building on Bonner Road on the first Saturday of the month from 9am to 12pm.  CERT members will be available to help you unload your items.  The second is to bring your items Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 11:30am to the Public Works facility located at 302 Slocum Lake Rd.  Public Works staff are available to help residents with larger items.  Items accepted include televisions, computers, small appliances, and stereos.  They will NOT accept any hazardous waste or chemicals during this collection.  For more information, please visit http://www.wauconda-il.gov/pdf/ElectronicRecyclingProgram.pdf.    Reusable Shopping Bags             Think about how many plastic or paper shopping bags you go through when grocery shopping.  The average person will go through six per week and 350-500 per year!  Now think about how many of those end up in our landfills – and they don’t biodegrade.  Many stores are selling reusable shopping bags (typically they’re green and cost about $1).  Using them will help our environment tremendously.  Together, we can make a difference!   Text Box: LINKS Here are some interesting websites to look at to get more facts, tips, or to learn about what’s going on in our area:    National:             www.thegreenguide.com        www.greenlivingtips.com                                                                               www.aboutmyplanet.com       www.thedailygreen.com www.earth911.com   For Kids:                     www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/Activities/FunScience/Green      www.thebiggreenhelppress.com         www.epa.gov/kids www.epa.gov/students   Our Area:                    www.swao.org                        www.co.lake.il.us/smc www.wm.com                        www.chicagowilderness.org   Here