I’ve been using my free time lately to organize a few closets around the house and streamline everything.  The most daunting of all was the closet where I’ve been keeping old gift bags, wrapping paper (brown paper scraps) and other shipping materials in the hopes that they find a new purpose someday.  I found one box full of bubble-wrap and two more full of packing peanuts (the dreaded classic stryofoam variety).  Not wanting to throw them out previously, I tucked them away until I found a new use for them.

Well, I guess I don’t ship things as much as I had anticipated, and I no longer wanted to hold onto these items.  Before throwing them in the trash, I figured I’d google search “recycling packing peanuts.”  Here I found an unexpected and interesting website called the Plastic Loose Fill Council.  On this site is a searchable database of different places you can drop-off old packing materials for re-use.  As it turns out, Morris County is lucky enough to have a place that participates!

Pack Ship ‘n More in Madison will not only take your old styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap, but they’ll also accept old ink and toner cartridges, batteries and old cell phones.  By bringing my packing stuff there, I no longer have to hold onto the clutter, but I also don’t have to worry about throwing it all in the garbage.  Ok, so it’s not life-altering, but it sure made me happy, and I just had to share!

The hardest part about recycling with Green Vision was finding the place.

Earlier today, I set off to visit Green Vision, a non-profit organization that trains and employs adults and adolescents with autism to disassemble electronic waste for recycling.  A savvy ecoMotown reader had sent me an email to let me know about the organization.  It sounded like a worthy cause, and I was in need of a place to take my defunct printer and router, broken camera and archaic laptop (the thing is at least 3 inches thick).

Exhibit A

I loaded up  my car and headed north on Speedwell Avenue and then east onto E. Hanover Ave.  My destination: 60 E. Hanover Avenue (in between Speedwell and Ridgedale).  I definitely missed the turn in to the facility, which I found out later, is not an uncommon occurrence for first-time visitors.  After a little misguided adventure in a corporate park, I found Green Vision, Inc.  I unloaded the items from my car, and the team there wrote me a receipt for my tax-deductible contribution.  It was that easy.

Tim Butler, President of Green Vision, and Kevin Davidowich, Vice President, in their workroom.

Founders Tim Butler and Kevin Davidowich were both teachers at The Allegro School, working with children and adolescents with autism, when Tim came up with the idea to combine his love of kids, tools and recycling into what became Green Vision.  The organization provides training and part-time employment for adolescents and adults with autism, most of whom learn basic tools skills at The Allegro School.  After operating within the school for several years, Green Vision moved into its own facility on E. Hanover Avenue in January 2011.  Since opening, they’ve recycled nearly 300,000 pounds of materials.

Green Vision accepts materials from companies, municipalities and individuals alike, and the business model that Tim created assumes that everything they receive is junk.  Because their employees don’t possess refurbishing skills, newer (yet broken) computers are often given to partner companies to repair for resale.  The facility, which has 36 paid employees, recycles 99.8% of the components of the equipment it receives (with the other .2% being things like foam or treated wood for speakers).

When I asked where most of the materials go, Tim said the precious metals and wires stay on the East Coast, and the plastics are sent to China (to a recycling facility monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency).  Because they can’t disassemble CRT monitors (older, box-like TVs and computer monitors), they have to send them to a special facility in Ohio for recycling – at a fee of $5 per monitor.  For that reason, they charge $5 for each big box monitor/TV they accept.  Otherwise, all recycling is free, and they’ll take anything with a plug.  If your item is old enough, it could end up in their unofficial museum (I was told my laptop was a contender).

Throwing your e-waste in with your municipal trash in NJ is now illegal.  Green Vision provides a sustainable option for recycling your items, while addressing environmental, social and economic needs within the community.  The organization will be at an electronics and clothing waste drive at the VFW hall in Morris Plains this Sunday, December 18 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at an event supporting Operation Homefront.  You can also drop off goods at Green Vision Inc. at 60 E. Hanover Ave. in Morris Plains, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Wires fresh from disassembly.

flickr: cmcottone

It’s almost criminal how long it’s been since my last blog post, and now that my academic ventures are winding down, I hope to be able to focus more time to writing posts.

Along those lines, I have a lot of catching up to do!  Here’s a brief mash-up of things going on this time of year that interest me.

