The date printed on your card may have reached its expiration, but if sent to the landfill your credit card lives on indefinitely.

The ultimate eco-friendly lifestyle is one in which consumerism takes a backseat to environmentalism. Yet for even the greenest among us who thoughtfully limit consumption, our eco-conscious spending may be tainted with one of the most environmentally-hazardous chemicals of all – the PVC (polyvinyl chloride) used to make credit cards.

If you’re like me and The Huffington Post‘s Jennifer Schwab, you thought credit cards were recyclable. Like Jennifer, I’ve been cutting them up and dropping them in the recycling bin for years.

Wrong!

Though PVC is recyclable, the materials used to make magnetic strips and holograms on credit cards are not. So the only way to dispose of credit cards is to send them to the landfill. Unfortunately, it takes decades (if not centuries), for PVC to decompose. The date printed on your card may have reached its expiration, but if sent to the landfill your credit card lives on indefinitely.

So what’s the deal? Why can’t anyone come up with the technology to make credit cards more eco-friendly (i.e., recyclable)? Jennifer Schwab asked this same question:

“According to the International Card Manufacturers Association, over six billion cards are produced each year worldwide. That is enough to make over 50 stacks of cards higher than Mt. Everest….

And “Believe it or not, the only major issuer of credit cards to do anything substantive about this growing problem is Discover Card,” which offers a card that decomposes in the landfill within 5 years.

“The only catch with this seemingly elegant solution,” writes Jennifer, “is that if it gets wet (oops, I left it in my jeans pocket which is now in the washing machine) it will be ruined.”

Aside from foregoing credit cards completely (and let’s not forget the equally  eco-offensive debit cards!), here’s a few ideas:

• Limit your number of credit cards. The fewer accounts you have open, the fewer cards will go to waste.

• Turn your credit cards into handy tools, like scraping ice off your windshield and food off plates. They’re also great for home improvement projects involving spackling, putty and wallpaper.

• Turn your credit cards into art. From earrings and necklaces to mosaics and collage, credit cards can make for some pretty impressive recyclable art.

For more ideas on how to green your lifestyle, check out our comprehensive Green Checklist.

Meredith Simonds Recycling consumerism, consumption, credit cards, debit cards, Eco-Friendly, environmentalism, green credit cards, International Card Manufacturer's Association, landfill, polyvinyl chloride, PVC, recyclable art, Recycling, recycling bin, reuse, reuse credit cards

For ideas on what to do beyond Earth Hour, browse through hundreds of eco-friendly living ideas in our comprehensive Green Checklist.

On Saturday, March 26, more than a billion people in well over a hundred countries will turn off the lights for 1 hour at 8:30 pm, local time. This worldwide eco-friendly phenomenon started in Australia in 2007. Now in 2011 on its fifth anniversary, organizers have issued another challenge – to go beyond Earth Hour. How will you conserve energy every other hour, day, week and month of the year?

The non-profit conservation organization WWF is the creator and sponsor of Earth Hour. The ultimate goal? For everyone in the world to sit in the dark for 60 minutes within the same 24 hour period. What a powerful way to …

… remind us to turn off lights when they’re not in use.

… inspire us to cut down on our overall energy use – from lights and electronics, to transportation and consumption habits.

… foster an international sense of community around this worldwide green event.

How will you spend Earth Hour? Meditating in the dark? Reading by (soy) candlelight? Eating dinner with family and friends under the stars?

And what earth-friendly plans will you make beyond Earth Hour? Recycling more? Driving less? Buying only organic, locally-grown produce?

If you plan on participating in Earth Hour, sign up so they can keep track of how many people are participating, and where. They also welcome you to share your plans beyond Earth Hour. Here’s just a sampling of what others have shared:

• I will aim to catch the bus at least three times a week to school.
• Ensure all my faucets and electrical appliances are in perfect working order.
• I will turn off my computer.
• I will try to have at least one evening a month without any lights, TV or other unnecessary electrical appliances.
• Plant away!

