Lamp Recycling Solutions-Planting Seeds for tomorrow by recycling today.

Lamp Recycling Solutions

2010-08-24T10:15:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered what to do with a lamp at the end of life? Maybe you are a business owner or property manager in the Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina area and have become aware of the need to recycle lamps containing mercury but are not sure which option is best or how to find a local solution for recycling. In general, there are three type of options for recycling fluorescent, HID, CFL and other lamps. These options vary in costs. Typically the most expensive option is the Pre-Paid option as the cost to recycle a linear 4 foot fluorescent tube can cost as much as $1.00 or more. Another option is a bulk pickup, this option is used for facilities that have plenty of storage and are not concerned with the cost to bring in a dedicated trailer for transporting. A third option is what we like to call a local pickup or "Milk Run". With the "Milk Run" pickup there is flexibility and cost savings as well. Typically the local pickup fee is much lower and in some cases can save $100 or more on the transportation fee. Other benefits include: flexibility in managing storage of lamps, helps local economy, allows the processing facilities to focus on handling recycling of lamps, local and hands on advice and help when needed. If you are looking to find out more about recycling or have a question if your lamps need to be recycled, please feel free to contact your local lighting specialist for more information on recycling lamps.

My Eco Lamp would love to hear from you, please visit us online at http://www.myecolamp.com for more information on local pickups along with general guidelines for handling of lamps for recycling.

Thank you - Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-29T19:08:00.003-04:00

Everyone at My Eco Lamp would like to thank everyone who has served our country and is serving. We salute you and wanted to take this time to thank you - Happy Memorial Day!

Did You Know... Fluorescent Bulbs Contain Mercury

2010-05-12T14:38:00.001-04:00

Did You Know...

Fluorescent Bulbs Contain Mercury!
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Many states require lamp recycling and proper disposal of ballasts, batteries and electronic waste by law. Make sure your business is compliant with North Carolina's recycling guidelines and regulations. To find out more about lamp recycling we have included some helpful facts about lamps and recycling. Feel free to pass it along and together we can help keep mercury and other harmful materials out of our waste stream.

* When a lamp is broken, disposed in a landfill, or incinerated, the mercury can travel over 200 miles and can contaminate air, surface water and groundwater.
* Prolonged exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus.
* Mercury containing lamps are on the list for EPA hazardous substances.

For more information about lamps and recycling visit us online at My Eco Lamp

What types of lamps should be recycled?
Fluorescent Linear :T8, T12, T5
Compact Fluorescent
HID: Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium, Mercury Vapor
Germicidal Lamps
U-Bend
Circular

Natural Lawn Care

2010-04-17T09:23:00.012-04:00

It is not often we change topics from lamp recycling but with Spring in the air and grass starting to grow, flowers blooming we would like to share about an alternative to the harmful chemicals found in many lawn care products and services. Have you ever wondered why after a lawn service comes to your neighborhood and treats the lawn they place little flags around the yard? They do this to tell people to keep off the lawn. They have put down harmful chemicals that are dangerous to pets and children. Of course there is much more to it but today we would like to feature a Natural Alternative. Fire Belly Organic has a great 6 step program for keeping your lawns safe and green while promoting a healthy lawn and environment. To find out more, you can visit here

To a better tomorrow, today.

My Eco Lamp "Lamp Recycling Solutions"

Curbside Recycling Solutions for Residential and Small Business

2010-03-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

Are you looking for a way to recycle? Are you located in the Raleigh, North Carolina area? MEL @ Home is a full service, Eco-Friendly curbside residential recycling program for residential and small businesses. Why recycle? Why MEL @ Home? "To Recycle or Not To Recycle?", that is a great question. At MEL @ Home recycling we do not try to make you feel guilty for not recycling (although...) nor do we charge an arm and a leg for recycling. We do not have a big fleet of trucks that use a lot of fuel or huge facilities that offset any benefit our recycling business provides. We do however offer local service, specialize in recycling for homes, apartment complexes and small businesses. In the coming months My Eco lamp will be launching a new Residential recycling and Small Business recycling service called MEL @ Home Recycling Solutions. This is a great way to properly recycle compact fluorescent lights, fluorescent and HID lamps, ballasts, batteries, e-waste. In addition to the regulated items it is a great way to recycle plastic, glass, steel and aluminum cans, boxes, styrofoam and other hard to recycle items.

To find out more about My Eco Lamp visit here.

Lamp Recycling Solutions - Fluorescent, HID, Ballasts and more. North Carolina

2010-02-21T10:24:00.010-05:00

Did you Know...

*Many states require lamp recycling and proper disposal of ballasts, batteries, and electronic waste by law. In North Carolina, "Fluorescent lights discarded by non-households are effectively banned for disposal in solid waste landfills and incinerators..." (State Contract 926B).

*When a lamp is broken, disposed in a landfill, or incinerated, the mercury can travel hundreds of miles and contaminate air, surface water, and groundwater.

*Prolonged exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus.

*Mercury containing lamps are on the EPA's list of hazardous substances.

Are you a business in North Carolina wondering what to do with mercury containing lamps? Did you know that My Eco Lamp has a program for helping with lamp recycling and other materials as well. If you have 1 lamp or 1,000's of lamps, My Eco Lamp has a solution for your recycling needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the program for?
If your business or facility generates 1 lamp or 1,000s of lamps there is a solution for your business.

If you are a residential household looking for a convenient option for recycling CFL lamps. My Eco Lamp residential recycling program

What types of lamps can be recycled?
Types of lamps recycled include but are not limited to:
*Straight Fluorescent (all lengths and diameters)
*Compact Fluorescent Lamps (both with and without ballast)
*Circular
*U-bend
*UV Lamps (all sizes)
*Flood Lamps
*Incandescent
*Halogen
*HID
*Shatter shield or Coated Lamps (all sizes)

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Lamp Recycling for a Better Tomorrow

2010-02-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered why recycle fluorescent lamps (CFL's, Linear) and other mercury containing lamps? Or maybe are curious about lamp recycling in general? Most would agree that recycling in general is good for the community and environment. Many people today do not think twice about recycling a soda can and other commonly recycled materials. Recycling of lamps however is not as common. It has been estimated that only about 2% of households recycle lamps using the HHW sites. It is our desire to help spread the word about the benefits of recycling and also to help with having a local service that would allow for curbside pickup of lamps. My Eco Lamp, LLC is currently servicing the Raleigh, North Carolina market and is looking for help to expand operations to service all of North Carolina. If you are a small business or household in the Raleigh area, please visit My Eco Lamp today to find out how you can help recycle lamps for a better tomorrow.

