EU begins ban on incandescent lightbulbs

Retailers and consumers in Europe are complaining about the new ban on incandescent lightbulbs of more than 100 watts. According to this New York Times/International Herald Tribune report, the move is supposed to spur use of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs, but the ban's opponents are citing CFL's higher per-bulb price and inferior quality of light.

The European Union argues that the switch, which will be gradually extended to cover lower-wattage lights by 2020, will save enough energy to power 11 million households and lower the average family's annual electric bill by about 50 euros (around $71.50). The EU also notes that consumers can still use transparent improved incandescent bulbs with halogen technology, which they claim provides exactly the same type and quality of light as conventional incandescent bulbs. (Read this post about new energy-efficiency rules for incandescent reflector lamps and general-service fluorescent lights. For more on the current quality of CFLs, read or listen to this National Public Radio interview with Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy editor of the Consumer Reports Home franchise.)

The EU is also pinning its long-term hopes on LEDs, which are free of the mercury found in CFLs and last even longer than CFLs. In a recent interview with Consumer Reports, Nadarajah Narendran, the director of research at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, described future improvements to LED lighting and its potential to help millions of people in the industrialized and developing worlds.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Our October 2009 report on CFLs found lower prices, better performance and a host of new models for a wider range of applications; ratings are available to subscribers. Find out what other green technologies are worth deploying in your home in our updated Energy Saving & Green Living guide.

Buzzword: Pay As You Throw

What it means. In most municipalities nationwide, households pay a flat annual fee to have their garbage hauled away once or more a week. The cost is often rolled into property-tax payments and doesn't fluctuate regardless of how much waste a household generates. With pay as you throw, or PAYT, household waste is treated more like a utility, with each household getting charged for how much garbage its sends to the curb.

In most PAYT programs, households sign up for a specific containers—say one 32-gallon and one 64-gallon receptacle—and are charged extra when they go over that limit in a certain period. Other PAYT programs use logoed bags that consumers buy from municipal centers or participating retailers; these are the only bags they can use to throw out their trash.

Why the buzz? As recycling grows—curbside programs are up 500 percent in the last 5 years, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—so does PAYT. It's now in 7,100 communities nationwide, according to the Skumatz Economic Research Associates, up from 5,100 in 2001 and 1,000 in 1993. Communities on the West Coast, in the Northeast, and in the north-central region of the country participate the most in PAYT programs, according to the EPA.

PAYT is designed to offer several benefits. By encouraging recycling, composting, and yard-waste reduction (mulching lawn clippings and leaves instead of bagging them, for example), PAYT reduces the amount of residential material in landfills by an average of 17 percent, claims SERA. That reduction helps communities cope with the rising costs of waste management and also curbs the attendant greenhouse-gas emissions.

Consumers stand to benefit as well. In Louisville, Colorado, for instance, residents who had been paying $200 annually for trash removal, not including recycling, can now pay as little as $100, including recycling, provided they produce less than 32 gallons of trash per month. That's an easier proposition for a one-person household than for a family of six. And, in fact, Louisville residents who need a 96-gallon container now pay $250 a year under the PAYT program.

PAYT critics argue that such a scenario favors smaller households. But through precycling and other aggressive forms of waste management, experts believe that most households can at least break even with PAYT.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

By the Numbers: Unused TV sets piling up in American homes

99.1 million

Number of unused television sets Americans have stashed away in their homes, according to the "Electronics Waste Management In the United States" report (PDF) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

With all those old TVs piling up, states and municipalities have required manufacturers to take on the recycling of electronics, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

Nearly 27 million televisions were disposed of in this country in 2007, with only 18 percent of those televisions by weight recycled, according to Take Back My TV, a campaign of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, which promotes responsible recycling in the electronics industry (PDF). The 2007 figures were no better for computers and cell phones, says the organization: 205.5 million computers were trashed, with 18 percent recycled; 140.3 million cell phones were disposed of, with 10 percent recycled.

When you need to get rid of an old TV or other piece of electronic equipment, including cell phones and computers, read "Where to Recycle Electronics, Free" and refer to our Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Find out how to dispose or other household products, including leftover paints.

