Go Green - Whidbey Green Guide 2013

Whidbey

GreenGuide reduce • reuse • recycle • protect • preserve • restore

A special supplement to

Page 2

The Whidbey Island Green Guide • MAY 2013

A septic system is a delicate biological machine. It functions because of the actions of bacteria and properties of the soil. If not maintained, this biological machine could shut down- a very unpleasant and costly setback. Therefore it is crucial to care for your septic system by watching what goes down the drain, reducing water use, inspecting regularly, pumping when necessary and protecting your drainfield and reserve areas.

Septic DOs and DON’Ts • • • • • • •

• • •

•

DO NOT FLUSH THE FOLLOWING ITEMS INTO YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM: • • • • • • • • •

Coffee grounds Paper towels Disposable diapers Tampons Sanitary napkins Pesticides Cigarette butts Condoms Fats, grease and oils • Paints • Disinfectants

• Varnishes • Photographic chemicals • Waste oils • Pills and unused medication • Poisons • Dental floss • Medicine • Kitty litter • Paint Thinners

• •

Do have your septic system inspected every three years if it is a conventional gravity system and annually for all other systems.

Do take the FREE Septic 101 class online or in person from Island County Dept of Health.

Do talk with a professional to see if your system would benefit from having a filter installed.

Do spread wash cycles out over the week rather than washing many loads on one day.

Do become familiar with the location of your septic system components.

Do have your septic tank pumped out as needed.

Do use water-conserving devices. Low flush toilets and showers heads are commonly available.

DO NOT wait for signs of failure. Inspect your system regularly.

Don’t pay $10,000.00 to $20,000.00 for a new system because of lack of maintenance.

Don’t overload the system with high volumes of water.

Septic systems require time for the solids to settle to the bottom or they may be flushed into the drainfield causing your system to fail.

Don’t allow large amounts of fats, oils, grease, chemicals or solvents to enter the system.

Don’t cover the tank or drainfield with asphalt, concrete or any impermeable material.

Don’t use any septic tank additives. They are not beneficial and even with additives, regular pumping of solids is

• • • • •

• • • • •

Do remove or prevent trees with large root systems growing near the disposal field.

Do maintain grass over the disposal field to use some of the water and to prevent erosion.

Do keep surface water runoff away from the disposal field.

Do compost your kitchen waste. A garbage disposal/ grinder will require you to have your tank pumped more often and may cause your system to fail prematurely.

Do ensure you only supply your septic system with human waste to ensure proper function.

still required.

Don’t connect basement sump pumps to the on-site system.

Don’t connect backwash from water treatment devices directly to the on-site system without professional advice.

Don’t enter a septic tank without proper ventilation.

Sewer gases can be fatal.

Don’t allow vehicles or heavy equipment to drive over or park on the disposal field. This may compact the soil and crush the piping.

Don’t put in a separate pipe to carry wash waters to a side ditch or woods.

HOST—Homeowner Septic Training NOW available.

If you own a conventional gravity system or a conventional pump system you may be able to become certified to inspect your own onsite sewage (septic) system.

Attend Septic 101 to get started.

Classes are offered online or in person.

For more information go to: http://www.islandcountyeh.org/Page/105

Island County Public Health • P.O. Box 5000, Coupeville, WA 98239 Phone: 360.679.7350; From So. Whidbey: 360.321.5111 x7350; From Camano: 360.629.4522 x7350

Brought to you by Island County Public Health and a Grant from the WA State Dept of Health.

MAY 2013 • The Whidbey Island Green Guide

Page 3

Join the challenge and save Whidbey Island is taking the Community Energy Challenge, saving energy, money at the same time Homeowners and businesses can participate in an energy audit to help identify ways to save through a program organized by Sustainable Connections, the Opportunity Council and the Building Performance Center.

Town of Coupeville is currently publicizing the program, offering an overview in a recent utility newsletter.

“We have already completed 15 commercial energy audits here on Whidbey Island with a total annual savings estimated $3,970,” said Cathy d’Almeida, a consultant for the program. “This is from the early lighting projects. It is possible and likely that these businesses will see more savings as they implement more of the recommendations on their detailed reports.”

