Celebrate Earth Day and Recycle

Electronics like telephones, radios, TVs, computers and cell phones are items we rely on daily. With an ample supply of newer, faster electronic products on the market, Americans continually replace older models. And this trend shows no signs of decelerating. As a result, electronics have become one of the fastest growing “waste streams” or portions of our trash. This section of waste is referred to as electronic waste, or e-waste.

E-Cycle St. Louis gives us some reasons why we should recycle our e-waste no matter where we live:

Conserves natural resources - Valuable material can be recovered from old electronics, and these materials can be used to make new products. For example, precious metals are used in computer circuit boards and other electronic components, and of course glass and plastics are used for TV and computer monitors. Recycling these products reduces the need to mine the earth for new raw materials.

Supports the community- Donating your old electronics supports schools, low-income families, and non-profit agencies by providing them with refurbished computers, cell phones, and other electronics. Individuals are helped by being able to access technology that they could not otherwise afford. Check with these groups first to make sure your equipment meets their needs.

Creates jobs locally – As demand for electronics recycling grows, new businesses will be forming and existing companies will be looking to hire more people to staff their facilities to recover recyclable materials (more than 90% of electronic equipment is recyclable!).

Protect Public Health and the Environment

Most electronics contain hazardous or toxic materials which can cause an environmental problem if discarded in the trash. Safely recycling and reusing electronics helps keep substances like lead and mercury from harming people or the environment.

Lucky for us, on Saturday April 24, 2010,  at 1:00PM, Sunnking has teamed up with Flower City Habitat for Humanity Rochester for an America Recycles Day.  Sunnking welcomes and encourages all Monroe county residents to recycle your old and unwanted electronics in recognition of Earth Day as well as supporting Habitat for Humanity.  There are two locations:

Imagine It Recycling

565 Blossom Rd, Suite D

Rochester, NY 14610

Penfield DPW garage

1607 jackson Rd.

Penfield NY 14526

But for more information check out  http://sunnking.com/index.php?id=44.  Come on, Rochester!  Do your part to recycle e-waste and celebrate Earth day while your at it!

Jack Tells All Part I

My dad, Carmen, thinks I’m a funny kid.  Well, I am a funny kid…I get it from him!  Please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Jack and I run the Lonardo household in Penfield, no matter what Mommy and Daddy think.  I am smart, I am cute and I am two years old…Yeahhhh…

The other day, Dad and I were cruising around doing the guy thing.  Actually, we went out to buy Chocolate Easter Eggs.  This was Saturday. (Isn’t it a little late, Dad?) As we drove by McDonald’s, I called out, “French Fries!  French Fries” .  I think old Pops was a little suspicious because he asked me how I knew about McDonalds.  He never took me there…OK! OK!  So I went there with Mom a couple times…big whiff!  I like the Happy Meal toys…but seriously Dad, I mostly know about McDonald’s from TV.  I’m lovin it.

 

They don’t give me enough credit.  As I mentioned before, I am a smart kid…The other day, Dad told me we were helping out the poor Easter bunny.  Now, Mom and Dad don’t know it, but the jig is up here, folks!  Here is what I can tell you about the Easter Bunny: I have never seen him personally but I am sure that I would like him.  And I am certain that he is taller than Dad.  He drives a yellow HumVee and hands out baskets of goodies to all the kids.  I saw the tire tracks on the front lawn, honest I did!

 

Mom and Dad, don’t put anything past me!  I know a lot…like McDonalds, the Easter Bunny and how to drive you crazy by shutting the locked bathroom door at night….The life of a two year old….Yeahhhhhh

My RGE bill just came...

As head of household and someone that to pay bills each month, I am learning the importance of energy conservation. I can tell you honestly that my bills have been increasing and I imagine yours are too. And with everything I have going on, conserving energy is not always top of mind… until the bill comes…I think there is a disconnect here?

There is a solution! But you need to be proactive. There are several ways to conserve energy and you may find that you can actually save money here. Energy costs continue to rise and they are not likely to come down. So, if you want to cut your bill down, then, you must use less energy.

Here Are Some Ideas and Tips from our friends at Park 37 Staging and Design to help with your energy savings and recycling:

1. Use energy saving bulbs.

2. Use low-flow faucet aerators for sinks and shower heads. This will save a considerable amount of water and money from your water bills.

3. Ceiling fans can help save on the cost of air conditioning by circulating the air quicker and more efficiently.

4. Reduce the temperature of your water heater. A high temperature is using more electricity.

5. Trees can help block out too much of the sun's heat if planted in the right places.

6. Make sure your home has enough or the proper insulation. This can save on your yearly energy costs.

7. Recycle when building or renovating: You don't have to always use new products when renovating.

8. When doing laundry you should avoid doing a bunch of small loads and wait (if possible) to do one larger one to cut back on water and electric usage.

