ShirleyGoesGreen

November 2008

• According to the Alliance to Save Energy, the new LED holiday lights are up to ninety percent more efficient than traditional incandescent lights.  A typical household using ten strands of lights for eight hours a day for a month would spend $127.67 for large, incandescent bulbs, $7.20 for traditional mini-lights, and just $0.72 for LEDs!  Since they burn cooler, the LED bulbs are also safer, as well as being sturdy and lasting up to 20 years.
  

October 2008 

•  Shirley’s weekly curb pickup gathers 60 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), aka “trash,” monthly.

• Shirley’s every-other-week curbside pickup for recyclables yields only 9 tons monthly, which is a 5% recycling rate.  The State's goal is for every community to reach 40%.  Recycling material includes: corrugated cardboard, newspapers, plain paper, metallic cans, and all types of plastic. Watch for suggestions on how we can improve on these numbers.
• Shirley’s Recycling Center on Leominster Road is open on most Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Although we can no longer bring regular trash to this center, we may bring our recyclables. Did you know that you may also drop off your compostable yard waste?
• At any time you may bring your newspapers, magazines, office and school papers, shopping catalogs, and junk mail (but NOT cardboard, phone books, plastic, glass, metals, or trash) to the bin outside the Shirley Middle School . Proceeds benefit the school.
• Twice a year, we see the street notices that announce the regional collection of certain hazardous waste items. Even if you missed the September 27 collection, you can see information about the next collection, the lists of acceptable items, and information about many other recycling resources at the North Central Regional Solid Waste Cooperative’s website.
• For printer cartridges, take it to the Town office building, in the area near the Council on Aging office -- or consider OfficeMax’s MaxPerks recycling program.  Also, Staples stores have bins for recycling your old cell phones, to be used by various charitable organizations.
• For environmentally sound recycling of electronic equipment such as computers, monitors, keyboards, and a host of other items from batteries to refrigerators – right here in Shirley – visit www.eastcoastrecycling.com
• Increasing your “green” footprint can also be accomplished by reducing your house’s energy use. The flyer in the September/October National Grid electricity bills gives “Tips to Make Your Home Winter Ready.” If you have already recycled this paper flyer, see the tips at  www.nationalgridus.com