For business owners, there is no fee to participate.

The process starts with a walk-through of the facility, where all major appliances, the building envelope, and operational practices are examined and energy saving opportunities are identified.

The audit takes about an hour and a few days later the business owner is provided a report of customized recommendations.

CEC staff can assist in the process of completing them, including connecting

participants with rebates and financial incentives where applicable.

They also help with employee engagement and provide ongoing support and resources to help businesses make long term reductions in energy use.

Currently, the program is finding energy savings of 3-5 percent per business.

There are also funds to provide up to $1,500 of efficient lighting (CFLs and LEDs) at no cost to participants.

Sarah Richards, owner of Lavender Wind Farm in Coupeville, recently completed her audit.

The decision to participate, she said, was in her quest to be come a Whidbey Green Seal member.

“I’ve long been involved in the environmental community,” Richards said.

“It’s always been a part of my lifestyle.”

As with many participants, the prospect of saving money is also an appeal.

“I’m doing a lot of things right already,” Richards said. “And I’m going to save a lot of money with changing to LED (lights).”

Richards said she already recycles at her business, while undergoing construction on her new building last year the right amount of insulation was installed as well as low flow water aerators in the hand-washing

contents

Community Energy Challenge

3

Green Seal

4

Anchorage Inn

5

Solar Now

6

Waste Reduction

8

Friendly Gardening

9

Efficient Appliances

10

Paper Waste

11

stations.

Richards already had plans to install LED lights, but she said she was going to replace them as the old lights burned out.

She was able to utilize a grant through the program to have all the lights replaced at once.

The savings, she said, is almost $500 a year in energy costs.

Participation in the program for residential customers is a bit different.

As with the business side, a home energy assessment, during which a certified building analyst evaluates the current condition of the home, determining insulation levels, air leakage, heating and cooling system function, as well as any other potential energy losses.

Residential participants do have to pay for the program. Cost is $195.

A home energy advisor meets personally with each participant to explain the results and provide recommendations for improvement. CEC can also connect homeowners with financial incentives, a lowinterest loan, qualified contractors to make the recommended repairs and provides 100 percent quality assurance on all work done through the program.

The residential portion of the program is just getting started on Whidbey, but the staff is trained and ready to go, d’Almeida said.

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Additional copies of the Whidbey Green Guide can be obtained by contacting: WHIDBEY EXAMINER | 360-678-8060 107 S. Main Street, Suite E101, Coupeville, WA 98239 www.whidbeyexaminer.com

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These Whidbey Green Seal Businesses actively implement resource conservation measures, demonstrate a culture of environmental awareness in their operational activities and practice social responsibility in their community.

Anchorage Inn Blue Goose Inn Boomerang Coupeville Chamber of Commerce Chiropractic Zone Ciao Coupeville Natural Honeymoon Bay Coffee Roaster Island Transit Northwest Granite and Flooring Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Pacific Rim Institute Puget Sound Energy Greenhouse Florist Sno-Isle Library Whidbey Coffee Whidbey Cleaners Whidbey Sun and Wind Visit www.sustainablewhidbey.org to learn more about WHIDBEY GREEN SEAL certification and these organizations.

Page 4

Shop Green-Shop Local

The Whidbey Island Green Guide • MAY 2013

Just bring your own bag, and look for the Whidbey Green Seal

By Melody Kuschnereit

The Whidbey Green Seal is a certificate program that publicly recognizes businesses and organizations that implement resource conservation measures, demonstrate a culture of environmental awareness in their operational activities, and practice social responsibility in their community.

Supporting local businesses means supporting local friends and families. It also means your sales tax stays local to benefit your community. Whidbey Green Seal businesses also take extra measures to conserve valuable resources and protect beautiful Whidbey Island.

There are more than 60 Whidbey Green Seal participants on the Island already. For the current list of Whidbey Green Seal participants, visit

SustainableWhidbey.org/directory Here’s what some of the Whidbey Green Seal participants are doing to build a more sustainable community: Northwest Granite and Flooring has a water recycling system that allows them to utilize about 500 gallons of recycled water a day.

