Recycle Ink Cartridges to Help to Save the Environment and Money

Most people now realize that we all must do whatever we can in order to protect the environment. Many of us now are making a conscious effort to improve the quality of the land, sea, and sky so that future generations will have the opportunity to live happy and successful lives.

We can all do a little more by recycling a product that most of us use every day.

Since one of the most popular ways of printing information is by using inkjet printers it may surprise you to know that the average cartridge that these printers use take up to 1,000 years to entirely decompose. What this means is that every single cartridge that has been thrown out anywhere in the world is now sitting in a landfill. And the piles of cartridges and sizes of the landfills are growing bigger and bigger every day.

Although some original equipment printer manufacturing companies, in their quest for profit, are making it more difficult to refill and reuse their cartridges, it is still possible to recycle many OEM ink cartridges. These cartridges can be completely cleaned out and then you or an ink cartridge recycling company can refill the cartridges with high quality ink.

When this happens, not only will you help to save the environment, you will save money as well because refilled ink cartridges are sold at a substantially lower prices than original equipment manufacturer cartridges.

In addition to the aforementioned benefits of recycling these cartridges, every time a new ink cartridge is manufactured it takes approximately two and a half ounces of oil to create it. So by recycling inkjet cartridges we are also helping to cut back on the consumption of a non-renewable fossil fuel.

Buy Recycled Ink Cartridges and Save Money

Aside from the environmental benefits that come with recycling printer inks cartridges, recycled cartridges are usually significantly less expensive that their OEM counterparts. That's because the main components of the recycled cartridge doesn't have to be built from scratch. Not only is the entire manufacturing process much less expensive, consumers have a much wider range of vendors and suppliers from whom they can choose to purchase their cartridges.

Most of the major brands do have recycled cartridges available for their printers. If you do a simple search of the Internet you will undoubtedly find page after page of companies that can ship the cartridges you need right to your doorstep.

So, come to think of it, you will be saving time and gas driving to an office supply store as well.

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What to do With Pesky Packing Peanuts

We do everything we can to do our part in the effort to protect the environment. We recycle. We take extra care to combine errands so we don't waste gasoline (especially at these prices). We even make purchases online to save energy and keep the paper catalogs at bay. And if you are like me, you just love getting packages in the mail. Except... when I open the package and find that my item has been protected from damage in shipping with the dreaded polystyrene packing peanuts! Not only do these pesky peanuts make a huge mess, they are utterly indestructible. When these things end up in landfills, they NEVER degrade. Future inhabitants of our planet will be able to study our culture using these suckers.

So what do we do?

1. The best alternative is to simply not use these peanuts. There are alternative packing peanuts available made from starch that almost instantly dissolve in water. Ask your online retailer to begin using this more environmentally friendly alternative to polystyrene.

2. When you receive a package packed in peanuts, test them by running one under water to see if it dissolves. If so, you can simply dump them in your sink a little at a time and run the dissolved peanuts down the drain. They are safe for the water supply since they are made from vegetable and other organic matter.

3. When the peanuts don't dissolve, there are a few things we can do. When you have a package to ship that requires a bit of protection, use the peanuts. Ask your recipient to do the same. At least they don't end up in a landfill immediately.

4. If you don't like the idea of keeping the peanuts around the house, there are several centers and stores that will take them to reuse. Many UPS Stores, Mailboxes Etc., PostNet, and other small packing and shipping centers will accept your peanuts to reuse. Contact your local store for verification. If you have trouble finding a drop-off location, please visit http://www.loosefillpackaging.com for information on businesses and centers willing to accept used peanuts or call the Plastic Loose Fill Council's Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214.

Get your creative juices flowing

Now we know how to recycle those pesky peanuts, but before we get rid of them, let's ask ourselves what other uses we might find for the peanuts. Can we think of ways we can convert our trash into treasure? Here are a few ideas to get us started.

-The holidays are fast approaching, so any peanuts we have left over after using them to safeguard the gifts we're shipping can be used for decoration. Use a needle and strong thread to string the peanuts like popcorn to use as a garland for your tree.

-Place a few peanuts in the bottom of a planter before inserting your plant to conserve soil and to help drainage. Be sure not to use too many or to block the drainage hole completely.

-Use an old zippered pillowcase and fill it with peanuts. This makes an inexpensive pet bed or a "bean" bag chair.

-Dip the peanuts in paint and use for creative stamps. Many peanuts look like letters or you can cut them into whatever shape you'd like. If you are a scrapbooker, this is a great way to add a creative splash to a page.

