Environmental Tip Consider insulating your hot water heater and hot water pipes. Heating water costs about 14% of your total utility bill.

No More Batteries at Household Chemical Waste (Posted August, 2009)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently implemented a new packaging requirement for alkaline batteries that will make it very expensive for The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County to take batteries at their Household Chemical Waste Collection Events. As a result, they will not be taking these batteries anymore. Batteries, during shipment, that are not individually secured, have the ability of coming into contact with each other and can create excessive heat or even fire. Terminals need to be taped to keep them from contacting each other. Because of the thousands of batteries received at Household Chemical Waste Collection events, it is not feasible or cost effective to tape each of the batteries received.

If you have alkaline batteries in need of disposal, please visit the SWALCO website at www.SWALCO.org for alternative disposal opportunities.

Lake County Curbside Recycling Guidelines (Posted June, 2009)

Congratulations! You Met the Challenge!

We would like to congratulate the following individuals for stepping forward in the First Annual Lincolnshire Environmental Challenge!

Ask for Phosphate Free Fertilizer! (Posted September, 2008)

All of us contribute water to local storm sewers, detention ponds and regional waterways. The water runs off of our properties, after irrigation or rain events, into the stormsewers, into detention ponds and regional waterways. This water contains chemicals that have washed off of our lawns, driveways and roofs. These chemicals are choking our lakes, ponds and streams.

There is one simple thing we can all do that will make a huge improvement to our waterways. Use lawn care products that DO NOT CONTAIN PHOSPHORUS. If you do not maintain your own lawn and/or gardens, please talk to your landscaper and request lawn care products that do not contain phosphorus. Phosphorus in fertilizers and other products clogs detention ponds, streams, lakes and rivers with green algae growth.

When looking for fertilizer there are usually three numbers on the bag. The middle number should be zero. Two of the most frequently purchased phosphorus-free fertilizers are Scotts, Turf Builder Zero P and Sur-Gro Inc’s Vigoro Ultra Turf. Not all stores carry phosphorus-free products, but the following stores do:

• Ace Hardware 155 Peterson Road, Libertyville
• Ace Hardware, 1393 Half Day Road, Highland Park
• Home Depot, 655 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield
• True Value Hardware, 825 South Waukegan Road, Lake Forest
• Conserve FS, 27310 Case Road, Wauconda
• Lowe’s, Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville
• Geimer Greenhouses, 2727 Route 53, Long Grove

Some lawn care companies which provide phosphorus-free treatments are: TruGreen ChemLawn, Lawn Doctor, Scott’s Lawn Services, McGinty Brothers, Turf Care Enterprises, NatureScapeLawn and Landscape Care.

Ask your lawn care company to use phosphorus-free products. If you would like the Village to provide them with more information about phosphorus free products, call the Village and give us the name and contact information for your lawn care company. We would be happy to give them information about alternative products. Call Lydia at 847.913.2361.

IL DNR launches "Living with Wildlife in Illinois" Web site

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ (IDNR) Division of Wildlife Resources and the University of Illinois Extension have developed a website to provide information on how to live side-by-side with wildlife. The website, "Living with Wildlife in Illinois", is funded by a Federal Wildlife Restoration Grant, IDNR and University of Illinois Extension.

Environment

The Village of Lincolnshire is working aggressively to help reduce the amount of pollutants going into our air. The Village has used B-29 diesel fuel in its diesel fueled vehicles for more than ten years. This fuel is made up of 20% vegetable oil and/or animal fats and 80% ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

In addition, the Village received a grant from Clean Air Counts to retrofit several vehicles with oxidizing catalyst mufflers that help to further reduce the amount of emissions into the air.

The Village of Lincolnshire is a member of Clean Air Counts, a northeastern Illinois regional initiative to reduce ozone causing emissions. As a member, have pledged to work on reducing the Village's ozone emissions and to encourage our residents - commercial and residential - to do the same.