CFL Recycling Challenge: Got Lamps? Go Green, Recycle.

2010-01-17T10:10:00.002-05:00

Recently we came across a great recycling challenge and it addresses something we would love to help spread the word about, recycling CFL lamps. If you would like to follow the discussion on CFL recycling on Twitter visit here to find out more about the Take the CFL Recycling Challenge we have included the link to Chris Baskind's Lighter Footstep full article here

If you live in North Carolina and would be interested in starting a local collection service for your community or business, we would love to hear from you. For more information on recycling of fluorescent lamps and other mercury containing lamps visit www.myecolamp.com

Lamp Recycling in North Carolina

2010-01-09T09:34:00.003-05:00

Recycling lamps in North Carolina. My Eco Lamp located in Raleigh, North Carolina is excited about the New Year and would love to hear from you. If you are looking for a solution to recycling your HID, Linear Fluorescent T5, T8, T10, T12 lamps, CFL's, and other lighting related materials, My Eco Lamp is a local service providing affordable solutions for anyone looking to recycle and help keep our state free of mercury waste going to our landfills. For more information on My Eco Lamp, visit here My Eco Lamp, LLC "The Next Generation in Lighting" Lamp Recycling Solutions and Eco-Friendly Lighting Supply.

Facts about lamps containing mercury in North Carolina.
Did you know that there are estimated to be 15 million lamps ready for discard in North Carolina annually? Did you know that there are an estimated 120 million lamps containing mercury in use in North Carolina. For more on lamp recycling and how we can help, please feel free to drop us a line. To become a fan of us on Facebook visit our new page

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Thank you from My Eco Lamp, Lamp Recycling Solutions

2009-12-22T16:32:00.003-05:00

My Eco Lamp wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas. From everyone at My Eco Lamp, thank you for a great 2009.

http://www.myecolamp.com

Did you know that in North Carolina over 105 million milligrams of Mercury is ready for discard?

2009-12-13T09:38:00.004-05:00

Did you know that in North Carolina there are approximately 15 million lamps ready for discard every year that contain mercury? Did you know that amounts to 231.5 pounds of Mercury and 105 million Milligrams of Mercury. (From Report on the Generation and Potential Recycling of Fluorescent Lights put out by NC DENR).

Compact fluorescent lights are a great tool when handled properly. Not only do the last up to 10 times longer compared to incandescent lights, they save a great deal of energy as well which has a great benefit locally on its impact from power plants, disposal of waste, etc...
Not only do CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, but other fluorescent lamps and some high intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain the heavy metal as well. Recycling a mercury-containing lamp ensures that 99.98 percent of the mercury used in the lamp is recovered, according to Lamprecycle.org (Earth911.com features a great article on how manufactures are taking steps to insure recycling and lower Mercury content.

To find out more about lamp recycling in Raleigh, North Carolina, visit My Eco Lamp If you are interested in starting a "Planting Seeds of Hope" community recycling program in your town please contact My Eco Lamp today. Together we can help change tomorrow by creating a safer place today.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

Everyone at My Eco Lamp Recycling Solutions would like to say thank you for your help this year and for the opportunity to be of service. We wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

Practically Speaking Not Recycling Lamps is Illegal

2009-11-08T14:19:00.001-05:00

Did You Know...

Many states require lamp recycling and proper disposal of ballasts, batteries, and electronic waste by law. In North Carolina, businesses who discard lamps have to show that each lamp is TCLP compliant and can not take manufacture's claims. This test alone can cost over $1,000 making throwing lamps away "Practically Speaking Illegal". Even green end cap lamps have mercury. In some cases, due to the green end cap lamps, people have become unaware and misinformed about the proper disposal of fluorescent lamps. Even green end cap lamps need to be recycled.

When a lamp is broken, disposed in a landfill, or incinerated, the mercury can travel over 200 miles and can contaminate air, surface water, and groundwater.

Prolonged exposure to high level of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus.

To find out more about recycling of fluorescent, HID, CFL and other lamps in North Carolina, visit www.myecolamp.com

Help Recycle Fluorescent, HID, and other lamps today.

CFL's and Recycling of Mercury Containing Lamps

2009-10-24T19:54:00.003-04:00

I came across an article recently entitled CFL's It Takes a Team to Market a Lightbulb. I wanted to highlight an area that is close to our thoughts locally when it comes to recycling in our community in North Carolina. For more on this article visit below for a link to the full article.

"Even though CFLs represent a huge step forward in energy efficiency, all compact fluorescent bulbs including the Marathon bulb, contain a tiny, yet highly toxic amount of mercury. Mercury can cause mental instability, a change in personality, and damage to the liver and kidneys. Once in landfills, it can contaminate underground water supplies. Indeed, many states prohibit the disposal of CFLs in regular trash". We agree that CFLs are a great tool when it comes to addressing the issue of energy efficiency and believe that with the proper handling, they will help save resources and energy. Please Recycle Fluorescent Lamps at end of life and help keep our water streams clean.

To find out how you can recycle fluorescent lamps and other mercury containing lamps, visit My Eco Lamp or www.LampRecycle.org for areas outside of North Carolina.

For more on the article above, visit here

Growing demand for CFL and Fluorescent Lamps Increases Need for Lamp Recycling Services

2009-10-17T09:28:00.003-04:00

Recently we came across an interesting and informative article about the proper handling and disposal of CFL fluorescent lamps. With the increasing popularity of compact fluorescent lamps, there is also an increasing amount of hazardous (mercury containing) lamps ending up in our landfills. To find out more about recycling of fluorescent lamps visit here

Jennifer Goodman with EchoHome has a great article on CFL Bulb Disposal: Handle With Care Mercury-containing bulbs necessitate recycling, not trashing. Below is part of the article. To read the complete article, visit their site here

As homeowners embrace more efficient lighting technologies, remodelers, electricians, and other contractors should think twice before tossing light bulbs and lighting fixtures in the trash.