For more ideas on what to do beyond Earth Hour, browse through hundreds of eco-friendly living ideas in our comprehensive Green Checklist.

Meredith Simonds Recycling Australia, Beyond Earth Hour, Conservation, Conserve Energy, Earth Hour, Eco-Friendly, turn off the lights, WWF

A Canadian recycling company has created a revolutionary new e-waste recycling process that should serve as a model for the e-waste rich U.S.

As Canada clamps down on e-waste recycling requirements, one Canadian recycling company is determined to make all the extra business turn a decent profit. Thus, Sims Recycling Solutions’ introduction of revolutionary new e-waste recycling technology that should serve as an eco-friendly model for the e-waste-rich U.S.

Borrowing from technology used in regular recycling processes (like optical scanners and metal separating machines), as well as its own unique system, the Sims Recycling process looks something like this:

1. Remove toxic materials from e-waste collections (i.e., fluorescent light bulbs and batteries)

2. From a single stream of electronics – from TVs, to computers, to cell phones – shred the e-waste material

3. Separate the material using optical scanners, x-rays, magnets and eddy currents

• Magnets select and separate metals
• Optical scanners identify translucent materials for the separation of glass
• X-rays allow for the separation of glass with lead from regular glass

4. Quality assurance workers oversee the process, catching any problems along the way

As reported by Treehugger’s Jaymi Heimbuch, this system will enable Sims Recycling to process and resell 75,000 metric tons of e-waste every year. Yet as impressive and necessary as this may be, Heimbuch reminds us that the ideal we should be striving for starts long before an electronics product arrives at a recycling center.

“Smart tech for recycling plants is a must-have for a future filled with obsolete gadgets,” writes Heimbuch, “but even more exciting than automated recycling with cool optical sensors sorting conveyor belts filled with shredded electronics, is the process of designing that obsolescence right out of the device in the first place.”

Of course, as a consumer you have plenty of power to do your part too. Instead of trading in that barely used cell phone, laptop or TV for the hottest new model, try keeping your electronics a little longer. And if you simply cannot resist the temptation to buy into the latest greatest gadget, give or sell your old model to a friend or via an online store, like Amazon or eBay.

In other words, only when electronics run their natural course (i.e., don’t work anymore) should they be discarded. In that case, find an e-waste recycling center near you.

Meredith Simonds Recycling Canada, e-waste, e-waste recycling, Eco-Friendly, eddy currents, electronics, magnets, optical scanners, Recycling, recycling process, Sims Recycling Solutions, x-rays

Whatever you're already doing to recycle at home and at work, America Recycles Day can inspire and inform you on how to do even more.

If your idea of recycling is limited to food and drink containers, paper, and yard waste, America Recycles Day on November 15, is for you! In fact, there are numerous other household recycling opportunities.

Founded in 1997 by Keep America Beautiful, America Recycles Day is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the U.S. Since most of us are familiar with what’s okay to throw into the curbside recycling bin, and what’s not, this is the perfect time to expand your recycling knowledge.

In our Recycling Checklist you will find details on how to recycle:

• Food
• Clothes
• Electronics
• Batteries
• Auto parts and fluids
• Construction debris
• Hazardous waste

Of course, if you’re recycling-savvy enough to already be doing all of this, America Recycles Day could serve as the inspiration you may need to take the America Recycles Day Challenge: 

• Speak to a local civic group about recycling in your community.
• Calculate how your current recycling reduces your carbon footprint using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s  iWARM tool.
• Get  five people you  know to take the I Recycle Pledge  to recycle more.
• Organize a shoe collection drive for donation to Soles4Souls.
• Offer to collect old electronics from your friends and neighbors to drop off for recycling.
• Host a recycling house party – teach your friends and neighbors how and what they can recycle in your community.
• Before you buy, think: reduce, reuse, recycle. Buy products with recycled content.
• Upcycle your potato chip bags, candy bar wrappers, and drink pouches into cool products through TerraCycle.
• Learn how to start a recycling program (PDF) in your office, apartment building, or school.
• Write your city council representative and voice your support for recycling in your community.

