Green Initiative Articles

February 2009

Feb. 1 - RUNNING LIKE A GREEN DEER(E)
From a DMASWA “America Recycles Day” article:
“John Deere Dubuque Works has been recycling and reducing waste for many years. Recently, it began composting all organic materials from its cafeteria [by] using plant-based plastic food and beverage containers and utensils. . . Food scraps, plates, napkins, cups, carryout boxes and even the plastic cutlery are taken to DMASWA’s composting facility . . . from the program’s start in June 2008 through September, nearly 11,000 pounds of organic waste have been composted instead of being buried in the landfill.”
Has your business, organization or nonprofit implementing new green practices during the past year? Share your story for the bulletin by e-mailing judyg@mchsi.com
(Advertising supplement to the TH, Nov. 9, 2008)

Feb. 8 - CFL BURNOUT
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are among the most efficient light bulbs available. The average life span of a CFL is seven years. However, CFLs used very often do burn out. 
What to do? Well, forget the trash can; they must be properly recycled, due to chemicals in CFL makeup.
The Dubuque Mtropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA) provides city drop off places. 
Bring your old, unbroken CFLs in sealed zip-locked bags to one of the city’s convenient drop off locations:
City Hall
Keyline Transit, 2401 Central
Municipal Services Center, 925 Kerper
Leisure Services Office, 2200 Bunker Hill
The upside of this little inconvenience is a more sustainable household. Energy-Star CFLs use 60 percent less electricity than regular bulbs and can save up to $45 during the bulb’s life span. 
City News, Jan/Feb 2009; more info at www.dmaswa.org

 Feb. 15 - CEWs GO GREEN
Kudos to the men’s and women’s Christian Experience Weekends (CEW) for going green by using the new china plates recently purchased by the parish using grant money from Dubuque Metro Area Solid Waste Agency. To eliminate use of styrofoam cups, CEW candidates will bring their own water containers/cups or will use the parish’s china mugs. 
A happy note:  All parish committees now are invited to use the new china plates, stored in a marked cabinet in the Multi-purpose Room of the school. Funeral dinners have already used the reusable plates.  The Green Team hopes that the china mugs and plates will be used for Sunday Donuts and Coffee, Scripture study, new parishioner brunches, and other parish events.  Of course, by using reusables, we're saving our landfill and caring for the earth.        

Feb. 22 - GREENING OF THE WORKPLACE
Parishioner Anne Marie Gruber reports that her workplace, Charles C. Myers Library at the University of Dubuque has reduced faculty and student paper use. "After 587,000 pieces of paper were printed in the library during 2007-208, we implemented some changes such as automatic double-sided printing to network printers," she said." For the summer and fall 2008, we used 34,000 fewer pieces of paper  than the same period in 2007, an 11 % decline. Our cafeteria has also moved into the sustainability act, going trayless to save significant amounts of water for washing, as well as preventing food waste. A campus-wide sustainability task force is exploring how else we can work together to 'go green' "  Congratulations to the University of Dubuque for its sustainability practices.