Garden Club Federation of Maine

Conservation

Everyone has the opportunity to make a difference.

Did you Know:

Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composed.

Here's one for our chocolate lovers - An estimated 80,000,000 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover over 50 acres of space, that's almost 40 football fields. All that foil is recyclable, but no many people realize it.

To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.

Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees each year.

Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures each year.

Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper. All of these are recyclable. A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose - even longer it it's in a landfill.

Did any of these make you think it's time to recycle and conserve? Everyone makes a difference!

How about in your home?
Check out what Linda Hewitt and her family are doing in their home.

LINDA HEWITT, FORMER CONSERVATION CHAIRMAN, REPORTS ON THE

GREEN FEATURES OF HER “NORTH CAROLINA HEALTHY BUILT HOME.” THE HEWITTS ARE SEEKING A SILVER ENVIRONMENTAL RATING.

ORIGINAL FEATURES AND OPTIONAL UPGRADES:

Low flow bathroom faucets Enclosed outdoor compost area

Energy Star appliances Dual flush toilets

(includes Bosch front loading washer,

rated lowest usage of water) Insulated hot water pipes to R-6

Blower door testing for minimum air leakage Insulated foundation system to R-12.5

Low-E windows Attic radiant heat barrier

Duct blaster testing for minimum leakage Programmable Energy Star thermostats

Airtight recessed canister lights SEER 14 cooling system

Insulated ducts Tankless hot water system

Heating system efficiency >90 CFL’s throughout

Energy Recovery Ventilator Carpeting of recycled materials

Wall switch timers and dimmers Electronic air cleaner

Non-chemical termite system Sealed combustion, wood burning

fireplace

Low VOC finishes and dissipation

220 electric car outlet in garage

Cellulose insulation/gypsum wall board

made of recycled materials Native, drought and pest resistant

landscaping/ 1/3 acre/minimal lawn

Cement board siding/composite shutters/

natural cedar siding/composite deck Ceiling fans, max. heat, min. A/C

Pre-finished hardwood floors Blown cellulose to R-50

(attic)

Engineered wood systems

(floor and roof trusses) Native natural stone, interior/exterior

Gutter systems drain away from foundation Urethane foam insulation to R-22(ext)