5 Common Household Items You Can Recycle

Recycling may take a little extra effort, but it’s absolutely worth it for the planet and for yourself. Hope Hills cares about its town, so do the right thing and recycle these 5 common household items. 

1. Old Books 

Obviously these are made of paper, but it’s likely not something you think of when you start rounding up your old newspapers and junk mail. Maybe people think they have to take all the pages out of the cover, but you can generally recycle them whole at your local recycling facility. Or you could always donate them. 

2. Batteries 

Don’t let these into your trash bag, because eventually the acid within them will start to leak out into the earth below. There should be a designated place around you which will take your old electronics. 

3. Paper Plates 

After you have a party, don’t let people just throw these in the regular trash bin when they could be recycled. Recycling plants have come a long way with removing food and debris from paper, so you can likely recycle these plus the paper cups after a fiesta. 

4. Paper Towels

These can actually be composted, so give your garden a boost while you decrease your carbon footprint on the earth. You should also be throwing in any plant matter or food scraps into the composting heap. 

5. Clothes 

Clothes can be recycled if you’re not planning to take them to Goodwill. It may be more difficult to do so, but even the fabric of disgusting old clothes can still be reused. 

Cross Creek Insurance cares about the people in Hope Hills living greener lives, and we encourage everyone to be safe. Give us a call if you need a new homeowners policy and we can get you a quote. 

 

Does Your Car Gas Make a Difference?

There was time when people filled up at the pump and only two choices existed: leaded or unleaded. There was, of course, diesel, but that was often on a separate pump used by truck drivers or people who owned a specific, smoke-belching European car. Today, however, people have at least four if not five choices, with three of them ranging from basic unleaded to premium, and a related cost range to match. So, no surprise, drivers eventually find themselves asking the question, is there something better with a premium fuel versus the regular one? In some cases, particularly with blends. Some brands make a point to include detergents and solvents designed to break down gunk in an older engine.

Generally, however, the big difference between premium and general unleaded fuel is the octane. Normal engines easily run with an octane level of 87. Some believe that higher performance engines need or run better with a higher octane. While it is true that a higher temperature is needed to burn a higher octane cleanly, that doesn’t automatically produce better engine performance. However, it does burn with less gunk. The fact is not burning all fuel completely leaves a residue, and that creates buildup. More buildup eventually makes a car engine run worse and have problems. So a hotter, cleaner burn is an advantage over the long-term. And, again, many quality brands include their detergents in premium fuel, which only helps keep the engine running smoother over its life.

Cross Creek Insurance provides consumer insurance serving the Hope Hills, NC, area. And one of the best ways of saving insurance for when it really matters is following preventive care for one’s car. Premium gas isn’t necessary to run a car, but it does make a difference that could matter in the long run.