📣 Giveaway Alert 📣
We’re celebrating Imagine a Day Without Water all week long with our Stanley tumbler giveaway! The Stanley quencher is the latest in a long line of trendy to-go cups that allow you to enjoy your favorite water-based beverage without single use plastics. Believe it or not, most beverages start with tap water!
Contest rules: Sign up for the askHRgreen.org e-newsletter using the link below. Current subscribers are encouraged to enter using the same form as a thank you for your support! Two winners will be drawn at random on Friday, October 21.
Enter to win here: https://askhrgreen.org/quencher-giveaway/
#imagineadaywithoutwater #ValueWater #stanleytumbler
Question. How many times TODAY have you already relied on clean water? 💧 Don’t forget the water you used to make your coffee. ☕️ To brush your teeth. To take a shower. 🚿 What about the water you used to flush 🚽 and then wash your hands..? 🚰
It goes on and on. We don’t really think about it, and the reason we don’t have to is because of the amazing water workers 👷🏽♀️👷🏻👷🏾♂️ we have here in Hampton Roads. 💙 They keep the more than 12,000 miles of water distribution pipeline and sanitary sewer lines under our feet maintained and reliable.
What are YOU thankful you have clean water for? 🧽🚒🤿
Your pup wants to go out! And here during National Walk Your Dog Week, we encourage you and your furry friend to stretch your legs with a nice walk outside. 🦮 But don’t forget to bring bags so you can scoop the poop. Leave that little “calling card” on the ground somewhere, and it will find its way into storm drains, ditches, and ultimately into our waterways, leading to a lovely stew of bacteria.
🐕🐩🐕🦺
Whether it’s on your walk or in your own yard, ALWAYS pick up the poo. It’s the right thing to doo!
👉 See what’s good to know and take the Scoop the Poop Pledge! https://askhrgreen.org/campaign/pet-waste/
Summertime means summer storms, right? ⛈And that means our storm drains will be busy. 💦 What can you do to make sure it’s only rain that goes down the storm drain, making its way to our local waterways and the wildlife that lives there?
💩 Scoop the poop! Not just when you’re walking your best furry friend, but also 👉in your own yard!👈
The #1 thing to remember is that #2 doesn’t know boundaries. It can just as easily wash out of your yard and into the street and then the storm drain.
Don’t forget to bag and trash your dog’s waste, wherever it is. 🦮➕🏡
👉 Take the Scoop the Poop Pledge! https://askhrgreen.org/pet-waste-scoop-poop/
#thegreatoutdoors #askHRgreen #757 #hrva #hamptonroads #hamptonroads #hamptonroadsva #chesapeakebay #norfolkVA757 #norfolkva #chesapeakeva #newportnewsva #portsmouthva #virginiabeachva #hamptonvirgina #coastalvirginia #keepvirginiabeautiful
We've got some exciting news! askHRgreen.org is currently holding an open call for artists to help us create a LOVE sign inspired by recycling and waste reduction. The winning design will receive a $2,500 stipend and have their artwork displayed all across Hampton Roads.
Please share this post to let everyone know!
Here's what you need to know:
Anyone can submit a proposal!
Proposal packets can be downloaded at askHRgreen.org/CallForArtists
Deadline for proposals is October 7, 2022.
Winner will be announced November 15, 2022.
Artwork must be completed by March 31, 2023
Your toilet’s NOT a trash can or a place where you toss🗑
Cotton swabs, paper towels, tissues or floss.🤧
And what about so-called FLUSHABLE wipes?🚽
The answer is NO! They get stuck in your pipes!🚫
Just YOUR personal business. That’s it and no more! 🛑
This message is critical; please don’t ignore❗️
Just your TP, and your pee and your poo💩
Should go down the bowl; all else is taboo.❌
👉Think you know What Not To Flush? See if you can ace our quiz… https://askhrgreen.org/toilets-not-flush/
Back in 1965 when the plastic bag was created, it was thought to be a great convenience. But did you know that most of us use a single-use plastic bag for about 12 minutes? After we’re done with the bag, it takes over 700 years for it to begin decomposing, and 1000 years to degrade completely.
Plastic bags make up a large portion of what stays in our landfills and pollutes our waterways, threatening marine life.
What can YOU do on International Plastic Bag-Free Day? The best way to celebrate is simple. Wherever you find yourself on July 3rd, from the grocery store to the park or a restaurant, make sure not to use and not to ask for any plastic bags.
Not choosing to use single-use plastic bags. Now THAT’S how to Start Smart, Recycle Right!