Growing in popularity due to their long life and low energy usage, compact fluorescent (CFL) and other energy-efficient light bulbs such as linear fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain a very small amount of mercury, a poisonous substance. Ten states and multiple local jurisdictions prohibit the disposal of mercury-containing products--including CFLs and other mercury-containing bulbs--in solid waste. (For state-by-state regulations click here.)

Just as pros learned to safely dispose of old mercury thermostats, they will need to devise a plan for the way they dispose of remodeling waste containing these new types of bulbs, says Mark Kohorst, senior manager for environment, health, and safety for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

“For example, in the past a contractor doing a kitchen remodeling project would gut the kitchen and didn’t worry about the old fixtures and bulbs—for the most part 25-cent incandescents—that were going in the trash,” says Kohorst. “As the marketplace changes, some of this lighting could now include CFLs, which need to be treated as special waste.”

But even with the threat of fines and penalties, the residential building industry has been slow to embrace CFL recycling, says Mark Tibbetts, director of NEMA’s recycling initiative.

“Recyclers find contractors to be a very tough market to crack, partly because there hasn’t been a real threat of enforcement,” Tibbetts says. “But as a contractor, you are liable if these lamps are part of your demolition.”

In coming years, pros are sure to find more of these types of bulbs in the houses they remodel, Tibbetts adds. CFL use is expected to grow in part because traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2014 under the federal Clean Energy Act. In many areas, energy companies already are offering incentives such as mail-in rebates to incite homeowners to switch to CFLs.

Energy Awareness Month

2009-10-09T08:47:00.003-04:00

Did you know that October is Energy Awareness Month? My Eco Lamp is excited to be an Energy Star Partner and would like to thank all of you have taken the pledge to save energy while saving green. To find out more about Energy Star and energy efficiency, you can visit http://www.myecolamp.com or go directly to here

To Saving Energy!

When using energy efficient lamps, please remember to recycle CFL, Linear Fluorescent, HID and other mercury containing lamps. For more information on lamp recycling visit MyEcoLamp.com

Recycling Compact Fluorescent Lamps

2009-10-06T19:41:00.001-04:00

Recently we have noticed that many folks still are not sure what to do with the "ice cream shaped" light called a compact fluorescent lamp when it comes to disposing of them? Do they contain mercury? If so, what would be the proper way to recycle a fluorescent lamp containing mercury? To answer this question Earth 911 has a great site and we thought we would share with you a section of their site where they talk about "Tips on Recycling a CFL" To find out more about Earth911.com visit the link below the feature for more information and a direct link to this content.

"Tips on Recycling a CFL

With compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), mercury content needs to be taken into consideration before disposal. Mercury is an extremely hazardous waste and is a major health concern when it comes in contact with humans and animals. In humans, mercury can cause brain and kidney damage. While many companies hope to have non-mercury CFLs in the near future, right now, such lamps are not currently available.

When you are ready to recycle your used lamps:

* Be sure to carefully package them to ensure that they do not break in transport. This could release dangerous toxins.
* An easy way to prepare used lamps for recycling is to box them up in the packaging from your new lamps.
* Store your old lamps until you can locate an appropriate place to recycle them." To find out more about Earth 911 and this article visit here

Fluorescent, HID, Mercury Containing Lamps. Opportunity for Recycling To Be on Rise?

2009-09-27T19:59:00.004-04:00

Below is a great opportunity coming for the commercial lighting industry. With the DOE getting ready to fund what they call the "Retrofit Ramp-Ups" there will be a likely influx of fluorescent, HID, and other mercury containing lamps headed for disposal in our landfills. Join My Eco Lamp on its goal to help change tomorrow by "Planting Seeds of Hope" today with our lamp recycling service and solutions program. To find out more about the DOE program, read below and visit here This is a great opportunity to not only save energy but to make a difference on the impact for tomorrow's generation.

DOE to Fund up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy Efficiency
Projects Seek to Make Efficiency Accessible to Every Business and Homeowner

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced a new $450 million program designed to catalyze a nationwide energy upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses. The Recovery Act’s “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program will pioneer innovative models for rolling out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in a variety of communities. Much like past roll-outs for cable TV or the Internet, DOE intends to create models that, when undertaken nationally, will save consumers billions of dollars on their utility bills and make the huge savings of energy efficiency available to everyone.

“Energy efficiency isn’t just low-hanging fruit; it’s fruit lying on the ground. We have the tools to reduce energy use at home and at work and to provide huge savings to families and businesses on their energy bills. But use of these technologies has been far too limited because we lack the simple and effective ways for people to access them,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

“The ‘Retrofit Ramp-Up’ program will support large-scale models that can open new energy efficiency opportunities to whole neighborhoods, towns, and, eventually, entire states,” continued Secretary Chu. “The Recovery Act will allow innovative communities to demonstrate a variety of sustainable business models that can be replicated across the country.”

The Request for Information (RFI) being issued today is for competitively-selected local energy efficiency projects. This competitive portion of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will target community-scale retrofit projects that make significant, long-term impacts on energy use and can serve as national role models for grassroots energy efficiency efforts. DOE is seeking public comment on this newly funded program under the Recovery Act. Public comment ends on September 28, 2009.

Energy Efficient Lighting and Stewardship

2009-09-23T10:15:00.000-04:00

Recently I attended a great seminar on Environmental Stewardship. The webinar was put on by North Carolina DENR. I think this is a great way for businesses looking to take steps on what impact they have locally. If you would like to find out more how your business can get involved click here to vist the Environmental Stewardship Initiative program.