For more information about the Challenge and the Pledge, check out the official America Recycles Day website.

Meredith Simonds Recycling America Recycles Day, Keep America Beautiful, recycle, Recycling, recycling checklist

Are you as green as you think you are? Ask yourself these 20 questions to find out, filled with links to the info you need to get the job done!

For the past few months, we’ve been putting together a Green Living Checklist – a comprehensive collection of articles on how to green every aspect of your life.

Wonder how you stack up on the list?

Ask yourself the following 20 questions to find out, filled with links to the info you need to get the job done!

1. Do you have a streamlined recycling system easy for your entire family to use, including a compost bin for your food?

2. Do you eat, buy and/or grow organic food?

3. Have you replaced ancient, energy-sucking appliances with Energy Star versions, particularly your clothes dryer and refrigerator?

4. Do you cook in Teflon-free, non-toxic pans?

5. Are your cabinets and countertops formaldehyde-free?

6. Do you light your home with energy-efficient CFL, standard fluorescent and LED light bulbs?

7. Do you have low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets?

8. Do you clean with non-toxic cleaning products or make your own natural solutions at home?

9. Do you decorate with natural, dye-free fabrics?

10. Are your walls covered in lead-free, non-toxic paint and/or eco-friendly wallpaper?

11. Do you wear eco-friendly clothing?

12. Have you replaced old carpet with sustainable flooring made from reclaimed wood, cork, bamboo, linoleum or recycled glass tile?

13. Do you use eco-friendly gardening and landscaping practices?

14. Do you use an eco-friendly pest control service, or make your own concoctions for repelling bugs naturally?

15. Is your home filled with air-purifying houseplants?

16. Do you buy or make your own natural, non-toxic beauty products?

17. Do you sleep on a natural, organic mattress?

18. Are you watching your pet’s carbon pawprint?

19. Does your eco-conscious living extend to your behavior beyond the home – on vacation, at work and at school?

20. Do you buy carbon credits to offset the footprint that’s left over?

Meredith Simonds Green Living, Recycling carbon credits, Eco-Friendly, Energy Star, green living, Green Living Checklist, natural, non-toxic, organic, Recycling, sustainable

As Britain runs out of landfills, one UK company is launching a landfill mining project to free up space and create energy in the process. But will it do more harm than good?

What happens when we run out of landfill space? Though it’s a question every country may face sooner than later, Britain is having to deal with it now. At the rate they’re producing waste, they’re on track to run out of landfill space by 2018! One UK company thinks they have a solution though – mining landfills and turning said waste into fuel and recyclables.

In what is projected to be a 30-year project, UK company Advanced Power Plasma (APP) will dig through a landfill in Belgium where trash has been dumped since the 1960s. They expect about half the trash to be recyclable, and the other half to be converted into fuel.

The APP landfill mining project is set to be operational by 2014. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the world, though other companies throughout Europe are exploring similar endeavors.

Treehugger’s Lloyd Alter explains:

“APP has developed a four stage process of converting waste into ‘a clean hydrogen-rich syngas and a vitrified recyclate called Plasmarok® that can be used as a building material or replacement aggregate.’ They claim it produces little or no emissions and “almost nothing is left – around 2% of input volumes – for landfill.’ They also claim that it has a negative carbon footprint.”

But as Alter points out, critics of the project say it’s impossible to burn something without producing some sort of air pollutants. And that APP technology is nothing more than an incinerator in disguise.

Then take into account the health risks associated with landfill mining and maybe it’s not such a great idea after all. After decades of dumping, who knows what’s down there? Asbestos for sure, and other toxic substances, not to mention the possibility of trapped methane gas igniting once the digging begins.

On second thought, instead of clearing out old landfills to make room for new ones, how about we step up our household and business recycling and composting efforts instead?

