Tips: Reducing Fall Home Maintenance and Halloween Holiday Waste
- Compost is a rich, organic soil conditioner for your lawn and garden. Put raked leaves and other yard wastes in a compost bin and keep these materials out of landfills. Don't forget to add any organic materials cleaned out of your gutters, too.
- Cool, dry fall days are a great time to paint both the interior and exterior of your home. Properly store any unused paint for future use, donate unused paint to neighbors or charities, or turn in your used paint to a waste collection facility for recycling.
- When stocking up on cold-weather gear, buy recycled-content items such as fleece clothing and blankets made from recycled soda bottles and snow shovels made from recycled plastic. Buying recycled-content products "closes the loop" and encourages companies to make more items with recycled materials.
- If you have a tile roof, check it thoroughly for cracks or missing tiles and use roofing made from recycled rubber or plastic to make repairs.
- Replace old insulation with insulation made from recycled paper, glass and other recovered materials.
- Check your heat pump or furnace and change the filter or make repairs if needed. Properly maintaining your furnace will conserve fuel by keeping it running efficiently and preventing leaks.
- Before rough winter weather sets in, remove screens from windows and doors and put up storm windows. Strong winds, heavy rains and extreme cold can all damage your screens and ordinary windows and send them to landfills before their time.
- Check caulking around windows and do touch ups to conserve energy and natural resources.
- Clean and properly store tools, toys, and outdoor furniture to protect them from damage, allowing you to keep them longer instead of sending them to the landfill.
- When performing routine maintenance on your car, properly dispose of used motor oil, coolants, tires, and batteries. Many repair facilities will accept these items and recycle them, or you can call your local solid waste management department to find auto parts recycling facilities in your area.
- Why purchase a Halloween costume that you will probably only use once and then throw away? Instead, use old clothes or buy used clothes from a consignment shop to make your costume. Also remember to use reusable cloth bags instead of disposable ones for trick-or-treating.
- Make the most of your jack o'lantern. Use the removed meat to make pumpkin pie or muffins and roast the seeds as a fun holiday snack. When the holiday is over, cut up your carved pumpkin before it spoils and toss it in the compost bin.
The tips are from EPA.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.