If you are a business looking to save energy costs, My Eco Lamp is pleased to announce that they have become a full line commercial lighting distributor of energy efficient lights, ballast, fixtures and LED's. In addition to commercial lighting, My Eco Lamp offers a turn key solution for energy rebates, recycling and replacement lamps. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina and serving from Greensboro to the Coast. Visit online at www.myecolamp.com

Upcoming Seminar for Enviornmental Stewardship

2009-09-13T15:24:00.002-04:00

Upcoming event:

The North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative is conducting a free webinar entitled "Introduction to the North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative" on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. To find out more about this visit here

Going Green to Save Green

2009-09-06T14:51:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered what all this buzz is about going green? Maybe you are even a little tired of hearing about green. At My Eco Lamp, we want to shed some light on what going green means to us and some simple ways to look at being stewards of the resources we have. Personally, I like saving money (green) and with a growing family we are always looking for ways to help save. One way we do this is by using energy saving lamps or compact fluorescent lights. With going green also comes responsibility, in our case when switching to energy efficient lighting we now have to be stewards of the light at end of life due to mercury in the lamps. To find out more about this read some of our other posts and online at our site My Eco Lamp

Going green also has taken on new meaning with our energy bill. Instead of having the AC set to 75 in the summer we now have it set at 80 to 82. This has been a huge savings to us as well. There are many additional ways to go green and save green. We would like to hear what you are doing to go green. Email us today or comment on our post. We would love to hear from you.

Are Mercury Containing Lamps an issue in North Carolina?

2009-08-30T09:37:00.006-04:00

Recently, North Carolina has made the news on a national level. In this case, however it is not on a positive note. Mercury levels in fish and water streams in NC are at unsafe levels. Today we would like to ask, "Do you think North Carolina Businesses should recycle their fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, and other mercury containing lamps?". NC DENR has put out a report entitled "Report on the Generation and Potential Recycling of Fluorescent Lights". In this report there is a section which address the total amount of mercury ready for discard in North Carolina in what they refer to as Lamps Containing Mercury or "LCM's". In Table 2 they have estimate of Mercury Content of LCM's in Use and Sold in North Carolina or fluorescent lamps to be specific.

Table 2: There are an estimated 15 million lamps ready for discard annually in NC, 11 Million from commercial "non-household". There are estimated to be 120 million mercury containing lamps in use in North Carolina. Think about this, based on their estimates that would equal 105,000,000 milligrams of mercury ready to be discarded in North Carolina. We want to hear from you. Are you currently recycling fluorescent lamps? Does your business or organization have a plan in place for recycling of mercury containing lamps? To find out more about recycling of lamps visit www.myecolamp.com

Keywords: Mercury Containing Lamps, Recycling Fluorescent Lamps, Ballast. HID Recycling. North Carolina, Raleigh.

Flourescent Recycling Solutions for Small to Medium Size Businesses in North Carolina

2009-08-23T12:09:00.002-04:00

Have you ever wondered what to do with a linear fluorescent light after changing it out? Or maybe you recently came across some old HID lamps that have not yet been thrown away? Did you know that in North Carolina and many other states that fluorescent lamps and other mercury containing lamps are banned from being disposed in the trash for "Non-Household" use. Whether you are a small business or a large business you may want to find out more about what to do with these lamps at end of life. My Eco Lamp, located in Raleigh, North Carolina has created a local service that helps keep down the cost of recycling for small to medium size businesses looking to recycle fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, other mercury containing lamps, ballast, batteries and other items. Providing local service is one way in which they hope to make a difference in the local community. "Helping keep 100 lamps or 1,000 lamps containing mercury adds up" says service specialist Harry. He goes on to say that even the lowest level fluorescent lamp still contains over a mg of mercury and it takes just 1mg to spoil a body of water. Being passionate about lighting in general has also helped My Eco Lamp with getting the word out about the benefits of recycling. One of the founders has a background in commercial lighting and enjoys helping answer questions about lighting and recycling. To find out more about fluorescent lamp recycling or just to say hi, you can visit My Eco Lamp online.

My Eco Lamp is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and services from Greensboro to Wilmington. Whether your business has 1 lamp or a 1,000 lamps they have a service to fit your needs.

My Eco Lamp Launches a Commercial Lighting Supply Business

2009-08-09T21:01:00.002-04:00

My Eco Lamp, LLC is excited about the opportunity to help local businesses, churches, towns and communities in the Raleigh, North Carolina with a full line of commercial lighting. My Eco Lamp started out as a lamp recycling service provider offering affordable solutions for lamp recycling for businesses seeking an affordable and local solution for their recycling needs. Now with the introduction of a full line of lamps, ballast, fixtures My Eco Lamp is able to help better serve the needs of the local area.

If you are looking for 1 lamp or a 1,000 My Eco Lamp Supply is a new twist on the "old" school of lighting distributors. My Eco Lamp seeks to bring the "Next Generation of Lighting" to the industry. One way in which they are able to do this is by offering free energy audits and analysis of current lighting conditions along with offering assistance to sort through various EPACT rebates and local rebates by Progress Energy and Duke Energy. My Eco Lamp is a Trade Ally working locally with customers as well as throughout the state.

To find out more about My Eco Lamp and the "Next Generation of Lighting" visit them online at http://www.myecolamp.com

Why Recycle Fluorescent Lamps?

2009-07-12T16:41:00.006-04:00

With the ever increasing popularity of the CFL-Compact Fluorescent Lamp (Or as some would say, the "Ice Cream" shaped lamp), comes the added responsibility of knowing what to do with them when they are at the end of life? There have been some great features on CFL's and the benefits of them. From saving energy, to lowering the impact of carbon footprints and green house gases.

We will not be discussing this today but instead would like to ask the question, "Why recycle fluorescent lamps"? All high energy efficient lamps contain mercury for the operation of the lamps. My Eco Lamp

Earth911 has summarized it this way on it's site under the topic of Facts About Light Bulbs We especially like the area that asks "What’s the Deal With Mercury?

Some lamps include mercury and are regulated by local governments as it relates to proper disposal. Throwing your burnt-out lamps in the trash is not only dangerous, but illegal. In such states as California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and many more, it is unlawful for anyone to dispose of fluorescent lamps as universal waste. If you’re looking for somewhere to drop your spent CFL, you can recycle CFLs using Earth911.

* Every year, about 600 million fluorescent light bulbs are disposed of in U.S. landfills.
* This amounts to about 30,000 pounds of mercury waste.
* These bulbs can break and the vapors can harm not only workers, but also the environment through seeping into groundwater.
* In 1992, mercury containing bulbs were added to the U.S. EPA’s list of hazardous substances. Five years later, they moved to number three on that list.

