It seems like I’m always late to the good parties. I totally missed this in my inbox till yesterday. The new Oregon Bottle Bill was officially expanded June 9, 2011.
“Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber signed into law today the latest revision to the state's landmark bottle bill, which expands the scope of containers covered by attaching a nickel deposit to all beverages, including beer, soft drinks, water, juice and sports drinks”.(1)
I’m pretty excited about the bill’s expansion – how many more kinds of containers are included in this bill. (By the way, did you know Oregon was the first to pass a bottle bill in the US back in 1971?)(2)
Mind you, this change won’t take place right away – this will happen “no later than 2018”. The plan is for all glass, plastic and metal beverage containers except for milk, wine & liquor containers. I have to wonder why. It isn’t just because the formulations for the glass bottles differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, as we know glass soft drink and juice bottles are already made by different manufacturers. Is it because we already have ready and close recycling available for milk jugs and wine and liquor bottles? Is it because the nutritionists want to make sure we drink as much healthy milk as possible, and the state wants to be able to tax as much wine & liquor as possible? Cynical perhaps, but I can’t help wondering.
”Forty years after the state passed the country's first container deposit redemption law, HB 3145 goes far beyond an incremental update. In addition to the expanded coverage of new container types, the bill pilots a new system of stand-alone redemption centers for the state. The centers would be independent of retailers and was a critical component in securing support from the grocers' lobby, which had opposed previous expansions of the bottle bill. A pilot project will take place in a to-be-determined area with a population of less than 300,000, and would also ease the requirements of nearby retailers to accept beverage containers.
"The bottle bill is one of the most successful recycling devices ever invented, but it’s showing signs of age," said the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Ben Cannon (D-Portland), in an earlier prepared statement. "The redemption experience needs to be improved for consumers. More containers should be covered and the deposit should increase if recycling rates drop."(1)
"This is only the second edit to the state's first-in-the-nation bottle bill during its 40-year lifetime. The first came just years ago, in 2007, when the Legislature added water bottles to the list of containers that Oregonians could return for their nickel deposit.
Lawmakers returned two years later hoping to expand the system further by adding containers for sports drinks, coffee, juice, tea and other beverages of that sort. Distributors and grocers balked, however, asking for more time to get the system used to the increased load that water represented.
Two years later, after two trial redemption centers proved highly popular, the former opponents lent their support to further expansion.
That support seems to have made all the difference; the legislation the governor signed Thursday was able to make it through both the Oregon House and Senate with bi-partisan, if not necessarily unanimous, support."(3)
I found this interesting:
"The bill makes provisions for the deposit to be raised to 10¢ if the redemption rate falls below 80% for two consecutive years (as determined any time after January 1, 2016). At the time of the bill's passage, the redemption rate is 84%."(4)
Why make the deposit dependent on redemption rate? I’m sure there’s a good reason at the top of the legislative food chain, but I think it’s just going to confuse the average consumer. And what sort of message does it send to the average consumer? “Recycle fewer bottles, get more cash per bottle recycled”?
And the nickel deposit, first established along with the initial bottle bill in 1971, just isn’t what it used to be. I’ve heard that nickel back then is equivalent to a little over a quarter now. I’d be happy with a flat increase to a 10-cent deposit, especially since you know grocery stores will keep their 24-container-per-person-per-day rule. Though with the new redemption centers popping up, along with the automated bottle return machines, maybe that won’t be so much of an issue after all.(5)
Don’t get me wrong – I’m very happy about the expansion of the bill, I’m happy about the additional redemption centers, I’m happy people from all sides worked hard to make this bill pass with as much integrity as it’s got (and didn’t let it get watered down to nothing), and I’m happy that legislators & industry are open to the idea of raising the deposit.
What do you think of this bill expansion?
Does your state have a bottle bill? If so, what does your bottle bill include? If your state doesn’t have a bottle bill, why is that? What do you think needs to happen for one to pass?