Meredith Simonds Landfills, Recycling Advanced Power Plasma, Belgium, fuel, landfill mining, Landfills, recyclables, trash, Treehugger, UK, waste

Next time you feel guilty about buying soda pop in a plastic bottle, consider that the guy next in line could be wearing a t-shirt made from recycled PET.

These days, we’re ALL in the fashion biz, at least of those of us who drink soda pop from plastic bottles. From t-shirts, to fleece jackets, to shoelaces, it turns out PET plastic makes for spinning a mighty fine recycled garment. Couple that with a manufacturing process powered by solar, wind or another renewable energy source, and a closet filled with plastic clothes could actually be among the greenest of wardrobes.

TURNING PLASTIC INTO FIBER

PET stands for “polyethylene terephthalate.” It is this particular type of plastic best-suited for recycling into fiber for clothes. Recoup.org compiled a fact sheet that explains this process in great detail. Here is the gist of it:

1) Our recycled plastic bottles go to a sorting center where PET plastics are separated from all the rest.

2) PET plastic bottles are compressed then shipped out to a reprocessing plant where they are uncompressed and sorted through once again to ensure they are PET-only

3) Submersed in water, the bottles are chopped into tiny little flakes (since the plastic caps are made of a different type of plastic, a floatation technique separates it from the PET)

4) After being drained and dried, these plastic flakes are melted and squeezed through a device that shapes the PET into long, fibrous strands

5) The plastic fibers are brought together, crimped and cut to accommodate whatever type of garment they are intended to make

“Keeping clothing out of the landfill has a two-fold benefit,” writes Earth911 contributor, Libuse Binder. In addition to the obvious one of reducing overall waste, creating clothing from recycled materials greatly reduces the amount of natural resources necessary to produce such products, including the land and water used to grow cotton, as well as pesticides and energy used in the agricultural and production process.

“Cotton, for example, has a hefty pesticide habit. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, ‘Cotton cultivation uses approximately 11 percent of the world’s pesticides, though it is grown on just 2.4 percent of the world’s arable land.’”

So if you’re looking to green your wardrobe, check out the recycled PET clothing lines (among other sustainable materials) at Playback and Patagonia. Simple Shoes and Keds too.

Meredith Simonds Recycling clothing, Earth911, fashion, fiber, Keds, Patagonia, PET, plastic, Playback, Recoup.org, recycled, Renewable Energy, Simple Shoes, Solar, Wind

Through the development of new capture technology, we may see a viable solution to cleaning up the masses of plastic debris in our oceans, while creating usable fuel in the process.

For years, we’ve watched in awe as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” has grown to what is now estimated to be twice the size of the continental U.S.! Of course, it begs the question: Why don’t we get out there and clean it up? Well, although much of the debris is trash large enough to be collected by conventional means, among the most dangerous waste is plastic that ocean currents have broken down into small pellets for which there is no practical collection system. As reported by Discovery News‘ Alyssa Danigelis, Project Kaisei aims to change all that, sponsored in part by recycling companies that envision turning this patch of plastic into an unconventional form of alternative fuel.

RESEARCHING NEW CAPTURE TECHNOLOGY FOR OCEAN DEBRIS

Project Kaisei teams marine scientists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs and recycling companies with researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Together they are intent on finding a practical means of removing ocean debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is otherwise ingested by marine animals and, in turn, ingested by us via the marine animals we eat.

“We’re working on capture technology,” says Project Kaisei co-founder Mary Crowley, “all in our effort to figure out the most energy efficient way to collect the debris in the ocean,” which includes a new barrel-capture technology.

RECYCLING OCEAN PLASTIC INTO FUEL

If the Project Kaisei team is successful in its efforts to streamline the logistics for capturing and recycling debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, debris in our oceans worldwide could prove a valuable fuel source. In fact, though the Northern Pacific patch garners the most attention due to its impressive size, there are 5 such gyres in the world’s oceans — in the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

According to its website, the mission of Project Kaisei is well underway:

“In the summer of 2010, Project Kaisei will launch its second Expedition to the North Pacific Gyre, where it will send multiple vessels to continue marine debris research, and in particular, to test an array of marine debris collection systems. Debris collected will be used to further study the feasibility of converting this to fuel or other usable material.”

