Kitsap residents can now recycle their used cooking oil for free at the South Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility in Olalla. This is the fourth cooking oil recycling station in the county. Why is it important to recycle used cooking oil? Cooking oil poured down the drain clogs pipes used in sewer and septic systems. […]
eco-friendly
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Gardening Helps Preserve Our Planet
Editor’s note: Albers Vista Gardens is a West Sound treasure that demonstrates how to garden sustainably and preserve flora and fauna. This excerpt was adapted from Albers Vista Gardens’ founder John J. Albers’ book, “The Northwest Garden Manifesto: Create, Restore, and Maintain a Sustainable Yard” (Mountaineers Books, December 2017, used with permission). For millions of […]
Posted inAt Home
7 DIY Projects to Save Money and Protect Your Home All Year Long
Most homeowners know that large-scale upgrades can potentially lower their monthly insurance premiums. But did you know there are DIY home improvement projects that can also save you a lot of money? By being proactive, you can boost your home’s value and improve your property’s appearance. Here are seven projects you should add to your […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Wasp Numbers on the Rebound — Avoiding the Stings
Ask any gardener, hiker or picnicker — the region’s wasp population got its sting back. “Compared to recent years, the number of wasps is considerably up,” said Richard Zack, Washington State University entomologist. Equipped with sharp stingers, craving sugar and searching for water sources in a parched landscape, yellow jackets and paper wasps have been […]
Posted inAt Home
Home Energy Savers that Make ‘Cents’
A home that operates efficiently isn’t just better for the environment. Ensuring your home systems are as efficient as possible can also help reduce the financial burden of maintaining your home throughout the year. These tips from Gary White with JCPenney Home Services can serve as areas of focus for lowering your energy bills and […]
Posted inHome
Solar Homes — What you Need to Know before Going Solar
The sight of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on residential roofs around West Sound is no longer a novelty. Enticed by the idea of saving on their power bills — or perhaps the idea of helping save the planet — homeowners are joining the renewable-energy movement. It’s not a cheap investment. Although PV installation prices are […]
Posted inHome
How One of the World’s Greenest Homes Came to Be
Walking into Heron Hall on Bainbridge Island is like ambling into a laboratory of building sustainability. Almost everything you eye, touch or feel in this lovely 3,000-square-foot experimental home of Jason and Tracy McLennan is salvaged, reused or repurposed. Take the front entrance. The massive, hand-carved door is from Afghanistan and is more than 50 […]
Posted inAround West Sound
7 Reasons You Need to Recycle Your “Styrofoam” at STYRORoundup July 7
Expanded, or foamed, polystyrene (EPS), which people usually call Styrofoam, has long been on the radar of the environmentally conscious. Not only does this material take up a lot of space in the landfill, it’s also not biodegradable. And if you’re like many others who love the convenience of online shopping, you know what a […]
Posted inAt Home
Easy and Breezy: 6 tips for Controlling Summer Cooling Costs
As we gear up for sun, surf, barbecues and all the other fun activities that represent summer, many of us are also concerned with how to keep ourselves and our homes comfortably cool this season. Of course, there are also concerns about controlling costs. The average homeowner spends nearly half of their yearly utility bills […]