Craig Margolis

This month’s article written by Council member Craig Margolis

It’s never been easier to “go green” for those fortunate enough to live and/or work in Montgomery. The City offers a surprising number of helpful resources. “Environmentally friendly” applies to any product, action or lifestyle that is designed in a way to preserve the environment. Whether through recycling, conserving energy, composting, switching from chemical to natural cleaners, using sustainable building materials, preserving wildlife and natural areas or simply purchasing less and reusing more, there are hundreds of ways to live an ecofriendly life. Even just making a few small changes in your life can have a positive impact on the environment. “Going green” can offer personal benefits while also helping the environment. For example, conserving resources actually saves money, something everyone wants to do. Don’t try to make too many changes at once. Little steps can add up to make a big difference. Following are some of the ecofriendly things that we have successfully implemented in my family. I recommend selecting a project in one area and then building on from there.

Composting
Whether it’s the crown of the pineapple or the overripe bananas, composting is the ideal way to dispose of such foods. Modern composters are unobtrusive and odor-free. The majority of kitchen waste, with the exception of meat and dairy products, can easily be composted. The same holds true for garden waste such as grass clippings and dry leaves. As an added benefit, composting creates dark rich soil that is ideal for your garden.

Conserve Materials
Remember to bring canvas or other reusable bags to the supermarket with you. By making a conscious effort to do this, you’ll limit the number of plastic bags that end up in the landfills. On Saturdays, from May through October, take advantage of our local Montgomery Farmers’ Market, located in front of Montgomery Elementary School. Nutrition and flavor are at their peak here. By supporting local agriculture, you’re reducing the number of miles that your food has traveled, therefore lowering carbon emissions. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local also supports our local economy.

Conserve Energy
Heating and air conditioning systems consume tremendous amounts of increasingly expensive energy. Consider installing a programmable thermostat that will set back the temperature in your house while you are sleeping or away from home. Seal any air leaks around the windows and throughout your home. Insulate, insulate, insulate. Wrap insulation around the water heater, consider adding insulation to your attic, and insulate and seal your HVAC ducts. Your house will stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, potentially lowering your energy bill and saving you money. Unplug your unused appliances and electronics. When plugged in, they continue to consume power even when they are turned off. Put devices with remotes such as televisions and VCRs on a power strip and turn it off when not in use. These devices also use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is turned off. The same holds true for cell phone chargers. When buying new appliances, look for the energy efficient models. While they are sometimes more expensive upfront, they will make up for it in the long run with lower utility bills. My family replaced our 30-plus-year old working furnace with an energy efficient model, knowing that the temperature in our house would be better controlled and our monthly utility bills would decrease.

Additional steps: Conduct a home-energy audit (or call Duke Energy at 1-877-388-7676 to come out and perform a FREE energy audit). Have your heating and air-conditioning system serviced on a regular basis. In the cooler months, open the curtains on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home and close them at night to reduce the chill.

Walk or ride your bike
It may seem old-fashioned, but cities were made for walking, and some for biking. Montgomery is a great place for both, with all of its sidewalks and bike paths. For short distances, hit the pavement instead of getting in a car and you’ll save on gas, as well as get some exercise.

Recycle
There’s no better time than now to start recycling your glass, paper and plastic. Montgomery collects recycling at the curb along with your regular garbage pickup. Set aside a space to store your recycling before you take it out with the garbage. Remember to rinse out your containers to avoid creating unpleasant smells. Recycling can be as simple as taking out the trash.

Reuse
When it comes to the three Rs of conserving— reduce, reuse and recycle — we often leave the “reuse” out of the picture. A little creativity goes a long way. Many household items can be transformed into other products. For example, old yogurt containers can be cut into strips to make plant labels, and egg cartons can be used for growing seedlings.

When you must discard a household item
Proper disposal is necessary for solvents and paints. Special sites are available around Hamilton County for this purpose. Give cell phones back to their manufacturer or distributor or donate them to charity. Return iPods to Apple for recycling or sell them for parts. Keep old televisions out of landfills by taking them to a safe E-cycling facility. Take old electronic products to stores like Best Buy and Staples that have recycling programs. Hopefully this article inspires you to take a small step towards living a more eco-friendly life. The City of Montgomery is here to assist. The City has numerous resources for a household to be eco-friendly. Montgomery’s Environmental Advisory Commission holds regular seminars on the subject. The city website is also a great resource. For example, check out the Trash and Recycling section which offers a wealth of information. And when you are done with this newsletter, please remember to recycle it!