They also donate materials to Hearts and Hammers and purchase Green Power from Puget Sound Energy.

Ciao uses local food whenever possible. From the second floor, customers can see where most of the food on their plate came from.

The South Whidbey Center of Senior Services of Island County has recently completed upgrading their lighting system. Using the PSE incentives, lighting was retrofitted throughout the building including nine offices, four meeting rooms,

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the dining room and kitchen area, with low voltage, energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. They are looking forward to lower electricity bills in their future.

SSIC is projected to save well over $2,300 a year.

Taproot Architects are transitioning our office to all-LED lighting, and continuing to reduce our footprint on all fronts.

St. Augustine’s in the Woods Episcopal Church provided clean up of Honeymoon Bay Road, including noxious weeds, in Fall 2013.

Best Friend’s Veterinary Center continues to reduce their useage of paper, water and their energy demand throughout the clinic. They replaced two very large windows with more energy efficient units.

Whidbey Playhouse has switched out many of the older stage lighting to the new LED lights. They are continuing to look for ways to improve their green imprint.

Midway Florist started using a computer routing system to route their deliveries as efficiently as possible. Their goal is still to get a hybrid delivery vehicle.

The Whidbey Institute has just completed an energy audit with Community Energy Challenge, and will establish several nextsteps with them. They will also be encouraging all staff to sign up for a workplace CSA program.

Clifton View Homes builds “zero energy” homes. They are involved in teaching others how to perform in-depth energy audits of a much more comprehensive nature than those performed by PSE. Though their office was built in 2005, it exceeds current energy codes. All lighting throughout their development used T-8 tubes since 2001. All heating is hydronic. The buildings are passively heated and cooled.

Prairie Perks offers coffee grounds for local gardeners to take home. They also encourage the use of reusable cups with a $0.25 discount!

Wind and Tide Bookshop purchases green power from PSE. They also sell used books, which keeps second-hand books out of the landfill, and saves paper and resources.

For more information on the Whidbey Green Seal program, visit SustainableWhidbey.org or email greenseal@sustainablewhidbey.org

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MAY 2013 • The Whidbey Island Green Guide

Page 5

Anchorage Inn embraces Whidbey green seal Recycling, LED bulbs and more highlight conservation efforts

By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter

With energy saving appliances, recycling and environmentally friendly detergents, the owners of Coupeville’s Anchorage Inn utilize a variety of conservation strategies to reduce waste and power consumption.

Their efforts at being good stewards of the environment make them perfect to participate in the Green Seal program offered by the Sustainable Whidbey Coalition.

The Green Seal program is a way to recognize businesses, nonprofit organizations and taxpayer supported entities that implement conservation measures, institute a culture of environmental awareness and practice social responsibility, according to the Whidbey Green Seal website.

The Anchorage Inn is a sevenroom bed and breakfast operating out of a Victorian-style home located on North Main Street about a block away from Coupeville’s historic downtown. It also operates the Calista Cottage, which is a house built in 1883 and stands next to the popular inn.

Anchorage Inn owner Dianne Binder is quick to highlight the measures that have been implemented at her bed and breakfast.

Light-emitting-diode bulbs were recently installed throughout her bed and breakfast. Binder said she hopes to see smaller power bills because the new bulbs use less electricity than their predecessors.

The Anchorage Inn also participates in a Puget Sound Energy

Nathan Whalen photo

Anchorage Inn owner Dianne Binder shows the light emitting diode bulb along with pointing at her Whidbey Green Seal recognition.

program where all of the power supplied will come from renewable energy sources such as wind.

Guests can choose to participate in a towel re-use program and they use environmentally friendly detergents and soaps whenever they stay at the Anchorage Inn, Binder said.

Off course she has always recycled, she said.

The bed and breakfast also has an Energy Star reared washer, dryer and freezer and low-flow nozzles have been installed on faucets..

Binder said the Anchorage Inn had been meeting similar requirements for a conservation program administered by the

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Washington Bed and Breakfast Guild, so it seemed to be a good fit to apply to the Whidbey Green Seal.