-Crumble the peanuts into pieces and use them as faux snow in our winter decorations.

Even simple actions can help us protect our environment. The more we do, the more we help, the more our world benefits.

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How Trees Can Protect Your Home from Heat

We stay at home because we want to rest and be comfortable. However, we cannot achieve this if it is blazing hot. It is a great thing that we have air conditioning unit. Aside from the AC, we can also rely on trees to moderate the temperature. They will not only protect our home from heat, but they will also help reduce the temperature in the surroundings.

They are also our home's protector from the different environmental hazards such strong winds, rains and rays of the sun. Aside from providing us comfort, they can also help us in many ways. They clean the air we breathe and they provide us with sufficient supply of oxygen. Deciduous trees are among the best because they can reduce excruciating heat. These trees can also help warm you up in the winter.

Trees are the best forms of protection from the sun and more, here is why:

1. The trees reduce the level of heat in the environment. The trees have leaves that which shields its surroundings from the strong rays of the sun. This is better than man-made sheds. If you will try to compare it, the shade from the tree feels cooler than the artificial shades. You also have to keep in mind that there are several aspects that can contribute to heighten the heat. Among them are the different structures like buildings. Trees can help regulate the heat circulating in the area.

2. Aside from buildings, there are other things that can trap the heat such as asphalt and concrete. These are two of the widely used materials in most neighborhoods. This is more reason for residents and homeowners to plant trees in their backyard. With more trees around, the effect of trapped heat in these materials will not be felt.

3. Trees do not only deal with the heat. They also deal with the different pollutants. Trees clean the air by filtering the dust and other pollutants. They also give off oxygen that we all use to breathe. In addition to that, trees and other plants absorb Carbon Dioxide, one of the main pollutants in our environment. CO2 forms part of their food. Without trees, such pollutants will contribute in damaging our surroundings as well as contribute to the greenhouse gas.

4. More trees also reduce the use of artificial freshener, air and shade. This means that the environment becomes healthier for us. If the air is clean. We do not have to use air filters and fresheners. If we have a cooler environment, we will be able to reduce the use of air conditioning. This will lower our utility bills and will reduce the emission of pollutants into the environment.

5. Trees can also improve your home value. Trees are among the best tools to improve the curb appeal of your property. There are cultured trees you can use. They can provide beauty and the other elements that the regular trees provide. They come in different forms and sizes. The color of the leaves vary too.

Trees do not only provide shade, they clean air and add aesthetic beauty as well.

check out the Dallas TX Communities. Visit the Arizona Real Estate and the Homes in San Diego as well.

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What Is People Management?

Your employees are the biggest asset you have. Their performance and attitude can result in the success or failure of your business. The most difficult part of any manager’s job is people management. He or she is required to lead, motivate, train, inspire, and encourage. On the other hand, he or she is also responsible for hiring, firing, disciplining, training and evaluating. These functions seem to be at odds, but a successful manager can integrate both the positive and negative aspects of these tasks to create a positive, productive work force.

People management, also known as human resource management (HRM), encompasses the tasks of recruitment, management, and providing ongoing support and direction for the employees of an organization. These tasks can include the following: compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training.

When managing the people within an organization, a manager must focus on both hiring the right people and then getting the most out of these people. New personnel must provide the organization with the best talent available that meets the needs of the business. The organization must look ahead to how a new employee can be used to their fullest. Getting the most out of an employee means a business has consistent policies and practices in place to provide its people with appropriate training and development. Employees are involved as “partners” in the business.

Probably the most important task a manager will face when dealing with the people under his direction is that of bringing out the best in them. Unlocking people potential is often seen as the key to any business’s success. When an employee’s talents are not channeled correctly, their behavior can seriously compromise the success of an organization. Some of the roles that an employee who is not being used to his potential can take on are as follows: procrastinator, martyr, gossip, manipulator, backstabber, narcissist, a deer in the headlights, black hole, stonewalled, curmudgeon, bully, and predator.