9. Use low-flow toilets and save money on your water bill.

10. Weather strip windows instead of replacing them.

11. Use green cleaners and low-VOC paints.

12. Save rain water in a barrel for watering your potted plants of if you have a small garden.

13. Donate: Give your old kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity to charity to be used again instead of adding to the trash piles.

14. Plant drought-tolerant plants instead of high water consuming grass to make your outdoors a different shade of green.

15. Compost. Use home recycling bins for kitchen food waste.

16. Use larger windows on the south side of a building for greater heat gain in the winter.

17. Use cellulose insulation because manufacturers add borate or borax to fire proof, insect proof and mold proof your home.

18. Engineered flooring is 1/4-inch thick hardwood laminated with plywood to create a stable floor that stretches our hardwood resources.

19. Don't add that worn tub to the trash piles...have it re-glazed.

20. Buy locally if possible because products travel fewer miles and result in less vehicle air and global pollution.

See? There are lots of ways we can cut down on the amount of energy that we use. Make a game of it with your family and reward them for conserving energy! See if you can save just $5 this month on your electric bill. Not only will you be helping your wallet, but you will be saving the earth too! A win-win for all….

Springtime in Rochester

The weather has been so wonderful here in Rochester, NY. Hard to believe that it is in fact, Rochester. And with tomorrow being the first day of spring, there is so much to be excited about! All of the great festivals, concerts by the shore, picnics, boating, hiking, kayaking, strolling and camp fires... this is the fun part of spring and summer in Rochester. But there are lots of things that you have to do, especially if you are a home owner, that maybe aren’t so fun. Like spring cleaning, lawn care service and spring deck prep.

I have a friend who loves to clean; says it relaxes her. I love to cook and that relaxes me, so I understand where she is coming from. But cleaning? She must love spring time! You can attack spring cleaning in chunks with one room at a time but for my family it consists of getting rid of clutter you don’t need. How do you do this? Force yourself to survey every room and jot down all of the problem areas and then tackle one problem at a time! Are the shoes piling up at the front door? Think about how you want to organize them, put your plan in action, and stick to it. Remind family members monthly of your new organization and 2011’s spring cleaning will be a snap!

Are you one of those people that has a lawn care service that takes care of mowing and fertilizing? Then, this paragraph is not for you because I want to talk about your lawn mower! One of the first things you need to do before you start your spring lawn care is to service your lawn mower. A good idea is to start doing this in the fall before you put it away for the winter. Then in the spring all that is needed is oil, gasoline. But if you didn't take care of all the details last fall, do it now, before your mowing season gets serious. Balance your blades by putting a screwdriver in the center and seeing if they wobble. If so, find the imbalanced side and fix it. You may have to file down a side a bit to get the blades to balance. Replace them. Put in gas and oil and get mowing! (Especially if Rochester weather cooperates the way has been.)

And finally, my favorite part! Moving the patio furniture out of the garage and onto the deck! Before we do this, make sure you clean, restore and protect your deck so you can get the most out of it during the spring and summer months ahead. Wolman Wood Care Products suggests cleaning the deck thoroughly to remove embedded dirt, fungus stains and gray surface wood Deck with a formulated deck cleaner like Wolman & Fence Brightener. The weathered gray wood left behind from last year’s sun exposure, black or green stains from mildew, moss and algae, or brown-black tannin bleed common on new Cedar can ruin the look of your deck. Do you have a new deck? Even newly built decks can require cleaning to remove invisible surface barriers like mill glaze on new Cedar or excess wax on pressure-treated wood.

Spring is here so get out and take care of your chores so you can enjoy spring and summer in Rochester!

A Great Team = Great Properties

Hi there!



Let me start by thanking Carmen Lonardo (Remax Realty Group) for inviting me to his blog. He and I have been working together for some time, and in that time Ive come to see the drive and dedication he and his colleagues have for their profession. They value professionalism and customer service above all. It didn't take me long to realize that they only surround themselves with great people and companies to work with. I'm proud to be apart of their business infrastructure.



My name is Josh Zamiara, I own and operate Artisan Techniques, INC. We provide residential and commercial customers, in the Rochester area, with exceptional remodeling and renovations. Customer service and quality are the TOP priorities.



Artisan Tech engages in great deal of real estate projects, both on the purchasing and selling side. Much of this originates from Mark Siwiec (Remax Realty Group)and his team. When I say "real estate projects" it generally means customers getting their property in top condition to list and/or making the new house they purchased become their home.



Each of these aspects are exciting and rewarding. Both involve the obvious constraints of time and money, yet both allow for the collaboration of client, realtor, designer, contractors and vendors. Each using their talents to make a house more marketable or desirable to live in. Its amazing what THIS team can accomplish on literally any budget!