Once they met the requirements of the Whidbey Green Seal program, She said its been worth the effort to participate.

Her power bill has declined since installing the low-power equipment.

In addition, she has a faction of travelers that track her conservation efforts.

She has a Green Seal sticker that she places near the front door of the Anchorage Inn. Nearly 60 organizations, including a church, numerous businesses and public entities such as Whidbey

General Hospital, participate in the Whidbey Green Seal program, according to information gleaned from the Whidbey Green Seal website.

People interested in participating in the Whidbey Green Seal have to fill out an 11-page application that includes completing a checklist.

That checklist includes energy consumption, the types of electrical appliances, whether renewable energy is used, transportation habits and more.

For more information about the Whidbey Green Seal program, go to www.sustainablewhidbey.org/projects/ greenseal

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Page 6

The Whidbey Island Green Guide • MAY 2013

Whidbey residents make use of solar incentives New contracts under Solar NOW program to help reduce green house gas emissions

By Megan Hansen Editor

Whidbey Island residents will soon be producing more solar energy than ever before.

Whidbey’s Solar NOW campaign, ran

by Central Whidbey’s own Whidbey Sun and Wind, yielded 20 new installation contracts for 128.9 kilowatts of power.

Of those 20, eight are in Central Whidbey, eight in South Whidbey and five in Oak Harbor.

With the new installations, enough electricity will be produced to power 10.5 average homes in our region, said Cathy d’Almeida, consultant for Whidbey Sun and Wind.

The contracts from the Whidbey Solar NOW program represent a 16 percent increase in the total number of net-meter installations on Whidbey Island and a 19 percent increase in the total kilowatt of solar PV installed, she said.

There are many benefits to converting to solar energy including cost savings and it’s

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Cathy d’Almeida photo

Sarah Richards shows off the new solar installation at her home that also serves her lavender business.

better for the environment. d’Almeida said the new solar installations will help reduce green house gas emissions by 67 metiric tons, the equivalent of taking 12.4 cars off the road annually.

During the Solar NOW campaign, Whidbey Sun and Wind held workshops to help residents understand how solar energy works, the benefits and current cost incentives to participate this spring.

More than 120 people attended the presentations.

Right now Washington residents who install solar energy units at their home have several incentives to do so.

Installations are exempt from state sales tax until June 30. Also new installers get a 30 percent federal tax credit.

The company also receives tax credits that are then passed down to the customer.

Continued on page 7

File photo

Solar installations are popping up all over the island, including a community solar project that started in 2011 at Greenbank Farm.

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MAY 2013 • The Whidbey Island Green Guide

Page 7

Solar Now From page 6

File photo

The first array of solar panels was installed at Greenbank Farm in 2011. The solar trend continues throughout the island, especially since Whidbey Sun and Wind launced its Solar NOW campaign aimed at using federal incentives on new solar projects.

Sarah Richards, who operates a lavender farm from her home just North of Coupeville, was the first person to complete an installation under the Solar Now campaign.

“I’d been wanting to put in wind and solar at the farm for a while,” Richards said.

Her property wasn’t quite right for installing wind energy, she said, but solar would work.

“The time with solar was perfect,” she said.

Customers generally see an 8-15 percent return on investments.

It usually takes 8-12 years to get money back after that it’s free energy.

Richards said she anticipates her power bill dropping to nothing by the end of the year.

But it’s not just about cost savings for Richards, it’s about building a stronger energy system.

“By using solar you’re not only using a reusable source, but diversifying the system,” she said.

The first two solar hookups in Puget Sound Energy’s system were started in 1999 on Whidbey Island.

Currently more than 100 businesses and homes on Whidbey Island are connected on the solar grid with PSE. For more information go to www. whidbeysunwind.com/

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Page 8

The Whidbey Island Green Guide • MAY 2013

Compost your way to less household waste Hall said.

She added that residents living in While recycling is a apartments can have a popular way to reduce small compost bin in their household waste, home. The can use the there is something else compost for hoyusehold the environmentally plants and it could also be conscious can do to a gift for any friends they reduce waste in their may have who are garden homes. enthusiasts.

