Environmental Information

For questions on recycling, please visit the SOCRRA website.

ReGreening Your House

Green Tips

Renewable Energy

ReGreening Your House

The U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) have teamed up to create the REGREEN program. While every home will require special attention, this list is intended to prioritize the goals. Care should be taken upon initial inspection to identify critical areas of need. The Building System and Indoor Environmental Quality are primary areas of concern. Conservation of energy and water are also critical. Lastly, functionality and aesthetics should also be considered.

The following is a suggested guideline for the rehabilitation of residential structures in Ferndale. On a case-by-case basis, the following may apply:

Install low-water-use kitchen faucet (WE41)
Replace toilets with high-efficiency toilets (WE42)
Install low-water-use shower heads (WE43)
Install water-conserving faucet aerator (WE44)
Choose high-efficiency water heater (EA79)
Insulate hot water heater (EA80)
Insulate hot water pipes (EA81)
Set water temperature no higher than necessary (EA82)
Install CO and smoke alarms (IEQ164)
Install bath ventilation (IEQ167)
Install ceiling fans (EA76)
Install energy-efficient electric lighting (EA85)
Install programmable thermostats (EA67)
Properly seal and insulate HVAC distribution system (EA70)
Make sure ducting is clean (EA71)
Minimize dryer duct length and number of turns (EA73)
Replace appliances with energy efficient models (EA93)
Install attic insulation (EA49) Use high-recycled-content, formaldehyde-free insulation (MR117)
Insulate rim joists and bond (EA55)
Upgrade existing windows (EA56)
Upgrade existing exterior doors (EA57)
Weather-strip doors and windows (EA58)
Install awnings or other exterior window shading systems (EA62)
Design landscape features to minimize heat effects (IDP 17) Make use of trees and landscaping to reduce cooling loads (SS30)
Design to minimize outdoor water use (IDP 18)
Provide rainwater collection system (WE40)
When possible, use FSC-certified wood (MR118)
Use low or zero VOC construction adhesives, caulking and sealant (IEQ187)
Use existing or refurbished materials, products that are recycled or have recycled content and low or no VOC content items.

For complete information and many more suggestions, see the ASID and USGBC REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines Second Edition at www.regreenprogram.org.

Also go to REMrate or TREAT for an energy calculator.

Green Tips

The Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission’s Green Tuesday Seminar Series is aimed at providing local residents with the information they need to become better stewards of the environment. The seminars are held the second Tuesday of the month at the Kulick Community Center in Ferndale (1201 Livernois) from 6:30pm-8:00pm. The seminars are FREE and open to public (you need not be a Ferndale resident to attend).

Snow Melt and Water Quality, Tips for Protecting our Water

When snow melts, stormwater, which is water that doesn’t soak into the ground or other porous surfaces, is carried UNTREATED from your storm drain to nearby lakes, rivers and streams. The presence of chemicals and other pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, and fluids from your car that are found on your yard, driveway etc. are carried in the stormwater to nearby water bodies where they impact the water quality and the wildlife that depends on it.

In order to be a good steward of our lakes, rivers and streams as the snow begins to melt and springtime approaches, residents should take the following tips into consideration:

Make sure ALL pet waste is picked up and discarded properly and in a timely manner.
Make sure all storm drains are cleared of leaves, trash and other matter.
Pick-up the area around your home and make sure all debris is discarded responsibly, recycled or composted.
Direct gutter spouts away from paved areas.
Sweep up any extra salt that is still on your sidewalk, driveway, etc.
Properly and cautiously clean-up and dispose of any spilled chemicals or contaminants.
Fill a rain barrel or garbage can with snow and use the melted snow to water house plants. (You can also fill smaller containers like a bucket or watering can with snow and bring it inside for watering house plants.)
Check your car for any fluid leaks, and make necessary repairs.
Wash your car at a car wash or on your lawn instead of in your driveway.
If you fertilize your yard, please make sure to use phosphorous free fertilizers.
NEVER pour anything down a storm drain. It’s illegal!

