Another reason why plastic packaging is bad, bad, bad

Bartering and swapping stuff – it’s the future

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiornohas a great post at Yahoo! Green.

How to Find Free Stuff has some links to online services like bartering, swaps and free stuff.  As Lori says: “Obviously, seeking out free stuff is great for your budget, but it can also be good for the planet. Reusing things, for example, keeps valuable items out of the landfill and saves the resources needed to make a new product from scratch.“

I did check some of these out like signing up for Freecycle and Favorpals, which is all about helping you trade skills and favors.

Clean someone’s house in exchange for dog walking when you’re at work or for tutoring your kid in math. Or offer painting services and get help with designing a website.

U-Exchange is another trading site and of course Craigslist is always a great source for about anything you could want.

Check out her full post HERE >>>

County joins world of recycling

This is interesting.  According to a press release by Loudoun County, “recycling has arrived at major Loudoun parks“.

Apparently, Loudoun County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services has begun placing recycling bins for bottles and cans next to existing litter receptacles at its three most frequented facilities, Claude Moore Park and Recreation Center in Sterling, the Potomack Lakes Sportsplex in Cascades, and Franklin Park in Purcellville.

I’m not exactly sure what this new-fangled idea is but evidently you can “recycle” bottles and cans.  Perhaps there was an exhaustive study that found recycling is actually a good idea.  Or, maybe the county is beginning to pay attention to its own mandate found elsewhere on its own website?  The following is found at the Recycling webpage:

Is recycling mandatory in Loudoun County?

Yes. Loudoun County has had a mandatory recycling requirement in place since 1991 for both residents and businesses. New recycling requirements became effective January 1, 2003. These requirements make it mandatory for solid waste collectors to provide curbside recycling service to your home. Multi-family dwellings and apartment complexes will also receive recycling collection services.

I’d say if it’s good enough for everyone else, it should be good enough for one of the nation’s most affluent counties to start doin’ it! (And, I guess if we require it, we ought to follow our own rules …)

There’s more good news!  Even though Loudoun County’s household income was reported to be the highest nationwide, we were able to get funding from the Virginia Litter Prevention and Recycling Grant Program.  Yes, according to abc 7 news:

Loudoun County residents had the highest median household income in the nation last year. According to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday, the median income in Loudoun in 2007 topped at $107,207 – the highest in the country.

Should there be bailout money for purchasing “shovel-ready” plastic recycle bins?  Hmm …

Seriously though, I applaud the work of the County’s Recycling Specialist.  I’m sure he has some challenges and I count this as a win for him.  There is a lot of great information on the county website about recycling and it’s worth checking out.

Recycling Brochure (pdf)

Learn more about Recycling in Loudoun County, VA

Must see TV about plastic bags

This is definitely worth checking out.  I carry reusable bags but often forget to take them into the store.  After watching this, I am going to make an extra effort to carry reusable bags.

Click to view slideshow

Best Buy provides great way to e-cycle

Image via Wikipedia

Best Buy will bring its electronics recycling program Feb. 15, 2009 to all of its 1,006 stores nationwide. The program offered by Best Buy will help consumers find easy ways to recycle, reuse, or trade in products at the end of their life.

Starting Feb. 15, consumers can bring up to two (2) units per day, per household, for recycling at any U.S. Best Buy store.  Best Buy will accept most consumer electronics, including televisions and monitors up to 32”, computer CPUs and notebooks, small electronics, VCR and DVD players, and phones, as well as accessories such as keyboards, mice, and remotes.

A $10 recycling fee per unit will be charged for items with screens, such as televisions, laptop computers, and monitors. The consumer will instantly receive a $10 Best Buy gift card in exchange for the recycling fee.

Image from EcoFuss

The following items cannot be accepted through this program:

• Televisions or monitor screens greater than 32”
• Console televisions
• Items containing Freon, including air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and mini-refrigerators (consumers are encouraged to contact their state/county sold waste department for recycling options)
• Microwaves
• Appliances (customers are invited instead to use Best Buy’s appliance haul-away and pick-up programs)

Find a Best Buy store near you HERE

Ditto Hangers has answer to clothes hanger waste

Years ago I sent my dress shirts to a dry cleaner to be washed and pressed.  Every couple of weeks I accumulated another dozen empty wire hangers in my closet. At the time I hadn’t given much thought to the mountain of these things that must be piling up in local landfills.  And then there were the plastic hangers that found their way home from the store along with new clothes purchases.  I did eventually figure out that I could return the hangers to the dry cleaner (duh) but I’m wondering how many of us just toss them when they get in the way.