They can start The Waste Wise composting yard and food programs promotes the waste that can be used to idea of “Reduce, reuse fortify gardens and plants and recycle.” in addition to efforts Although Island recycling.

County recently put Janet Hall, coordinator the kibosh on a shortfor Waste Wise — lived curbside recycling operated by WSU program, there are Extension, noted there are several self-haul locations three places throughout on Whidbey Island Whidbey Island where for people to drop off folks interested in recyclables provided they composting can get a Courtesy photo are willing to sort and first-hand look at how Volunteer Melissa Russell examines the contents of a compost bin.

WSU Extension has three places on Whidbey that haul it. to build a compost bin: have demonstration compost bins.

The recycling centers The Oak Harbor Public on Whidbey Island will Works facility on 16th also accept such electronic Hall also gave a plug Avenue, Fort Casey State equipment as computers, for the great thrift stores Park and the Good Cheer laptops, televisions, that are thriving on community garden on monitors and e-readers South Whidbey Island.

Whidbey Island, which free of charge.

For food items, is a good place to donate She also offered everything except meat unused clothes. several suggestions and dairy can be placed She said items to help a homeowner in the compost bin. Meat donated to the thrift reduce household clutter. will become rancid and stores shouldn’t be torn.

When tackling a home will attract rodents, Hall Another place to drop off Manager took ‘ownership’ improvement project, said. “Our Cascade Project of our Hissuggested ‘pride insomeone ownership’unwanted shows clothes is the she For yard waste,remodel.

Hall blue throughout project. team Center might consider rentingCascade’sNorthwest recommended people the competed bins. responsive, efficient and always equipment rather than professional.” avoidwas composting For more information The White Family purchasing and storing blackberry bushes and about Waste Wise something that won’t be diseased plants. programs and ideas about often used.

She offered a simple how to reduce household She also suggested rule in deciding what yard Home Renovations waste, go to www.county. people consider using waste throw in thecompany bin.

As atodesign-build we offer valuable insight and direction wsu.edu/island/Pages/ canvasyou bagsintend instead “If you don’t want it the spaces on how to best utilize to of renovate. We work Courtesy photo default.aspx or call Hall at Former Waste Wise volunteer Robin Corum maintains a compost bin. accumulating more plastic in your garden, youfrom don’tthe beginning closely with you to determine the most cost-effective bags. want it in your options and compost,” determine if any materials may be salvaged360-678-7974. and re-used.

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MAY 2013 • The Whidbey Island Green Guide

Page 9

How to make your garden more environmentally friendly (StatePoint) Spring is here, which means it’s time to slip those green thumbs into some gardening gloves.

And if you want to feel truly good about what you grow, consider upgrading your garden to be more planet-friendly.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Grow Your Own Dinner

Grow the vegetables, herbs and flowers that you would normally purchase for your dinner and floral arrangements.

Local is more sustainable because it reduces the carbon footprint associated with transport. And you can’t get more local than your own backyard!

Encourage Pollination

Pollination is crucial for agricultural production and the health of the ecosystem.

Unfortunately, many pollinating insects are highly susceptible to environmental changes and have in recent years, suffered major population decline.

You can help local pollinators thrive by planting a variety of native species of varying colors and shapes and reducing your use of pesticides.

Contributed photos

Above: Protecting chickadees and other birds from window collisions is one way to make your garden more earth-friendly. Below: Grow your own vegetables and herbs to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Be Bird-Friendly

No garden is truly complete without regular visits from birds. Encourage flying visitors by installing a feeder and bird bath.

According to a study published in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology, billions of birds die annually worldwide from collisions with windows. So if you are going to send out the mass invite to these beautiful creatures, don’t forget to make it hazard-free for their arrival.

Without affecting the appearance of your home, you can make your windows safer for birds by applying static-cling decals. To create a complete visual barrier, consider filling in the gaps between decals with UV Liquid dots which are invisible to humans, but visible to birds.

