GREEN LIGHT: go and take action

Backyard composters

Tired of seeing your vegetable scraps and more heading into the garbage? Compost them with an Earth Machine™ backyard composter. There have been over 1,000 composters sold in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Homeowners can use the Earth Machine™ to compost leaves and grass from their yards, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters, and more to create rich humus for lawns and gardens. This soil amendment can be used in place of chemical fertilizers, topsoil and mulch. The Earth Machine™ is very user-friendly, controls moisture, heat and ventilation, can be secured to the ground, and turns kitchen and yard waste into a rich soil in as little as six to eight weeks. It stands about three feet tall and is about two feet wide with an 80-gallon capacity.

The Earth Machine™ can be purchased for $36.75 by calling (701) 241-1449.

Source: cityoffargo.com

Fill the Bins!

Collection bins for used ink cartridges and old cell phones have been placed at the back on the Sanctuary next to the clothing collection bins. There is also a box for recycling batteries in the church office. If you have any of these items sitting around your house, bring them along to church and drop them in a bin. Our Savior’s even gets money back for every ink cartridge we send in!

GREEN LIGHT: go and take action

When It Rains
During dry months, 40 percent of the average household's water consumption goes to outdoor watering.

What Can You Do?
Rather than needlessly draining that water out of the faucet, gather rainfall in a rain barrel connected to the gutter system—and use it to keep the lawn and garden green. Just an inch of rainfall on a 1,000-square-foot roof will accumulate over 600 gallons of fresh water. When picking out a barrel, here are a couple things to look for:
Choose a model topped with a mesh screen that will keep debris out of the barrel and a lid that prevents mosquitoes from using the water as a breeding ground when it's not raining.
Look for a barrel equipped with a side spigot where a hose can be attached and watering cans can be easily filled
Also, most rain barrels can hold up to sixty gallons of water, so make sure it's parked on a strong and steady surface.

GREEN LIGHT: go and take action

Trim Those Packaging Pounds
Packaging makes up a third of all garbage tossed in the U.S.

What Can You Do?
Here are a few ways to cut down on waste:
· Cut back on single-serving foods and beverages. Instead, buy items in bulk and portion them out into reusable containers.
· Tone down the take-out. Cooking just one more dinner and packing just one more lunch a week will have a big impact on unnecessary waste and will save you money.
· Buy household items, like detergent and cleaning supplies, in concentrated forms so that you get more product per package.
· Whenever possible, look for packaging made from recycled materials, and always check the plastic code to make sure the package is recyclable.

GREEN LIGHT go and take action

Fight Global Warming: Eat Organic
Conventional farming depletes soil carbon, preventing the soil from absorbing carbon dioxide.

What Can You Do?
Buy organic! A bit like the carbon offsets of agriculture, organic farming not only consumes 37 percent less energy than conventional farming, but in one year, an acre of organic crop soil will pull up to 7,000 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere, according to the Rodale Institute. That's more than half of the average vehicle's total emissions over the course of a year. So while the premiums we often pay for organic food can feel extravagant, the benefits are priceless.

Every effort helps— if buying organic seems like a big step, try doing it just once a month.

GREEN LIGHT go and take action

Recycle to support Our Savior’s

Did you know Our Savior’s is registered at Minnkota? That means that residents and businesses can donate their aluminum cans and paper to benefit our church! Just tell a Minnkota employee to put it on the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Moorhead account!

Local Minnkota Recycling Centers:

1 1321 1st Avenue North
Moorhead, MN 56560
Tel: (701) 293-8428
Open:
Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

2 2901 4th Avenue North
Fargo, ND 58102
Tel: (701) 293-8428
Open:
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

3 3510 South University Dr.
Fargo, ND 58103
Tel: (701) 293-8428
Open:
Thursday-Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Paper recycling note: the only kind of paper Minnkota does not accept is neon-colored paper. They do accept copy paper, light-colored paper, cardstock, regular envelopes and window envelopes!

GREEN LIGHT: go and take action

DIY Furniture Polish

U.S poison control centers received 214,091 reports of exposures to cleaning products in 2006. More than half involved children under five.

What Can You Do?
Most conventional furniture polishes contain hazardous ingredients, such as the flammable respiratory irritants isobutene and butane and the skin and eye irritant d-Limonene. Fortunately you can save money, and your family's health, with a homemade wood polish.

Here's a recipe:
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice

A few drops jojoba or olive oil

3 to 5 drops fragrant essential oil (optional)
When considering the right fragrance, choose an antiseptic essential oil. Sweet eucalyptus will give a clean summer scent. And if you want to give your cleaner an unlimited shelf life, opt for vinegar (lemon can turn rancid).