Outdoor kids: field trip to the transfer station

We took our optional school field trip to the transfer station last Wednesday. My kids plugged their noses as if on cue:
To tell you the truth, I didn't find the dump that impressive that day. The piles weren't very big (nor very smelly):

Although this pile of corrugated cardboard was pretty awesome, such that one kid asked if they could climb it:

The thing that really grabbed my kids' attention was the discussion of hazardous waste. The haz-mat man in his white protective kevlar suit talked about how rechargeable batteries can react when they come together, and can ignite or explode. Likewise, old chemicals hanging out in your old grandpa's basement for years can separate and become so dangerous as to warrant calling the bomb squad for safe handling (which happens several times a month)! My kids' ears perked up for that part, and when we talked about it later this was their main take-away.

One family had smartly brought a basket of batteries with them (why, oh, why do I never remember to do this?), which led to a discussion of why we need to cut back on the throwaway stuff in our lives. It would have been a perfect time for Jack Johnson to step out from behind one of the garbage piles and get us all singing along to the 'Three Rs,' but alas, he must have been booked elsewhere that day. I'd imagine most of the good moms and dads who took their kids on the optional field trip had the song all cued up in the car, for the drive back to school, or else they were prepared to launch into EnviroMom Speech A: The importance of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle.

How to safely clean up broken CFL light bulbs

I was peacefully eating my breakfast and reading the morning paper while the kids were playing in the living room. Peace was interrupted by the crash of glass breaking. A standing lamp had hit the floor, and not one, but two CFL light bulbs shattered. I ordered the kids out of the living room and the first thing that went through my mind was: MERCURY! The next thing that went through my mind was: WHAT WOULD GOOGLE DO?


But no, I did not go straight to google. I went straight to the dust pan and brush, and got a plastic bag to seal away all the broken glass and mercury that was surely swirling around the room and slowly beginning to kill us. Once I got it all cleaned up, then I did google it and thank goodness for green blogger moms. The first link I clicked -- in my desperation to find out if I was doing what I should be -- started loading, then made me watch an ad!! Grrrr. So I clicked through to a green blogger site, and really had a chuckle at myself because I reacted about the same as she had and did almost everything wrong.

I did learn that I should turn off the heater (which I promptly did) and put the broken bulb outside, which I then also did. And wipe the floor with a wet paper towel, and then dispose of those with the bulb. Ditto. I also then opened the windows (and oh-MAN! it was cold to be doing that for 15 minutes) to air out the room. So I guess I didn't do it all wrong. Or maybe because I did it so quickly right after first doing it wrong, I scored bonus safety points? I learned that it might have been best to use some tape to pick up the glass bits, and then throw that away too. And a piece of cardboard instead of my regular dust pan. Oops.

I'm still awaiting an email reply from our local hazardous waste collection folks to find out what to do with the bagged broken bulbs (for the time being, it'll just keep our jack-o-lanterns company on the front porch). Each municipality may tell you something slightly different, so if you ever break any CFLs, it's best to contact your local experts before making that last move to get the broken bulbs out of your home. But I post so that you may know ahead of time how to safely dispose of a broken CFL rather than after (like me). Oh, and perhaps be more adamant with the kids about why we don't play wildly in the living room.

Digital TV switchover and the potential for eWaste

I read a small blurb in the Sunday paper that made me happy: the government is looking to postpone the switch to digital TV in the US yet again. Oh please. Oh please. Generally, I'm not a procrastinator. But in this case, I have been.

Like most people in the nation, I knew the change was coming for about a year and a half: February 17, 2009. But I did not apply for any of those government-issued digital TV coupons (and now I understand they're all out -- but there's a waiting list!). I also am still unclear if we would need those set-top boxes. We have one very swanky newish TV that is flat-panel, high-def, blah-blah-blah (I'm just so uninterested in all that latest technology hoo-ha. I've pretty much left it all up to my geeky, techie husband to figure out what we will need for this new era of television, which may explain the procrastination factor). We have a bare-bones basic cable connection ($11/month). We also did a little experiment last week with rabbit ear antennas. We were able to tune in one local TV station that is already broadcasting digitally, but not very well, and only on one TV (not the fancy flat-panel one). So that option doesn't look promising.

I also tried to convince Heather that she will need the set-top converter box for her old TV (she also has basic cable). But I'm still confused. So I quizzed a cable guy the other day, and he said no to the boxes. But said our signal would be degraded even if we do subscribe to basic cable (huh? Then why am I subscribing?). To further complicate matters, our local cable provider, Comcast, was recently featured in an Oregonian article saying they're moving to digital even sooner than February, but somehow different. Oh, why does this have to be so darned confusing? Really, I'm not a Luddite.

eWaste awareness: not all electronics go to heaven

I've written how I didn't always know that much about eWaste. I understand there are some great, informative videos that vividly show the eWaste crisis -- i.e., sending them off to developing nations to disassemble toxic components. But I haven't taken the time to watch them. So that's why I'm pleased to link to this short documentary "Not all electronics go to heaven" by Portland son Leland Scantlebury, who profiles Green Citizen, an electronics recycler in San Francisco (this is where Scantlebury is going to film school). Prepare to see startling images of toxins spewing in the wind. Children dismantling eWaste. Yet, awareness of the eWaste issue is the number one step in getting people involved, and doing the right thing.