Though eliminating these plastic swirling masses from our oceans should be a priority no matter what, chances are good it will only get done if it can be parlayed into a money-making endeavor such as this one. Recycling companies aren’t funding the Kaisei Project out of the green-goodness of their hearts, but the green-goodness of their bottom line. But if it gets the trash out of the water and produces new fuel in the process, that’s just fine.

Meredith Simonds Recycling alternative fuel, debris, Discovery News, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, gyre, Kaisei Project, ocean, plastic, recycle, Scripps

Waste Management announces plans for the first plasma gasification facility in the U.S., utilizing high-heat plasma technology to turn waste into fuel and energy.

In another move positioning it as a U.S. industry leader in converting landfill waste into energy, Waste Management is breaking ground on a “plasma gasification” facility. Located in Oregon, this renewable energy technology will utilize high temperatures in enclosed gas chambers to turn municipal trash into usable fuel and energy. This endeavor comes two years after Waste Management became the first in its industry to partner with landfill owners to develop landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) projects.

“This project strengthens our focus on renewable energy and new technologies that use waste as a resources,” says Dean Kattler, area vice president for Waste Management Pacific Northwest.

“Our goal is to extract as much value as possible from waste and this project will help us recover valuable resources to generate clean fuels, renewable energy and other beneficial products.”

TWO-PHASE PLASMA GASIFICATION EXPLAINED

Phase 1: A gasification chamber heats landfill waste at 1,500 degree Fahrenheit.

Phase 2: A second gasification chamber superheats the waste at 10,000 to 20,000 degree Fahrenheit. It is this phase that utilizes the electricity-conducting gas, plasma, which rearranges the molecular structure of waste.

It is the molecularly-rearranged waste produced in Phase 2 — “syngas” – that can be converted into ethanol, diesel, hydrogen and methanol. Or it can be used in place of natural gas to generate heat or electricity.

PLASMA GASIFICATION AROUND THE WORLD

Waste Management is not the only company investing in the application of plasma gasification to convert waste into fuel.

Just last month, British Airways announced its plans to use waste-based jet fuel as a means of generating 10 percent of its fuel from renewable resources by 2014. To that end, Solena Group is building a plant for British Airways that utilizes plasma gasification technology to turn garbage into jet fuel.

In fact, according to Columbia University, plasma gasification facilities exist all over the world, including Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and England. That said, with plans to break ground in early summer the Waste Management facility does appear to be the first in the U.S., though others are reportedly planned for Florida, Georgia and California.

Meredith Simonds Landfills, Recycling British Airways, Columbia University, landfill waste, municipal trash, plasma gasification, Renewable Energy, Solena Group, Waste Management

The continual production of waste in mountainous quantities across the globe is a cause for concern for everyone, even if they don’t realize it yet. While finding new and innovative ways of recycling materials is an ongoing task, there are many consumers who have yet to grasp the basics of recycling their waste. With a few sensible tips and a will to reduce waste, anyone can help boost the amount of recycled materials in circulation.

Whether it’s glass jars, plastic bottles or even just the peelings from vegetables, it’s important to make sure as much waste as possible is put into the recycling stream rather than sent for land fill or incineration. It is thought that as much as two thirds of household waste could be recycled. Separated curbside collections and civic amenity sites set up for recycling are now common in most urban environments and everyone should be making sure that recycling starts within the home. Taking a few steps to make recycling easier and part of your everyday lifestyle will not only increase the amount you send for recycling but will also reduce the amount of overall waste produced in your household.