On January 26th I posted an article about clothes hangers using recycled materials called Recycled paper clothes hangers seems like great idea.  After that post I was contacted by Gary Barker of ditto hangers.  Gary writes :

Greener loudoun,

If only you had spoken to us about recyclable hangers!!!

We have the coolest paper hangers on the earth, with international design awards to prove it!

We’re Ditto Hangers and we’re going where no paper hanger has gone: into the retails clothing stores and the hotel industry. We’re in all 196 GAP Outlet stores and have made hangers for LL Bean and Adidas.

Our paper hangers are made of ultra compressed paper and look beautiful. AND they’re not covered with advertising.

We recently made an all paper wide shoulder hanger for Adidas/Germany for their SLVR Concept stores. It’ll be appearing in their concept stores in Paris, Berlin, Beijing, New York, Miami and Los Angeles [see below]. (And it won a Silver for Ecodesign from the International Sparks Awards)

And we’re getting ready to launch our Ditto 10-Pack to sell to consumers! The 10-Pack features 10 our our Ditto Paper hangers for home use.

These are the real deal. Check out what a real environmental hanger looks like at our website at http://www.dittohangers.com.

Best,

Gary Barker
founder + ceo
dittohangers

Well, I did check it out and found out some astounding facts.  According to their website …

“Plastic and wire hangers have become so commonplace in the retail environment that they have become virtually invisible. That is until it’s time to dispose of them. Municipal recyclers won’t and can’t take them. Made of 7 different types of low-grade plastic (if marked at all), they are extremely difficult to identify and segregate on a rapidly moving recycling line. Made from multiple materials (plastic, wire, non-slip vinyl pads, etc.) the components are costly to separate. Most of all wire hooks are notorious for jamming the lofting cams in expense recycling machinery, bringing entire recycling lines to a grinding halt.”

Ditto Paper Hangers are made of 100% recyclable paper with a minimum 70% post-consumer waste content, using vegetable inks and environmentally friendly starch adhesives. These uniquely designed hangers feature a large area for client branding, are easily recycled in any municipal recycling program at any outlet location. Our paper hangers can be made with a wide variety of paper colors and textures and clearly and directly promote the client’s environmental message.

Ditto PET Plastic Hangers are made from 100% polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is the most widely recycled plastic, commonly used to produce water bottles. This innovative design features a single material construction, eliminating wire hooks and other materials that make recycling hangers prohibited. Even our innovative Ditto Clip Hanger uses only one material, replacing metal springs with PET clips.  Our PET Ditto Hangers can be recycled in plastic recycling systems or returned to Ditto for recycling.

(One word of caution.  These don’t look like they would help you when you lock your keys in the car.  You might want to keep a wire hanger around for that purpose.)

These are the kinds of changes in industry that we need to drastically reduce waste and increase recycling.  Check out Ditto Hangers HERE

Recycled paper clothes hangers seems like great idea

Here’s a great idea posted by BERYL SHERESHEWSKY at sustainable is good

“Every year, over 3.5 billion wire hangers are produced in the United States.  Ending their lives eventually in a landfill.

A company named Hanger Network has revamped the hanger, adding an economical and ecological twist with the ecohanger.

The wire hanger has given way to a paper and recycled-plastic hanger with a branding message.  Made from post-consumer recycled materials, companies are spreading their message in over 35,000 dry cleaners across the country.”

And, they are made in America.

Good packaging design – smaller, reusable, recycled materials

Good packaging design – reduce, reuse, recycle.

IDEA: Take the coarse 100% recycled pulp that egg cartons are made of, and mold it around the shape of shoes … CONTINUED AT TREEHUGGER.COM

PSFK reports that Newton Running based in Boulder, Colorado is striving to produce shoes that have a very low impact on the environment. The company wanted to also look at the way the shoes were packaged and see if there was an alternative to the conventional printed cardboard boxes. Newton worked with TDA Advertising and Design to develop a new package that is less box and more carton. The new package is a molded design that uses 100% post consumer recycled material. The shape of the carton fits the shoe eliminating the need to pack it with tissue paper. Instead of stuffing the shoes with even more paper, the company includes a pair of socks in one and a reusable shoe bag in the other.

VIA PSFK.COM

E-cycling can pay off. Here’s how

Webware examined nine services that pay for your unwanted digital wares. These are among the newest options to help keep electronics waste out of landfills, while uncluttering your closets.

