There will be 12 challenges as we celebrate the 12 days of
a green Christmas.
Join daily to learn many ways you can be greener this holiday.
Challenge Day #5
Lights & Batteries
LED and Rechargeable are Best
*****************************
Our fifth challenge is chose green lighting & battery options.
Christmas Lights:
The Department of Energy estimates Americans use 6.6 Billion Kilowatt hours with holiday lighting. That's enough to power 800,000 homes for a year.
These simple adjustments can make your lights a lot greener:
Use LED lights. They use 70% less energy, last 10 times longer, and do not contain any hazardous materials.
Put Your Lights on a Timer. Using timers will target the times you really want your lights lit and will save energy from running longer than needed. Don't leave lights burning through the night. It can be deadly for animals as it disrupts the daily cycle of light and dark.
Do NOT Put Light Strings in Recycling - but they can be recycled in an E-waste collection. Now for your recycling tip -- light strings never belong in curbside recycling. Instead bring to an Electronic Waste (e-waste) collection that Indie Cycle offers year round at many locations.
Light bulbs - NOT go in the recycling either. There are many different types of light bulbs, so check the RIRRC list for how to properly dispose each type.RIRRC A-Z Light Bulbs List
Batteries -- Use Rechargeables
We use lots of batteries during the holidays. Switching to rechargeable batteries give so many environmental benefits.
They last longer, are cheaper in the long run, and are easy to keep reusing and reduce trash amounts.
Both single use and rechargeable batteries never belong in the curbside recycling bin. Here is the proper way to dispose batteries.