Instead of dealing with employees that develop defense mechanisms to mask their dissatisfaction with their work situation, let’s look as some ways to encourage effective behavior at work. After a problem behavior has been identified, address the employee immediately. Discuss taking responsibility for the ineffective behavior, how the behavior manifests itself, and the effect the behavior is having on the organization. Next, give the employee alternatives to his current behavior. In other words, teach him or her how the principles of achievement:

• cooperation
• respect
• self-motivation
• trust
• self-discipline

Now that the employee has alternatives to their current behavior, draw up a performance improvement contract in which he or she agrees to specific actions to change his or her ineffective behavior. After the contract is signed, a manager needs to stay involved and committed to the process of change. He or she cannot assume that the problem will be automatically fixed now that it has been brought to light. The employee will require praise and reinforcement of any progress that they are able to make. If positive change is to occur, it will be evident soon after the initial confrontation. If this does not occur, a termination meeting must be scheduled quickly. One employee’s toxic behavior can quickly spread throughout an organization if it is not dealt with quickly and efficiently.

When evaluating an organization’s workforce, there are several areas that must be addressed. First, the staff must have the tools and resources that they need to do their jobs effectively. Employees cannot be blamed for an organization’s inefficiency if they are not provided with the equipment necessary to perform adequately. Next, get to know each employee as an individual and make sure that they are aware of their specific role within the organization. Clarify their responsibilities and goals. Also, involve each employee in making decisions which affect their area of expertise. This will result in the employee feeling that they “have a say” in what goes on in the organization and he or she will feel a sense of ownership. Finally, make sure that employees have an opportunity to have fun with their coworkers at appropriate times.

People Empowerment can be a very effective tool within the field of people management. This technique can be used to involve employees in any improvement program within an organization. Authority, accountability, and responsibility are delegated to the employees for improving the processes which are under their control without first having to obtain permission from management before making changes. This can be successful only when employees are recognized, congratulated, and rewarded for their commitment to problem solving.

Rocket Fuel Chemical Found In Water - Perchlorate

In 2008, melamine was found in Chinese baby formula which caused death of innocent babies from acute kidney failure and more than 6,200 others have fallen ill while at least 158 are in critical condition after consuming baby formula that contained the dangerous chemical melamine.

As in 2009, shocking news released by ATLANTA (AP or Associated Press which is the backbone of the world's information system serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television and online customers with coverage in all media and news in all formats. It is the largest and oldest news organization in the world, serving as a source of news, photos, graphics, audio and video.) — Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in samples of powdered baby formula!

The scary fact that it could exceed what's considered a safe dose for adults if mixed with water also contaminated with the ingredient! Question is, how to effectively remove Perchlorate

The chemical concerned has turned up in several cities' drinking water supplies. It can occur naturally, but most of its contamination has been tied to defence and aerospace sites.

What is Perchlorate?

Perchlorate (the scientific terms is ClO4) is both a naturally occurring and manmade contaminant increasingly found in groundwater, surface water and soil. Another way to describe is that this an anion that originates as a contaminant in ground water and surface waters from the dissolution of ammonium, potassium, magnesium, or sodium salts. Most of this chemical is manufactured in the U.S. is used as an ingredient in solid fuel for rockets and missiles. In addition, perchlorate-based chemicals are also used in the construction of highway safety flares, fireworks, pyrotechnics, explosives, common batteries, and automobile restraint systems and its contamination has been reported in at least 20 states. This chemical has greatly impacts human health by interfering with iodide uptake into the thyroid gland. In adults, the thyroid gland helps regulate the metabolism by releasing hormones, while in children, the thyroid helps in proper development. Perchlorate is becoming a serious threat to human health and water resources.

In January 2009, EPA issued an interim health advisory to assist state and local officials in addressing local contamination of C104 chemical in drinking water.  The interim health advisory level of 15 micrograms per liter (µg/L), or parts per billion (ppb), is based on the reference dose recommended by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).  The Agency is also seeking advice from the NAS before making a final regulatory determination on whether to issue a national regulation for perchlorate in drinking water. 

When Perchlorate issue was being raised?

There have been large volumes of perchlorate being disposed of since the 1950's and perchlorate has been detected in at least 14 states, every state having a confirmed perchlorate manufacturer or user. It had since widespread in drinking water contaminant since 1997, occurring in several hundred wells, mostly in southern California.  These C104 chemical was also found in the Colorado River, an important source of water for drinking and irrigation, where its presence resulted from contamination from ammonium perchlorate manufacturing facilities in Nevada.  In 2001 the EPA began requirement for monitoring this contaminant in the nation's drinking water and in 2002 the US EPA submitted a proposed reference dose of 1 part-per-billion (ppb) for C104 chemical in drinking water based on perceived changes in infant rat brain structure at a dose equivalent to 300 ppb for a 150 pound human adult or as low as 45 ppb for a bottle-fed infant.

