Information provided by Birgit Moran,
CPN Green Team Member

Inspired by a challenge issued by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a small group of Castle Pines North (CPN) residents have formed a “Green Team.”

The team will meet several times over the next year to study ways to improve their own ecological habits, as well as ways of influencing the greater community. Small neighborhood groups can be formed and coached through Green Team Denver. For information on starting a group, visit www.greenprintdenver.org.

The following information is from the Green Action Guide as found on the Green Print Denver website under “get involved”:

Paper:

Americans are the largest consumers and wasters of paper in the world. Recycling paper and consciously buying recycled paper products could produce five times the number of jobs, save old-growth trees, save forest eco-systems, and save native habitats and biodiversity. Twenty million acres of forestland could be saved by recycling only half of the world’s paper. CPN residents can make a difference by purchasing recycled (not just recyclable) paper whenever possible.

Junk Mail:

100 million trees are used to produce junk mail and 38.5 billion gallons of water are used to process it. Americans pay $370,000,000 a year to dispose of junk mail that is not recycled. Visit www.stopjunkmail.org, newamericandream.org or www.the-dma.org to learn more about reducing junk mail.

Plastic bags:

Plastic bags take 10 to 20 years to decompose. CPN residents can make a difference by using cloth bags or reuse plastic bags (most grocery stores reimburse you .05 per bag). Reuse plastic store bags as trash liners, and try not to use store bags for small purchases; just walk out with the items and the receipt.

These are only a few things, among many, that CPN residents can do to contribute to a greener community. To learn more, visit www.greenprintdenver.org.