Compost

By composting, you will not only reduce your home’s overall waste, you’ll also create a rich soil that can be used in your garden to cultivate plants naturally.

Be careful what you compost, however. Sawdust from chemically treated wood, diseased plants and even walnuts, when composted, can create soil that’s hazardous to both plants and people.

This spring, make your garden the envy of the neighborhood for more than just its beauty. With a few easy tweaks, you can reduce your family’s waste and create a safe haven for birds and pollinators.

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Page 10

The Whidbey Island Green Guide • MAY 2013

Easy ways to save energy at home: appliances (StatePoint) Whether you are motivated to help the planet or simply want to slash home energy and water bills, there are easy steps to reduce your home’s carbon footprint.

Today more than ever, we see the environmental impact we have on our communities by the choices we make daily — from the food we eat to the way we run our homes. While it’s easy to pretend these choices don’t matter, it’s even easier to take steps to live more sustainably and feel good about it, says Brett Beitzel, a brand manager at Amana, a household appliances manufacturer focused on encouraging consumers to reduce their carbon footprints.

There are several places in your home where you can take small steps toward a smaller carbon footprint.

Kitchen

Become more aware of what you put in your shopping basket. Include more locally — and organically-grown and raised produce and meat in your diet. Avoid overly-packaged products and eat sustainably caught or farmed fish. These choices are often healthier, too.

You can also make a substantial impact by replacing your old refrigerator with a newer energy-saving model. Compared to pre-2000 models, newer refrigerators can use up to 41 percent less energy. As one of the few appliances that run constantly, that means a lot of energy

and cost savings.

Luckily, environmentally conscious home appliance manufacturers are going above the Department of Energy’s current usage guidelines by making energy efficiency a priority with newer models.

You can also find efficient dishwashers that save water and energy. But even with a newer model, you’ll want to be sure you’re only running the machine when full.

For maximum savings, look for Energy Star qualified models on all appliances.

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Garage

Cars that don’t have properly inflated tires account for a 10 percent increase on fuel costs. Check tire pressure regularly to ensure optimum performance. And tune up your bike so you can

use it more often.

Unfortunately, the garage is also where many send their old refrigerators to store extra soda.

Research shows that 10 million refrigerators cost consumers an average of $1.62 billion yearly in energy costs. For a cool move, make all your refrigerators energy efficient.

Laundry Room

The way you launder your clothes can impact local waterways. Look for eco-friendly detergents and opt for the concentrated form to reduce plastic consumption. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible and don’t leave them in the dryer longer than necessary.

Consider replacing your washer and dryer with newer energy-saving models. Not only may this qualify you for rebates from state or local utility companies, your water savings and energy savings will add up. Front load washing machines are great choices, as conventional top-load washing machines built before 2004 use 81 percent more energy and 77 percent more water than some newer models.

You can learn more about how to save energy and money by using eco-friendly appliances at www.Amana.com

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Plus you may be eligible for a $1200 Rebate from PSE. Ask us how!

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Island Heating & A/C, Inc. 630 W IndustrIal ave, Oak HarbOr

(360) 679-1900 lic#IslanHa153PP

MAY 2013 • The Whidbey Island Green Guide

Page 11

Tips to reduce paper waste in the office and home (StatePoint) Want to go green? One great area to focus on this year is reducing, reusing and recycling the paper waste you generate.

Americans alone use about 71 million tons of paper a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

But with a few tweaks to the daily routine, people can reduce their contributions to this problem. Here are some key ways to eliminate paper clutter:

content — cutting down significantly on traditional paper methods and ensuring all vital information is safely organized all in one place, said Gary Flake, CEO and founder of Clipboard.

Using a service like Clipboard is an extremely quick and easy way to go green. More information on how to organize, collaborate and share online can be found at www.Clipboard.com

Reduce

Reuse

Whether you’re looking to live more sustainably, or simply want a tidier desk, you’re in luck — new tools are making it easier to organize more of life digitally.

For example, a new free tool for saving and organizing your online life called Clipboard, almost completely eliminates the need for a printer. By saving and sharing content online, you can ditch paper travel itineraries, boarding passes, schedules, recipes, check lists, book lists, articles and more, while preserving the visual look, feel and style of the original item. It even includes links and videos.

