Have you wondered why more people do not recycle on their own?  I’m the type of person that feels disheartened anytime I see an aluminum can or plastic bottle in the general trash – especially when recycling bins are located nearby.  Why aren’t people trying harder?

A big motivator for people is money.  I remember (circa 1980’s) when there was a large recycling yard in the Toledo area that paid cash for newspaper, cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and other metal cans.  While I still see there is a market for metals, I never see any opportunity to get paid to recycle other items.  In many cases, we have to actually pay to recycle items such as electronics and appliances, when we can just put them in the trash for free.  We know it is wrong to put batteries and fluorescent light bulbs in the general trash, but we aren’t offered many convenient alternatives.

It all comes down to whether there is a market for recyclable materials.  If manufacturing is down, then there is no use for recycled material.  During the 2008 economic slump, unused recyclable materials accumulated and the prices for materials plummeted.  In recent years, recyclable materials from America are baled and shipped to China to be used in their factories.  In China, some citizens can support themselves by collecting discarded glass and plastic bottles.   There is definitely a market for recycling in China, but so much of our sustainability effort is lost in the shipping.

This just leads to wondering what opportunities exist in America to do better right here.  Hopefully, more people will find a way to make recycling a profitable and sustainable business.  The EPA is defining Recycling Market Development Zones (RMDZ), see this site for more information:  http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/rmd/index.htm

The LEED Green Building Rating System requires that a facility seeking LEED certification have an area dedicated to the collection of materials for recycling as a prerequisite for certification.  The Materials and Recycling section of the Rating System award points for the use of materials containing recycled content.   This should help in developing a market for the recyclable materials, with the hope that it may become more economical at the same time.

At the present time, we are still seeing too much going into our landfills.  But will it really remain in the landfill forever?  In Belgium, plans are underway for Landfill Mining, to be operational by 2014.  Will this be the trend in Europe, as the shortage of landfill space becomes more severe?  See this article about the Belgium Landfill Mine:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/11/energy-industry-landfill

While my recycling efforts are just a matter of conscience for me, that is not enough to make a big enough difference.  In order for it to really catch on is to find a way to make recycling profitable, to make a larger market for recyclable materials.  With a market for it, individuals will find financial rewards to recycle.  As with most things – it all comes down to money. 

According to a new report by GE Lighting three out of four US consumers are unaware of the government legislation that will essentially phase-out the manufacturing of all incandescent light bulbs by 2014.  This legislation was part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and the phase-out begins with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 then 60-watt and 40-watt bulbs will follow.  (If you have some extra time you can read GE Lighting’s full report on the subject: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/2012_energy_legislation/downloads/transforming_global_lighting_industry.pdf )

I was aware of this legislation but it still seemed far enough away that I really didn’t need to make any drastic changes in my home yet.

However a press release from IKEA earlier this year announced their decision to phase-out all incandescent bulbs from their U.S. stores by January 1, 2011 – that’s only a month away!  http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/pdf/incandescent_lighting_phaseout_press_release.pdf  Over 20 years ago I transformed my first apartment (think dull white box) using inexpensive accessories and lots of incandescent light fixtures purchased from IKEA.  I created a warm, inviting space that had a variety of light levels with dimmable controls.

 Fast forward 20 years and we all now know that switching out these bulbs to more efficient alternatives saves energy – but what about the aesthetics and quality of light?  What are the best replacements for incandescent bulbs in your home from a design perspective?

Incandescent bulbs are so appealing because they turn on instantly, have unlimited dimming capabilities and their Color Rendition Index (CRI) is excellent. (They have a CRI close to 100 which is similar to natural daylight.)

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) are the most popular replacements and are generally 80% more efficient. They last for 6,000 -10,000 hours vs. 1,000 hours.  But they do have some downsides – they are slow to turn on, have limited dimming capabilities and their CRI is only fair. They also contain a very small amount of mercury so they need to be recycled properly.  The best use for CFLs are in areas where they will be turned on for at least 2 hours since the constant on and off will shorten their lifespan. For details on all the different types of CFLs available refer to this buyers guide from the Energy Star website. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/lighting/cfls/downloads/purchasing_checklist.pdf

While CFLs are the most practical replacements for incandescent bulbs the latest Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) bulbs are gaining popularity. They have all the same aesthetic qualities of incandescent bulbs and they are nearly 10% more efficient than CFLs. They last up to 50,000 hours which could translate to over 15 years.  The downside side is cost – the cheapest bulb I have seen runs just under $20. (Here is one option from Home Depot:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=63646&p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=1462200 )

I’m sure more LED options will soon be available and the prices will come down considerably.

There are even more replacement options available and manufacturers will continue to bring out better alternatives.  This will make saying goodbye to the incandescent bulb that much easier.