St. Clair County Earth Fair 2009

sponsors Go Green!

flowers Every choice you make impacts our planet. This year, adopt an environmental approach to going green… its easier than you think. A few simple changes with your home, office, auto and garden can lesson your ecological footprint. Give 'em a try!

HOME

Many commercial cleaning products contain environmentally harmful chemicals. Instead, mix together ¼ cup baking soda, ½ cup borax, ½ cup vinegar and one gallon water for an all-purpose cleaner.
Tinfoil is made of aluminum, so rinse it off, ball it up and toss it in with the pop cans.
TerraCycle turns old juice pouches into backpacks, and they pay shipping charges.
Our St. Clair County Landfill collects and recycles computers, as well as household batteries and oil-based paint. Visit their website for more of what they collect for proper disposal.

AUTO nature

Washing your car at home sends the runoff to storm drains which sends the toxins directly into rivers and streams. Commercial car washes use about 32 gallons of water per car - compare to 500 gallons if washed at home - plus commercial car washes recycle and reuse their water.
Don’t dump or throw away used motor oil. Click here for a list of auto shops and stores that accept used oil for proper disposal.
In conjunction with Earth Day, the AAA Great Battery Roundup collects car and marine batteries for safe recycling. Contact your local AAA office.

OFFICE

Go to www.reduce.org to stop unwanted junk mail such as catalogs, flyers, credit card offers and advertisements.
Most printer cartridges can be remanufactured, refilled or reloaded. Rapid Refill collects and recycles old printer cartridges. Visit them at their Fort Gratiot location!

GARDEN

Set up a compost bin in your yard to turn kitchen scraps and yard wasted into natural fertilizer and mulch. You can build or buy a compost bin.
According to the journal Environmental Science & Technology, food accounts for about 13% (some 7.8 tons) of the average U.S. family’s greenhouse gas emissions. Grow your own fruits and vegetables for less impact – and better taste.
Locally grown foods from farmer’s markets, co-ops and Community Supported Agriculture farms require fewer packing materials and less energy to transport. Organic foods are grown without damaging chemicals or fertilizers. Visit Local Harvest for a list of organic farms in your area.
Set up a rain barrel to capture water from your roof to water your garden and yard and decrease your water bill. Recycling rain also reduces runoff, which can contain pollutants like sediment, oil and fertilizers.