To find out more about the topic of lamp recycling or to start a program at your home or business, visit My Eco Lamp online. We offer affordable solutions for lamp recycling. In addition, we would love to hear from you. If you have a question about recycling or just curious about something, drop us a line.

2009-07-12T16:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our blog on lamp recycling. We are delighted you have stopped by. Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking for ways to help with getting the word out about the benefits of recycling mercury containing lamps and also the dangers that we are facing in regards to lamps being discarded in landfills.

Is green good? "Green" end caps is great marketing. Over the last few years, I have been hearing this comment a little more often when it comes to lamps with green end caps, "Well, we purchase lamps that have green end caps and these do not have mercury in them and I can throw them away". This is one of the bigger challenges facing many towns and communities as many are unaware that these lamps do contain mercury. In fact, as of today on a 4 foot linear T-8 fluorescent lamp that has green end caps, there is actually about 1.7 milligrams of mercury. Some of the other green end cap lamps have much more mercury content.

Some facts about Mercury containing lamps (more to come in proceeding posts):
It takes just 1 milligram of mercury to contaminate up to 5,300 liters of water.

If a person were to throw away just 10 of the green end cap lamps using the above amount, that would be 17 milligrams. 100 would be 170 milligrams and 1,000 would be 1,700 milligrams.

To find out more about lamp recycling visit My Eco Lamp

My Eco Lamp is looking for help with spreading the word about our community program "Planting Seeds of Hope". If you would like to find out more, please drop us a line. We would love to hear from you.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-03T14:19:00.002-04:00

My Eco Lamp wishes you and your loved ones a Happy 4th of July. We thank the troops who are serving our country here and around the world. We would not have the freedom we have today if it were not for the brave ones who have gone before us. Thank you and Happy 4th of July.

My Eco Lamp
"Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Solutions"

Planting Seeds of Hope-Community Outreach

2009-06-03T20:52:00.001-04:00

Raleigh, North Carolina -- May 30, 2009 -- My Eco Lamp is looking for help with getting the word out about recycling of fluorescent lamps and mercury containing lamps. In an effort to help, we are in the process of launching our community outreach program "Planting Seeds of Hope". The "Planting Seeds of Hope" outreach will be an effort to help local towns and communities setup recycling centers for CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) for recycling.

We are looking for sponsors and outreach partners to help us with spreading the word about mercury containing lamps. With the ever increasing popularity of energy saving lamps, comes the rising responsibility of disposing of these tools properly.

IF you are interested in finding out more or would like to find out how your town can setup a recycling center, contact us today. Together we can help "Plant Seeds of Hope" for a better tomorrow.

Recycle Products Containing Mercury in North Carolina

2009-05-16T12:34:00.010-04:00

We are excited about the progress that is being made with technology and lower level mercury containing lamps but like any tool, you have to respect it or you could be potentially hurt. In America, one-in-six children born every year have been exposed to mercury levels so high that they are potentially at risk for learning disabilities, motor skill impairment and short-term memory loss.

The Mercury from one fluorescent bulb can pollute 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels for drinking.

Did you know that all these lamp types contain mercury: CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) linear fluorescent lamps, Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium, UV, Germicidal, U-Bend Fluorescent lamps and even green end cap lamps contain mercury.

If you are interested in finding out how your community can start a community recycling program for mercury containing lamps contact My Eco Lamp today and ask about the community program outreach "Planting Seeds".

North Carolina News On Recycling Fluorescent Lamps:

Recently North Carolina has presented House Bill 1287 to address the rising popularity of mercury containing lamps. House Bill 1287 Short Title: Recycle Products Containing Mercury.

For more information on the House Bill 1287 visit here.

Recycle Batteries?

2009-04-29T13:09:00.007-04:00

Recently I came across a great article written by Trey of Earth911.com in regards to recycling of batteries. At My Eco Lamp we have had many questions raised about battery recycling and should we recycle or not. This is a great question and this article entitled "Recycling Mysteries: Batteries" by Trey Granger can be found here

If you are a business located in North Carolina and you are looking for a way to manage your fluorescent lamp recycling, ballasts recycling, battery, and e-waste recycling. My Eco Lamp is located in the heart of North Carolina and would be delighted to help create an affordable lamp recycling solution for your business. No customer should have to worry about what to do with their universal waste. No business to small or to large. Call or visit us online today at www.myecolamp.com for more information.

"Planting seeds for tomorrow by recycling lamps today."

Lamp Recycling Solutions

2009-03-21T12:38:00.001-04:00

Campaign for Mercury Reduction In Landfills

2009-03-15T12:08:00.002-04:00

My Eco Lamp is working locally in North Carolina to help spread the word about lamp recycling. We are looking for your help to spread the word. If you would like to find out more, please email or visit us online today. We have setup a Sprout page recently and would love your feedback.

Did you know even green end caps have mercury in them?

2009-03-08T19:01:00.000-04:00

Why Recycle Fluorescent Bulbs?

*

In America, one-in-six children born every year have been exposed to mercury levels so high that they are potentially at risk for learning disabilities, motor skill impairment and short-term memory loss.
*

The Mercury from one fluorescent bulb can pollute 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels for drinking.
*

100 four-foot long fluorescent lamps contain about 4 grams of mercury. It only takes 1 teaspoon of mercury to contaminate a 20-acre lake FOREVER.
*

In 1992, mercury-containing lamps were added to the United States' Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of hazardous substances. (The EPA's regulatory threshold of 2 mg./liter is usually exceeded by mercury-containing lamps).
*

Mercury was number three on the 1997 list of hazardous substances as outlined by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the EPA.
*

Each year, an estimated 600 million fluorescent lamps are disposed of in U.S. landfills amounting to 30,000 pounds of mercury waste.
*

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that 187 incinerators nationwide emit approximately 70,000 total pounds of mercury into the environment each year.

Did you know?

2009-02-10T21:10:00.004-05:00

Recently we have been out talking with businesses about recycling of fluorescent lamps, ballasts, e-waste in the Raleigh, NC area. We are finding out alot of great information in this process and also helping get the word out about the health concerns and risks involved with lamps being thrown away.