• Raw milk: There’s a hearing on the raw milk bill next Monday, December 12 in Trenton.  The Foodshed Alliance is asking people to come in support of legalizing raw milk in the state of New Jersey.  There’s been momentum building, and an advocacy group called Garden State Raw Milk has formed as a response.
• Winter Farmer’s Market: The town of Newton, in Sussex County, has established a Winter Farmer’s Market open on Saturdays November through April from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  It’s a little far from Morristown, but could be a good model for future winter farmer’s markets in the area!
• Acupuncture class: Morristown’s own North Jersey Community Acupuncture is holding a class this Friday at 7 p.m.  Attendees will learn the theory behind acupuncture and its benefits, and this will be the first of six more in-depth classes on the topic.  A $5 donation is requested.
• Music in the Woods: Schiff Nature Preserve is having its Annual Music in the Woods celebration on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 7-9:30 p.m.  Spend an evening by the fire listening to acoustic music and viewing stunning nature photography.  Members $8; Non-members $10.
• Gingerbread & gifts: Have a little holiday shopping to do? Check out the 20th Annual Gingerbread Wonderland and Holiday Craft Show at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum this Saturday and Sunday from 10-5 p.m.  The kiddos will enjoy marveling at the gingerbread houses on display, and adults can buy locally-made gifts and crafts for the holidays.  Suggested donation of $2.
• Bernards Green Drinks: Clink glasses with like-minded individuals at Bernards Green Drinks this Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at Dolce Hotel’s Vita restaurant.
• Pork: I just got an email this morning from River Bend Farm.  Now is the time to place your order for locally, pasture-raised pork, which will be ready in January.  Plus, they have a spiffy new website.

Sustainable Morristown is at it again with another eco-minded event this weekend!  Check out Green on the Green and the Morristown Film and Music Festival on Saturday, August 27 on the Morristown Green.  This will be the fourth annual film festival  hosted by MorristownGreen.com, showcasing films by local filmmakers with this year’s theme built around sustainability!  And who doesn’t love to watch a movie or two outside on the Green?  Viewers vote for Best Picture at the end.  I can’t wait to see the results and learn more about all of the sustainability intiatives in the area.

It will be a daylong celebration, beginning at 12 p.m.  Musical acts of all genres will perform throughout the day and festival goers can check out exhibitors from local non-profits and eco-concious companies.  The Loretta Hagen Band will headline the afternoon’s musical acts at 7 p.m. with a mix of country and rock music.  Once it gets dark (around 8 p.m.), the film festival will begin!  Be sure to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

For any questions, please contact sustainmorristown@yahoo.com.

I stopped by Festival Earth today at the Morristown EcoCenter, and it turns out I timed it perfectly with the brief bout of rain we had this afternoon.  The event was a little quiet, I suspect because it was the first nice day all week and people wanted to be outside doing outdoorsy things, but the smaller crowd allowed me to really talk with some of the neat vendors at the event.  I’ve been to Earth Day events and green fairs in the area before, so it was great to meet many new people.

The first was Beaux Art Green, an eco-friendly furniture & interior design company based out of Plainfield, NJ.  I learned about the marmoleum – just like linoleum, but made from all natural components – that clicks together in tiles, allowing for maximum portability (if moving to a new house), or allowing homeowners to replace only the tiles that are scratched.  They also have a similar system for bamboo flooring.

I spoke with Jeff at Quercus Studio about landscape architecture and how T and I have been talking about putting in a rain garden to sop up the small lake that is our backyard each spring.  He actually was the landscape architect for a home down the street from me that implemented the LEED for Homes principles.  We talked about how bringing in a landscape architect early in the process allows them to work with the engineer and architect to integrate the natural systems into the home, but most people tend to bringing in the landscape designer after the house is complete.

I bought spare ribs from pasture-raised pigs raised from the great Totten Family Farm booth (they also had produce and vegetable plants).  I had a nice conversation with Kyle from the farm about their sustainable principles, and it’s abundantly clear that this farm is doing ALL of the right things!  He was even talking about how the lamb they raise may be the most sustainable thing they raise/grow – even more so than the vegetables.  He explained that the lambs only graze on the pasture (and are in a portable enclosure which allows them to move the lambs to fresh grass).  Even the electricity for the fence is solar powered!  In comparison, the gas and imbedded energy needed to run tractors for tilling and such probably make vegetables less sustainable.  They’ll be at the Mendham All Natural & Organic Farmers Market on Saturdays June 25-October 1 (Mendham Township Elementary School).  You can also sign up for CSA’s via their website.

I bought a big, soft baby blanket for a friend from Joy Organic, based out of Whippany.  They do wholesale and retail, and I’ve seen them at a few events around town.

I also met a woman who is starting North Jersey Community Acupuncture, which has a sliding scale of prices for her clients, in order to make acupuncture accessible for everyone in the community.  She’s located within Body In Mind massage on Morris Street in Morristown, and since she’s just starting out, she’s offering everyone a free session between now and June 15 – and she has Saturday appointments!

And last but certainly not least, is John.

He made this human-powered vehicle over 6 years ago, and he rides it just about everywhere!  Inside is a seat and pedals that give him the benefits of riding a bicycle, but with better balance and a lower center of gravity.  The outer body is made of foam and John says it withstood a car crash – it just bounced right back!  It has lights and blinkers and is quite the work of art!

