• a rate discount of one per cent off the posted interest rate on a five-year, fixed-rate mortgage or line of credit.
• a cash rebate of up to one per cent of the mortgage or fixed-rate portion of the line of credit when you load up on energy-saving appliances.
• a $100 donation to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

TD is not the first bank to go green. Citizens Bank of Canada launched a green mortgage last year that included more flexible payment options and a $10,000 line of credit at prime for energy-efficient upgrades. Bonuses include a free energy audit, a $100 donation to the Conservation Council of Ontario and a blue box “gift basket” filled with hundreds of dollars of coupons for energy-efficient products.

So my question is this--when are green mortgages coming to America?

"Free and green" is how the United States Postal Service is describing its new initiative to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge. Called the “Mail Back” program, it aims to help consumers "make more environmentally friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way." So how does the program work?

Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage. So who pays the postage, you ask. Good question. According to the USPS press release, postage "is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics." Clover will recover its costs (and then some), by refurbishing and reselling the product if possible. If the product can't be refurbished, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. According to the press release, Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: "it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills."

The program is in a pilot in 10 areas across the country, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, but could become a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful. And if you're looking to recycle your iPhone, send it to me (I'll pay the postage).