Plastic Bottle CapsAveda found that a majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recycled today. Rumpke does not recycle your caps. Often these caps end up as litter or trash and migrate into our rivers and oceans. Birds and other marine creatures mistake them for food with tragic results. The magnitude of this pollution problem is devastating to our oceans and wildlife. The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol. This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter. Excluded from collection are pharmaceutical lids and non rigid lids such as yogurt lids, tub lids (margarine, cottage cheese), and screw on lids that are not rigid. Please do not include any metal lids or plastic pumps or sprayers. Join the Recycle Caps with Aveda campaign and feel great knowing that your plastic caps will be repurposed into new packaging and kept from entering our waterways and harming wildlife. Please contact capcollection@aveda.com or call 1-877-Aveda09 for more information and to find a salon near you.

Compact Fluorescent LightbulbsTake your used compact fluorescent bulbs to any Home Depot stores for safe processing. Locations in Butler County: Fairfield Township – 6562 Winford (off Princeton Rd.)  orWest Chester Township – 7749 Dudley Dr. You can also take your CFL bulbs to the IKEA store located at 9500 IKEA Way, West Chester, OH  45069.

Household BatteriesRecycle your household C, D, AA, AAA, 9-volt, lithium ion, and rechargeable batteries.  Battery drop-off points are located at: The Home Depot – Fairfield and West Chester Townships Lane Public Libraries – Hamilton, Fairfield, OxfordButler County Government Services Center – 315 High St., Hamilton Butler County Administrative Building – 130 High St., Hamilton IKEA - 9500 IKEA Way, West Chester, OH  45069  Butler County 2010 Recycling Collection Programs(513) 887-3653 or visit www.butlercountyrecycles.orgCurbside Freon Appliance Collection/ Television and Computers: Service will resume in AprilHousehold Hazardous Waste Drop Off: Service will resume in JuneWaste Tire Recycling Event: Next event in Fall 2010

Hangers and Dry Cleaning BagsDry cleaners love getting those hangers back. Kroger accepts the dry cleaning plastic bags or you can tie one end to make a garbage bag.

Used Motor Oil Most “quick change” shops will recycle used motor oil at no charge.

Electronics - Computers - Servers - Monitors - Keyboards- Mice - Speakers - Printers / Faxes - Copiers all sizes - Cell Phones - Scanners - UPS & Battery Backup Systems. DVD Players CD and DVD Media - Floppy Disks - All Phone Equipment - All stereo equipment - Cameras - Camcorders - All Palm equipment Video Game Systems - Video Games. These can all be dropped off at: St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store, 9864 Reading Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45241 website: www.ohiodropoff.com

From the Green Committee of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

•Save an average of $90 a year by shutting down a home computer every night. Also, shut it down if you don't expect to use it for the next two hours. Turn off the monitor if the lag is going to be at least 20 minutes. Don’t forget your cable box and TV at night. Going on vacation, unplug as many appliances as you can. •Make sure your dishwasher and clothes washer and dryer are full before using them. The aforementioned major appliances consume large amounts of energy, so reduce their use as much as possible by only running them with full loads. Also, using cold water can save up to 80 percent of the energy required to wash clothes.•Consider becoming a shoe-free household. Contaminants are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes. Clever designs for shoe storage near the front door can keep entries clutter-free and indoor air cleaner at the same time. You will not have to vacuum as much or have your carpet cleaned as often.•Farmer’s market. Help out the farmers, the community and yourself by buying locally grown produce. West Chester has a great Farmer’s Market. www.westchestersfarmersmarket.com located at 9285 Centre Pointe Drive. Check the website for a schedule. When buying produce at the store, read your labels and pick the apple grown in your state instead of the banana grown in another country.•Old News is Good News. Don’t buy packing material. Have a package to send? Avoid the expense and waste of bubble wrap. Instead, reach for yesterday's newspaper as packing material. It might seem old fashioned, but what was good for grandma is still good for you.•Save Money and Miles. Put on your thinking cap next time you plan errands and schedule them together on a miles-saving route. By strategically combining errands and avoiding unplanned trips to the store, you'll save gas and make your wallet a little fatter. Plus, you'll be spewing less pollution into the air from your car.•Opt for reusable containers for lunches whenever possible. You have a one-time investment on the containers that can save you a boatload – throwaway baggies and individually packaged lunch items (like juice boxes and applesauce cups) are much more expensive than if you filled up reusable containers at home with juice, fruit, and a sandwich. And that means less goes to the landfill too.•Save water and money on your bill. Put washers on leaky faucets and turn off water when brushing your teeth.•Super Sun Savings. Open those blinds and curtains and turn off the lights. Sunlight is free ... and completely renewable. You'll save on electricity. And sunshine is better for your body. The sun's rays are just the right brightness and spectrum to give you more energy, better regulate your sleep patterns, and improve your mood. Sun equals smiles.•Cut down on fuel usage. Try walking to places instead of taking your car. If that is not possible, consider carpooling, or taking public transportation systems, such as buses or trains when you can. The less fumes in the air the better for all of us.•Use a canvas bag that can be used over and over again when you go grocery shopping. Do not accept the plastic or paper bags that the store offers. If you have to, please reuse the bag or take it back to the store next time. Kroger, Biggs and Meijer recycle plastic bags. Look for the bin as you enter the store. •Plant a tree in your backyard. It seems simple, but just one tree can offset tons of carbon over its lifetime. If planted appropriately, it also will provide shade on a sunny day, perhaps reducing the use of energy for air-conditioning in buildings and homes. •Start a community garden or help out in one. St. John’s needs volunteers for our community garden to benefit Reach Out Lakota.•Remember to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! When printing something use both sides of the paper like we did! Also, when you are done with this, pass it along to a friend!

From the Green Committee of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church