Bel Aire, KS - Conservation

City of Bel Aire

Conservation

Conservation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to promote environmental sustainability. Using less resources or reusing resources can be as simple as reusing a ceramic coffee mug rather than foam cups for hot beverages or as complicated as building your own compost piles or installing solar panels. Whatever change you decide to make, no matter how small, can add up to cleaner air and water and increased quality of life for future generations. In addition to providing a recycling program, the City of Bel Aire wants to encourage every citizen to help make Bel Aire the most ecologically friendly community in Kansas.

Tip of the Month

January

Get a new TV, cell phone or computer for Christmas? Don't throw that old electronic device away! Throwing broken or unwanted electronic devices in the trash can cause dangerous increases in mercury, lead and other toxin levels in landfills. Left unattended, these chemicals can leach into ground water and the atmosphere creating hazardous conditions. Instead of throwing your electronics in the trash, recycle them at the E-Waste Collection site.

Sedgwick County Environmental Resources will be running a Residential E-Waste Collection at the Kansas Coliseum, Pavilion 2 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Items that will be accepted include TVs, VCRs, DVD Players, cell phones, all computer equipment, PDAs, video games, stereo system components, mp3 players, GPS units, and pagers. For more information please contact Sedgwick County Environmental Resources at 316-660-7200 or visit the Sedgwick County website at Sedgwick County Environmental Resources

December

With Christmas quickly approaching, holiday shopping is in full swing. Getting the right gift can be quite a chore, but giving colorfully wrapped presents is actually an excellent opportunity for conservation. Following these tips can simplify the Christmas season and have a positive impact on the environment.

Need to stuff those holiday gift bags? Grab your shredder and turn used gift wrap or other colorful paper into your own shreds to use as filler in gift bags and boxes. Reusing the colorful shredded paper that cushions packages can reduce trash and save time and money for you.
Give presents that require minimal packaging and wrapping: tickets to performances, sports events, movies; gift certificates, gift cards, coupons for services or activities. Reduced packaging helps reduce waste and is a win-win situation; you get to spend quality time with someone special and they don't have another meaningless gift.
Recycle what you replace. If you buy a new cell phone or computer as a gift, remember to pass the old one or recycle it. Retailers, like Best Buy and Office Max, participate in electronic recycling programs to keep mercury, cadmium and lead out of landfills. Not-for-profit organizations also recycle "e-waste.'
Make the wrapping part of the gift by wrapping presents in a reusable bag. The bags can be used for every trip to the grocery store or for returning less thoughtful gifts to store.

November

With winter on the way, you can take steps now to increase your homes energy efficiency. Increasing your comfort indoors without sending your thermostat – and energy bill – through the roof is good for the environment and your budget. Here are a few simple tips to prepare your home for winter:

Seal or fix broken basement windows.
Re-wrap and tape ducts or replace cracked or peeling tape on ducts. Make sure to use heat tape with the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) logo and labeled for heating ducts.
Check and replace weather stripping on exterior doors and windows.
Check attics and crawl spaces for adequate insulation.
In the evening, close your drapes to retain heat. Make sure heating registers are not covered by the drapes or furniture.
Check your furnace and heat pump filters once a month. Replace if dirty.
Lower your thermostat at night and when not at home. Using a programmable thermostat will save energy and lower heating bills.
If you have a fireplace, make sure to have it properly cleaned and inspected annually. Faulty dampers can lead to heat loss and unsafe operations.

October

With fall comes many traditions. After the kids have trick-or-treated around the neighborhood and Halloween has past its time to recycle those Jack-O-Lanterns. Pumpkins, while great for carving, are excellent sources of food. Pumpkins are low in calories, fat, and sodium and high in fiber and are good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron. Pumpkins are technically fruits and part of the squash family. Many great recipes are available from the Food Network. If you don't care to eat your Halloween creations, consider feeding animals or your garden. Squirrels and birds will eat left over pumpkins if they are cut into manageable pieces. Burying a used pumpkin can provide soil with lots of nutrients for the winter. Pumpkins that have been cut into will break down quickly in soil or in compost piles.