Ban plastic bags, says head of United Nations Environment Program

The executive director of the United Nations Environment Program has called for the ban of plastic bags, part of the UNEP's efforts to stem the growing problem of marine litter.

"Marine litter is symptomatic of a wider malaise: namely the wasteful use and persistent poor management of natural resources. The plastic bags, bottles, and other debris piling up in the oceans and seas could be dramatically reduced by improved waste reduction, waste management and recycling initiatives," said Achim Steiner, United Nations undersecretary general and executive director of the UNEP Executive Director on the occasion of World Oceans Day. "Some of the litter, like thin film single-use plastic bags, which choke marine life, should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere—there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere."

"Recycling is what we see as the best approach for the U.S. Plastic is just too valuable to waste," said Keith Christman, senior director of the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council, in this article in McClatchy Newspapers.

Many reusable shopping bags are a viable alternative to plastic and paper bags, as we found in a recent report. Get the details on which reusable sold bags by national chains and regional stores are the best to use in "By the Numbers: Can America Give Up Its Addiction to Paper and Plastic Shopping Bags?" e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

SiteSeeing: TheGreenestDollar.com provides money-conscious eco-friendly advice

Heather Levin has a plan. She wants to sell her circa-1900 home so she can move into an off-the-grid home built from shipping containers.

Levin has long been trying to save money by going green whenever possible, and as she collected and documented tip after tip, she decided to decant them into TheGreenestDollar.com, which launched in 2008.

The site consists of a slew of tips and product reviews broken into 15 categories including Frugality/Saving Money, Green Building, Green Home Tips, Recycling, Small Home Living, and Solar Power. Levin also includes product and book reviews (of course, she borrows books from her local library instead of buying them).

But TheGreenestDollar.com shines brightest when Levin cites and summarizes multiple sources to detail the pros and cons and costs of projects like using old tires in your garden and making a mud-and-straw cob house.

Given the site's obvious appeal and value, Levin might soon be able to use her own eco-friendly ways to sell a home and watch her ship(ping containers) come in.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Visit GreenerChoices,org, which offers advice on ways to save money and the planet. And stay on top of the latest green trends with our Buzzwords, including bright green, cookprint, and greenwashing.

Product Preview: Mode All-In-One Recycling Centers

In 2007, Americans recycled or composted more than 33 percent of the 254 million tons of household trash they generated, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (PDF). And, says the EPA, almost 64 percent of that household trash consists of paper, metals, plastics, and glass, which are ideal candidates for recycling.

The new All-in-One Recycling Centers from Mode Products could help you wrangle all that waste, and at 30-inch-high x 17-inch-deep x 15-inch-wide, they're designed to fit in a kitchen or mudroom. (A premium model is shown; the deluxe version is 2 inches shorter.)

The units can reduce your trash volume by as much as 66 percent, depending on the structure and thickness of the containers, claims Larry Kahn, president of Verde Home Products, which makes the recycling centers.

A hinged cover hides a foot-operated compacting unit that, says the manufacturer, can crush up to 12-ounce aluminum cans and 8-ounce to 2-liter plastic bottles. The compacted containers then fall into an 8-gallon bin, which you can line with low-density-polyethylene bags that are themselves recyclable. You deposit glass and steel containers directly into the bin through another hinged cover, which has a built-in charcoal filter that's supposed to control odors. A front-mounted 5-gallon bin serves as a repository for newspapers, cardboard, and junk mail, and a built-in battery-powered clock that you can program to alert you on recycling days in your neighborhood.

The premium model, $250 to $300, can even track the weight of the materials you've recycled to the nearest half pound. The deluxe version, $200, lacks the compaction unit. A 20-pack of bags costs $8.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Learn about "precycling," which can help you cut your waste stream. And read about How Can I RecycleThis?, which offers neat uses for all kinds of items that would otherwise likely end up in the trash.

Oregon considers statewide paint-recycling program

House Bill 3037 in Oregon would require manufacturers to establish a statewide paint-recycling program. The National Paint & Coatings Association has lobbied for this product-stewardship legislation, contending that rules are needed for paint-collection programs to succeed, not just voluntary efforts by companies or communities.

