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1500 questions
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4 answers
Why are unbleached paper products like napkins so expensive and hard to find?
Unbleached paper is reported to be better for the environment, but my local supermarket doesn't carry unbleached paper products at all, and while I can find them at a store like Whole Foods, they tend to cost more than twice as much as the bleached…
Johnny
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14
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3 answers
Sustainability of LED production?
Not all LEDs are the same. Standard LEDs use various combinations of indium, gallium, arsenic, silicon, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and a couple other elements. Most of these need to be mined from the earth. Organic LEDs sound at first like they…
Evan Johnson
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2 answers
How can glass be recycled/reused locally in rural communities?
I live in a "remote" part of the USA, where it is prohibitively expensive to ship glass elsewhere for recycling. Because of the small population (the nearest city over 10k people is 110 miles away), recycling is a relatively new phenomenon here.…
Evan Johnson
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13
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1 answer
How can I remove PCBs from my soil?
I live in a neighborhood where there is a very real chance my soil will be contaminated by PCBs. I may need to potentially be able to clean them up, with out breaking the bank. Are there any microbes or fungi I could employ to help me? Where can…
Daniel Bingham
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13
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2 answers
How much energy does it take to create a single light bulb?
This question is a part of this question. Perhaps it is better suited on the physics SE, but here goes.
I would like to know how much energy it takes, in the modern world, to construct an ordinary, ready-to-buy light bulb, from the raw materials in…
Rody Oldenhuis
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13
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2 answers
Are there any viable DIY or commercial solutions to convert waste heat to electricity?
Apparantly there are some advances in converting heat to electricity such as here or here.
But are there any commercial solutions/devices/DIY projects or is this at the moment (as stated in the article) only available in large scale industrial…
nairboon
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13
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4 answers
How can I support the recycling, but not the new production of aluminum?
While the initial production of aluminum is a waste-intensive, energy-intensive process that has negative environmental and social impact through deforestation and contamination of waterways, aluminum has an incredibly high recycling rate (e.g.…
RollingCompass
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13
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6 answers
What is the least environmentally damaging way to start a fire?
I'm used to burning matches to ignite my incense.
What is the least environmentally damaging way to start a fire ? to use matches or a lighter ? something else ?
Of course a lighter would use natural gas (butane or propane) and consume plastics - I…
Stephane Rolland
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13
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2 answers
Cooked food composting
Recently I started composting at home.
As many sources told me not to put cooked food and several other things. Mainly to not attract animals. I don't put them on on my compost pile, but put put it in the bag for organic waste which goes to the…
Sironsse
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13
votes
1 answer
What are the cheapest and easiest methods to convert grey water to potable water?
What are the cheapest and easiest methods for converting grey water (of the usual sources: kitchen sink, shower, laundry, etc) to potable water that is safe to drink?
Zach Dwiel
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13
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2 answers
Is it legal to have chickens in NYC?
I have a small backyard and live in a densely populated part of Brooklyn. I'm interested in exploring the possibility of getting two chickens for eggs. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for the urban chicken coop.
Is it legal? I know some…
Patti Mac
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13
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7 answers
How can ceramics be recycled?
How can ceramics be recycled? Does the answer vary greatly depending on glaze or other factors, and if so, how can those factors be determined (i.e. how can I tell if a glaze contains lead or not)?
My municipality says ceramics and pottery should…
cr0
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13
votes
1 answer
Reuse or "dollar vote"?
I'm a big fan of reusing and if I really need to buy something, I buy it used. For example, I've been using second hand or refurbished phones for many years. However, while that is good for the environment (because fewer phones need to be produced),…
Camilo Rada
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13
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5 answers
(Non-compost) uses for egg-shells?
Like many families, we eat eggs and this produces egg shells. While I am aware that composting is a possibility I am wondering if there are other things we can do with them. We are not raising chickens of our own yet so feeding them back to…
Chris Travers
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13
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How can I extend the life of mobile phones that can't be used in my country anymore?
I own two "dumbphones" that are now useless in Australia because they rely on the 2G network, which is being phased out entirely this year (2017).
The two phones work perfectly fine, an I'd rather see them further used before being recycled.
Is…
stragu
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