With future charges for waste disposal being considered that are volume and weight driven, it makes sense to get a grip on your waste sooner rather than later. Why not put a few additional small bins out to keep some materials separate? For example, a small waste bin in the bathroom would allow you to keep empty plastic soap or shampoo bottles away from the other waste in the house, ready for putting straight into the recycle bin. This could also be used for the cardboard centers of empty toilet tissue rolls.

If you have a garden, why not invest in a compost bin? You can separate some of your kitchen food waste to be put in the compost bin instead of going to land fill. Compost bins can take many organic materials such as eggshells, vegetable waste or peelings and even shredded paper. The result is nutrient-rich compost you can use in your garden to help with next year’s crop of home-grown fruit or vegetables.

One of the most obvious ways of cutting your waste is by getting a hold of reusable shopping bags and remembering to use them. This reduces your demand for polythene carrier bags which are incredibly difficult to dispose of, despite the use of billions of them every year in supermarkets. If you do find yourself having to use a bag from a store, ask if they have paper bags. These can at least be put into your waste paper recycling bin when you get home.

Make more use of charity shops and recycle bins in general. At your local civic amenity or refuse disposal centre, there will be an array of recycle bins. These will take almost anything nowadays, from clothes to CDs and books. If you have clothing that’s perfectly serviceable that you just don’t want, why not give it to a charity shop to sell on to someone else.

Refilling consumables is becoming more and more common as the cost of packaging, both in monetary and environmental terms is increasingly understood. From printer ink cartridges to detergents, soaps and coffee, more and more consumable items are being made available to buy as refill packs. Making use of these will cut down not only the waste packaging you buy but also the cost and impact of transporting the goods in the first place from the manufacturer. Every little reduction in weight or size that you can make will have an upstream carbon reduction in the supply chain. Imagine the savings on transport cost and emissions if everyone used refill packaging instead of new jars, cartons or bottles all the time.

You have the ability to control the waste being produced in your household. As a consumer, you also have the ability to make choices around what products or brands you buy that will affect the manufacturers’ long term attitude towards packaging and waste produced downstream of their operations. Only through doing things differently, and making choices that are responsible, can we reduce the waste we produce for good.

Cindy Recycling household recycling, household reuse, re-use, re-use household items, recycle, recycle waste, Recycling

If you simply follow this advice, you have already made a serious committment to starting an environmentally friendly lifestyle – without a big impact on your pocketbook!

Certainly, going green can be an expensive prospect in many ways. Buying a hybrid vehicle can set you back more than $20,000, just as installing certain solar or other alternative energy products can involve significant upfront costs. But you don’t necessarily have to start with the big ticket items – start small, and work your way up. Every bit helps!

According to a recent survey by Grail Research, 69% of consumers who had not gone green thought green products were too expensive. The fact is, there are small, inexpensive steps that can be taken by everyone, and many of these actually save money for consumers as well.

Here are some of the most basic, simplistic ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle:

• Turn off lights in rooms when not in use.
• Install a programmable thermostat.
• Shop at thrift stores.
• Don’t run the water continuously when you do dishes or brush your teeth
• Skip the dryer, air-dry your clothes (and wash in cold water).
• Make your own household cleaning supplies.
• Walk, bike, carpool, or take public transportation.
• Carry along your own re-usable coffee mug (when buying coffee at a shop).
• Use a fan instead of air conditioning in summer, wear a jacket and drop the thermostat a few degrees inside in winter.
• Repair old appliances and other household items instead of replacing them.
• Replace old shower heads with high efficiency (low flow) shower heads.
• Don’t buy bottled water; buy a water filter, or re-use 1 or 5 gallon containers with filtered water.
• Utilize re-usable shopping bags rather than plastic or paper.

Want to go green but feel you don’t have the time or money to jump on the green bandwagon? The only person you are answering to is yourself – following these easy methods to reduce, re-use and recycle is an excellent start to adopting a leaner, greener lifestyle.

Cindy Recycling eco-friendly lifestyle, go green, green living, recycle, reduce, reuse, save energy, Save Money

In case you have never placed any thought into this most intriguing question before, the true answer is 25 rather large sheets. That’s right, The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company has been converting pachyderm poop into a wide variety of paper products since 2002 and their business practice is refreshingly sustainable!

