Summer time, and the livin'
is easy Go Easy on the
Earth this Summer

Ah, summer days are here, filled with lush gardens, balmy evenings, picnics, camping, concerts and more. We call it the good life, and we work hard so our children can enjoy that good life when they grow up. The following tips for going easy on the earth will not only help protect earth's resources for tomorrow, but in most cases will also save you money today.

Now that all your plants are in, you're probably wondering what to do with all those start trays and plastic plant pots. Don't put them in your recycling bin. They are not recyclable in the traditional sense, but there are lots of ways to get them reused. Many of the local farms are more than pleased to accept plant pots in good condition as long as they fit the size requirements of their farm operations. Just call around or visit them at the Farmers Market. Grays Garden Center has a place where people can leave, or take, plant pots of all shapes and sizes. And last of all the BRING Warehouse will accept larger sized plant pots always and smaller sizes "until the bin fills up."

Garden greenery waste takes up as much as 10% of Lane County's solid waste system in the summer. Which is a real shame considering how easy it is to compost grass clippings and other trimmings into healthy soil amendments and fertilizers. Stop by one of the city of Eugene's compost demonstration gardens for examples and instructions. (Riverhouse at 301 N. Adams, along the bike path in east Maurie Jacobs Park or Grass Root Garden at 1465 Coburg Rd-behind the church) If you don't have the space or inclination to compost at home, ask your garbage hauler about special yard debris pickups or take trimmings to Lane Forest Products or Rexius for composting. The Glenwood Central Receiving Center (the dump) also accepts yard waste at a reduced fee, when it is separated from garbage. Grass clippings are actually a super source of nitrogen for your garden or compost pile, use them as a mulch around plants (reducing the need for both watering and weeding) or feed them directly back to your lawn by using a mulching mower or simply raking them in. This will save back-breaking time as well as the money previously used to purchase lawn fertilizer.

If your lawn mower needs replacing this year, keep in mind that many of our environmental problems are due to the burning of fossil fuels. Take this chance to switch over to electric and enjoy being able to start it up on the first try every time! Push mowers are making a major come back, and no wonder-they cost far less to purchase and operate than power models. They need little maintenance, make no noise and provide good healthy exercise as a bonus.

Keeping your kids entertained this summer doesn't have to involve splurging on wasteful junk food or expensive toys, just head for the recycling bin instead. Assemble standard supplies like scissors, tape and glue, add some colorful accent scraps (buttons, ribbons, colored paper) then stand back and watch as dragons, trains, puppets and more rise out of a pile of egg cartons, food boxes, pop bottles and scraps. Youthful creativity is a powerful entertainer when encouraged. If the ideas are slow to come, stop by the public library, they have has dozens of books on scrap crafts for kids.

A large source of garbage in the summer is disposable food service ware. When organizing family and friends for an outdoor event, remember to encourage the use of washable plates and utensils instead of disposables. For smaller picnics, just use your daily dishes or put together a picnic kit with cloth napkins, durable plates and flatware (thrift stores and garage sales are a great source for durable, washable plastic dishes.)

Instead of buying bags of ice for a picnic or camping cooler, fill plastic soda bottles with water and pop them in the freezer over night. When the ice melts, you have much needed water and a plastic container that might come in handy. (Want to make a yellow jacket trap with it? Just cut off the top, put it back on the bottle upside down like a funnel, and put something sweet in the bottom--pineapple juice is very effective--and bingo, picnic pests are bottled up.) Even without a picnic, a soda bottle filled with frozen water is a great summer routine. Just toss it in the car as you go out the door, by mid-afternoon it is a perfect ice water refresher which costs nothing and has no waste.

Keep your house cooler and your electricity bills lower by using free solar power to dry your clothes. If you don't have room for a laundry line, get a sturdy drying rack. They will hold a sizable load of laundry and you'll be surprised how fast things dry even on cool, cloudy days.

Summer Article from the Eugene Register Guard

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