There are a number of simple changes you can make to help reduce the amount of emissions in our air.

• Use energy efficient light bulbs.
• Make a list of places you need to go and plot them to make your trip.
• Car pool with friends or neighbors to events and activities.
• Ride your bike or walk when possible during warm weather.
• Seal cracks around windows and doors to reduce heat a efficient as possible.
• Air dry dishes rather than heat drying them in the dish washer.

If each of us would make one small simple change - it all adds up!

Residential Environmental Tip!
Are you tired of finding your mail box stuffed full of catalogues you did not request and do not need? Go to www.catalogchoice.org. This is a free service which provides an opportunity for you to notify senders that you do not want there materials delivered. Think of all the paper you will save!

Recycling

You need to leave three feet of clearance around your recycling toter cart on collection day. Recycling collection is automated. The driver will not get out of his truck to move your trash container or other materials to get to the recycling toter cart. If you put your recycling toter cart out at the curb and put your trash three feet behind, it does not take up as much entry or exit space from your driveway and will allow the recycling to be collected with the automated truck.

Resolve to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose

If not YOU, who?
Did you know that you generate 7.3 pounds of solid waste each day? That is just you. Add in the rest of your family and you will see that the average household in Lincolnshire generates approximately more than 20 lbs of waste each day, 365 days per year, for a total of 7,327 lbs of solid waste in one calendar year! What are we throwing away?

Resolve to bring that number down - REDUCE!
Are you buying more products than you can use in a year? Perhaps you are buying more paint than you need. Purchase products that are not likely to spoil in larger containers – thereby reducing the number of containers you would have to throw away. Consider buying small quantities or products which will spoil so that less is wasted. Take a look at your purchasing and see where you could make some changes to REDUCE the amount of materials you bring into your home and end up throwing away to the landfill.

Resolve to REUSE!
Instead of throwing out those old clothes, toys and household items – donate them to charity. Resolve not to use paper dishes in 2008– use washable mugs, plates and utensils. How about composting? There is a saying that goes: Use them up, Wear them out, Make them do, or Do without! Before you drop something into your trash can, see if there is another use for that product or its container.

Resolve to RECYCLE!
Now that we have the larger toter recycling containers, we have room to recycle more. Resolve to recycle as much as you can so less is going into the trash. Bottles, cans, plastics, paper, cardboard – these items should all go to the recycling bin not your trash container.

The other half of recycling is to purchase recycled goods. Did you know you can buy the following recycled products? Lumber, furniture, clothing made from fabric that is recycled plastic, carpet, blankets, paint, paper, etc. Make an effort to buy recycled goods to reduce the amount of new materials used and to support the recycling industry.

Visit the SWALCO website for a list of places where you can purchase or order recycled materials.

Resolve to REPURPOSE!
Many items can be used for something other then their original intent. For example, some people use old containers, after removing the original label, to store miscellaneous parts for their work bench. Old socks can become dust rags.

Electronics Collection

After the holidays a lot of old electronic products are discarded. Please note that the following locations provide electronics collection. Take your discarded electronic products to these locations so they can be recycled instead of thrown in our landfills.

City of Highland Park
Year-Round Drop-off Program
1180 Half Day Road
Tuesdays and Fridays - 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For a list of electronics which can be recycled, addresses and time restrictions, visit the SWALCO website.

Ways to Save Energy

Over time, you will probably see increases in your electric bill. There are many steps that you can take now to reduce your electric consumption. Some of these steps include:

• Buy Energy Star compliant appliances and electronics
• Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs
• Raise your indoor temperature in the summer and lower it in the winter

For more information on steps you can take, visit www.energysavers.gov or www.ComEdCare.com.

* Green Scene provides tips to help reduce your energy usage, reduce emissions of green house gases, and keep money in your pocket. The Village is looking for "tips" from residents on ways that they or their family conserve our resources, i.e. fuel, water, solid waste. Tips should be directed to , Assistant to the Director of Public Works, at 847.883.8600.