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We only
have one planet to live on, and so we've got
to take care of it. Each year we celebrate Earth
Day to remind us of the importance of the "Three
Rs" that will result in a better planet for
everyone. We've
rounded up some helpful reminders for you this
week, and hope you'll find inspiration to do
what you can to Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.
You
may not realize how much drycleaners do to protect
the planet. Our industry has
dedicated itself to the concept of safe cleaning
for decades. We appreciate the opportunity to
serve you in this way.
See you soon!
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company
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Roll
Up Your Sleeves COUPON!
Since we're encouraging
you to roll up your sleeves and make a difference
for the environment, we'd better help you get
cleaned up afterward. This
week, have $15 in regular drycleaning done,
and we'll launder and professionally finish
a shirt at no charge. (Include
first page of this newsletter with your order.
Offer expires 4/23/05. Cannot be combined with
other offers.) |
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Reduce
= Use Less!
The
great thing about making a commitment to the
first of the "Three Rs" of environmental action
-- Reduce, Re-use, Recycle -- is that reducing
your use of things almost always results in
direct savings to you. Who doesn't
want to save money? Often what looks like a
small savings in materials or energy becomes
a substantial savings when practiced over and
over again.
Reducing
strategies:
Use
less electricity.
- These days, you
can have lights on and still be saving, by
replacing bulbs
in often-used lamps with the curly-looking
fluorescent ones available.
They cost a bit more to buy, but save you
money on electricity along the way.
- When
replacing appliances, really
read those energy consumption tags and take
them to heart. Go
for the most energy-efficient you can get.
- Run
full loads of laundry, rather than partial
loads, and
consider air-drying on a line outside.
The wonderful smell of sun dried clothes is
a nice benefit, too!
- Turn
down the temperature on your hot water heater.
It should be no higher than 140 degrees for
safety sake, but can be even lower and still
give water hot enough for your taste. If it
doesn't have to keep the water so hot, it
saves energy
Reduce
water consumption
- Purchase
low-flow shower heads to conserve
water.
- When
replacing toilets, get those with smaller
tanks. This is a big savings,
because every flush empties the entire tank
no matter what its size.
- Put
sprinklers on timers for automatic shut-off,
and go with low-water-usage landscaping.
- Don't
let water run -- whether you're
brushing your teeth, doing dishes, washing
your car. Turn it on when you need it, then
shut it OFF.
Save
gasoline
- As gas prices climb,
we're all eager to use less. Combine
errands to reduce the number of trips you
make.
- Ride
with friends when possible
-- it's more fun, and saves gas.
- Only
run your gasoline-powered equipment when necessary.
If the grass can wait a few more days, do
it and stretch out the gas you put in the
mower.
- Aim
to save at least a gallon of gas a week.
Depending on your car mileage, that's 20-40
miles saved (which is also a savings on wear
and tear of your auto.) With gas at $2.50
per gallon, in a year you'll keep an additional
$130. And once you begin to conserve, you'll
make a habit of it and probably save much
more.
Learn
More Online: Drought-Buster
Recycling Tips -- learn from the Australians,
who've battled the water conservation issue
for years. |
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Re-Use
= Use Again!
In "the good old days" before
we had a WalMart on every corner and abundance
of things at our fingertips, people re-used
and repurposed things out of necessity, and
took pride in doing so. It's
again fashionable to re-use whatever possible
for the sake of the environment. It's
also a great way to save money and have some
fun, too.
Re-Use
Ideas
- Donate
used clothing. Twice a year,
go through your closet and drawers and weed
out what you'll not wear again. Donate to
charity and get a tax write-off next year!
- Yard
Sales Rule! Hold or participate
in a neighborhood yard sale at least once
a year. It's a great way to keep clutter to
a minimum, keep items moving to others who
can use them. Making a little extra cash is
fun, and getting a bargain at someone else's
yard sale is delightful.
- Repurpose
furniture, rather than discarding
and getting new items. You can find great
ideas for how to do this creatively and effectively
by watching shows on TV like Merge (Lifetime
channel) or those on Home and Garden TV (HGTV).
- Hold
onto packing materials. Items
like cardboard boxes, styrofoam, "peanuts",
grocery bags and other packaging materials
can all be reused in a variety of ways.
Learn
More Online: Lots
of tips for reusing and repurposing!
Pioneer
Thinking -- tips for reusing just about
anything! |
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Recycle
= Reclaim materials for remanufacturing
You almost can't go
anywhere today without spotting a recycling
bin or collection point. This
means there's no excuse for being wasteful.
It only takes an extra moment to rinse out a
can or bottle, or bundle up some papers and
put them intoyour recycling can.
Items
to Recycle:
- Newspaper
- Office/home office
paper
- Metal (cans or
other items)
- Glass
- Plastics (stamped
#1 or #2)
- Cardboard
- Automobile batteries
- Cell phone batteries
- Junk mail (hurrah!)
- Laser/Inkprinter
cartridges
- Computers
- Eyeglasses
Learn
more: The
World's Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide
-- it's all on one page for easy posting
on the refrigerator or in the garage. |
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the symbol to the left if your
would like to send this and future newsletters
to a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
The
Iris City Cleaners Connection is
a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest
of fine garment care, restoration, and conservation.
It is published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris
City Cleaners and is an extension of our services
described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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International
Fabricare Institute
Iris
City Cleaners
is a proud member of the International Fabricare
Institute, a premier association of Dry
Cleaners, Wet Cleaners, and Launderers dedicated
to the advancement of technologies and service
to the textile industry. |
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