Want to see how “Start Smart” you are? Take our quiz! https://askhrgreen.org/start-smart/
See that cup of coffee, glass of water or mug of beer you’re drinking? You wouldn’t have it without the diligent efforts of our water workers! 💦 They keep everything flowing smoothly and safely so we can keep living our best lives. On Drinking Water & Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day, we have one thing to say…
💙 WE APPRECIATE YOU! 💙
By the way, there are lots of benefits to working in the water and wastewater industry. 💦 If you’re interested in a job that is professionally satisfying and helps our community, why not look into it?
👉 What makes working for water such a strong job choice? https://askhrgreen.org/programs/work-for-water/
Did you know that beneath our feet 👣 are 6,500 miles of water distribution pipeline? And did you know there are also 5,800 miles of sanitary sewer lines?
In Hampton Roads, this huge infrastructure of water and wastewater pipes is being cared for and carefully maintained so that every time we turn on the faucet, we can count on clean water coming out. 💦
How can you help Hampton Roads water workers?
💧 Fix household leaks.
💧 Don’t put grease down the drain.
💧 Don’t put anything but your personal business in the toilet.
💧 Stay informed about water quality issues.
It’s time to thank the people who take care of us like that. Join us in letting our essential water workers know how much we appreciate them and their efforts! 💙💙💙
👉 Want to learn more about our water and sewer pipes?
#loveourwaterworkers #askHRgreen #757 #hrva #hamptonroads #hamptonroads #hamptonroadsva #chesapeakebay #norfolkVA757 #norfolkva #chesapeakeva #newportnewsva #portsmouthva #virginiabeachva #hamptonvirgina #coastalvirginia #keepvirginiabeautiful
If you love compost like we do, raise your glasses! 🥂 (Or hands! 🙌) And hey, May 29th is Learn About Composting Day, so it’s the perfect time to spread the word.
Do YOU know how to start your own backyard compost pile?
🌳Find a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.
💦Build a base layer of straw or twigs to help provide good drainage.
🍂Add layers of materials to be composted one at a time, alternating between brown materials (fall leaves, pine straw, twigs, paper) and green materials (grass clippings, coffee grounds, veggie and fruit scraps, eggshells).
👩🌾Incorporate a nitrogen source to start the decomposition process; some gardeners add a handful of nitrogen fertilizer.
💧Moisten dry materials as you add them.
🔥Turn the compost pile every couple of weeks to allow the center of the pile to “heat up” and aerate.
In about five weeks, your compost should be ready to use. (The bottom of your compost pile should be dark and rich in color.) Enjoy! Your garden certainly will...
What do YOU love most about compost?
So maybe you’re expecting guests over the Memorial Day weekend. Or maybe neighbors will be popping in and out. Which makes NOW the perfect time to have a little potty talk before things get, well, backed up.🚽 Because the more you know about what’s flushable, the better.
In a nutshell, only water, 💧 your personal business 💩 and toilet paper 🧻 should be flushed down the toilet.
Why? Anything else can lead to clogged pipes and a lovely visit from the plumber. And if backed-up sewage hits the streets, there’s a good chance it will wash down storm drains and into our waterways, harming aquatic life,🐟🦀 🦪closing beaches and making some seafood unsafe to eat.
So now you know. Feel free to share THIS kind of potty talk. It’s G-rated!
👉 Are you a Toilet Trooper or a Party Pooper? Find out here: https://askhrgreen.org/toilets-not-flush
Did you know that beneath our feet 👣 are 6,500 miles of water distribution pipeline? And did you know there are also 5,800 miles of sanitary sewer lines?
In Hampton Roads, this huge infrastructure of water and wastewater pipes is being cared for and carefully maintained so that every time we turn on the faucet, we can count on clean water coming out. 💦
How can you help Hampton Roads water workers?
💧 Fix household leaks.
💧 Don’t put grease down the drain.
💧 Don’t put anything but your personal business in the toilet.
💧 Stay informed about water quality issues.
It’s time to thank the people who take care of us like that. Join us in letting our essential water workers know how much we appreciate them and their efforts! 💙💙💙
👉 Want to learn more about our water and sewer pipes? https://askhrgreen.org/maintaining-our-infrastructure/
Seriously, how many times today have you already relied on clean water? 💧 Don’t forget the water you used to make your coffee. ☕️ When you brushed your teeth. When you took a shower. 🚿 When you flushed 🚽 and then washed your hands… 🚰
It goes on and on. We don’t really think about it, and the reason we don’t have to is because of the amazing water workers 👷🏽♀️👷🏻👷🏾♂️ we have here in Hampton Roads. 💙 They keep the more than 12,000 miles of water distribution pipeline and sanitary sewer lines under our feet maintained and reliable.
What are YOU thankful you have clean water for? 🧽🚒🤿
While we’re celebrating our moms, why not honor Mother Earth 🌎 as well?