Did you know that in North Carolina: Fluorescent lights discarded by non-households are effectively banned from disposal in solid waste landfills and incinerators (see fact sheet on the Regulatory Status of Fluorescent Lamps

To find out more about lamp recycling visit My Eco Lamp

Health Effects of Mercury

2009-02-02T09:34:00.004-05:00

We are going to continue to share about the topic of Mercury and the effects it has on people and the environment. The EPA has a great section that discusses the topic in much more detail at I would like to highlight a few here.

*For fetuses, infants, and children, the primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological development.

Fluorescent lamps contain Elemental mercury (including CFL's, and HID's).
*Elemental (metallic) mercury primarily causes health effects when it is breathed as a vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. These exposures can occur when elemental mercury is spilled or products that contain elemental mercury break and expose mercury to the air, particularly in warm or poorly-ventilated indoor spaces. The first paragraph on this page lists the factors that determine the severity of the health effects from exposure to mercury. Symptoms include these: tremors; emotional changes (e.g., mood swings, irritability, nervousness, excessive shyness); insomnia; neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching); headaches; disturbances in sensations; changes in nerve responses; performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. At higher exposures there may be kidney effects, respiratory failure and death. People concerned about their exposure to elemental mercury should consult their physician.

Are all CFL's created equal-does it matter?

2009-01-21T15:55:00.002-05:00

Today I came across a great site that goes into great detail about "green" lighting and the use of energy efficient lights including a popular growing light called a CFL also known as compact fluorescent light. Last year alone 300 million of these little lamps where sold. Should we be excited about this? Well in a sense yes but in another sense no. Just like all natural cleaning and "Green Cleaning" not all are created equal. I like to use this analogy, if something is 99% natural and 1% not natural does it make it natural or not? To find out more about energy saving lamps and lower mercury lighting, visit Environmental Working Group and check out the EWG's Guide to Light Bulbs.

Eco-Friendly, All Natural, LEDs and more.

2009-01-17T17:30:00.005-05:00

This post is sort of a "catch all" or better put a summary of all that is going on with All Natural Cleaning blogs by All Natural Residential Green Cleaning. This new year has some exciting things in store. Recently my wife and I founded My Eco Lamp to help with making sure spent fluorescent lamps, ballasts, batteries and e-waste are recycled. To find out more about My Eco Lamp visit us online.

We also wanted to share some exciting news about our all natural cleaning post at Squidoo All Natural Cleaning We have made it in the top 25 of the Green Lens section on Squidoo. Thank you for all your help in helping change the way the world cleans, "Naturally".

Lastly, we wanted to point out that on our new site click here you will find some great LED lights and resources on natural lighting for both home and businesses. One of the great things about EarthLED is that they do not contain mercury and last a long time up to 10 times longer then a CFL and 50 times longer then a standard incandescent. Great job to the guys at EarthLED!

My Eco Lamp, LLC Exciting New Recycling Option For Raleigh, NC

2009-01-07T19:14:00.004-05:00

Recently we mentioned that a new company was being established in North Carolina and that they would be offering local service to help keep fluorescent lamps out of land fills. My Eco Lamp, LLC will be opening doors in February and will be offering solutions and options for lamp recycling, commercial lighting and LED's. There site is almost ready and will be available in a couple of days at click here MyEcoLamp.com We need your help with getting the word out. If you know of anyone who may be interested in affordable solutions to their lighting needs, pass this along. Together we can help create a healthier, safer place to live and work.

Here is a little more about My Eco Lamp, LLC: If you are looking for solutions to your facilities recycling of lamps, batteries, ballast, and electronic waste, we offer options to fit your budget and needs. Please contact us today for a free estimate. Our mission is to help create an affordable solution to your fluorescent recycling needs. Allowing you to "Do More of What You Do Best More Profitably"

Green Living for a New Year - 2009

2008-12-31T14:37:00.004-05:00

The year 2008 for many was a trying year. With the stock market down almost 40% for the year. With the bailouts of banks, auto and many other hot spots in our economy, for some the year will be remembered as a year of WOW. One of the things I like about a new year is that what happened last year is in the past and today is a new day. I would love to hear what your plans are for the new year. My plans for 2009 are filled with hopes and dreams. In 2009 we will be launching a few green businesses that we hope will not only help our local community in the Raleigh, NC area but grow beyond our local area and reach other parts of the US and World. Our eco-consultant business will be focusing on helping others go green and adopt healthier living habits. We will be focusing on using natural cleaners, saving energy by replacing incandescent lamps with LED lighting and CFL lamps. We will also be helping others create an opportunity for themselves in the growing Green Business Arena.

Also this year we will be highlighting some companies that we think have done a wonderful job of creating sustainability in their respective markets. In fact, recently we have set up a Top 10 site for eco-friendly sites here featuring sites like Green Irene, Our Green House, Energy Saving Products and more. Please feel free to contribute also. Together we can help change the world, Naturally!

Help for a new year

2008-12-23T11:21:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered what happens to Fluorescent lamps when they are no longer working? Recently I have been reviewing a number of sites about handling lamps that are at end of life. In lighting terms, they refer to these lamps as "Spent" lamps. Many of these lamps end up in landfills. Of course this is a problem with many items today that we consume and on a commercial level this is a huge problem. This year, I am going to be working on starting a lamp handling service in the Raleigh, NC area. My goal is to help make others aware of the dangers involved with Hg (Mercury) and the importance and benefit of recycling lamps.

Facts: About 22% of all lamp usage is by people who are not and may never be regulated under federal rules (e.g. residential and CESQGs). Therefore, of the 514 million lamps per year that are currently entering the solid waste stream and potentially releasing mercury into the environment, about 142 million are from residential, while 372 million are from businesses, government and institutions.
70.8% of the mercury-lamps used by business and 98% of the lamps used in homes are not being recycled. These lamps can and should be recycled! (Taken from Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers or almr.org study in 2004).

What are the Benefits of Recycling?*

* Keeps mercury containing products out of inappropriate waste disposal streams (especially incineration);
* Preferred disposal method in most states for mercury-containing lamps;
* Consistent with solid waste disposal bans and partial bans in some states;
* May limit user's superfund liability; and
* Simplifies enforcement

Lamp recycling is not self-supporting. Spent lamps have no intrinsic value or embodied energy. The recovered mercury has minimal value however the cost of recycling lamps is relatively small compared to the cost savings from using energy efficient lighting. Generally, fluorescent lamps are four to five times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent lamps reduce energy consumption which saves you money. Reducing energy use also cuts down on power plant emissions of mercury and other emissions that contribute to global climate change, acid rain and smog. (* From Lamp Recycle's site: http://www.lamprecycle.org)

If you are looking to help or are interested in supporting our goal for this upcoming year, I would love to hear from you.

