Earth Friendly

Sunday is Earth Day. It is a day set aside for the world to think about the environment and what we can do to protect it.

It also is a wonderful reminder for us to reduce, recycle and reuse.

There are probably a handful of items in your home that can easily be greened in honor of Earth Day, some of which you may have never considered. Take your swimming pool, for example.

Older swimming pools can be modernized and remodeled, and can have more energy-efficient equipment installed, said Joe Vassallo, president of Paragon Pools in Las Vegas.

"The last few years, a large part of our business has been remodeling," he said.

One of the more common trends found in today's pools is the addition of a wet deck, a shelf in the pool with about 6 inches of water covering it. Created when a pool is replastered and/or refinished, the addition of a wet deck means less water is needed to fill the pool, Vassallo said.

According to Vassallo, homeowners are choosing to remodel their old pools because they are staying in their homes longer or they purchased a property that had been foreclosed and the pool fell into disrepair, the equipment was stolen or was never completed.

Vassallo said one of the changes he makes is to replace an old pump with a modern one, including a calibrated, variable-speed pump. More energy efficient, it can save as much as 80 percent of the cost it takes to run a pool, he added. And in some cases, you can get a rebate to help defray the cost of purchase.

Adding a remote control to operate the pump is another energy-saving option, as is a built-in freeze protector, which turns the pump on automatically when the temperature drops to a specific level.

"It monitors the water temperature so that you only have to run the pump when necessary to keep the pipes from freezing," Vassallo said.

Other common changes to pools include installing stone or glass tiles - replacing those that look like they belong in a bathroom - which are easier to clean; switching out the deck surrounding the pool, installing travertine or paver stones; and adding water features.

Paragon uses a 3-D program that gives homeowners a true picture of what their project will look like when completed. It can even provide views from inside the pool and underwater.

"A nice amenity, even if you're happy with your pool, is to add solar," he said.

A solar water heater, which usually costs between $3,000 and $5,000, can extend the swim season two to three months. Also, it is powered by the sun, virtually eliminating the need to use electricity to heat the pool.

compost greens gardens

And what about your garbage? You can turn it into earth-enriching compost, said Angela O'Callaghan, a professor for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension who specializes in horticulture.

"You can take garbage and turn it into something useful," she said. "Compost is going to happen no matter what. It's our job to expedite the process and contain it."

Although she admits that many people are afraid of compost because they think it might smell bad or attract bugs or vermin, O'Callaghan said that if done correctly, it does neither. Instead, compost is a nutrient-rich substance that greatly benefits the soil and enhances area gardens, promoting growth.

O'Callaghan said the best garbage to turn into compost is kitchen scraps.

"Anything that is vegetable: leafy greens, fruit peelings, apple cores, the tops of carrots, the dead salad you didn't finish as long as it doesn't have a ton of dressing on it."

Other items from the kitchen you can turn into compost are used coffee grounds and tea bags.

Dead leaves and items pruned from bushes and shrubs can be added to the compost as well.

She also suggests adding paper to the compost pile because it helps balance out all of the nitrogen from green scraps. Newspaper is ideal because it is easy to come by and breaks down very fast, she added.

"Generally, we say not to compost anything that is meat related. Not that it won't compost, it will; however it could attract other critters and does tend to smell."

She said it also is best not to add leaves or stems from plants that were infested by insects.

To make the compost, place your items in a covered container, the size determined only by how much space you have. Keep the decomposing scraps moist but not dripping wet, and turn it periodically. Worms, particularly red wigglers, can be added to speed up the process.

"Small composting worms are very hungry; they can eat their own weight," she said.

eliminate extra garbage

Not only can you give your kitchen scraps new life, other items you routinely throw away, such as plastic bread bags, dry-cleaning bags and cereal box liners, in particular, can now be recycled in decking for your back yard.

Trex Enhance deck boards are made of 95 percent recycled materials, including plastic bags, sawdust and reclaimed wood.

"Our goal is to educate consumers and encourage them to recycle this 'other' plastic material in order to reduce their environmental footprint and keep these materials out of landfills," said Dave Heglas, director of material resources for Trex. "The range of recyclable plastics that you can find in your kitchen alone is amazing. Everything from newspaper sleeves to sandwich bags and the wrapping around paper towel rolls may be recycled and transformed into new products."

Trex Enhance is a high-performance composite decking line that is extremely durable and wear resistant.

Around the house

There also are items you use everyday or decorate with that can be environmentally friendly.

Lush, which specializes in natural and organic bath and body items, recently debuted its first household product: the Dish Fairy. Available Monday at retail outlets and online, the Dish Fairy is a lemon-scented, unpackaged, unpreserved, solid wand that allows you to clean your dishes and keep your hands soft at the same time.
According to a company spokesperson, a key ingredient is lemon oil, which tones and brightens the skin.

In addition, because the Dish Fairy comes unpackaged, it eliminates the need for plastic bottles that can end up in the landfill.

Another option to wash your dishes in green style comes from the Food Network's new CookingGreen line available at Kohl's. Its bottle brush is made of recycled stainless steel and 50 percent recycled plastic, while it's soap-dispensing dish brush is made of bamboo, a sustainable wood, and recycled plastic. Kohl's also has a line of renewable wood picture frames and kitchen textiles made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, found in plastics and soda bottles that add a green element to your décor.