What Impact Does Your Favorite Sports Team Have on the Environment?

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet was the automotive maker’s catchy slogan in 1975—it was coined to help auto buyers identify with all things American, including the Chevy.  As America has evolved over the decades, baseball might not be the number one sports past-time.  Americans love a variety of sports, like football, auto racing, basketball, soccer, tennis, and extreme sports.  Regardless of which venue is your personal favorite, there’s one thing each sport has in common—each event generates tons of waste.

To the avid sports enthusiast, a great game is all about the thrill of competition and seeing the team of choice coming out on top.  From the recent NFL labor struggles, we can see behind the scenes, sports can be more about high-stake greed and loving the money more than the sport.  Though the NFL has resolved its issues, the NBA is nipping at their heels with similar problems, with outcomes to be determined soon.  With everyone’s favorite teams embroiled in controversy, something good is churning from the mix—there is other “green” talk going on that encompasses more than money.

The Green Sports Alliance was formed last spring in an attempt to control the impact sporting events have on the environment by implementing more sustainable practices.  Currently, more than 25 sports teams and venues have joined the alliance to help with their efforts, including the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Cavaliers, Seattle Mariners, Key Arena, and Target field, just to name a few.

What’s being accomplished?  The Washington Redskins are installing solar panels in their stadium that will generate enough power during the week and for a portion of their game times.  This should lower their energy usage by 15%.  The National Hockey League purchased “Water Restoration Certificates” which allowed them to fully offset the water consumed in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Boeing Classic ramped up golf’s contribution during their annual PGA Champions Tour, diverting over 92% of waste—including 20 tons of compost and 11 tons of commingled recyclables.  The Seattle Mariners continues to recycle or compost up to 80% of the waste generated at Safeco Field, compared to 12% in 2005.  For more stories and statistics on what professional sports teams and other venues are doing for the environment, visit the Green Sports Alliance’s website at:  http://greensportsalliance.org.

To supply your community with all the essentials to root for their favorite local teams while encouraging sustainability, contact Target Marketing Group for pricing on recycled content sport bottles, coolers, backpacks, baseball caps, golf balls and tees www.recycledpromos.com  Together, we’re making a difference.

Financial Incentives for Students of Schools that Recycle

Move over Box Tops for Education and Campbell’s Soup Labels, and make room for the Dream Machine Recycle Rally in your school.  While the plethora of clip-and-save incentive programs and fundraisers go a long way in providing schools with playground equipment and other essentials, the Dream Machine Recycle Rally takes it a step further—it offers a lucrative reward system for schools while simultaneously helping our environment.

What is the Dream Machine Recycle Rally?   By participating in this program, grades K-12 earn points for every non-alcoholic beverage can or plastic bottle collected for recycling.  The bottles are redeemed for sporting goods, gift cards, educational events, music, books, and videos.  In addition, competing schools vie for over 75 amazing prizes, including a $50,000 Dream Green School Makeover.  To date, five million beverage bottles and cans have been collected from over 500 schools covering 30 states.  The goal of PepsiCo is to push the national beverage recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018.  Not only does this program encourage the next generation to get into the habit of recycling, but the savings to our natural resources is immense.  As an added benefit, this program also supports post 9/11 disabled U.S. veterans.

While many school districts continue to suffer from the blight of recession, it’s never been a better time to kick off the new school year with a new twist to the typical school recycling program.  The Dream Machine Recycle Rally provides the potential to earn much needed supplies and financial incentives—all while teaching students of all ages the importance of conservation.

If your school budget permits, consider subsidizing the Dream Machine Recycle Rally with recycled content promotional prizes for your top recycling students or classrooms.  Target Marketing Group offers useful products needed for every day student life.  Whether you select recycled USB flash drive holders, insulated lunch totes, business pad folders, folding tote bags, or caps, you reinforce the importance of not only recycling, but by closing the loop through buying recycled.  Students are amazed to see how their “trash” was transformed into unique and trendy products they are proud to own.  If your budget is tight, consider petitioning local businesses to sponsor the purchase of recycled content products with the promise to imprint their logo on the merchandise.

Times are tough, and not every school levy will pass when parents are losing jobs and have to feed their families on a shoestring.  Join the Dream Machine Recycle Rally and energize the environment with your contribution while earning the rewards your school needs to remain globally competitive.  Visit http://www.dreammachinerecyclerally.com to sign up today!

