It seems like most retailers this year are pushing their LED holiday lights—and with good reason. LED lights trump their old-fashioned incandescent counterparts in every category.

It’s true that LED light strands cost more than the old kind upfront—you’ll be paying about 25%-30% more to hang them from your home’s gutters—but you’re getting such a better product for your one-time investment. It would be like buying a Tesla electric car—of course it costs about $100,000 more than a Honda Civic, but think about how much more satisfaction the Tesla will bring you. The Tesla looks better and I’m willing to bet it’s a heck of a lot more fun to drive.

If you’re willing to “test-drive” LED holiday lights this year, you’re going to notice their energy savings right away. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs use just 9.3% of the energy of a standard mini-bulb string and a mere 2.2% of a standard C-7 string (See chart below).

LED strands have some other pretty cool advantages as well: They’re shatterproof and nearly impossible to break, which means if you drop them off your ladder and step on them on your way back down, they will still be intact. LED strands are also built with longevity in mind—the bulbs are rated for 50,000 hours, have no filaments to burn out, and the bulb contacts are coated with zinc to fend off rust. Those old strands can’t even come close!

You can bet that my pathetic old half-broken holiday lights are on their way to be recycled—I think it’s definitely time to trade them in for a shiny new Tes…I mean a great strand of LED lights.

Here are the energy consumption numbers the Department of Energy came up with:

The cost of running each type of light string for 12 hours per day for 40 days:

*Assumes an electricity price of 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour (Annual Energy Outlook 2008 Residential Average).

Furnace filters have always confounded me—sure, I understand their purpose (making the furnace run better and cleaning indoor air)—but there are just so many types to choose from and remembering the proper dimensions is always somewhat of a challenge. It’s even more difficult when you consider their ecological impact!

I suppose I could make it easier by first breaking down the types of filters into two general categories: Disposable and permanent. The disposable filters, generally speaking, can be further broken down into pleated and spun fiberglass types. And then there are the “High Performance” electrostatic-charged pleated filters (such as Filtrete). These uber filters have been embraced by organizations such as the American Lung Association because of their efficiency rating—typically 80-85%, which makes indoor air much cleaner. The downside? High cost, unsurprisingly. These filters will cost $600 over a 10-year period (average cost of $15 a piece, with a replacement interval of 3 months). Comparatively, a standard pleated filter, also replaced every 3 months, will run about $200 for 10 years. The basic spun glass filter, which costs the least per filter (only about $2.50), will run about $300 for 10 years, assuming that it gets changed every month, as recommended. Of course, with these lower-priced filters efficiency is sacrificed; a standard pleat maxes out at 20-30% efficiency, while spun glass is less than 20% efficient.

You or I could spend $60 a year on top-of-the line filters and be satisfied knowing that most of those nasty VOCs and allergens are being removed from the indoor air we’re breathing. But then, we would be generating a ton of waste. Why not consider a permanent, washable filter, such as the “Lifetime Eco-Filter” from WEB? They’ll run about 20 bucks and last 10 years—they can be purchased at hardware stores such as HomeDepot and Lowes. WEB’s filters are made from post-consumer recycled materials and come in one size that quickly adjusts to fit many standard furnace sizes. They’re also 40-50% efficient and can easily be cleaned with water. Just make sure they’re completely dry before re-installing to stop mold from growing in the system.

I guess furnace filters aren’t that complicated, after all.

When I think of perfect projects for StLouisGreen.com to be involved with, the Holiday Light Recycling Program is exactly what I think of.  It combines reduction of landfill waste and reduction of electrical use by replacing old light strands with energy-saving LEDs. The program also allows us to partner with a company leading change for the future of business and the environment. My goal is always to create the greatest amount of change, and working with a large company like Wal-mart allows green education to reach more people. Projects like these help us fulfill our mission to educate people to lead greener lifestyles. This is absolutely fantastic!

The Holiday Light Recycling Drive “Out with Old, in with the New” will begin on November 15 and continue through to December 5 at the following Wal-Mart Stores. Arnold, Chesterfield, Desoto, Eureka, Fenton, Festus, Lake St. Louis, Maplewood, Manchester, O’Fallon, St. Peters, Telegraph, and Wentzville. The collection bins will be located in the Garden Centers. Please bring in your old and/or non working holiday lights to be recycled.

Please come visit StLouisGreen.com at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter Store located at Manchester and 141 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm on Sunday, November 15. KHits 96 will be on location with a live broadcast along with the EcolifeStl.com Street Crew.

Holiday Light Recycling Drive Partners:

Wal-Mart, StLouisGreen.com,
GreenEarth Waste Recovery, EcoLifeStl.com

I am pleased to announce that StLouisGreen.com was a finalist for the St Louis Business Journal “Heroes of the Planet Awards”.  Thank you all so much from StLouisGreen.com.  It is our privilege to connect and promote the wonderful Green community we have in the St. Louis Region!

Heroes of the Planet Awards were held on October 29, 2009.

These awards honor and promote businesses that have led the way in advancing and promoting environmental sustainability within our region. Join us to hear all about them!

SUSTAINABLE VISIONARY
Ann Mack

FINALISTS (winners in bold)
Sustainable Communities
City of Clayton
City of University City
Crossroads College Preparatory School

Sustainable Employee Programs
Cannon Design
Novus International Inc.
SSM Health Care

Sustainable Operations
Fred Weber, Inc.
Kaldi’s
Mount Pleasant Winery

Sustainable Products
Better Life
Local Harvest Grocery
The Healthy Planet

Sustainable Alliances
Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis
HOK
StLouisGreen.com

Giving Green
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
EarthShare of Missouri
Gateway Foundation

For more details visit: Heroes of the Planet Awards