A trip to their website, www.poopoopaper.com is in itself an experience that will leave you with a chuckle or two. Their online store is called the “poo-tique” and the number one FAQ they are asked is “do your products smell?” According to the site, their charter is to:

“successfully sell our goods in order to complete a truly creative sustainable cycle: where raw materials with little other use are utilized to make a useful and functional product all the while providing jobs and opportunity along the way and ultimately selling our goods at a profit from which a portion of change is directed to a worthwhile cause: elephant welfare and conservation.”

The elephant dung is collected from various conservation parks and zoos, who are likely more than happy to contribute this abundant resource. After collection, the processing of the dung pulp begins at the factory. This  starts with a pre-rinse of the elephant dung with water, leaving only the fibrous materials from the grasses, bamboo and fruits they’ve eaten.  Elephant dung is typically full of short to medium grained fibrous materials from the elephants diet which when processed makes excellent paper.  And fortunately, the poo poo paper doesn’t smell anything like fresh dung,  because the company first lets the waste dry completely before thoroughly rinsing it.

The poo-tique has over 150 unique items in their collection for the elephant and paper lover, including picture frames, photo albums, book marks, small storage boxes for keepsakes, gift bags and wine bags in addition to the many styles of journals, notebooks, and greeting cards.

The idea is  gives new meaning to “hand made” recycled paper goods! What do you think, readers?

Cindy Recycling Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company, paper processing, recycled paper, recycled paper goods, sustainable products

Living green means finding ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Fortunately, many of these methods have the additional benefit of saving us money as well. It’s a win-win situation, and especially in light of current economic conditions every penny counts. Here are some creative, frugal ideas to consider for saving money while saving the planet!!

Gift and Holiday Bags. Consider these just as something you exchange between friends! Never throw away a perfectly good gift bag, you can use them to store things in the interim if space is an issue.

Grocery Bags. You should be using re-usable grocery bags as much as possible, but everyone forgets now and then. Use your excess plastic bags for trash can liners or even as packing material for mailing.

Ziplock bags/Aluminum Foil. I know, this sounds really frugal, but as long as they did not previously contain a meat  or greasy item you should be good to go!

Greeting cards. No, we’re not talking about whiting out the signatures and adding new names, but to be creative and re-use the artwork or attractive parts of the cards, glue this onto a newly created card, and personalize it with your own prose.

Fabric Softener Sheets. These make great dust cloths, or can be slipped into sock drawers for a nice clean smell.

Scrap paper/Junk Mail. If you have kids, there are tons of applications: paper airplanes, origami, drawing and artwork. Run the scraps through a shredder to create packing material as well.

Lunch meat containers. In the days of my youth, the lunchmeat always came in airtight plastic bags, but now you get the same inside a plastic tupperware-like container. These are the perfect size for storing leftovers, as well as bins for items such as crayons, coupons, office supplies, etc.

Empty pop or juice bottles. These are great for kids, they can be cut in half and used for sand scoops, to collect bugs, rocks, whatever your little one is in to.

Egg Cartons. These can also double as packing material, or may be ideal for storing small household items or golf or ping pong balls.

These are just a few ideas you can easily implement around the house. For a comprehensive list of uses for household discards, read this article. Readers, if you have some other creative ideas, leave a comment!

Cindy Conservation, Recycling frugal ideas, living green, re-use household items, recycle, reuse, Save Money

The cup runneth over is usually a good omen, but the closet overflowing can be an environmental (and space) problem! I’m sure I’m not the only one with loads of clothes that I’ve been lugging along with me through several moves over the years, in hopes that the size 7 jeans I favored back in the 80′s come back into fashion. Ok, truth be told,  I admit the hope that I’ll eventually squeeze back into them is the true reason, but that is another story.

