Cagwin & Dorward Landscape Contractors

In The Yard: Save plastic & glass bottles to recover their California Refund Value (CRV). The State of California determined $26 million remains unclaimed in (CRV) deposits annually. Encourage crews to set aside such valuable "trash" when picking up debris from customer's sites. Such collection can translate into some awfully nice Yard BBQ's!

In The Office: Have outdated electronics that you don't know what to do with? The State of California has a web page to help you find electronic recycling facilities by county.

On cooler days, have a blanket at your desk so on those very cold days, instead of turning up the heat for the entire room or even a portable heater to keep warm, wrap your legs in the blanket.

If you're lucky to have windows near your desk, open the blinds and use the natural light to work by, instead of turning on the lights. This is also another way of warming your space instead of turning up the heat.

Use the bad/unclear copies or blank pages that come from your copy or fax machines as scratch paper. Use the unprinted side for phone messages or posting notes on the board for the crews.

Depending on your printer's sensitivity (where reuse won't result in jams):

Print on the back sides of pages
Use "Print Preview" to confirm appearance
Use "shrink-to-fit" function when printing
Switch printer to "draft quality" to save toner
Use soy based ink
Use pastel colored paper – not bright/neon colors
Ask suppliers to take back packaging

Call the 800# provided on unwanted faxed advertisements to discontinue transmissions. Contact Suppliers/Retailers directly or register on National Do Not Call site to discontinue unwanted calls you receive.

In The Home: In addition to the above . . .
Contact Retailers to discontinue unwanted phone solicitations and catalogs you receive.

Start composting kitchen and garden waste instead of tossing it to the landfill or running the garbage disposal. Your garden and/or house plants will thank you.

When cleaning, try using products labeled "biodegradable". Even better, mix solutions from basic household ingredients. This will greatly reduce even the biodegrading impact on the environment from runoff and treatment facility's waste.

Change to compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs: Each compact fluorescent will keep half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air over its lifetime. Although more expensive to purchase, compact fluorescents last ten times as long. You can save $30 per year in electricity costs. Installing dimmers can also increase to life span of your lights.

Turn things off when your not using them: Lights and other electrical appliances (TV's, radios, home computers, etc.) need not be on when not in use. Many times we think we're going to get "right back to it" or "it's nice to have the background sound", but if you're not engaged, it's truly a waste. Consider installing automatic timers for lights and things that are frequently forgotten about.

Better yet, unplug. You may believe that when you turn an appliance off – it is off. But most household electronics have a clock, timer, remote control, or a standby mode; and as long as they’re plugged in – they're using electricity. This is called Phantom Power.

The phantom electrical usage in industrialized counties alone, accounts for 75 million tons of CO2 emitted and billions of dollars wasted per year!

TV’s and VCR’s alone waste $1 billion in lost electricity in the U.S. each year. And Cell Phones? Did you know your cell phone charger is using electricity, even when NOT charging!?!?!

It's estimated that only 5% of the power drawn by cell phone chargers is actually used to charge your phone. The other 95% is wasted when left plugged in!

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

Unplug your coffee maker, toaster, cell phone charger, etc. whenever you are not using them.
Use a power strip to plug in multiple appliances, so you can simply switch off the power strip when not in use.
Buy Energy Star http://www.energystar.gov/ appliances when you can. You will cut phantom energy use by up to 50%. look for the yellow and black Energy Guide label on the product. The rating represents the most energy efficient products in their class. According to the EPA, the typical American household can save about $400 per year in energy bills Energy Star labeled products.

Why not get some of this $Money$ back into your pocket?!

Choose PVC-free building products: this can reduce exposure to toxins in your home. Choose wood instead of vinyl windows and doors. The PVC plastic in these products are known to contain phthalates - a possible human carcinogen and endocrine (hormonal/reproduction) disrupter. Adhesives, caulk, grout and sealants may also contain phthalates. You can check for phthalate ingredients in these products using the National Institutes of Health's Household Products Database: www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov.

Choose toys and feeding implements carefully; an important step to reducing your children's exposure to toxins. Look for toys and feeding products for babies and young children that are labeled "PVC free."

Keep your car in good condition: keep your tires properly inflated and perform oil changes and tune-ups regularly. With proper maintenance, you can increase your car's fuel efficiency by 10 percent while reducing emissions.

Becoming Part of the Solution ... GO! Team:
Allison, Brooke, Dennis, Hannah, Khrysti & Robin Roman

GO! - Savings Tips