Old habits are sometimes based on myths, and updating can reap benefits. Consider the following tips.
Myth: It’s good to warm up the car before driving it.
False! The only thing you are accomplishing by letting your car warm up is wasted fuel and unnecessary pollution. Automotive experts, including the Car Talk guys, have long said that the best way to get your car going is to turn it on and drive away slowly, but don’t speed until it’s warmed up. Unless you are driving a vintage car from the 1950s, your car does not need to sit idling before driving away, even on the coldest winter day.
Myth: It’s more harmful to turn the car off and on again if I’m making a quick stop.
Not true! Assuming you don’t have an electric hybrid, the rule of thumb is if you will be idling more than 10 seconds (10 seconds!), it’s better to turn it off and restart. Try saying supercalifragilisticexpialidocious twice—that’s about 10 seconds. Not only are you wasting money, but that useless burning of fuel creates pollution, which kids absorb twice as much as adults. Never idle near a school, sports field or playground. Bring a blanket if you will be waiting in your car during your child’s practice. (Check out http://www.edf.org/transportation/reports/idling). And, by the way, idling on school properties is prohibited in Portland.
Myth: Old paint cans are hazardous.
Not true! If you’ve used up the paint and it’s just a dried up empty can, then it is not hazardous. Take the lid off so the recycler can see it’s not full of paint and recycle both can and lid in your blue recycling can at the curb. If you have a can with liquid paint still in it, then look up a nearby drop-off location through the PaintCare program. (Go to www.paintcare.org or call Metro at 503-234-3000 for more information.)
Myth: I’ll let the recycling people figure out what to do with this.
Please don’t! This is called “aspirational recycling” and costs the recycler, the city and the environment plenty. It can also cause your garbage hauler to refuse to empty your container on recycling day. Only put the recyclables listed in the Curbsider (https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/510401) in your blue bin, keeping the glass separate. By putting in plastics, styrofoam, baggies and other things that do not belong in there, you create a contaminated load of recyclables. These are picked out by hand, if possible; otherwise they contaminate an otherwise recyclable material (like a bale of scrap paper contaminated with plastic film) and the whole thing will become garbage. So…when in doubt, throw it out!