Show her some love and attention…
🌸Give her flowers. That’s right, plant a native plant that will blossom and feed the pollinators.
👍Pamper her. Go for a walk and pick up the litter along the way.
💧Treat her to a spa day. Water your plants using a rain barrel or mulch your garden beds.
Have other ideas? We’d love to hear them! 💚
Do you know how to properly dispose of the leftover paint in your garage? What happens to the gas that’s been sitting in the gas can for two years? And what if you have a spray can that has a disintegrated label?
Household Hazardous Waste is nothing to fool around with. 🚧 And it certainly shouldn’t be tossed into the regular trash willy-nilly. What are some good things you can do?
🔋 Store all products in their original containers, labeled and sealed.
🤲 Buy and use only the amount you need for your project. (Leftovers can immediately be shared or donated.)
🚗 Vehicle products such as antifreeze, oil, brake and transmission fluid, car wax and gasoline should be labeled, and many times can be recycled at a local auto parts store.
⚠️ Dry latex (water based) paint can be safely disposed of in your trash can if you leave the lid off the paint can.
🐈 Wet latex (water based) paint can be safely disposed of in your trash can if you add kitty litter, sawdust or mulch until the paint’s no longer runny; leave the lid off the paint can.
Recycling and disposal information for your community can be found with our fantastic online recycling lookup tool. Use it today!
👉 Get disposal options for HHW in your community: https://askhrgreen.org/recycling-lookup
It’s not only the merry month of May, it’s Gifts from the Garden Month, and we can’t imagine a nicer way to celebrate than to get out in the garden! 🏡 Here are a few ideas to help get you started…
🐝 Plant some native plants for our pollinators! See link below for great info and resources.
🧺 Plan a picnic in your favorite garden oasis.
🪴 Divide a bulb or plant and give a friend a gift from your garden to theirs.
🌳 Plant a tree so your garden of gifts will keep on a’giving.
🌼 Spread wildflower seeds wherever you go. 😁
Here’s the great thing about gardens: The more we give, the more we get. What gifts do you get from your garden?
Get the GOOD TO KNOW on Native Plants: https://askhrgreen.org/plant-native-plants.
Keeping your lawn and garden watered 💦 can be a challenge here in sunny Hampton Roads. How can you make it easier and more efficient? Two words…
Rain barrels. 💧
Rain barrels capture the water from your roof 🏠 and hold it for you to use later on your lawn, garden or indoor plants. They also reduce the amount of water that runs off your property. And that helps our stormwater system.
Did you know? A quarter-inch of rain on the average roof can give you THREE full rain barrels. 💧💧💧
Free water! ☔️ Who else besides us thinks it’s a good idea to have a rain barrel for each downspout of your home?
👉 Get more info, including DIY rain barrel instructions: https://askhrgreen.org/gtk-gtd/rain-barrels/
So you let your dog out in the backyard to do their business. 🐕
That’s cool, but please don’t forget to scoop the poop 💩. Not just once, but Every. Time. What’s the issue? It’s your yard, right?
Well, pet waste impacts all of us, no matter where it’s, uh, deposited. It’s full of harmful bacteria and parasites, and when rain carries that waste into other yards and local waterways through storm drains and ditches, we are ALL affected by the pollution.
So let your best friend out. And save the world, one scoop 💩 at a time.
What’s your best scooping technique?
There’s a simple thing you can do to help keep Hampton Roads green and healthy… Pick up after your pup! 💩 And that includes in YOUR OWN YARD.
Be the super pooper scooper 🦸♀️ you are and show your support for a greener, cleaner Hampton Roads by taking the Scoop the Poop pledge:
I pledge to…
🐶 Be a good environmental steward and neighbor by not looking the other way when it comes to pet waste.
🐶 Scoop it, bag it and trash it each and every time, whether in my own yard or out for a walk.
🐶 Always take poop bags on walks with my pet – even if it means tying plastic grocery bags to the leash so I don’t forget.
🐶 Share the importance of keeping pet waste out of our waterways with others in my community.
🐶 Share the Scoop the Poop Pledge with other pet owners in my community.
Know another super pooper scooper? Tag ‘em here!
#askHRgreen #757 #hrva #hamptonroads #hamptonroads #hamptonroadsva #chesapeakebay #norfolkVA757 #norfolkva #chesapeakeva #newportnewsva #portsmouthva #virginiabeachva #hamptonvirgina #coastalvirginia #keepvirginiabeautiful
Gearing up for spring cleaning? Make sure you know how to properly store and dispose of your household chemicals! Household hazardous waste has no place in ditches, storm drains, flood waters, or recycling bins. These chemicals need to be handled with care and disposed of properly at a local household hazardous waste facility. Find a safe disposal site at https://askhrgreen.org/recycle
Did you know that trash along our roadways 🛣 adds up to around 52 billion pieces of litter?
