ENERGY BOOMER

How can we make it easier for Apartment Dwellers to Recycle?

By H Hope

Living in an apartment makes it tough for people to recycle on a regular basis. Apartments are small and few complexes offer a regular recycling pick up service. So what can be done to make things easier for apartment dwellers to recycle?

These days it is important that everyone do their part to take care of the planet and especially to clean up after ourselves. It can be difficult to combine living in an apartment and trying to be dedicated recyclers.

I’ve had some friends, apartment dwellers, who tried actively recycling everything from cardboard and cans to glass and plastic. It usually leads to a couple of problems.

1. There just is not enough room in the apartment to hold recyclables until they can make the trip to the recycling center.
2. Their recyclables tend to be messy and stinky, even when they rinse them out.

The most committed apartment dwelling recycler eventually cuts back on their recycling or gives up entirely in the face of these problems.

Homeowners have it easier

Homeowners really do have an easier time recycling than apartment dwellers do. Most areas have a recycling program that homeowners can sign up for curbside recycling pick up. Homeowners also have more space for storing recyclables.

A homeowner usually has a garage or a back porch or even a small shed on their property. This is an easy place to put recycling materials and it even provides more space for organization.

What can be done?

It is a fact that more people live in apartments than live in homes across the country. If we are to effectively gain control of the runaway problems involving trash we have to find a way to help apartment dwellers recycle conveniently.

Some towns are already coming up with solutions. Bowling Green, Ohio has its very own recycling center in town. The small town of about 20,000 residents offers free recycling for anyone who feels like driving a mile to the center. Since the town is small, the center is close enough to most residents to be convenient.

The center recycles:

• cardboard, • plastic bottles, • glass, • aluminum cans, • tin cans, • newspapers, • glossy paper and it even • collects old books to be sent to developing nations.

Recycling centers in larger towns are a good idea and most cities have at least one recycler. However, they can be far and few between each other. More recycling centers near residential areas and apartment complexes can help a great deal.

Another possibility is creating some form of recycling program at apartment complexes themselves. Landlords can get involved in the solution by approaching recycling centers and local waste management companies about having a mini recycling center on their property.

Some charities place recycling dumpsters in public places for collecting newspaper and cardboard. It would be a natural move for property managers to approach one of these charities for a mutually beneficial arrangement. Plus, these apartment complexes would be able to advertise their offer of free recycling to prospective tenants.

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I have watched landlords switch the circuit breaker off to hot water heaters in empty apartments. I started doing the same thing on weekends.

When I left the building on Friday morning, I turned off the circuit breaker for the hot water heater. When I returned Sunday night, I switched it back on so I would have hot water on Monday morning.

I recommend shutting the electric power off to the water heater any time you will be gone for a full day or more. Keep in mind that electric water heaters do take time to heat up again.

Wrapping a water heater insulation blanket on your water heater tank is worth the cost and effort. If the water heater is out in the garage or in a utility shed, it definitely should have an extra blanket of insulation.

Strapping a blanket of fiberglass insulation around the hot water tank is an easy, do it yourself, project that will save you money. If the hot water heater is powered by natural gas, keep the blanket a foot off the floor to allow proper airflow to the gas burner.

If the hot water tank is located inside the living space, an extra blanket of insulation is good for two reasons. During the heating season heat that is lost from the water heater helps warm the living space. That is OK but it is not an efficient way to heat. During hot weather, heat wasted from the water heater tank adds to the air conditioning load.

Reducing your use of hot water will reduce your energy cost. Take short showers. Minimize the hot water used to wash dishes and clothes.

Insulation and water conservation are effective ways to keep more of your cash in your pocket.

Click here for a free money saving report titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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When your air conditioner is on, you need to close up your home, just like you do in the heating season.

Windows and doors are the biggest cause of wasted energy money.

If your exterior doors and windows are not in perfect condition, tell your property owner in writing that these need to be fixed. Express your concern for security, wood rot and bugs from moisture leaking in.

Do not focus on your energy cost in the letter. Make sure you express your concern for safety, security and the protection of the property in the letter.

Send the letter by US Mail and request that you get a signed delivery receipt. Mailing it this way will show the property owner that you are serious. If they ignore the request, they know that they are taking on some safety and liability risk. Keep a copy of the letter together with the delivery receipt. Send the letter when your next rent payment is due. Then you can include the rent check with the letter. That saves a little postage and reminds them that you do pay your rent on time.

If the owner will not fix the doors and windows quickly do it yourself. Protect your bank account by weather stripping and caulking to stop energy leaks.

If you do not have one, get a programmable digital thermostat installed. Offer to buy the thermostat if they will install it. The cost of a good, but inexpensive, thermostat will pay for itself in one season. Look for one on sale for $30 to $60.

Read your electric bill. If your electric utility company charges a different rate at different times of the day it will show up as “on peak” and “off peak” charges. If it is not clear on the bill, check their web site or call them up and find out what times of the day are “on peak”.

During the air conditioning season you can over cool your rental home during “off peak” hours and under cool during “on peak” hours by programming the thermostat. This will save money because the “on peak” price for power is usually about double the “off peak” price.

If the utility company does not use peak hours, use the thermostat to turn the a/c up ten degrees while you are not home. You can program it to start cooling the place down an hour before you normally get home so it will be comfortable for you.

You need to do some “do it yourself” maintenance to get the maximum efficiency from the cooling equipment.

If your rental home has central air conditioning, check the outdoor unit. Make sure that the air cooling coils are clean and clear of anything that obstructs the airflow. Get leaves and yard trash away from the unit. Wash it out with a garden hose.

I once forgot to remove the winter protective cover on my a/c. It cost me extra cash until I figured out the odd noise coming from the a/c was due to the blocked airflow.

Replace air filters to get the maxim free flow of air to move the cooling air.

For window, units there are a few critical checks to make. Out side, the coils must get good airflow and the water drain on the bottom of the housing must be clear to let the condensed water out. If the drain is plugged, the coils will ice over blocking the airflow.

Window units usually have a removable cover, on the inside, that holds a washable air filter in place. Wash the filter and keep it clean to save money and for better health.

During hot weather, use your microwave for cooking. It will not heat up the place like the stove or big oven will. Or do what I do, have pizza delivered, or go out to eat. Turn the a/c off on your way out the door.

Click here for a free money saving report titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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The popular new Compact Fluorescent Lamps may not be a good deal for renters. CFL's will last longer than your lease. If you are planning to move after a year or two CFL’s may not be a good investment. It takes more than a year to pay back the extra cost of these lamps. They are made of glass and, based on my moving experiences; they are likely to get broken if you take them with you.

Stick with the cheapest bulbs that you can buy. Then buy plug in appliance timers to control some of your lights. They help with security and if you follow a regular schedule, you can have them turn on the lights and your stereo instead of using an alarm clock.

If you are forgetful about turning lights off, motion detectors may help. Get the kind that you can take with you to use at your next place.

Most importantly put light only where you need it. Think about lighting the task or work area not the whole room. Lights over tables or on desks are good examples. Give yourself plenty of light where you need it but only where you need it. If you read sitting in your favorite chair, light up that part of the room only.

I recommend night-lights with a built in photo eye, that turn themselves off when there is enough other light in the area. If you use them to avoid tripping hazards without turning on the big lights on you can save money. Take them with you when you move out. Get one for each bathroom and try another one in various other places to see if it helps avoid switching on the big lights. If you light the path to the refrigerator, you can get a midnight snack with out switching on any other lights.

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