We saw a biodegradable latex label on some balloons and decided to investigate. I have how wasteful balloons and balloon releases are.  Valentine’s day was a big balloon day leading local utilities companies  warn people not to accidentally release balloons. Hundreds of power outages are caused every year, affecting thousands of people.

Latex is made from the sap of rubber trees collected through a simple tapping process. They degrade with exposure to the elements with many degrading after fracturing in the atmosphere.

Mylar or metallized nylon (plastic) balloons are made of foil-like material that is recyclable but is not biodegradable.  These should not be released into the air.  So stick to latex ballons.

Some guidelines:

• Always attach a heavy weight to metallic balloons
• Never ever release metallic balloons outside
• Always keep metallic balloons away from power lines
• Never use metallic ribbon with a metallic balloon
• Deflate metallic balloons and trash them properly when no longer in use
• Never release large/oversized latex balloons or large bunches of them as they can strike power lines when released or when they fall back to the ground

Latex Gloves are made from the same rubber and have the same biodegradable properties. Some people are allergic to latex and should avoid latex products. Chemicals are added in the process of manufacturing latex and non-latex gloves. Powder free latex gloves are available.

Electronics eventually break down.  The dilemma is then repair or replace the item. A recent article targeting consumer electronics dealers touts the advantages of repairing Cameras rather than New Sales.

Clearly it is more green to fix what you already have.   The amount of resources used to ship, fix, return an item is far less than all the carbon required to create a new, say digital camera from scratch.

“..the carbon dioxide saved with one year’s worth of Precision Camera’s repairs compared to producing the equivalent number of new units is comparable to removing 1,000 SUVs from the streets, the company claims, based on a recent “Rethink Repair” environmental impact study.”

Repair is actually a win win situation for retailers as they can earn double the margins over a new camera purchase.  Hopefully more shops will offer this alternative to just selling new items.

The downside is that their spending $240 to repair an old $600 10 Mpixel digital camera may not be a wise decision economically.  Cameras have fallen in price and advanced in functionality. You would get a far more advanced camera with your new money.  The tradeoffs in being green are always complex and littered with land mines.

New tools to extend car mileage. Garmin has a new EcoRoute HD cable that plugs into your cards onboard diagnostics port (OBD II) and communicated via Bluetooth to their GPS navigation units.  Fuel flow, in take, oil pressure, throttle position, etc are send to the GPS for analysis and display.  This data is used by their ecoRoute software. ecoRoute HD will be compatible with many current and future nüvi models, including 1260, 1370, 1390, 1490 and 1690.

Garmin has free ecoRoute software for some of their nuvi GPS navigation devices that adds a “less fuel” option as a routing preference. When selected, the Garmin nüvi GPS will determine if more fuel efficient routes exist based upon road speed data and vehicle acceleration data for a given route.

It is compatible with Garmin nuvi 205, 705, 1200, and 1300 series of GPS’s. Amazon has most of these models on sale.

3D movies like Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, and Disney Pixar’s UP are doing well at the box office.  Many movies are available in some theaters in 3D and look great.  You will pay extra ($3 locally) for the privilege and be handed a pair of 3D glasses that only work in theaters.  They had a recycling box outside but we saw many people keep their glasses.  About 70% of theaters have these boxes. The boxes are sent to a recycling center, where the 3D glasses are cleaned, checked for quality, and then individually repackaged.

Considering these glass only work for RealD 3D movies, people are just adding to their junk piles.  You will not get a discount for bringing these glasses into a different 3D movie.  Most people bring them home and let them gather dust. These glasses also do not work as sunglasses.  Future 3D HDTV’s use 3D glasses with active shutter technology that have batteries inside.

Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, Christmas Carol, Ice Age 3 Dawn of Dinosaurs, Toy Story, G-Force,  X-Games 3D, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs, Disney’s A Christmas Carol are movies also in 3D, using the same 3D glasses.  It is time people recycle these 3D glasses.

Recycle 3D glasses by returning them to your theater or by sending them to:

RealD
100 North Crescent Dr., Suite 120
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-385-4000

Amazon has a new Avatar store. Amazon is having a sale on Kids & Family Movies.

Isn’t it wasteful using a plastic straw and tossing it in the garbage a little while later?  Think of how many straws get tossed at fast food outlets. Many straws end up as plastic swirling in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The San Francisco Zoo does not give out straws as they are a choking hazard to animals.

Time to get green eco friendly straws. Reusable Stainless Steel Drinking Straws are available for about $2.50 each. These straws are pretty stylish too.