(1) Resource Recycling
(2) Oregon DEQ Oregon Bottle Bill: Then and Now
(3) OregonLive.com
(4) Bottle Bill Resource Guide
(5) KATU.com Get a sneak peek at the new bottle redemption center
(6) HB 3145
Showing posts with label recycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recycle. Show all posts
July 4, 2011
June 4, 2011
Curbside: Paper
“Trashmaster”, you say, “I read your post about where my curbside recycling goes. I even read about putting my glass out on the curb.”
Awesome! I say. Thanks for reading!
“Trashmaster,” you say, “I’m ready for something more.”
Today’s feature: Paper
Paper is crazy-easy to recycle. You can use your junk mail, some water, some old screen door mesh and a blender to make new paper right now. Try this site or this one.
Using recycled paper to make new paper products uses only about 60% of the energy it takes using virgin materials. That means less air pollution, less water pollution, less energy used, and fewer trees cut down.
Right. First things first. What does your hauler say about recycling paper? Not your neighbor, not your co-worker, not your brother’s wife’s weird cousin Larry, but your hauler. (Don’t know who that is? Type “recycling in [your city]” into a search engine. Go ahead. It’s okay - I’ll wait.) Find out if your hauler requires you to separate types of paper products or accepts “mixed paper”. This is important.
Got your local recycling info? Fantastic! If your local hauler requires you to separate your paper products, PLEASE DO THAT. It makes life simpler for the hauler, it makes life simpler for the paper mill, and it means more of your waste products will get recycled.
Here’s what you need to know about recycling “mixed paper”:
-any color of paper can go in. Seriously. For reals. I know, there used to be restrictions like “no goldenrod”. Not anymore.
-you don’t need to remove labels or staples or the spirals from notebooks or paper clips (though paper clips are easy to remove – and reuse)
-you don’t need to remove the ‘windows’ from envelopes
YES: paper bags (no food stains!), cereal and cracker boxes, junk mail (remove free samples and sample credit cards first), cardboard, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, telephone books, catalogs, magazines, newspapers and their inserts, copier paper, greeting cards, wrapping paper (as long as it doesn’t have foil!), milk and juice cartons (even if they feel waxy - they're a weird exception).
CHECK FIRST: corrugated cardboard. Some haulers are fine with mixing it, others want it separate. Also, if you have a lot of shredded paper (like, from a home or small business) – check with your hauler about the size of the shreds and how much the hauler will accept curbside.
NO: Do not put these in your recycling cart. These materials often have chemicals in the paperboard, food residue or other icky chemicals that get in the way of making new paper products.
-paper plates & cups (food residue, and they are often waxed), wrapping paper with foil, carbon paper, tissues, takeout food containers, hardback books (adhesives in the covers and spine), pizza boxes (these usually have food residue)
Freezer food boxes – if the box is at all waxy, DO NOT PLACE IT IN THE RECYCLING BIN. Even if it says “recycle me” on it, just throw it out. There’s a very good chance it has chemicals in it to protect the food inside, and those chemicals are NO GOOD for the paper recycling process. Hopefully this will change soon.
Don’t shred all your paper! Some folks worry about sensitive documents being harvested by icky people. Fair enough. But just shred the stuff with actual personal information. You don’t need to shred the entire contents of the envelope to keep someone from gathering your account number.
The problem with shredding is that it cuts the reusable life of the paper down. Paper can be recycled 4-7 times before the fibers are too short to bind together and form new sheets. Shredding paper means the fibers are cut shorter that much sooner, making for more waste sloughed off in the paper-making process.
More fun facts about paper recycling:
About 1/3 of all papermaking materials in the US comes from recycled paper products.
Recycled paper fibers get made into new products such as new office and notebook paper, egg cartons, corrugated cardboard, paper money, coffee filters, fiber pots for seedlings, bandages, insulation, and much more.
According to the Paper Industry Association Council, “every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space”. That’s a lot! Want more paper recycling statistics? (and really, who doesn’t?) Read this.
