The Home Depot is holding a contest for videos on home energy conservation. For the first prize video, the Atlanta-based chain is offering $5000 in Home Depot gift certificates towards energy-saving products at Home Depot and up to $2000 for installed insulation or radiant barrier products. You’ve got to hurry if you want to enter! Submissions are due by November 9th. They will be judging entries based on three categories:

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There are not a lot of “green” businesses in Flint. Absolutely none listed in Co-op America’s National Green Pages or in any other database of green businesses that I’ve found. Earlier this year there was a green business event for Flint and Genesee county area businesses…maybe five companies were there: CBC Recycling, Office Max (I think), a mobile document shredding company and I don’t remember who else, if anyone.

For years it has been very hard to be green in Vehicle Rust City. Some outer suburbs have curbside recycling but I have to haul mine directly to the recycling center. If I wanted to buy green, any specialty items like cleaning supplies, organic cosmetics, clothing or anything else that I want had to be ordered through catalogs or online (I am sooo thankful for the Internet). Organic food also had to be special ordered or searched for (sometimes to no avail) at the Farmer’s Market.

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Sources:  The Globe and Mail, 

You can’t exactly buy them off the shelf: Like any big home improvement, customers make an appointment with a local installer who evaluates the home’s energy needs, sun exposure and makes a recommendation on the size of system to install. It’s called the BP Solar Home Solutions program; BP helps to train Home Depot employees on the system.

It’s not just for treehuggers, either. The state of Arizona is branding this effort as a practical, money-saving issue as well. With so much stress on the power grid and demand increasing, the more customers that can get power from their own rooftops, the better.

>> California residents, find out the solar potential of your home with Renewzle’s solar power calculator.

The Arizona Republic
USA Today

Very recently my boss came to me and said. “Jessica, we need to do something about the graveyard, it is getting seriously out of control”. She was right. The box had turned into three boxes, nearly spilling out into the hallway whenever someone opened the door. So, now I had a mission. I had to figure out someway to deal with the tech stuff that was more sustainable than keeping it a closet (out of sight, out of mind- right?). Well, little did I know, the answer would be waiting for me in my inbox the next day. A friend of mine sent me an article that she thought I might find interesting. And interesting it was! Here is what I found out…

It seems as though “tech graveyards” may be more popular than you think. People all over the U.S. are struggling to find a solution to all the tech stuff that they just don’t know what to do with. Enter: Office Depot. According to this article, Office Depot is stepping up to the plate and helping the people of America find a home for all that obsolete tech equipment. As the article states, “the office supply retailer will offer recycling for tech equipment at all its 1,100-plus stores in North America.” Pretty nifty, no?

From what I understand, the tech recycling program is something Office Depot has been toying with for awhile now. It has been reported that the recycling program began 2006, in nearly 100 stores in the United States. Now, those stores must have done a really good job, because sustainabalebusiness.com claims that “more than 108,000 pounds of technology” has already been recycled. That’s the equivalent of over 15,428 of my office’s ‘tech graveyards’.

Further, according to the Office Depot Website, the company is taking measures in their offices to prevent the buildup of their very own ‘tech graveyard’. As the website states,
“Office Depot has an extensive waste recycling program at our Corporate Headquarters that targets more than 80% of our waste stream. This program includes paper, plastic bottles and cans, ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, rechargeable batteries and computers. Every ton of paper this program recovers has conserved 17 to 24 trees, and each extra ton of aluminum cans and plastic bottles recycled has conserved more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline.”

Now, Office Depot isn’t the only business looking to capitalize on the tech-recycling market. According to Frank Norton, from The News and Observer, “Intechra …{a company out of Jackson, Miss}, recycles tech equipment for major corporations. The company, which operates a logistics center in Durham, removes outdated computers, servers, monitors and other equipment, strips them of all data, refurbishes some and sells the rest as ground plastic, glass and metal on commodities markets.”

So, next time your boss is complaining about the ‘tech graveyard’ in your closet be reassured; there are options outside of throwing it all in the trash and hoping for the best. It is a sad fact that, an estimated 400 million units of obsolete electronics are scrapped yearly. That means that by 2010, three billion units will be in need of responsible recycling. That means we need to find an easier, more comprehensive way of dealing with our outdated gadgets. If all else fails, put an ad in the paper, or on craigslist.org saying you have a free box of out-dated tech stuff that you are looking to give away. I guarantee someone will be glad to get their hands on your unwanted ‘tech graveyard’.