Go Green for the Holidays with All Natural Cleaners

2008-12-15T13:47:00.013-05:00

Are you looking for gifts this Christmas but not quite sure what to buy? Maybe you are on a budget or just having a hard time finding something for someone special who has everything.

Green Irene has some great gifts this holiday. One of my favorite is the Taste of Green Gift Bag. This is a great introductory green gift featuring the:
Taste of Green Gift Bag
Give them a taste of what green products they are missing with this gift bag! This small variety of products is one of our lowest-priced bags, perfect for group giving such as teacher and corporate gifts.
Gift Bag Sets start for as little as $30

The set includes the following:

1 75 Watt Spiral CFL Bulb - Our most economical 75 watt equivalent (19 watts actual use) compact fluorescent light bulb

1 20 oz. Green Stainless Steel Bottle - Our Extra-large Stainless steel bottle, perfect for carrying around a day's supply of drinking water

1 Spray Bottle of Natural All-Purpose Cleaner - Effective, Vinegar-based cleaner formulated for a variety of surfaces

1 Lime (light green) Baggu Bag - A strong, re-usable Nylon bag with handles large enough to wear over the shoulder.

There are many other green gifts too from All Natural Cleaning Products to Water Conservation and Energy Efficient Lighting. Visit http://www.greenirene.com/myecohelp and click on shopping

Exciting News about Going Green

2008-12-04T14:53:00.006-05:00

We have some exciting news to share. We have become a part of the Green Irene network of Eco-Consultants. You may ask what exactly does this mean? Here is our eco-consultant site www.greenirene.com/myecohelp feel free to stop by or pass it on to someone you may know who is interested in finding out more about greening their home and creating a healthier lifestyle.

Here is also a breif description of some of the ways in which we can help save money and help our surrounding community. Green Home Consulting Services and Green Products

Do you want to green your home, but not ready to make going green a hobby? As your local Eco-Consultant, I will walk through your home and develop a set of recommendations on how you can save money, save energy, save water and live a healthier life.

I offer a Green Home Makeover, which takes 60-90 minutes and encompasses the interior and yard areas. I will point out immediate changes that you can make for free, and I will also demonstrate and offer dozens of the best green home products available. I will help replace wasteful incandescent bulbs, show you the best low flow shower heads, explain how to buy green power and enable you to offset your family’s carbon footprint. I'll be able to sell you terrific water filters, improve your indoor air quality and demonstrate cleaning products free of toxic chemicals.

Green Home Makeover topics include:

Energy Conservation
Water Conservation
Water Purity
Toxic Free Living
Indoor Air Quality
Energy Efficient Lighting
Recycling
Waste Reduction
Safety and Emergency Preparedness

With your Green Home Makeover you will receive a six-month “Ask Green Irene” Membership, which gives you access to our green knowledge base and green researchers.

Update on what all natural residential cleaning and My Eco Maid have been doing.

2008-11-20T17:08:00.004-05:00

Visit us online atwww.greenirene.com/1065 or email today for more information. Going green today.

Discover the Rewards of Making Energy Efficient Choices

Learn How To Put the $$$ Green $$$ Back Into Your Pocket While Also Being Green

See which home renovations save the most money

Consider simple changes in habit that result in great savings

Discover which heating system will work best in your home

Explore options for nearly endless hot water at low prices

Find out if Solar Power or Wind Energy is right for you

The Rewards of Making

Energy Efficient Choices

by David A. Nelmes Sr.

150 pages (PDF) - File size: 1.2 MB

Learn how you can make practical energy efficient choices in your home that are affordable and helpful to the environment while you also receive financial rewards for your energy related investments.

The motivation for greener living was pushed to the forefront by the theory of global warming. There may be some debate over the truth behind global warming, but a great side effect of this topic is that it has created a greater awareness that it may be a good idea to change the way we generate energy and use the earth's resources.

Energy Inspector and author David Nelmes has a genuine interest to help people conserve energy, but he's also a very practical person so he decided to help build a bridge between being environmentally aware and living a normal life, where you can live a greener life without feeling like you are losing anything at all.

You can make an energy liberating change in your life.

This revolutionary book, 'The Rewards of Making Energy Efficient Choices', is a focus on helping you make an ‘energy liberating’ change in your life by finally freeing yourself from the bondage associated with depending upon fossil fuels and the corporations that have placed their desire for profit, far, far ahead of what is best for the world, this country and you.

This book will help you see where you can start being more practical by being open to find solutions and not just wallowing in the problems. Many of your energy conservation and energy efficiency questions are answered in this book. These answers are based upon research that has uncovered what are the most practical things to do, in any pursuit to be energy efficient and less dependent on fossil fuel.

Extensive research went into looking for ways to easily introduce energy efficiency into our daily lives.

This book works towards a final conclusion that the optimum goal for homeowners and renters alike would be to convert all or as much of their home energy use to being supplied solely by electricity.

By going all electric, with the right heating and cooling systems, the right appliances, the right vehicle and the right attitude, you could release yourself from any dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Once your transformation to electricity has been done, you could then choose to generate all or most of your own power if you had the capacity to install your own renewable energy systems.

When you consider the amount of energy needed to fully provide for the needs of your home and even your vehicles, bear in mind that there is no way you could ever create your own oil, natural gas, LP gas or coal, but you can generate your own electricity or choose utility power sources that use domestic fuels and renewable energy sources.

Author David Nelmes has combined all his research along with over twenty-five years of electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning experience and wrote a book that provides clear cut solutions for your home energy efficiency needs.

When you read this book, you will see that by changing certain habits and making smart home investments, you will save a lot of money due to lower energy costs, plus the environment will do better as well.

It does not matter what motivates you to be green, but only that the motivation is there in some form. Since most individuals are motivated by their pocket book, this is the format the author has chosen to focus his writing on how any individual could benefit financially by being more energy efficient.