*Consider reading:
Promoting office recycling
Materials for elementary school teachers (or parents)
Paper (and other) recycling facts
Lots of paper recycling info from the EPA
Consider reading the rest of the "curbside" series. Just click on the “curbside” tag just underneath this post
Awesome! I say. Thanks for reading!
“Trashmaster,” you say, “I’m ready for something more.”
Today’s feature: Paper
Paper is crazy-easy to recycle. You can use your junk mail, some water, some old screen door mesh and a blender to make new paper right now. Try this site or this one.
Using recycled paper to make new paper products uses only about 60% of the energy it takes using virgin materials. That means less air pollution, less water pollution, less energy used, and fewer trees cut down.
Right. First things first. What does your hauler say about recycling paper? Not your neighbor, not your co-worker, not your brother’s wife’s weird cousin Larry, but your hauler. (Don’t know who that is? Type “recycling in [your city]” into a search engine. Go ahead. It’s okay - I’ll wait.) Find out if your hauler requires you to separate types of paper products or accepts “mixed paper”. This is important.
Got your local recycling info? Fantastic! If your local hauler requires you to separate your paper products, PLEASE DO THAT. It makes life simpler for the hauler, it makes life simpler for the paper mill, and it means more of your waste products will get recycled.
Here’s what you need to know about recycling “mixed paper”:
-any color of paper can go in. Seriously. For reals. I know, there used to be restrictions like “no goldenrod”. Not anymore.
-you don’t need to remove labels or staples or the spirals from notebooks or paper clips (though paper clips are easy to remove – and reuse)
-you don’t need to remove the ‘windows’ from envelopes
YES: paper bags (no food stains!), cereal and cracker boxes, junk mail (remove free samples and sample credit cards first), cardboard, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, telephone books, catalogs, magazines, newspapers and their inserts, copier paper, greeting cards, wrapping paper (as long as it doesn’t have foil!), milk and juice cartons (even if they feel waxy - they're a weird exception).
CHECK FIRST: corrugated cardboard. Some haulers are fine with mixing it, others want it separate. Also, if you have a lot of shredded paper (like, from a home or small business) – check with your hauler about the size of the shreds and how much the hauler will accept curbside.
NO: Do not put these in your recycling cart. These materials often have chemicals in the paperboard, food residue or other icky chemicals that get in the way of making new paper products.
-paper plates & cups (food residue, and they are often waxed), wrapping paper with foil, carbon paper, tissues, takeout food containers, hardback books (adhesives in the covers and spine), pizza boxes (these usually have food residue)
Freezer food boxes – if the box is at all waxy, DO NOT PLACE IT IN THE RECYCLING BIN. Even if it says “recycle me” on it, just throw it out. There’s a very good chance it has chemicals in it to protect the food inside, and those chemicals are NO GOOD for the paper recycling process. Hopefully this will change soon.
Don’t shred all your paper! Some folks worry about sensitive documents being harvested by icky people. Fair enough. But just shred the stuff with actual personal information. You don’t need to shred the entire contents of the envelope to keep someone from gathering your account number.
The problem with shredding is that it cuts the reusable life of the paper down. Paper can be recycled 4-7 times before the fibers are too short to bind together and form new sheets. Shredding paper means the fibers are cut shorter that much sooner, making for more waste sloughed off in the paper-making process.
More fun facts about paper recycling:
About 1/3 of all papermaking materials in the US comes from recycled paper products.
Recycled paper fibers get made into new products such as new office and notebook paper, egg cartons, corrugated cardboard, paper money, coffee filters, fiber pots for seedlings, bandages, insulation, and much more.
According to the Paper Industry Association Council, “every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space”. That’s a lot! Want more paper recycling statistics? (and really, who doesn’t?) Read this.
