Electronics Recycling Sat 11/10 9-4

I have a bag of electronics in my closet that I am always trying find some way to get rid of.
I see these signs around town occasionally and always vow to make sure to remember.
Don't throw your electronics in the trash, take them to the recycling day.
This saturday 11/10 9am to 4pm

Local woman tries to do without plastic

Our own Julia Park Tracey tries to go without plastic for a month.

Good luck Julia I am not sure I could do it.

But I did stop buying bottled water.

Read the full article in Alameda Patch

Alameda Green Schools Summit

Alameda Schools Go Green* will host the second *Green Schools Summit* on
April 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Alameda Main Library.

Students, teachers, city officials and members of the community are invited
to attend this important event.
We will meet to provide new information and continue the work to help our
local schools conserve resources and reduce waste.

For more information visit the Go Green Schools page on the AUSD website:
http://www.alameda.k12.ca.us/index.php/schools/go-green-schools

Batteries! They are in everything. How to dispose of them.

Did you know that the city of Alameda has a battery recycling program?


This was part of a discussion thread that I and Michelle Kuttner started on the Alameda-Schools-Go-Green discussion group. Here is what I found out that I didn't know about 
our own Alameda battery disposal programs.

This was sent along by Kerry Parker who administers the program for the city.

Thanks to Michele Kuttner at Bay Farm Elementary, I have been talking

a lot about AUSD battery recycling over the last 24 hours!  :)  I

currently administer the City of Alameda's battery recycling program

in town, and with the recent addition of the new Pagano's Hardware

Mart at Alameda Towne Centre, there are now 11 convenient locations

already set up in Alameda to receive your spent batteries and dispose

of them safely:

- City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave - 1st floor at stairwell

- City Hall West, 950 W. Mall Square (Alameda Point) - 1st floor

lobby

- Main Library, 1550 Oak St - 1st floor copy room

- Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave - Main admin office

- Alameda Municipal Power, 2000 Grand St. - Lobby

- Maintenance Service Center, 1616 Fortmann Way - Front office

- Alameda County Industries (ACI), 2307 Blanding Ave, Suite B - Front

office

- Pagano's Hardware Mart, 1100 Lincoln Ave - Back of store

- Pagano's Hardware Mart, Alameda Towne Centre - Back of store

- Encinal Hardware, 2801 Encinal Ave - Near front of store, on isle

- CVS/Pharmacy (Bay Farm), 885-A Island Dr - Photo desk will take

them

Now why you should not just throw them in the trash.
I took this from the ehso.com website from their page on battery disposal.


People are using more and more household batteries. The average person owns about two button batteries, ten normal (A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, etc.) batteries, and throws out about eight household batteries per year. About three billion batteries are sold annually in the U.S. averaging about 32 per family or ten per person. A battery is an electrochemical device with the ability to convert chemical energy to electrical energy to provide power to electronic devices. Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of. When incinerated, certain metals might be released into the air or can concentrate in the ash produced by the combustion process.

Batteries may produce the following potential problems or hazards:

	Pollute the lakes and streams as the metals vaporize into the air when burned.
	Contribute to heavy metals that potentially may leach from solid waste landfills.
	Expose the environment and water to lead and acid.
	Contain strong corrosive acids.
	May cause burns or danger to eyes and skin.

In landfills, heavy metals have the potential to leach slowly into soil, groundwater or surface water. Dry cell batteries contribute about 88 percent of the total mercury and 50 percent of the cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream. In the past, batteries accounted for nearly half of the mercury used in the United States and over half of the mercury and cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the ash.

Happy New Year... now throw out your old electronics

Get rid of your old electronics.

• Where: Oak St & Alameda Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
• Date: January 9, 2011
• Time: 10:00am–4:00pm

• Did you get new electronics for Christmas? REcycle your old ones! Alameda High's Students On Skis and Snowboards is hosting an electronic recycling event to fundraise for our upcoming ski trip! Support the Ski Club and Nature~ RECYCLE your old electronics!!

  FREE to recycle TVs, Moniters, Laptops, Flat Screens, Cell Phones and InkJet Cartridges!

  $5 to recycle CPUs, Stereos, Telephones, Printers, Copiers, DVD players, Fax Machines, Hard Drives, VCRs, Motherboards, and Video Games.

  Donations accepted! Thanks for Supporting the AHS Ski Club!

Fall colors

Every year the Ginkgo Trees turn a beautiful yellow gold color in my neighborhood.

Wow a long time since I posted

It has been a few months since I posted anything on my GoGreenAlameda blog page.

Someone recently told me about the California Cash for Appliances program.
If you purchase a new energy efficient appliance and recycle your old one you will be eligible for a rebate.
There are some conditions of course you must recycle your old appliance with one of their platinum partners. PG&E also has an appliance recycling program.

There are 2 costs to owning an appliance. The price you paid and the cost for the energy it uses.
Most newer washing machines are also more water efficient which can be a big deal here in California since we almost always seem to be in a drought.

Click on the links below to check out the programs.

http://www.cash4appliances.org/
http://www.pge.com/rebates/