They looked up what each service said it would pay for working iPods, PDAs, laptops, gaming consoles, and more, with cables but lacking their original boxes. For dead devices, some offer a pittance, or will connect you with willing recyclers and charity recipients … CONTINUED

They added a nice CHART to help you find the best deal for you.

In any case … please don’t send your old electronics to the landfill!

Here’s a great idea – Start a GREEN TEAM at work

Image via Wikipedia

Starting a GREEN TEAM at work …

Your workplace may be in need of some greening.  Employers may not object to more eco-friendly practices and in fact, may be interested but don’t know how to get started.  It may be that if you and some co-workers take the lead, you may be able to start some sustainable practices at work and save your employer some money in the process.

According to Kastle Waserman at Yahoo! Green,

“A green team is a group of employee volunteers who look for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in the office. They team up to bring their individual skills and passion into a collective for changing behavior among their peers.

Their efforts not only help the environment, but they can improve the company bottom line. Offices with green teams enjoy the benefits of lower electricity bills, less waste, and engaged employees who build project management, communications, and leadership skills as they plan out their eco-friendly campaigns. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

How to start? Yahoo! Green suggests:

1. Post a notice or email others and ask who is interested in environmental issues and is willing to bring that passion to work in forming a green team.
2. Get together and brainstorm on various ideas:

• Improving energy conservation, from lights to computers.
• Boosting recycling (tip: start with paper!).
• Finding alternatives for food and drink containers in break rooms and cafeterias
• Organizing carpools and ride-sharing, encouraging public transportation use and biking.
• Lessening the company’s overall environmental impact.

What next?

Set up a meeting. Ask what topics the group is interested in taking on. Designate a leader — someone who will keep a list of the issues that come up in team meetings.

READ MORE >>>

Source Reduction = Stop buying crap you don’t need in excess packaging that will outlast all of us

Try to “pre-cycle” when making purchases.  Reducing waste and excess packaging by smart purchases is even better than recycling.  You need to do both, but reducing waste comes first.

We need to stop filling up the landfill.  Check out this short video to see what YOU can do.

More recycling options – even via US Mail

Image by timtak via Flickr

Yahoo! Green’s environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno regularly has useful posts with practical green-living tips and product reviews.  Her Friday November 14 post is titled “Recycling by Mail“.

According to the article:

There are now more recycling options than ever for conscious consumers looking to responsibly dispose of unwanted stuff. Many of us have access to curbside recycling for the basics and several retailers offer convenient take-back programs.

Still, it can be hard to figure out what to do with often overlooked things like plastic hotel key cards, wine corks, and CDs. Luckily, a simple trip to the post office can accomplish a lot.

She goes on to address recycling such things as Plastics and Packaging, Apparel and Shoes, and E-waste.

Learn more HERE >>>

Are you contaminating the recycled paper stream?

Image via Wikipedia

Via EARTH911.org

I have to admit I don’t know all I should about recycling.  I want to recycle everything I can but there are things we all should know about contaminating the recycling stream.

According to EARTH911.org, contamination is everywhere when it comes to recycling. It most likely occurs because people want to recycle as much as possible (ME), and figure that anything tossed in a recycling bin will be recycled in some way (SOMETIMES ME).

Actually, the opposite is true, as contamination is the quickest way that an entire batch of recyclables will end up in a landfill because of a few outsiders. This is especially true when it comes to paper, since you rarely find a paper product that is entirely made of paper.

The best way to ensure that your paper is safe to recycle is by knowing what is accepted. Use Earth911 to find specific products that your local program or recycling center collects, as well as exceptions.

While all recycling programs are different, EARTH911 alerts us to five materials that will likely interfere with recycling once it reaches a paper mill:

1. Food Waste – Paper is recycled by mixing shredded fiber with water to make new pulp. But, oil and water don’t mix well, so oil stains won’t dissolve in the water and you’ll get new paper that still has oil stains (e.g. pizza boxes).

Your best bet to not contaminate the rest of your recyclables is to place it in the trash.

2. Hazardous Products – anything that comes into contact with paint such as paint-stained newspaper.

3. Plastic/Wax Lining -Linings are added to many paper products.  Plastic and wax lining is too difficult to separate during the recycling process (except plastic windows in envelopes).  So paper cups with plastic/wax linings go in the trash.

4. Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs) – Anything that you can peel and stick without moisture is difficult to filter out and don’t dissolve in water so they could be lodged in equipment (e.g. sticky-notes)

5. Wet Paper – Water shortens paper fibers, making it less valuable. If your curbside program or local recycling center can’t sell the paper to a mill, there’s no point in collecting it for recycling. This is yet another reason to not try and recycle napkins or paper towels. As a good rule of thumb, make sure your paper recyclables are covered if it’s raining.