That breaks down to more than 6,700 items per mile. 🚬🥫🍬🍟🗞
The roads you drive along don’t clean up themselves, unfortunately.
Register to be a part of the Great American Cleanup on March 25th or 26th.
👉TEAM UP 2 CLEAN UP: https://askhrgreen.org/cleanup
Here’s an interesting fact: The presence of litter in a community decreases property values by more than 7%, according to the National Association of Home Builders. 🏡
Which means… Clean up your community and improve your property values. 💰
Register to be a part of the Great American Cleanup on March 25th or 26th.
👉 TEAM UP 2 CLEAN UP: https://askhrgreen.org/cleanup/
On this GREENEST day of the year, we give a final congrats to our Green Star Teacher award winners. All week we've been celebrating their achievements in sustainability. It was our pleasure to partner with HRSD to make this special grant funding available to each of these very deserving educators!
If you have a great green idea for your Hampton Roads students, let us know and apply for up to $500 in funding through the year-round askHRgreen.org Mini Grant program at https://askhrgreen.org/grants/environmental-education-mini-grant/
Finally! It’s Daylight Saving Time, ☀️and that means spring is just around the corner with sunshine, warmth, green grass and blooming gardens… Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin created the concept of daylight saving time to make the best use of daylight hours! ☀️
Before you kick off your winter boots and imagine what that grass feels like between your toes, 🦶you should first get your soil-test kit and see what your soil actually needs (if anything) before jumping in with the fertilizer.
Have you “sprung forward” yet? How do YOU plan to enjoy the extra sunshine? ☀️
👉TEST YOUR SOIL: https://askhrgreen.org/soil-testing/
A leaking toilet 🚽can waste up to 200 gallons a day. That's more than two bathtubs! 🛁🛁And guess what? You’re paying for that water bill. 💦
Here’s how to seek the leak in a toilet: Place a dye tablet or a few drops of food coloring 🩸into the toilet tank in your home and see if the color appears in the bowl within 15 minutes. If the color leaks, congratulations, you have a silent toilet leak. Be sure to flush after 15 minutes to avoid staining.
Replace the rubber flapper and tighten the connections. If those don’t work, you might need to call your friendly plumber. Seek the leak 👀and then stop the leak!✋
Have you had a leaky toilet experience? How did you resolve it?
Fact: If litter exists, it attracts more littering.
Create your own kind of Neighborhood Watch… For litter! 🚯
Get your neighbors together and register to be a part of the Great American Cleanup on March 25th or 26th.
👉 TEAM UP 2 CLEAN UP: https://askhrgreen.org/cleanup/
All the good green things you do to improve the planet are very much appreciated. 🌎 And because you’re someone who cares about the environment, is there more you can do? Can you level up your game?
Of course! One small thing to do is to collect and “can” cooking grease. Simply pour used cooking grease from your pan into an empty, heat-safe container, such as a soup can,🥫 and store it in the freezer for a bit. Once it’s solidified, you can toss that can into the trash can.🗑
Easy peasy, can the greasy… 😊
That friend you need to catch up with? Your fellow dog-walkers? Make them litter buddies and do some good together!
Grab a friend or two (or a bunch) and register to be a part of the Great American Cleanup on March 25th or 26th.
👉FB TEAM UP 2 CLEAN UP: https://askhrgreen.org/cleanup/
March typically comes in like a lion, roaring cold and rainy. 🌧 What to do? Make your own rain barrel and tame the beast!🦁
You can buy one at your neighborhood hardware store, but if you prefer to make one yourself, follow simple steps using a heavy duty plastic trash can. It doesn’t take very long once you’ve gathered your materials, and the cost savings can be substantial.
You’ll want to put your rain barrel on a couple concrete blocks — or some other level, elevated surface — so gravity can help with water flow if you’re planning on hooking up a hose to it.
💦DIY rain barrel instructions: https://askhrgreen.org/resource/how-to-build-a-rain-barrel
How are YOU leveling up your green game this year? Being more efficient and conserving water can be so very simple…
🛀
Before you run your bath, put the plug in. That’s it. When you plug the bathtub before turning the water on, you can adjust the temperature as the tub fills up. Letting the water run down the drain while the water is warming up is a waste. And more expensive, to boot.
Now if you really want to conserve water, take a shower.🚿 And if you really, really want to conserve water, take a shower with a low-flow showerhead.
Cleaning up and leveling up. THAT’s what to do in ‘22…
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