At some point, we must admit to ourselves that it is time to part with our favorite (or never used) article of clothing, whether it’s due to overuse or simply non-use. But if everyone just cleared out their closets and dumped all those items in the landfill at once, I shudder to think of the number of new clothing-topped mountains that would suddenly erupt across the American landscape!

All humor aside, there are a number of things we can do with our old clothing in the spirit of re-use and recycling. Here are a few ideas:

Sell (or consign) at a Resale Shop. Items which are still fashionable and in good condition will usually be taken. Typically, you might get 40% of what they feel they can re-sell the item for, so don’t expect to get rich- but every penny counts in this economy!

Sell them Online at Ebay or Craigslist (or one of many used clothing sites). Don’t expect much unless the item is designer or a trendy item, but baby and kid’s clothes are popular resale items given kids grow so quickly.

Give to a friend or try one of the new clothing “exchange” parties. Also called “wardrobe swapping”, I saw this idea on TV the other day- the premise is you or one of your friends sponsors a “clothing exchange party”, upon which each individual brings 1-5 outfits they no longer use, and everyone browses through the loot (after having a few drinks, of course) and you pick out something new in exchange for your own contribution. Does it work? Who knows, but it sounds fun!!

Donate to local charities. I admit to shopping at the local goodwill store on half price day- and finding some awesome deals! Hey, if I can save money for something I was going to buy anyway, and save it from going into the landfill (while benefiting a charity for the less fortunate in the process), it sounds like a complete win-win situation.

Re-engineer the outfit. Get your creativity to work and convert a ‘not so nice anymore’ garment into something else altogether, such as cushion covers or even cleaning cloths. Just twist or braid or paint and transform! If you have a penchant for sewing, go ahead, de-construct and re-construct.

Worn out Clothes? Read this article for tons of ideas on how you can use the material in creative and useful ways. From pillow stuffing to rags to doll clothes, your imagination is the only limitation on what you might find uses for with your worn out treasures.

Does anyone have some additional ideas on clothing recycling that they’d care to share? Leave a comment!

Cindy Recycling clothing re-sale, clothing re-use, re-use, recycle, recycle old clothes

Confused by the little number on many plastic containers with the circulating arrows around it? You are not alone. It seems like there are so many different types of plastic, you need a college degree simply to decide what goes into which trash receptacle. Never fear, we are here to help!

The number included on many plastic containers is called the “resin identification code”, and it is indicative of which type of resin was used to make the plastic. This symbol is one of the keys to deciphering what you can and can’t recycle, but there are other factors involved as well.

The most commonly recycled types of plastic are Polyethylene terephthalate, PET (number 1), and high-density polyethylene, HDPE (number 2). But here’s where the confusion comes in: every community has different rules as far as what goes in which trash receptacle. Thus the first thing a consumer must do is educate themselves on what the regulations are in accordance with the city waste management service. Going to your local community or city website is usually an effective means of getting this information.

Community curbside recycling programs are most likely to limit their collection to only the “number 1 and 2″ plastic bottles and jugs. According to the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, over 80% of community recycling programs restrict their collections to only these items.

Here are some tips for deciding what plastics should (or should not) go into the blue bin:

Bottles and jugs: Simply remember that the “mouth” of the container must be smaller than the sides. These typically include milk jugs, ketchup bottles, water and soda bottles, shampoo and other personal care products, and household cleaning bottles.

Some no-no’s: These items are typically not taken by curbside recycling programs:

• Yogurt containers
• Butter and Margarine tubs
• Take-out containers and microwaveable dinner trays
• Shopping bags (recycle at the store or better yet, obtain re-usable bags)
• Cutlery, plates and cups

Some of these items may soon be able to participate in recycling efforts, according to information provided by the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers. It is important to be aware of changes to your community recycling programs, so be sure to read those little inserts you get with your garbage and water bills each month.

Cindy Recycling community recycling program, curbside recycling program, plastic recycling, plastics, recycle bin, recycling tips, resin identification code, sorting trash