Why revolving doors are more energy-efficient than swinging doors
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently conducted a study that showed if people used a revolving door instead of a swinging door when entering an office building, thousands of dollars would be saved every year per building in energy costs alone. The reason? On average, about eight times more air is exchanged with a traditional swinging door in comparison to a revolving door. A revolving door minimizes the gush of air dramatically, since it creates a barrier with the series of rotating doors.
PAPERBOARD BOXES
If your curbside recycling program accepts paperboard boxes from things like frozen dinners, you might wonder if the paper bowl or tray inside is also recyclable. The reality is, even if the paperboard insert is recyclable, you should not put it in your recycling bin because residual oils from the food make the paperboard totally contaminated. Even thoroughly washing it isn’t enough to make it recyclable, because the oils soak into the fibers of the container. Flatten and recycle the outer box, but toss the inner components into the trash.
MOTOR OIL
We’ve been taught that plastic bottles that have a No. 1 and No. 2 mark on the bottom are recyclable, but there is one variety of plastic bottle marked with the No. 2 that should never, ever be recycled: motor oil bottles. The thick residue that remains in the bottle makes it nonrecyclable, and in fact, motor oil bottles that end up in the recycling stream are considered the biggest contaminant in the plastic recycling market. Toss those bottles into the trash.
ALUMINUM
Aluminum is a valuable recyclable because it maintains a high raw material value and it can be recycled back into metal products over and over again. When it comes to aluminum cans and foil, you can recycle both. For beverage cans, it’s only necessary to do a light rinse, because the contents are grease-free. As for aluminum foil, you can recycle it as long as it’s completely clean of grease and food. So if there’s a food substance like cheese baked onto the foil, crumple it up and toss it away.
NATURAL WREATHS
When it’s time to take down a natural wreath made from leaves, branches or pine, don’t just toss the whole thing into the trash. First, take it apart by unraveling the florist wire that keeps everything in place. (That wire can be reused for craft projects you take on later in the year.) Once removed, save the wire frame or place it in the recycling bin. Finally, separate all the natural material and compost it or bury it in the ground to naturally decompose.
OIL CHANGES
Cars built more than 10 years ago lack the efficiency and technology of cars built today, but many people still have their motor oil changed at the same frequency whether their car was built in 2000, 2013 or last year. You may be surprised to learn that you may not need to change your motor oil as frequently as you think. The simplest way to find out is to visit checkyournumber.org and enter the year, make and model of your car. This site will tell you the exact manufacturer-recommended oil change frequency for your car, not the average for all cars.
UNBLEACHED PAPER
Choose unbleached paper products to use in cooking and baking in your kitchen. Many white paper kitchen materials are bleached using chlorine, which has chemicals that can leach into your food. Instead of taking the risk on whether or not a bleached product is safe, opt for unbleached. Products like parchment paper, coffee filters and paper towels all have unbleached (brown-colored) alternatives you can find easily at almost any supermarket. The cost is comparable, and the unbleached products are just as effective as the bleached ones.