BioSolar, Inc.

The BioBacksheet™ is a groundbreaking new technology produced with renewable plant sources instead of petroleum-based products. You may not have heard of it, because Santa Clarita’s own BioSolar, Inc. has just announced its patent application for the material. It would reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar cells, which would drive down the cost per kilowatt hour of solar electricity. It would also reduce our country’s dependence on the world’s petroleum supply, not to mention using more eco-friendly products than petro-based chemicals.

 

Sustainable Santa Clarita

The City of Santa Clarita has some suggestions for reducing our carbon footprint:

*Recycle! Blue Barrel/Waste Management residents can receive additional recycling or greenwaste carts at no charge. City residents diverted more than 25,500 tons from the landfill in 2007 through recycling.

*Reusable bags. Californians are using over 19 billion plastic grocery and merchandise bags each year, six billion in L.A. County. Only 5 percent of plastic bags are being recycled. It costs California taxpayers more than $25 million to collect and landfill all the discarded plastic bags each year.

*Hit the trail! Consider biking or walking to work on the 60 miles of trails and paseos here in Santa Clarita. Save money on gas and get your daily exercise during your commute. Visit www.santa-clarita.com/trails for a map of the trails.

*Free pickups. Keep harmful substances out of the environment with the

annual Household Hazardous Waste

(HHW) pick-up program. City households may receive free door-to-door collection of antifreeze, car batteries, latex and oil based paints, motor oil, and filters. Households have one free pickup every 12 months. For a FREE collection of these items, contact Curbside, Inc. at (800) HHW-PKUP (800-449-7587).

Also, City of Santa Clarita households who have trash service are entitled to four bulky item pickups per year with a maximum of three items per pickup at no charge. Blue Barrel/Waste Management can be reached at (661) 259-2398.

Healthy Habits from Providence

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center made the world a little greener this year. It was the only hospital in Southern California to receive a “Waste Reduction Award” from the Integrated Waste Management Board. Located in Mission Hills, the medical center saved 2,391 trees and diverted 17,608 cubic yards of waste from landfills.

Planet-Saving Cyber Sites

www.recyclestore.com

www.MyGreenElectronics.org

www.Earth911

www.Rbrc.org (Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation)

www.EPA.gov

Electronics

From the EPA’s website, “Plug-In To eCycling” is a partnership between EPA and consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and service providers that offers you more opportunities to donate or recycle - to “eCycle” - your used electronics.

Plug-In To eCycling:

• You can donate or safely recycle old electronics, including TVs, computers, and cell phones.

• Works with communities, electronics manufacturers, and retailers to promote shared responsibility for safe electronics recycling.

Why eCycling:

• Conserves natural resources. Recycling recovers valuable materials from old electronics that can be used to make new products. We reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and save resources by extracting fewer raw materials from the earth.

• Protects your surroundings. Safe recycling of electronics promotes sound management of toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury.

• Helps others. Donating your used electronics benefits your community by passing on equipment to those who need it.

There is a list of “Plug-in eCycling Partners” which include Best Buy, AT&T, Office Depot & Wal Mart.

On the site you can read a PDF called “Do the ‘PC’ Thing” with info on donating computers. The site also has info on how to obtain donated equipment yourself, so you can reuse.