Services like Clipboard are growing in popularity for good reason. It surpassed 100,000 registered users in December 2012, yielding an average month-over-month growth rate of 40 percent for 15 months since its private beta launch in October of 2011.

Clipboard makes it easier to organize valuable

We can’t control all the paper that enters our homes and workplaces.

From junk mail to flyers to memos, we can make better use of the paper waste created by others. Reuse all the junk as scrap paper. Keep a stack by your telephone and bedside to quickly jot down thoughts and notes.

If you’re crafty, consider repurposing excess paper into useful and decorative objects. From origami to wrapping paper to gifts, source your own imagination or get ideas online for ways to reuse excess paper.

Recycle

Producing recycled paper takes 40 percent less energy than producing paper from virgin wood pulp, according to Keep America Beautiful (KAB). And while KAB statistics show that paper

recycling is on the rise, Americans still threw away $2.8 billion worth of paper in 2010.

While you may already be doing the right thing, you can encourage your colleagues and family to follow suit by making recycling as easy as possible for them. Install clearly-labeled recycling bins anywhere paper waste is generated.

By the mail center, under each desk and anywhere there is a regular waste basket. Spread the word about the benefits of recycling by sharing these impressive statistics and other tips you can find at www.kab.org

Simple WAYS to take better care of your planet Take your car To The car wash If everyone is the US who washes their own car took just one visit to the car wash, we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water each year.

Woody's Car Wash 436 NE Midway Blvd Oak Harbor (360) 675-3400

CHAnge ligHt bulbs

CheCk tire pressure

Switching the way you light your home will save money and energy. A compact fluorescent light bulb uses 66 percent less electricity than an incandescent light bulb and lasts ten times longer.

When you’re ready to swap in new CFL buLbs, Ace Hardware carries hundreds of shapes, colors, transparencies and wattages for all your lighting needs!

360.679.3533

Ensuring that your tires are always inflated to the right pressure enables you to reduce gas consumption by at least 3 percent. An extra 74 litres of gas is consumed every year if just one tire is 20 percent under-inflated.

150 SE Pioneer Way • Oak Harbor

Locally Owned and Locally Operated

Take your own bags The average North American family uses 1,000 plastic bags every year, 80 percent of which come from food stores. Taking your own bags considerably reduces the amount of disposable bags used.

PRAIRIE CENTER Mon-Sat 7aM-9pM • Sun 8aM-9pM

408 S. Main Coupeville, Wa (360) 678-5611 pcredapple.com

Use pUblic transportation, walk, or cycle Cycling or walking is good for our planet and our health. Using public transportation is another alternative to consider.

Marty & Juanita Robinett

360.678.1746 Open Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm

105 Coveland Street Coupeville

Adjust the refrigerAtor thermostAt

Bicycle Sales and Service.

Free trail and road maps.

31780 Hwy 20 Oak Harbor 360.279.8919 www.bicyclesnorthwest.com

Of all your household appliances, the refrigerator uses the most electricity.

Adjusting the thermostat of your fridge to between 2° and 3° C and the freezer to between -18° and -15° C will have a big impact.

31600 State Rte. 20 Oak Harbor, WA 98277

360-675-5020 1-800-679-3878

www.broadviewappliance.com

Save Energy in Your Home!

The Community Energy Challenge has helped over 1,000 homes and 250 businesses in Western Washington identify opportunities to make energy and money saving upgrades. Now, this successful program is available to Whidbey Island residents!

SIGN UP TODAY! For more details call: 866-444-5028

or visit www.communityenergychallenge.org

Improve your home with the One-Stop-Shop!

• Sign up for a full home energy assessment • Receive a comprehensive report prioritizing your energy upgrade opportunities • Choose cost-effective projects: insulation, air sealing, furnace replacements, & more!

• Work with top contractors and receive 100% quality assurance • Access cash incentives totalling up to 30% of project costs in addition to utilities rebates

Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community. The CEC is proud to support local contractors!