Green Citizen has two locations: San Francisco and Silicon Valley. In the Portland we recommend Bear eCycling and Free Geek.

Free Geek founder starts up new e-waste recycling center

When I was taking the Master Recycler class we got to take a tour of Free Geek led by Founder Oso 'Bear' Martin. He had so much enthusiasm and passion for electronic waste recycling, it was infectious. Now, Bear has started another recycling center, Bear eCycling, located at 5432 SE 63rd Ave. (near Foster & Holgate). Bear eCycling takes most of the items that Free Geek takes, with two major additions: they will accept and disassemble television sets and microwave ovens. What's so important about this? Typically electronics are shipped overseas for disassembly and recycling in impoverished areas where workers are unprotected from the hazardous materials lurking inside electronics. Both Free Geek and Bear eCycling disassemble the electronics right here in Portland and try to find as many local recyclers for the parts before shipping them overseas responsibly.

Bear eCycling charges fees for recycling electronics that contain hazardous waste, like TVs, microwaves, computer monitors and CFLs. Other items like computers, telephones and printers don't carry a fee. They will also accept household alkaline batteries! Hooray!

Got styrofoam and eWaste? Here's a recycling event for you!

On Saturday, September 29, from 10am to 4pm, the Technology Conservation Group is hosting an electronics recycling event. Donations of unwanted equipment will benefit Mercy Corps.

The following items will be accepted (some items have recycle fees as noted):

• PC/laptops (no fee)
• Fluorescent/CFL lightbulbs (no fee)
• Cables, keyboards, mice, cell phones, hard drives, circuit boards (no fee)
• Desktop printers, scanners, fax machines, DVD/VCR players, stereo components ($5 fee to recycle)
• Large, stand-alone printers ($40 fee to recycle)
• Monitors ($8 fee to recycle)
• Televisions ($20 fee to recycle)
• Styrofoam (no fee)

Recycle fees may be paid by cash or check only. The drop-off location is at:

Con-Way Enterprise Services (parking lot NW 20th and Raleigh)
1717 NW 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

TCG will not accept smoke detectors, thermostats or white goods such as refrigerators, washers/dryers, dishwashers, or other Freon-containing devices. For more info, please contact Sharon Baker at 503-758-5538.

E-Waste Collection Event in Tigard, Sept. 8

Yep, tomorrow from 10am-1pm you can take your old computers, monitors, televisions and other electronics over to Tigard High School (9000 SW Durham Road) for recycling. Here's the scoop:

Fees: There is a $15 fee for laptops, computer monitors, and TVs 36 inches or less. For TVs larger than 36 inches, the fee is $25. There is an additional charge of $5 for console TVs. Other residential E-Waste will be accepted free of charge. Please Note: Manuals, boxes, packaging, disks, and software will not be accepted.

Payment will only be accepted by cash or check. Are outdated computer parts gathering dust around your home or office? Dispose of computers, laptops, monitors, printers, TVs, hard drives, cables, ink cartridges, batteries, modems, and keyboards at the E-Waste Collection Event.

The greening of computers and electronics

I kid you not. On the first day of the Master Recycler course I asked what eWaste is. I honestly did not know. If you're in that same boat, it's short for electronic waste, or unwanted, obsolete, or unusable electronic products such as computers. eWaste is a particularly tricky waste stream because electronics are made up of a diverse mix of materials (some precious and some toxic) put together in complex ways.

So have you got eWaste sitting in a closet at home somewhere? Understandable. It's hard to part with computers or electronics that you paid big bills for and were considered "top of the line" not so long ago. It's best if you can find someone to reuse it. We've found new homes for some of our old computers via Craigslist. Free Geek may be your solution if you don't want to sell it. They rebuild and adopt out good computers, and they break down truly obsolete machines into recyclable parts using volunteer labor. Volunteers can work toward earning their own computer once they've put in a certain amount of hours.

Now Oregon is one of several states on the cusp of eWaste legislation. The measure would require electronics manufacturers to open recycling sites or to help pay for collective sites where electronic devices could be returned free of charge. Amen to that!

There's also a few other organizations we should be aware of as electronics consumers. There's a voluntary program for electronics manufacturers called EPEAT that helps consumers pick products based on their environmental attributes. There's also MyGreenElectronics to help us make greener choices when we are buying electronics. We are a pretty hard-core Mac family, so I was pleased to see Steve Jobs' letter about a "greener apple".

I could go on and on, but let me finish by tying in a discussion of the power of consumer opinions in our final Master Recycler class this week (so, yes, indeed, Heather and I are newly ordained "Master Recylers" now). Use the 800 numbers. Write letters. Tell manufacturers what you think about excessive packaging and environmental impact. The green choir is growing and getting louder. Hallelujah! Vote with your dollar! OK, someone make me step away from the keyboard now!