Environmentally Friendly Halloween Lights

What does LED stand for?

Light Emitting Diodes

LED lighting does not
use a filament
such as those found in
the standard lightbulbs

Low energy LED lights last as much as 133 times longer than the usual incandescent lights and cost 80% less to use, which makes them a lot more eco-friendly.

They're also safer around children and pets than candles or regular bulbs because they don't generate any heat.

In the UK

If you would like to recycle your
old, unwanted or broken lights,
a quick phone call to
WasteCare
elicited the useful information
that all you have to do is
take the lights to your
local Council waste site.

Make sure you put the lights in
with all the other old domestic tools, such as
vacuums, washing machines, PCs
and they will be collected.

Not only will LED.com recycle your lights for free you will also get a 15% Discount Coupon!

LED.com states:

When we receive your lights for recycling we will remove them from the package and recycle the box. The lights will be processed and any material that cannot be recycled (i.e. loose bulbs)is discarded.

Once we have collected a substantial number of sets we take them to a 3rd party recycling facility located in Jackson, MI. The recycling company puts the lights through a commercial shredder, which chops the lights up into little pieces.

The pieces are then further processed and sorted into the various components that make up the lights (pvc, glass, copper.) The materials are separated and transported to a region center for further processing. In some cases, the pvc cannot be recycled.

Solar powered lighting has to be the best environmentally friendly choice for outdoor lights. Solar lighting uses no electricity whatsoever and of course the sun is a renewable resource!

Solar energy works well even if you live in Alaska!

Always choose 100% beeswax or soy candles.

Have you ever wondered what that black soot is,
that will mark your glass candles holders?

Paraffin wax is made from refined gasoline, which is a byproduct of petroleum. Paraffin is harmful when burned! It gives off 11 known toxins, two of which are known to be carcinogenic.

An environmentally friendly pumpkin is one that has been grown and bought locally - not one that has been shipped hundreds, or even thousands of miles.

Where possible buy your pumpkin from a Farmers' Market.



Buy at AllPosters.com

Then use battery powered candles, preferably with rechargeable lithium button batteries

USA



UK

When your Jack O Lantern has had its day
then remember to put it on the compost heap

You DO have a compost heap or bin
don't you?

1 pumpkin weighing 1.35 - 1.6 kg (3-3.5lb)
1 tablesp groundnut oil
1 large inion, peeled and finely chopped
850ml (1.5 pints) of vegetable or chicken stock
425ml (15 fl oz) whole milk
25g (1 oz) butter
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
110g (4 oz) Gruyere or Fontina cheese cut into small dice
50g (2 oz) Gruyere or Fontina cheese, coarsely grated
6 teasp creme fraiche
Croutons
Flat-leaf parsley

You will also need a baking sheet that will not buckle under the intense heat, a 3.5 ltr (6 pint) saucepan and a liquidiser/blender

Pre-heat the oven to 475F/240C/gas mark 9

If you are using the flesh left over from carving a pumpkin, which is what we do, then try to scoop it out in as big pieces as possible and cut down on the roasting time.

Scoop out the seeds using a large spoon. Brush the surface of the flesh on each side with the oil and place on the baking tin.

Season with salt and peper, put on a high shelf in the oven and leave to roast until tender - approx 25-30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a high heat and add the onion. Keep stirring so it does not burn and when it begins to colour around the edges, turn the heat down. Let it cook gently, without a lid, for a bout 20 minutes. Give it an occasional stir.

When the pumpkin is cooked, remove from the oven and leave aside to cool.

Add the stock and the milk to the onions and leave with the heat turned low until it just comes to simmering point. Scoop out the flesh from the roasted pumpkin and add to the saucepan. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Let it simmer gently for about 15-20 mins.

Pour the liquid into a blender/liquidiser - because there is so much, you will need to do this half at a time. Process the soup to a puree, but it is a good idea to pour the soup through a sieve, in case any lumpy bits remain. Season according to taste.

Recipe adapted from an original by Delia Smith

Pics from AllPosters.com

Do you have some old string lights?

Don't throw them out!

Recycle them

Send them to HolidayLEDs.com
and save them from ending up in a landfill

Get your Environmentally Friendly Halloween Lights here!


LED lights
Solar powered lights
LED tealights
LED Candles
Battery powered wax candles

The faBtastic Lens pic is from the
Zazzle Store of Lensmaster Bonnie (bdkz)
and reproduced with her permission

05 October 2009
This lens has been awarded a Squidoo Purple Star!
Purple Star?



According to the Purple Star lens,
they are awarded to Lenses that are:

"Masterpiece lenses. Lenses making a name for themselves.
Lenses trying new things."

What an honour!