For more information please contact the Ferndale Department of Public Works or visit the Clinton River Watershed website to read about what you can do to manage stormwater on your property and protect water quality all year round.

August - How to Go Back to School Green

Make a list of what you need. You may have items left over from last year that you can still use.
When looking for backpacks, folders, notebooks and writing utensils, choose ones that are made of recycled and non-PVC materials. Also choose to support companies that are committed to stopping climate change through their business practices. Before you buy, you can check out each company’s scorecard at ClimateCounts.org
Purchase refillable pens and pencils to reduce waste.
Look for the Forest Stewardship Council or FSC label on pencils and paper products. The Forest Stewardship Council certifies wood and paper products grown in forests that are responsibly managed.
As with all purchases, choose products with the least amount of packaging and avoid plastics if possible.
Print on both sides of paper and recycle it when you are through using it.
Pack lunches in reusable lunchboxes and use reusable sandwich bags. New companies on the internet are offering cool alternatives to disposable products. Check out PlanetBox.com which sells stainless steel lunchboxes with molded compartments for food and customizable magnets for the outside. Or try Lunchville.com which carries several brands of stylish, and conveniently designed reusable lunch products for all ages. Remember to pack your reusable lunchboxes with organic foods.
Don’t buy plastic bottled water. There are many different styles of reusable bottles that are very handy including designs that can clip to book bags or that fit in or with the reusable boxes.
If you are upgrading your computers or cell phones for the school year, recycle your old models. You can drop off old electronics at retail stores that recycle, like Best Buy or at SOCRRA with an appointment. You may also want to consider extending the useful life of your electronics by donating them to organizations that will refurbish them for people and charities that need them.
Walk, ride your bike, or carpool to school.

To get more information on Going Back to School Green, attend our next Green Tuesday on September 14th at 6:30pm at the Kulick Center. Green Tips are also posted at fesc.freeforums.org in the Public Forum. Finally, you can join the FESC Facebook group to get reminders and information on all upcoming events.

Make Your Own Compost

Healthy soils have at least 5% organic content. If your soil is healthy, everything in your yard grows better. Your vegetable will yield more, your flowers will bloom more vigorously, and your trees and grass will look better. By adding compost, you won’t have to spend your money on commercial fertilizers that are harmful to the environment. You will reduce watering and help absorb storm water runoff because compost retains more water. You will also help recycle some of your yard wastes keeping them out of landfills and our public yard waste system. Here are some simple steps to make your own compost:

Choose a container style. Square compost bins occupy a corner of your yard, are easy to make, and can be any size. Tumbler-style composts bins have a closed compartment suspended on a frame. They have the advantage of being easily turned and relocated but are slightly more complicated to build. Worm composts are the best for composting food wastes but are usually smaller than square or tumbler composts. For designs and instructions, search Youtube.com for how-to videos. Containers can also be purchased at retail stores like the Green Thumb Garden Center on Woodward Ave in Ferndale or at the Department of Public Works at 521 E. Cambourne.
Fill your bin with the right kinds of organic matter. Square and tumbler bins need both green matter, like grass clippings, and brown matter, like leaves and twigs. It is a good idea to chop these up with a lawnmower because the smaller the pieces, the faster the microorganisms can eat them. You can add other things like hedge trimmings, pine needles, straw, sawdust, coffee grounds, tea bags, garden waste, and small amounts of fruit and vegetable peelings. Be sure to bury your kitchen wastes in the pile to avoid pests and odors. Do not add dairy products, fats, cooked food, meats, or manure.
Add compost. Add a small amount of finished compost to your pile in order to introduce the beneficial microorganisms.
Water regularly. If the pile dries out, the composting process slows down. Collect rainwater in barrels to use for watering your compost.
Turn your pile often. Composting properly creates bacteria that need air. They break down matter quickly and without creating smelly odors. If the pile compresses and loses its internal air pockets, the good bacterial will die. It will be replaced by slow-working bacteria that create slimy compost and awful smells.

To get more information on composting check out the Lawn & Garden videos on the Southeastern Oakland County Water Authority website at socwa.org. Free finished compost is available at the Southwest Storage Yard located off Central and West Marshall behind Ferndale High School every Saturday in May, 8:00am to 12:00pm and at the DPW Yard during regular business hours.