A Must Read if You’re Considering a Green Home Improvement Project

The sky might light up with red, white, and blue fireworks this Independence Day weekend, but since most will enjoy an extra day off work, why not throw a little “green” into the mix?  Target Marketing Group is excited to introduce a hot book that’s fresh on the market entitled, Best Green Home Projects:  25 Weatherization Projects for a Greener Home and Business by Brenda K. Cross.  This book is a must-have—not only for the environmentally conscious among us, but for anyone who would like to lower their utility bills 10%-30%!  Would you like to save some green by tackling simple projects, most of which cost less than $100?  Imagine 10%-30% less each month multiplied by the years you remain in your home!  When the book touts “best green home projects,” we have truly found them to be the best of the best.   If you’ve ever searched online for green home improvement projects, you’ve probably been astounded by the expensive fixes that are depicted or revolted by the hokey suggestions no one would ever attempt.  This book offers a common sense approach for economical projects that are do-able—even for the mechanically challenged among us!

Our home is burdened with a solarium.  A solarium might offer a beautiful view, but it’s an energy nightmare.  During the summer months, the solarium draws enough heat to make our family room an inferno and causes the air conditioning to run so often that the upstairs becomes frigid.  In the wintertime, our baseboard heaters must run constantly to prevent Eskimos from building igloos inside it.  Since it’s a carpeted play area for our daughter, we can’t shut it off from the rest of our house to solve the problem, and since a natural disaster hasn’t destroyed it for an insurance claim to finance an enclosed structure replacement, we heeded the book’s advice to apply window film to block UV rays and deflect some of the heat.  Unfortunately, we didn’t think we needed the squeegee kit or special applicator, and our film ended up being a wadded mess while tempers flared and expletives flew until we contacted a window tinting company.  Wow.  They were expensive.  Buy the squeegee kit and applicator and you’ll save hundreds of dollars by doing it yourself!  After applying the window film, we noticed an immediate difference.  Our house simply wasn’t as hot, and the air conditioning didn’t run as often.  Voila!  Money saved! 

The best and most natural way to cool your house is to plant a tree.  Shade from a tree near the hottest part of your house can reduce utility bills by 15%-35%!  Needless to say, our biggest trees are planted closest to our solarium.  Since mid-summer is quickly approaching, many garden centers are trying to move out their remaining inventory with July 4^th sales.  Take advantage of these great price cuts.  Plan time between cook-outs and festivities during your extended holiday weekend to purchase a tree and plant it with your family.  You’ll be expanding your “family tree” and saving money on your utility bills! 

Target Marketing Group is the premier leader in green promotions.  We simply don’t sell green unless it’s a product worth selling.  With today’s tough economy, everyone is looking to cut corners.  This book will show you how to do just that.  We’re convinced this book is the answer you need to save money—10%-30% on your utilities MONTHLY.  If you’re still not convinced, we want to offer you more free tips before you buy.  For more of the BEST free home weatherization tips, visit    http://www.cuturenergycosts.com     Start saving money today so you can get more BANG for your buck!

Simple Steps To A Green Summer

While Target Marketing Group encourages you to make every day Earth Day, we’d like to offer some helpful tips to make this summer your greenest summer yet!  If you’ve ever engaged in a personal fitness program for weight loss or better health, you know that some of the tiniest movements are the most strenuous because they work the muscles so effectively.  Going green functions the same way—the smallest eco-friendly practices collectively produce a greener, healthier planet.

Who Needs Air Conditioning?

Just because the red in the thermometer is inching upward doesn’t mean you need to click the air on already.  Save it for the excessively hot and humid dog days of summer!  In the meantime, open the window and enjoy a fresh breeze. Pull the blinds or drapes to block out some of the sun’s rays, or opt for a ceiling or floor fan that uses less energy in order to circulate the air in your home.

http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/ShowView/2/owner/902001/number/828/Default.aspx

Forget the Bottled Water

According to Wikipedia, the leading online encyclopedia, the global rate of bottled water consumption has quadrupled between 1990 and 2005.  Approximately 200 billion bottles are consumed annually on a global basis.  If you stacked the water bottles end to end that New York uses alone, they would reach the moon!  Since it takes 15 million gallons of oil to create the plastic for water bottles distributed in the United States, bottling water strains our non-renewable energy supply.  Studies have shown that bottled water is contaminated more often than you might think, and since it doesn’t contain the fluoride that tap water does, prolonged reliance on it can promote tooth decay.  If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, consider purchasing a water filter—it will be cheaper than buying water, and you’ll be helping the environment.  http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/mid/1222/ShowView/1/category/Drinkware/Default.aspx

Have a Garage Sale

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.  Clear out the clutter from your

home—you’ll make money AND conserve landfill space.  If you don’t have time

to mark items to sell, donate your unwanted items that still have life in them toa local charity.  Get your kids involved by encouraging them to root out forgotten toys to give to less fortunate children who would be overjoyed to play with them.  Kids love garage sales too, and when they learn how the money they generate can be applied to their savings account, a special activity, or a new toy, they will be motivated to part more readily with clutter in the future.  http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/ShowView/2/owner/902001/number/711/Default.aspx

