For more on this subject see:
Radon Facts: What Is It?
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality

Are there traces of holidays still in your home? In our house, all the ornaments and decorations are packed away but the holiday cards and tree still remain in their stands and I’m staring at an older iphone which has been replaced by the brand new 4S.  How should I discard these items?  I asked Siri but her answer came up as ‘search the web’ so I thought I’d share my thoughts about what to do with the remants from Christmas past.

If you just had to have the latest and greatest gadget and still have an older version in good working order, MoneyTalksNews tells you where you can cash in your older Apple devices, Kindles and more, as well as how much money you can get from several places.  $340 instant sale on ebay for an iphone 4 is not bad. My iphone 4 has a cracked screen which according to Gazelle (a site that sells electronics for cash) is worth $65. That’s not bad either especially since I thought it was worthless.  Of course if you simply wish to recycle your old device, check out the Recyling Center Search on the Resources tab of Snappy Green.

Old holiday cards?  Store them away with the decorations and reminisce next year. Afterwards, cut them up into nice shapes, perhaps using scissors with decorative edges, punch a hole in the corner and use ribbon to create the new season’s gift tags. You’ll save trees and money and have unique looking gifts.

Our tree will get deposited in our Christmas tree graveyard but if you don’t have woods at your home, ask your hauler or check out the Recycling Center Search to find a drop-off location.  Be sure to read the fine print.  In searching for what to do with a tree in Fairfield, I found that Green Cycle picks up at the transfer station but specifies that all tinsel, nail, ornaments and stands need to be removed and they do not take flocked trees which have a covering of artificial snow.  If you have items you don’t know what to do with, check out the What to Recycle list to see if recycling is an option.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com     William Raveis Real Estate

Is the water fountain as we know it outdated?  According to JWT Intelligence, in 2012 we’ll be seeing a proliferation of Hydration Stations in public places where people can fill reusable bottles.  If you want the same setup at home, consider either a  whole house water filter, an under-the-counter filter which is a less expensive alternative, a faucet filter or the the least expensive and most common option, the Brita pitcher.  The automated filters are beneficial in that they filter more substances than pitchers.  While they certainly require a monetary investment, the under the counter version is reasonably priced and an adequate solution given that the most convenient and logical water source in our homes is in the Kitchen.  If interested, check out Culligan, a comprehensive resource in our local area.

To incent more college campuses to install hydration stations, like  the College of St. Benedict in the above video, Brita has implemented a Hydrate U program where purchases of custom-branded Nalgene bottles help the school to earn a free Brita®Hydration StationTM.  Don’t forget your water bottle.  Sigg is a also a good one and available at Whole Foods.   Here’s the healthy drinking in 2012.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com    William Raveis Real Estate

With my daughter home from her first year of college for Thanksgiving weekend, our family went for our annual Christmas tree a lot earlier this year at our usual spot: Jones Family Farm.  In the unusually warm weather, we opted for the cold apple cider and did not sit around the fire.  Is this what Christmas is like in California?  The farm was packed and I was surprised to see people tail gating.  It was a great day! As I saw other families with older children it dawned on me that this is one activity that is loved by all ages and one where your kids will chose to go with you over their friends.  Going early certainly has its advantages.  We were able to secure a perfectly shaped tree and that got me thinking…which is the greener choice, a fake tree from a card board box that you reuse or a real tree from the farm?

The CT Christmas Tree Association points out that real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.   Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead, cadmium and organo-tins.  Furthermore, there are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees and each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.  I suppose you could argue both sides but in the end there is one clear winner,  at least according to the National Christmas Tree Association.  This chart points out that fake trees are built in factories consuming natural resources and that most of them must be shipped from China.  Plastic is a petroleum based product and the type is PVC.   Furthermore, the manufacture of PVC creates dioxins which is the most toxic man made chemical known.  You might also be surprised to realize that the estimated life of a fake tree is not forever, its 6-9 years after which time it ends up in a landfill versus the real tree which is 100% biodegradable and can be recycled.

The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association adopted a logo and marketing campaign a few years ago called “Go Green Get Real.”  Happily I feel these are strong enough reasons to  justify my beloved family tradition.  Which do you think is the greener choice?

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com    William Raveis Real Estate