While charges of greenwashing and opportunism have been among the responses to the program’s roll-out, Jarvis told me that Eco-Options is the end result of seventeen years of work and planning by the company. "This isn’t a marketing ploy," he said. "We’ve been studying these issues, and leading the industry during this period." Jarvis described the program as "merchant-driven," and noted that Home Depot has gone to its vendors with specific requests for more environmentally-friendly products. He told me "A lot of the changes you’re seeing are driven by us." The results of this effort have included a eco-friendly green cleaning product from Terracycle, low-VOC paints from Glidden, and plantable pots for live plants, among others.

Jarvis also noted that the company has worked to reduce the environmental footprint of its stores, which led to $20 million in energy savings in 2006; the company has also built four LEED-certified stores, and four more that used LEED standards as guidelines for building.

Of course, the true test of any green retail program is its ability to help consumers make better choices for their homes and families. So, in addition to talking with us, Jarvis and the Environmental Innovation team put together the following five home improvement tips for saving energy — and money.

1. Don’t Wait to Insulate

According to the Department of Energy, up to 45 percent of a home’s energy loss is through the attic.

Upgrading insulation to a higher R-value can drastically lower energy costs. Start with insulating the attic and unheated crawl spaces with PINK Fiberglass Insulation from Owens Corning and GreenFiber Cocoon Blow-In Cellulose Insulation. It fills in gaps and voids in a home, creating a thermal blanket of protection, and the insulation reduces noise, airflow and energy loss.

Here are some tips from The Home Depot on installing insulation in the attic:

• Start at the outer edges of the attic and work toward the center.
• When adding a second layer of insulation, always use unfaced insulation, because faced insulation will add a second vapor barrier and create moisture problems.
• If the joist cavity is not full, add a second layer of insulation on top of the first to fill it up.
• Use continuous rolls in attics and floors because of longer joist spans.
• If you have to cut insulation, do so in a well-ventilated area to keep the amount of fiberglass dust raised to a minimum.
• Blown-in cellulose insulation is an alternative to fiberglass insulation, but it requires a machine to fluff the insulation and feed it through the installation hose.

2. Fill the Cracks

Air leaks raise a home’s energy bill and make a house drafty and uncomfortable in cold weather. The biggest leaks are almost always hidden in the attic or basement.

To find leaks in the attic, follow these steps:

• Look for holes along the top of a wall that leads down into the house, including those for wiring and plumbing.
• Check for insulation that is dirty around the edges, which indicates that air has passed through.
• Feel for drafts around gaps and cracks.

There are numerous places in the home where air can leak. Check all of these areas:

• Along the top of the basement wall or crawl space where the cement comes in contact with the frame
• Plumbing and dryer vents
• Recessed can lights
• Furnace flue or duct chase ways
• Indoor and outdoor electrical wires
• Window and door frames

In many cases, the best way to block air leaks is by filling the gap with caulk, expandable foam or weather stripping. Expanding spray foam like Great Stuff™ Home Sealant is ideal for sealing gaps in the attic. Spray foam should not be used next to chimneys or flues that get very hot.

3. Program Your Temperature

An Energy Star® qualified programmable thermostat, like the RiteTemp™ Seven-Day Programmable Thermostat, keeps your home comfortable and saves energy costs by automatically adjusting temperature settings while you are asleep or away.

The Home Depot suggests the following tips for installing a new thermostat:

• Turn off the power to the heating and air-conditioning system, and remove the old thermostat cover plate.
• Unscrew the thermostat mounting screws and remove the thermostat body.
• Label the low-voltage wires to identify their screw-terminal locations using masking tape. Disconnect the wires.
• Remove the old thermostat base by loosening the mounting screws. Tape the wires to the wall to prevent them from slipping into the wall cavity.
• Thread the low-voltage wires through the base of the new thermostat. Use a small level to verify accurate mounting.
• Connect the low-voltage wires to the appropriate screw terminals on the base. Follow the diagram in the new thermostat owner’s manual.
• Locate the low-voltage transformer that powers the thermostat. Tighten any loose wire connections.
• Install batteries in the thermostat body, and attach the body to the base. Restore power and program the thermostat as desired.

4. Enhance Your View

Your home’s windows may keep the outdoors from coming in, but they may not be keeping all of the air inside your house. Heat can escape from windows (such as single-pane windows) that aren’t energy efficient. Depending on where you live, you can save between $110 - $400 a year in energy costs by installing Energy Star®-qualified windows.

5. Branch Out

Plant a tree for an all-around environmental boost. When properly sited, trees and other landscaping can save up to 30 percent in home cooling and heating costs.