Topics covered in the book include:

Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Your Home

The Best Methods For Heating And Cooling

Creating Hot Water Efficiently

Tapping Renewable Solar And Wind Energy

Powering Your Vehicle Domestically

Funding And Loan Sources

When you see that it generally costs less to be energy efficient than to not be, you'll wonder why you never did these things all your life.

This book also provides illustrations, charts, helpful images and many web site references for locating the products and information that will truly help you be green by spending a little green today with the prospect of saving a lot of green tomorrow. And, of course, while you are saving money, you'll be helping the environment by reducing your impact on the air, water and soil.

Healthy Choice Home Care, Helping Change the Way the World Cleans, "Naturally"

2008-05-03T11:07:00.002-04:00

Did you know?

100: The number of times higher indoor air pollution levels can be above outdoor levels, according to US EPA estimates.

25%: The number you can increase your MPG up to by keeping your car maintained.

$100: The amount you can save in water and electricity bills over the lifetime of an energy-star dishwasher.

All Natural Cleaning

2008-02-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

All Natural Cleaning Resource Page

2008-02-02T12:29:00.000-05:00

Healthy Choice Home Care has created a natural cleaning resource page @ http://www.squidoo.com/allnaturalcleaning Here you will find all kinds of resources from books on all natural cleaning, place to post comments and even take a poll. We would love for you to join us in our mission to help create a healthy place to live. Join us today and help change the way the world cleans, "Naturally".

How to Make Your Own All Natural, Non-Toxic Cleaners

2007-12-24T15:11:00.000-05:00

How to make your own natural, non-toxic cleaners.
Here is a great resource by Annie B. Bond, author of Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990).

Most modern synthetic cleaning products are based on age-old formulas using natural ingredients that were passed down through the generations because the chemistry was right. Going back to the original naturally derived ingredients is a way to make cleaning products that work, don’t pollute and save you money. Most are found in your kitchen cupboards. Mix and match with well-chosen and environmentally friendly green cleaning products found in health food stores, and you can easily and simply transform your home into a non-toxic and healthy haven.

Non-toxic cleaning can give you a deep feeling of gratification in knowing that your family's health is protected, and that your home is a place for your bodies to rest and recuperate rather than promote harm.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Making your own nontoxic cleaning kit will take you no time at all with these simple, straightforward directions, and with this kit you will be supplied with enough cleaning product for months of cleaning.

As an added bonus, ounce for ounce homemade cleaning formulas cost about one-tenth the price of their commercial counterpart—and that includes costly, but worthwhile essential oils, and concentrated, all-purpose detergents for homemade recipes.

SUPPLIES
Baking soda
Washing soda
White distilled vinegar
A good liquid soap or detergent
Tea tree oil
6 clean spray bottles
2 glass jars

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.
Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

WINDOW CLEANER
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER
1 cup or more baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don't even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLERS

Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I've used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

HELPFUL HINTS: Make sure to label all your homemade cleaning products, and keep them away from pets and children.

If you would like to purchase all natural cleaners instead, here are two compaines that we recommend at Healthy Choice Home Care: http://aromalogics.com/store.asp/CAME_FROM/pennysense
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?Clk=1978697

Technorati

2007-12-05T21:42:00.001-05:00

Technorati Profile

To Be Green or Not To Be?

2007-11-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our Healthy Choice Home Care, All Natural Cleaning Page. We look forward to sharing tips and insight with you and helping create a healthier home and working environment for you and your loved ones. You may be asking, why natural cleaning? Is it effective? and other questions related to natural cleaning. We hope to answer these questions and any other questions you may have related to "Green" all natural cleaning.Let's ask a question~Is a product all natural because it says "Natural" on the label? Many companies are cashing in/marketing on the term natural. It sounds good but buyer beware. I always like to use this questions when talking with family and friends when it comes to natural cleaners. The question is: If a product has 90% natural ingredients and 10% synthetic/chemicals ingredients, is it natural? I will let you answer that question.Our goal is to give you information and help you make the decision to who makes natural cleaners, who are the natural cleaning companies, etc...Our mission is to change the way the world cleans, one house at a time.Feel free to visit our site at http://www.thecleanchoice.com/ today if you are interested in natural cleaning and are in the Raleigh, NC area.

Some Simple Green Facts

2007-11-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

Did you know? Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals, they can be found in every organ in the body.

Why is this important?In 1989, the EPA determined the toxic chemicals found in common household cleaners, often dispersed in fumes, are three times more likely to cause cancer than are other air pollutants.According to the American Cancer Society, prior to the 20th century, only 1 out of 8,000 people in the United States were stricken with cancer. Since the Industrial Revolution the introduction into our lives of a myriad of chemicals, the incidence of cancer has increased to a startling 1 out of 3 people.Since World War II, we have developed more than 80,000 chemicals for use in cleaners, pesticides, plastics, personal care products, industrial products and other modern day conveniences. We know very little about the effect of these chemicals on a child's developmentThe Clean Water Fund estimates that the average American uses 40 lbs of unsafe household cleaners each year (multiply that by 245 million Americans)Only three percent of the carcinogens (known to cause cancer) are known and registered- Cancer is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to health effects of chronic low-level exposure to neurotoxin poisons.

All Natural Cleaning, Not All Are Equal.

2007-11-03T13:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our Healthy Choice Home Care, All Natural Cleaning Page. We look forward to sharing tips and insight with you and helping create a healthier home and working environment for you and your loved ones. You may be asking, why natural cleaning? Is it effective? and other questions related to natural cleaning. We hope to answer these questions and any other questions you may have related to "Green" all natural cleaning.

Let's ask a question~Is a product all natural because it says "Natural" on the label? Many companies are cashing in/marketing on the term natural. It sounds good but buyer beware. I always like to use this questions when talking with family and friends when it comes to natural cleaners. The question is: If a product has 90% natural ingredients and 10% synthetic/chemicals ingredients, is it natural? I will let you answer that question.

Our goal is to give you information and help you make the decision to who makes natural cleaners, who are the natural cleaning companies, etc...

Our mission is to change the way the world cleans, one house at a time.

Feel free to visit our site at http://www.thecleanchoice.com/ today if you are interested in natural cleaning and are in the Raleigh, NC area.