I highly encourage you to visit the fair tomorrow from 12-5.  Tomorrow there will be live music all day and activities – like painting – for the kiddos.  Go meet John and the rest of these vendors!

Well, the Morristown EcoCenter may not be fully established yet, but they’re definitely using the empty building to its maximum potential.  If there are this many events there now, just imagine when it’s fully functional!  Starting tomorrow and through this weekend there will be two different but related events at 55 Bank Street.

The Green Building Expo will run on May 19 & 20 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Festival Earth, an annual celebration of  Sustainable Morristown, will run over the weekend on May 21 & 22 from 12 – 5 p.m.

Exhibitors for these events will highlight products and services that are focused on green building, healthy living, sustainability, and local and organic food production.  It will benefit the work of Sustainable Morristown and the Sustainable Business Incubator of New Jersey.

Way back in March, I wrote a post about the logistics of going solar in North Jersey.  I had just found out that 1BOG (1 Block off the Grid) had come to North Jersey (originally they were only operating in California).  They’re a nonprofit organization that reduces the cost of installing residential solar panels by essentially ‘buying in bulk’ and getting bids from local solar companies. After looking into it and crunching numbers, we decided to take the plunge…back in March.  Now, eight months later, we’re pretty much up and running! NJ is one of the best states in the country for going solar.  Because of the high electric rates, the federal tax credit and the ability to make SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits), your investment will pay off in 4 years.  Check out the 1BOG section for North Jersey to find out more. If you’d like to read all of the gory financial figures, check out my blog post that lays them out in detail.  The state rebate decreased after I wrote that post, and currently, the state rebate program is suspended.  Apparently it was too popular!  It’s really a shame, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest.

Here’s the general overview of our journey into solar power: After we signed our lives away, The Solar Center (the Randolph, NJ-based solar company working locally for 1BOG) sent someone over to measure and map out our roof.  We actually ended up giving them blueprints from the house so they could work with that.  The architects drew up a (solar) system for the roof, detailing how many solar panels we could fit.  Rather than a 6,000 watt system like we originally thought, we ended up with 5,600 because there were a few vents and obstacles on the roof where we couldn’t put panels after all.  The plan we ended up with has 28 panels (200 watts/panel). The Solar Center helped us fill out forms so we could apply to the state of NJ for our rebate.  Someone from the state visited us to do an energy audit.  They basically wanted to make sure that if they were giving us money to go solar, that we wouldn’t be wasting it in a drafty house or on energy-sucking appliances.  We just barely missed the first rebate group, which was at a rate of $1.85 per watt.  Instead, we got in with the next group a few weeks later, which received a rebate of $1.25 per watt (a significant decrease when you’re talking 5,600 watts!).  Rather than getting a rebate of $10,360, we got $7,000.  [Insert frown here.]

Solar panels sat on our deck for a week or two, basking in the sun

After being approved by the state, The Solar Center sent the plans to the Town of Harding for their approval, and it also had to be approved by the town’s Historical Preservation Commission, too.  I should note that throughout the process, we were kept out of the messiness; The Solar Center handled virtually all of the paperwork. The town’s approval took a month or two, and once that was approved, we were put on The Solar Center’s installation schedule.  Because of summer vacation issues, we opted to wait until the week after Labor Day to begin.  In theory, the project could have been completed in a week or two, but there were construction issues and rain delays that stretched it out for a month. Two days ago, we were finally able to flip the switch! Because the back roof is so flat, it’s very hard to see the panels from the backyard…or from any angle, for that matter.  You can see they are a thin layer on top of the roof.  Here’s a side angle: Originally we didn’t think we’d be able to see them from the road, but alas, you can. A small price to pay aesthetically, I think.  Here you can see the wiring (silver) going down from the panels on the roof to the inverter in the basement.

Here’s the inverter, which converts the DC (direct current) electric from the panels into AC (alternating current) power so that we can use it.

The inverter’s name is ‘Sunny boy.’  No, really, it actually says it on the box.  He tells us how many kWh’s we are generating every day, how many cumulatively, and even how much CO2 we have saved!  (After 2.5 days or so, we’ve saved nearly 100 lbs of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere.) The nerds in both T and me are coming out full force as we race down to the basement to see ‘how many kWh’s we’re generating today’!  We may need to get out more… We’re still waiting on our inspection and for the utility to install our bi-directional meter, which tells them how much energy we are generating vs. how much we are using.  We’ll generate power during the day time, sending any excess back into the grid.  Essentially, our meter will run backwards.  During the night time, we’ll use power from the grid, just like everybody else, and our meter will go forward again.  For each 1000 kWh’s we generate, we’ll earn one SREC (which should give us around $600 or so).  With our system, we’re expected to generate around 6,600 kWh’s (according to nrel.gov) or 6+ SRECs a year. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about our new exciting system!  Questions so far?