If the Oregon bill is enacted, manufacturers would have until September 1, 2010, to start a paint-recycling pilot program; on September 1, 2011, they would be required to submit a report detailing program results, including how much paint was recycled and at what cost to consumers. (November 2009 update: Oregon's paint-stewardship law was signed last summer. Read details on the Web site of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.)

The proposed legislation is similar to a bill in the Minnesota state senate. Read "Minnesota Bill Would Require Manufacturers to Set Up Paint-Recycling Program" for more details.

The Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area already has one of the largest and longest-standing paint-recycling programs in the country. It's been run since 1991 by Metro, an elected government agency devoted to conservation and environmental issues.

Paint accounts for 40 percent of the hazardous household materials collected by Metro. Portland residents drop off leftover coatings at designated transfer stations or turn them in during one of several annual round-up campaigns. Oil-based paints are sent to cement kilns, where they're used to make cement. Latex paints go to a recycling facility in north Portland, where they're mixed with like colors, filtered of impurities, and repackaged. The recycled paint, available in 15 colors (shown), is sold at MetroPaint retail outlets throughout the state and a few other stores in Oregon and Washington for $6 to $10 for a 1-gallon container and $24 to $44 for a 5-gallon pail. (Read our March 2009 report on interior paints. And visit our paint hub for information on interior and exterior finishes.)

"Homeowners are our biggest customers," says Jim Quinn, manager of Metro's hazardous-waste program. "Our paint has been sold to over 70,000 customers to date and we've received very little in the way of complaints," says Quinn. Still, the inexpensive paint hasn't flown off the shelf as expected, according to Quinn, something he attributes in part to the perception that recycled paint is an inferior product.

To try to boost sales, Metro has introduced a class of paint certified by Green Seal, a third-party testing body that includes performance in its overall evaluation of finishes. To earn that certification, materials must meet standards set by the Master Painters Institute.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Learn how to properly handle and dispose of leftover paint. If you want to store paint, say for future jobs or touch-ups, follow this advice: Cover the opening with plastic wrap; make sure the lid fits securely so the paint doesn't leak. Then store the paint can upside down to create a tight seal around the lid. This will keep the paint fresh until you use it again.

Minnesota bill would require manufacturers to set up paint-recycling program

Proposed legislation in Minnesota would require paint manufacturers to set up a recycling program for leftover consumer paint in that state. (Visit our paint hub for information on interior and exterior finishes.)

The bill, S.F. No. 477, is similar to legislation passed by the state senate in 2008. Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed that bill, concerned that the cost of the program would be passed onto to consumers. "Requiring Minnesotan consumers to pay for both public and industry based programs results in a double burden on consumers for the same purpose," Pawlenty wrote in a May 2008 letter to the state senate.

Under the new plan, "All the costs will be passed onto the consumer, but it will be done in a transparent way" says Alison Keane, spokeswoman for the National Paint & Coatings Association, of this product-stewardship effort. She adds that the notion of a roughly 40-cents-per-gallon surcharge has been well received in consumer surveys. (Product stewardship, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "calls on those in the product life cycle—manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers—to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.")

Consumers in British Columbia, Canada, have been paying for paint recycling since 1994. Residents of that province now think of leftover paint as they do of newspaper and plastic bottles. "Once you get used to recycling paint, it's hard to throw it in the garbage" says Mark Kurschner, president of Product Care, the nonprofit association that manages many of Canada's product-stewardship programs for hazardous household materials. In 2008, 700,000 gallons of leftover paint were returned to the 105 collection sites throughout B.C. "Every year we bring in 10 percent more than the year before," says Kurschner. "The basement reservoir is gradually being emptied."

In this country, about 10 percent of all purchased paint goes unused, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That's 64 million gallons of paint, enough to cover the five boroughs of New York City about three times. Many communities offer recycling programs for paint, typically drop-off centers for finishes and other hazardous materials. Some programs go one step further by filtering the paint and reselling it to the public. Read "What to Do With Leftover Paint" for more details.

The Minnesota legislation would give manufacturers until September 1, 2009, to start a paint-recycling pilot program, and on October 15, 2010, they'll be required to submit a report detailing the results so far, including how much paint was recycled and at what cost to the consumer.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our March 2009 report on interior paint, which rates more than 40 products and covers the issue of low-VOC finishes.