April Green Tip: Green Spring Cleaning

Use non-toxic, biodegradable, cleaners and detergents made from renewable resources. Many conventional cleaners are made from petroleum products that have harmful heath effects. But don't dump your toxic cleaners down the drain. Call SOCRRA's Special Household Waste Hotline for a disposal appointment @ (248) 288-5153.
Open your windows while you clean. Fresh air circulation will help remove toxins produced from cleaning products, paints, furniture, and synthetic materials that pollute indoor air. House plants such as peace lilies, gerbera daisies, and English ivy are among the best plants for producing oxygen and absorbing formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and benzene. For a 2000 sq. Ft. house, NASA recommends 15-18 plants.
Don't use commercial air fresheners. Sprinkle baking soda on carpets before vacuuming to absorb odors. Place herbs, citrus peels, fruits, or cinnamon sticks in a ceramic burner with water and teaspoon of vegetable oil to make a natural air freshener.
Make your own household cleaners from ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. You can find easy recipes online to replace any conventional cleaning product.

March Green Tip

Consider purchasing a rain barrel: One ¼ inch of rain is enough to fill a 55 gallon drum (approximately 1000 square feet of roof space). Rain barrels reduce demand on the municipal water supply. They reduce storm drain runoff, which at a minimum, reduces the energy needed to treat storm and waste water.
Statistics vary but typically a gas powered lawn mower emits as much pollution per hour as 40 cars.
Yard waste, specifically grass clippings, make-up 20% of municipal solid waste collected and most of it ends up in our landfills. Mulching or composting this waste is a must.
Use household newspaper, cardboard and office paper before using mulch. Place up to 10 sheets overlapping then water it down. No need to cut grass first. Lay mulch over the paper barrier and you will enjoy a weed free prepped surface good for planting and landscaping.
Reduce your lawn size. The benefits of lawn reduction:
- Save time on mowing using less fuel and emitting less pollution
- By adding native, drought resistant plants you will promote a habitat for wildlife
- You will conserve water

Plastic Bags

The FEIC encourages all Ferndale residents to stop using single use plastic bags for shopping. Instead bring along a canvas bag for your purchases.

The EPA estimates that each year 500billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used and less than 1% are recycled. When plastic bags are thrown away, as they break down in the land fill, they release toxic poisons that contaminate our soil and waterways. This harms the fish, birds and animals in our local lakes, streams and rivers.
Not only that, but who is tired of seeing plastic bags fly all over the place??

Many countries and American cities have already banned these bags, or are in the process of doing so. Ann Arbor is working on being the first city in Michigan to ban plastic bags. At this time, Ferndale does not have a plastic bag-ban, so it is our civic duty as citizens to take the initiative to begin using cloth or canvas bags and to encourage our local leaders to take a stand on this issue.

Benefits of biking to work instead of driving a car:

Save money- a bike is cheaper than a car: no car payment, no insurance; and at $4 a gallon, you’ll save a bundle every month just in gas!
Better for your health- Commuting by bike reduces pollution that causes asthma and bronchitis. A commuting cyclist is also less exposed to air pollution than a commuting motorist. Also, cycling exercises the heart better than walking without the pounding of jogging.
Better for the environment- it helps reduce your carbon footprint and helps others as much as it helps you! Bicycling adds NO emissions to the environment.
It’s Fun!- Join the Sierra Club August 9th at the annual Green Cruise where you can Join the Parade • Wear Green • Dress Up in Costumes • Decorate Your Bike • Be Creative! The Sierra Club organizes the Green Cruise to celebrate green forms of transportation, and provide information on what you can do to be greener.

Stormwater Protection Tip

The water that enter your storm drain flows untreated to your nearby lakes, rivers and streams carrying with it oil and chemicals from roads, fertilizers and pet waste from your lawn and a whole variety of other debris and contaminants.