Effect of Perchlorate on human

Scientists have said significant amounts of this contaminant can affect thyroid function, which helps set the body's metabolism. Studies shed light on how dangerous the C104 chemical in baby formula, likely to impact fetus and infant brain development.

Earlier 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was considering setting new limits on the amount of C104 chemical that would be acceptable in drinking water. A few states have already set their own limits. The EPA has checked nearly 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or more. About 160 of the water systems had detectable levels of perchlorate, and 31 had levels high enough to exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering.

Are We Safe?

The EPA, under pressure from the White House and the Pentagon, is poised to rule as early as today that it will not set a drinking-water safety standard for perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel that has been linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women, newborns and young children across the nation. Final step in a six-year-old battle between career EPA scientists who advocate regulating the chemical and White House and Pentagon officials who oppose it. The document estimates that up to 16.6 million Americans are exposed to this contaminant at a level many scientists consider unsafe; independent researchers, using federal and state data, put the number at 20 million to 40 million. Unfortunately, there was still no suggestion on how to remove perchlorate from drinking water.

Some perchlorate occurs naturally, but most C104 chemical contamination in U.S. drinking water stems from improper disposal by rocket test sites, military bases and chemical plants. A nationwide cleanup could cost hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars, and several defence contractors have threatened to sue the Defence Department to help pay for it if one is required.

The new EPA proposal -- which assumes the maximum allowable perchlorate contamination level is 15 times what the EPA had suggested in 2002 -- was heavily edited by officials of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

How can we remove perchlorates?

Drink only filtered water with multi-stage water filtration system which can effectively remove perchlorates

Contact local drinking water authorities and follow their advice.

Prevent children from playing in dirt or eating dirt if you live near a waste site that has perchlorates.

First Aid Posters Help Keep Lives Safe At Work

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Accidents come without warnings. It is imperative to take precautions. After all, prevention is always better than cure. Usually, in a manufacturing unit or a factory, workers are prone to accidents. You can easily avoid accidents by using first aid posters. These posters act as warning signs, thereby preventing mishaps. There is a need to be more aware of safety and first aid. First aid is vital if any accident happens. Not only for factories and manufacturing units, but first aid posters are also helpful for home gyms and private swimming pools. People with reading problem, as well as kids can also easily understand the instructions and precautions. A few posters, carefully placed, can curb accident rate significantly.

Workplace safety Signs- A Must

There are various types of tactile signs available. You can choose according to your work conditions and budget. Many companies offer this poster and sign service. You can also get them custom made. There are many Workplace safety measures that must be followed. Non compliance can lead to fatal accidents. Some common posters for workplace safety signs are:

1.CPR Or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: This poster helps in managing heart attacks.
2.Electric Shocks: These help when someone gets struck with an electric shock while working.
3.Fire Safety: Fire is a common danger in manufacturing units and factories. Fire safety posters educate workers about managing fire first hand.
4.Breathing apparatus: These are extremely important. Breathing problems are quite common. These posters facilitate in saving time, while managing such cases.
5.High voltage danger: Some machines generate high voltage electric shock. These posters act as a prior warning.

First Aid - the Most Important Help

Before a case goes out of hand, first aid is the most important thing to provide. There are many first aid posters available that provide quick directions, hence saving time during emergency. Some common first aid signs are:

1.First Aid For Eyes: Eyes can get damaged while working with harmful materials or dangerous machines.
2.First Aid Room: When any serious problem occurs, patient should be taken to the first aid room.
3.Emergency Shower: It is really needed on the work-floor. An emergency shower can provide instant relief.
4.First Aid For Burns: This is also a common danger. First aid is vital in such cases.
5.Stretcher: Sometimes, when cases go out of hand and the condition becomes severe, stretchers are required. These are also needed when the patient feels giddy or faints due to an accident.

First aid posters come in two types- self adhesive Vinyl and 1 mm rigid plastic. It is advisable to choose the ones that suit the conditions of your workplace. These are available in assorted sizes.

Buy Carefully

It is recommended to check local laws for requirements for the workplace rules and regulations. Ordering first aid posters and safety signs is easy and hassle free. You can buy them online and have them delivered to your place. First aid posters come in a wide variety. These provide brief directions that save time and avoid confusion.


First aid posters are very effective in preventing accidents. They are easily available. You can get them delivered to your place by simply placing an online order. Many good companies manufacture and sell these.

Foot Safety in the Workplace - Safetycare Workplace Safety Video - PPE free

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