Buzzword: Energy Anorexia

What it means. Rooted in the serious medical condition anorexia, energy anorexia refers to a situation in which people follow an extremely strict carbon-footprint-shrinking regimen. (Carborexia and greenorexia are other names for this approach to living.) The New York Times used the term "energy anorexics" in the October 19 article "Completely Unplugged, Fully Green," which reported on people dedicated to using significantly less energy in many aspects of their lives.

Why the buzz? In these energy-conscious times and in a country where a fad or fashion of the moment can spur significant lifestyle changes or even turn into fanaticism, some folks have become energy anorexics. The Times piece sparked great debate on the Web, with the blog of Sharon Astyk the epicenter of much of the discussion. Astyk, who was featured in the article, took issue with the story in a recent post, noting, for example, that her son doesn't play organized baseball due to scheduling conflicts with her family's observance of the Jewish Sabbath, not because she doesn't want to drive him too far to play. And commenters on the blog defended her energy-minded lifestyle.

Most of our buzzword items highlight trends in industry or society at large, and the terms are generally tame. But energy anorexia and energy anorexics seem harsh and insensitive given the difficult medical issue from which they're derived. Indeed, similar terms like "true greens" and "enlighteneds" might be a better way to get across the idea.

So we'll leave it to you to come up with a catchy, complimentary expression for people who are environmentally impassioned and acting upon their beliefs. Post your suggestion(s) in a comment below, where you can also share information on how you're working to save energy on your own.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: There's no need for extreme measures to save energy at home, as detailed in our October 2008 "Save Energy, Save Money" feature, this tip of the day, and the Buzzword on weatherization.

Buzzword: Precycle

What it means. Precycling represents the next generation in residential-waste management. It's no longer enough for you to recycle, separating cans and bottles for curbside collection and depositing unwanted electronics at manufacturer's consolidation centers: These days, the truly trash-conscious aim to minimize would-be waste from even entering the home. Hence the rise of the precycler, an environmentally minded relative of the EcoMom.

Why the buzz? Twenty years ago, there was just one curbside-recycling program in the United States, but by 2006, approximately 8,660 programs had sprouted up. The nation now recycles 32.5 percent of its waste, double the rate of 15 years ago, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the gains, Americans generated 251 million tons of municipal solid waste (that's household trash) in 2006—almost 1,700 pounds for every person. In the European Union, the per capita amount is about 500 pounds less.

To slash the amount of waste you create and to reduce pressure on the nation's landfills, learn how to precycle with these simple lifestyle changes:

1. Buy in bulk. Cut down on packaging and use less gas on shopping trips by stocking up at warehouse clubs. Read our head-to-head comparison of Costco and Sam's Club.

2. Focus on concentrated products. This move cuts down on packaging and how much of a product you consume. In our latest test of laundry detergents, for example, many of the concentrated products cleaned just as well as conventional detergents.

3. Opt for recycled packaging. You can't avoid packaging altogether, but look for products that are made from recycled materials. Even some paint containers are fabricated from 100 percent recycled materials.

4. Dispose of disposables. Choose cloth napkins, towels, diapers, and the like to eliminate packaging and keep the resulting waste out of the landfill. And use washable dishware instead of plastic cutlery, cups, and plates. To conserve water, wash items in the dishwasher instead of by hand, and don't prerinse. (Read about the best dishwasher detergents.)

5. Bring your own bags. Forget the paper-vs.-plastic debate. Use your own reusable canvas or cloth bags when you shop.

6. Eliminate junk mail. Opt for paperless billing with your bank, utility companies, and the like. And put an end to all those unwanted catalogs by taking your name off mailing lists at the Direct Marketing Association Web site. Get more details by reading "How to Opt Out of Marketing Lists."

7. Screw in long-lasting bulbs. CFLs and LEDs are more efficient than incandescent lights, meaning fewer bulbs and less packaging.

8. Start a compost bin. This step falls under the "reuse" side of precycling. Tossing organic kitchen scraps and appropriate yard waste onto a compost heap turns them into nutrients for the garden. (Compost your leaves this fall.)

9. Conserve grass clippings. Instead of bagging clippings, use the mulching mode on your lawn mower to deposit them back into the lawn.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our special report on energy savings in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, including a list of 25 simple ways to save.