WAYS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT RECYCLE!!!Find programs near you; there should be lots of options. otoner cartridges oaluminum cans onewspapers o2 liter plastic soda bottles omilk jugs osteel containers oorganic material/cuttings oglass otelephone books Stop Junk Mail -- The junk mail Americans receive in just one day is not only a nuisance, but could produce enough energy to heat a quarter of a million homes! If you saved up all the unwanted junk mail for one year, you would have the equivalent to one and a half trees, which would add up to 100 million trees every year in just the United States. To help stop junk mail, write to: Mail P reference Service, Direct Marketing Association, 11 West 42nd St., PO Box 3861, New York, NY 10163-3861. By writing to them, you can reduce junk mail by up to 75%. You can recycle the rest of the junk mail you receive. Add a Low-Flow Faucet Aerator -- This is a simple device which you can attach to your water faucets at home. By attaching one of these devices, you can reduce water flow by 50%, and the water flow will seem stronger! If only 10,000 4-person households would install low-flow aerators, 33 million gallons of water would be saved yearly. Change your Kitchen Habits -- Use reusable containers for food storage instead ofwrapping food in foil or plastic wrap. You can also use unbleached coffee filters, which does not produce the deadl y toxin dioxin in its manufacturing. Use rags to wipe u p spills instead of paper towels, and use biodegradable wax paper and bags. Check your hot water heater -- Did you know your hot water heater accounts for about 20% of all the energy used in your home? There are a few simple things you can do to save energy and save money. Turn your water heater down to 130 degrees, which is hot enough to kill deadly bacteria, and still save energy. Also, insulate your heater with a pre- fab 'blanket,' but be careful not to block off air vents on gas heaters. This can save you 7- 8% of your energy usage. You can also drain 2 qu arts (or 2 liters) of water from your hot water heater every 2 months from the valve at the bottom of the tank. This prevents accumulation of sediment and prolongs the life of your water heater. Be aware of your paint you use -- Use latex paint instead of oil-based paint. Oil-based paint is highly toxic, and its manufacturing produces nasty pollutants. Dis pose of paint as hazardous waste, or with latex paint you can let it evaporate outside for one year. Then,