Here are a few of tips to help protect our lakes, rivers and streams:

Never dump motor oil, chemicals, pet waste, dirty or soapy water or anything else down a storm drain.
Promptly dispose of your pet's waste in the trash or down the toilet where it will be properly treated.
Sweep excess fertilizer, grass clippings and dirt back onto your lawn.
Choose a fertilizer with low or no phosphorous and that is a slow release fertilizer.
Water wisely.　 Your lawn needs about an inch of water a week.　 Water your lawn in the early morning or evening.
Adjust your sprinklers to water only your lawn and plants, NOT your driveway, sidewalk, or street.

For more information visit: http://www.semcog.org/OursToProtect.aspx

Healthy Yard Tip

A healthy, low maintenance, pesticide free yard is good for your family and the community. Fertilizers can contain dangerous chemicals that aren't good for our kids, our pets or our water.　

Find out what your yard really needs by testing your soil. For $9 you can collect a soil sample and send it to your local MSU Extension office and they will let you know what nutrients your soil is lacking, for more information, visit the MSU Extension Soil Pages for Consumers.
If you are going to use a fertilizer, make sure that it is organic and that it doesn't contain phosphorous. Phosphorous can wash off your yard and create harmful algae blooms on nearby lakes, rivers and streams. Phosphorous free lawn fertilizers can be purchased locally at the Ace Hardware on W. 9 Mile.
Plant native plants. Native plants are beautiful, low maintenance and require very little watering. For information on what plants are native to the area and where you can purchase them, check out the Wildflower Association of Michigan's website.:

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Tip

Why You Should Replace Your Light Bulbs with Compact Fluorescents

If every one of 110 million American households bought just one compact fluorescent bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people.
Compact fluorescents emit the same light as classic incandescents but use 75% or 80% less electricity.
A $3 swirl pays for itself in lower electric bills in about five months.
Compact fluorescents, even in heavy use, last 5, 7, 10 years.
The single greatest source of greenhouse gases in the United States is power plants–half our electricity comes from coal plants. One bulb swapped out: enough electricity saved to turn off two entire power plants–or skip building the next two.
In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.
Sierra Club is offering these bulbs free of charge to encourage their usage!　 Contact Tiffany at the Sierra Club Office: (248) 549-6213 for details.

Recycling Tip

Recycling not only benefits our environment by reusing resources and saving energy, but recycling also benefits you and your community by providing a rebate for every ton of recyclables. And recycling is as easy as 1, 2, 3...

Start by getting a bin. You can pick up a bin for $10 at the Department of Public Works located at 521 E. Cambourne. For more information call (248) 546-2519
When you pick up your bin pick up a pamphlet about what you can recycle. And for more information visit SOCRRA's website.
Set-out your bin on collection day. Recycling is collected on the same day your trash is collected.

You can also drop of materials at SOCRRA's recycling drop-off center at 995 Coolidge in Troy, across from Meijer. They will take all of the things that you can recycle at the curb and MORE! For FREE!

For additional information, email the Ferndale Environmental Impact Commission.

DTE's Green Currents Renewable Energy Option

The objectives of the program are to:

Promote independence from fossil fuels.　
Promote human health and sustainability by reducing air pollution.
Create jobs through a local energy economy.

Customers can select a renewable energy option that best fits their budget.　
　
For $2.50 a month in addition to normal charges, residential customers can purchase a 100 kilowatt hour block of renewable energy that's equal to 15-20 percent of a typical home's monthly electric usage.　 You can purchase up to 10 blocks per month.
　
Residential customers can also choose to match 100 percent of their home's electricity consumption with renewable resources for an additional cost of 2 cents per kilowatt hour, $10 to $15 per month for a typical household.　 The green currents portion of my bill has ranged from $6-8 per month.
　
Business customers can purchase 1,000 kilowatt hour blocks of green energy for $20 a month -- or match all of their electricity usage with renewable power for an additional cost of two cents per kilowatt hour.
　
Interested parties can get more information or enroll at www.greencurrents.com or (866) 207-6955
　
Comments are welcomed.

The City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
(248) 546-2525
City Hall Hours:
Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:30pm
Closed Fridays

Click here to send your feedback to the City of Ferndale.

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