Read More at EARTH911 >>>

Eco-Tips on getting rid of household chemicals and stuff you shouldn’t just toss in the trash

Did You Know?

• You can use cedar chips or white peppercorns as a substitute for mothballs.
• The EPA says that if all Americans recycled used oil from DIY oil changes, there would be enough motor oil for more than 50 million cars a year.
• A Community group in your community may be really happy to get your leftover paint to use.
• According to the EPA, the average home accumulates as much as 100 pounds of hazardous waste in its storage areas.
• More than 350 million rechargeable batteries are purchased in the U.S. every year according to the EPA.

Modern EcoHomes has a nice post by Kristen Banker “Eco-Friendly Tips We All Need To Know“.  She offers some good advice on proper disposal of waste items we tend to accumulate around the home.

Home and Garden Products

Used Motor Oil

Expired Medications

Left Over Paint

Batteries

Check it out HERE >>>

Sometimes they take it back

If you are wondering what to do with all the broken, used up, and unwanted stuff accumulating in your home you may be surprised to find that in some cases, you can take it back to a store.

A growing number of retailers ( Best Buy, Home Depot, Ikea, Office Depot, Radio Shack, Staples and others) are offering programs that make it easy for you to responsibly recycle castaways.

To see a sampling of local retailers read the post at The Conscious Consumer >>>

Nov 15 is not just my wedding anniversary

Image by Aaron Landry via Flickr

This November 15 is not just my wedding anniversary, it is also the 11th annual “America Recycles Day.”  The goal of America Recycles Day is to increase consumer demand for recycled products and to raise awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of recycling.

According to the National Recycling Coalition, If America’s recycling rate for aluminum and steel cans, plastic PET and glass containers, newsprint and corrugated packaging increased by 10%, we would save enough energy to provide electricity to 1.8 million Americans for an entire year.

Take the Recycling Pledge right now!

Don’t toss your old computer – recycling just got easier

Via treehugger.com …

“Reconnect is a recycling program run through Dell and Goodwill, helping to reduce the occurrence of e-waste. The program hopes to divert 2.7 million pounds of used computer gear from area landfills over the next year.

The program is doing more than just recycling computers, though. It’s giving a boost to our economy in a couple great ways.

The Reconnect program is helping to create job opportunities for people, giving a much needed income to people who might not be able to find a job elsewhere.

Plus, providing this free services helps cash-strapped people continue to do right by the environment through recycling rather than tossing e-waste, saving our landfills from the costly task of sorting – or worse, dealing with toxic e-waste later on.” … CONTINUED

You can recycle computers in Sterling, Virginia at this location:

Sterling Plaza II Shopping Center
22405 Enterprise Street in Sterling, VA
(Off of Sterling Boulevard)
Monday – Saturday 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm

How to recycle paint

Okay, summer is over and you may have left-overs from your spring and summer painting projects.  Here’s some advice from Earth911.org on recycling paint …

flickr image: paint uploaded by basykes

Tips on Recycling Paint

Here’s some pointers to best prepare your paint for recycling:

1. Keep different paints separated Avoid mixing oil-based and latex under any circumstances, because they cannot be recycled together.
2. Consolidate partial cans (Keep point #1 in mind before you consolidate).
3. Handling dried paint—If your can is completely dried out, you don’t have to worry about taking it to a recycling facility/event. Plunge a screwdriver into dried paint to make sure there’s no liquid underneath. If you decide to place dried paint cans in the trash, make sure you leave the lid off. You can also clean out all the remaining paint residue and recycle the plastic and steel cans.
4. Pack up your cans—Before you load paint cans into your vehicle, check for leaking cans and pack these with newspaper.
5. Do some research—Use Earth 911 to find your local paint recycler. If you can’t find one, consult your local household hazardous waste coordinator.

Learn more about recycling paint and other things at Earth911.org >>>

McDonalds Corp to start composting

According to a post at Infoniac.com …

Today the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants, McDonald’s will start transforming its waste into compost. The step is part of an eco-friendly trial of the corporation in Great Britain.

flickr image: "Old School Mickey D's" uploaded by theotherway

Instead of plunking in a landfill, the company will convert its waste food along with paper and cardboard into compost which will be used for agricultural means on farms. A two week test is expected to save up to 40 tons of waste from McDonald’s restaurants.

Go to Full Article >>>

www.jurdygreen.com