Here are a few suggestions you can apply in order to help protect our environment.
Turn Off Your Car Engine at Pick-Up
- Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
- Frequent restarting has little impact on today’s car batteries, starters, or engines.
- Idling can increase your fuel consumption by 4 to 5%.
- Idling for 2 minutes is equivalent to driving one mile.
- The EPA recommends that you turn off your car if you plan to idle for more than 30 seconds. Some sources say just 10 seconds.
- Increasingly, cancers, asthma, and other respiratory diseases are being linked with poor air quality.
Keep some reusable shopping bags in your car.
- They are easier to use and more sturdy than plastic bags.
- You can use them for all kinds of shopping, not just groceries.
- If you do use plastic bags, please remember to recycle them.
- You can bring them to any Jewel. They will accept grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap, newspaper sleeves,
ice bags, wood pellet bags, ziplock and other reclosable bags, produce bags, cereal bags, bubble wrap, salt bags, etc. - All plastic must be clean, dry, and free of food residue.
Under Illinois State law, it is illegal to throw electronics away in the trash.
* To find out where you can drop off, check out the Wilmette Village website:
http://www.wilmette.com/departments/public_works/electronicrecycling.aspx
* You can also refer to the website for other recycling questions:
http://www.wilmette.com/departments/public_works/refuseandrecycling2.aspx
Other great local programs and resources can be found at:
* http://www.swancc.org/
* http://www.gogreenwilmette.org/