Bike or Walk to Fun Destinations

Since obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended) among adults and children alike, take advantage of warmer weather to bike or walk to your local destinations.  If you live in an urban area, parks and other recreational sites are often within walking or biking distance.  If rural life places you too far geographically from a desired destination, explore your locale—hike in nearby woods, walk to a pond or fishing hole, pedal your scenic roads, or canoe or kayak the closest lake or river.  You’ll be reducing air pollution and doing something healthy for your body.  http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/ShowView/2/owner/902001/number/825/Default.aspx

 

Patronize Local Fruit Stands

When produce is trucked across country, it not only creates more air pollution and uses gas and oil, but chemicals are used to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh for your consumption.  Patronizing a roadside stand or farmers’ market is more eco-friendly, and the foods are healthier (maybe even organic) and definitely more succulent.  Just imagine that luscious strawberry, those soft and sweet-smelling peaches, the mouth-watering ears of corn, and tomatoes that taste like actual tomatoes!  http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/mid/1222/ShowView/1/Default.aspx?category=Plants+%26+Seeds

Unplug Electronics When You’re on Vacation or Outdoors

Phantom power is energy that your home consumes just by having electronics and gadgets plugged in, even though they are switched off and are not being used.  Phantom power is thought to comprise nearly 10 percent of your overall electrical use each month.  While it’s undoubtedly inconvenient to wade through a web of wires to reach obscured outlets, think of the cost savings each month on your electric bill as well as the impact you’re making on the environment.  Since families spend a large portion of time outdoors and on vacation during summer months, remember to unplug the TV, computer, chargers, microwave, and other appliances when you’re going to be out and about.    http://www.recycledpromos.com/EcoProducts/tabid/573/mid/1222/ShowView/1/category/Household/Default.aspx

Your Actions Count

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and our ailing planet isn’t going to recover overnight.  However, when individuals contribute, even in small ways noted above, we gain ground and come much closer to reaching our environmental goals to make a global impact.  Enjoy your summer, and keep thinking green!  www.recycledpromos.com

Green-Minded Practices For The Glory Days Of Summer

After a tumultuous spring around the country, everyone is eager for a summer ripe with the amenities of sun, pools, picnics, vacations, and outdoor fun.   With the increase of mobility under the canopy of a blue sky comes the unfortunate addition of litter.  You’ve seen it—the water bottle lying in the weeds along the walking path of the wooded park; the fast food wrapper discarded under the picnic table; the abandoned beer cans from racy teens hiding their cavorting from unsuspecting parents.  The glory days of summer are far too short, but everyone can pitch in to keep the longer days as green as possible!

What green-minded practices can you implement over the summer?  Try these suggestions:

• For special picnics with the family, remember to pack reusable plates, flatware, and drink cups rather than the disposable alternatives.  Yes, it’s much easier to toss the dinnerware than haul it home to load in the dishwasher, but making the green choice collectively makes for a healthier planet.
• Take a litter bag with you on outdoor excursions to pick up items discarded by litterbugs.  Let’s face it, we’ll never convince everyone to act responsibly.  Statistics prove that when people see a littered area, they feel that it’s “okay” to litter there as well.  Cleaning up someone else’s mess will discourage additional violations.  Once your hike is at an end, find the nearest trash bin to deposit your litterbag and pat yourself on the back for your display of good stewardship!
• If you are a smoker, remember those cigarette butts belong in an ash receptacle—not on the ground.  Cigarette butts are one of the most littered items on our roadways, and they are unsightly! 
• Bike or walk in lieu of driving when you can.  This will help prevent harmful emissions, especially in metro areas where air quality is more negatively affected on hotter days.

If you are part of a club, business, or organization that would like to initiate more proactive strides against littering, consider purchasing the ClearStream One Recycling Container for public areas in your community.  These specialized bins take the guesswork out of recycling.  Aluminum cans and plastic bottles are source-separated, which is easily discernable since the bins and bags inside are clear and each slot is labeled.   One four-color sponsorship sign accompanies each bin to advertise your name and contact information.  The ClearStream One Recycling Container is also the perfect choice for special events, such as outdoor concerts, festivals, and fairs.  The cash received from the collected bottles and cans may be used to offset the initial cost of the bins or may be donated to a charitable cause.  Either way, you’ll be significantly contributing towards environmental sustainability by establishing an easy system for others to make right choices.  

 For more information on the ClearStream One Recycling Container or to place an order, contact Target Marketing Group by calling 1-800-211-5850 ext. 702 or by e-mailing bob@recycledpromos.com