*Consider reading:
Promoting office recycling
Materials for elementary school teachers (or parents)
Paper (and other) recycling facts
Lots of paper recycling info from the EPA
Consider reading the rest of the "curbside" series. Just click on the “curbside” tag just underneath this post
May 28, 2011
Zipcar errands, block styrofoam and household hazardous waste
Yesterday was quite a day. It was one of the few days Mr. Trashmaster and I have off work together that doesn't involve one of us taking a sick day (he’s got a wacky work week that doesn’t much match up with my work week). We keep talking about how "there's so much we could get done if we just had a day off together once in a while!" Today was that day.
We both got to sleep in. An awesome start right there. We also *didn't* get distracted by having a long involved breakfast - we got right to doing errands. Go, us!
We rented a Zipcar truck for errands. We have only occasional need for a truck, and Mr. Trashmaster figured out that even if we found a $500 truck, we’d still likely have to put $1000 on it in maintenance before the year as out, plus we’d have to insure it and feed it gas. Going through Zipcar costs us about $85 to join and not quite $8/hour or $71 per day. Not bad when we really only need a truck a handful of times a year and for about 3-4 hours each time.
While he picked up the truck, I finished putting bunches of cardboard down on the garden paths – I posted about this just recently. I started some laundry too.
We took household hazardous waste out to the Metro South material transfer station (as it was closer to everything we were doing than Metro Central). That was mostly old paint, old cleaning fluids we don't use anymore, old lawn fertilizer, and some bottles missing labels - stuff you don't want going down the drain into the water table!
We took a bunch of block styrofoam to the Recology facility on Foster Road. We also took bunch of stuff to Goodwill including stuff for e-cycling. We were going to take the computer parts to Free Geek, but it was all sitting uncovered in the back of the pickup, and the rain was moving in fast. Goodwill can sell the usable computer parts and e-cycle the rest.
Holy smokes, we took care of our errands all in one go! Last, off to dim sum, followed by hard-earned naps with a side order of cats!
We both got to sleep in. An awesome start right there. We also *didn't* get distracted by having a long involved breakfast - we got right to doing errands. Go, us!
We rented a Zipcar truck for errands. We have only occasional need for a truck, and Mr. Trashmaster figured out that even if we found a $500 truck, we’d still likely have to put $1000 on it in maintenance before the year as out, plus we’d have to insure it and feed it gas. Going through Zipcar costs us about $85 to join and not quite $8/hour or $71 per day. Not bad when we really only need a truck a handful of times a year and for about 3-4 hours each time.
While he picked up the truck, I finished putting bunches of cardboard down on the garden paths – I posted about this just recently. I started some laundry too.
We took household hazardous waste out to the Metro South material transfer station (as it was closer to everything we were doing than Metro Central). That was mostly old paint, old cleaning fluids we don't use anymore, old lawn fertilizer, and some bottles missing labels - stuff you don't want going down the drain into the water table!
We took a bunch of block styrofoam to the Recology facility on Foster Road. We also took bunch of stuff to Goodwill including stuff for e-cycling. We were going to take the computer parts to Free Geek, but it was all sitting uncovered in the back of the pickup, and the rain was moving in fast. Goodwill can sell the usable computer parts and e-cycle the rest.
Holy smokes, we took care of our errands all in one go! Last, off to dim sum, followed by hard-earned naps with a side order of cats!
May 24, 2011
GET RID OF IT part 2
“Trashmaster”, you say, “thank you for all the great ideas for helping me get rid of my extra stuff around the house.”
You’re welcome!
“But Trashmaster,” you say, “I have stuff to get rid of that doesn’t really go any of the places you wrote about.”
Not to worry. I’m not quite finished yet.
“Whew!”
When established households combine, as in the case of myself and Mr. Trashmaster, there is often furniture that needs re-homing. I sent my couch, coffee table, microwave oven, a small cabinet on wheels, and my TV to Community Warehouse. These fine folks collect and distribute furniture and other household items to low-income families. Community Warehouse works with the families’ caseworkers, so they know just what kind of items to give to each family. Because I had large items, and I was willing to work with their schedule, I was able to arrange to have my stuff picked up. They ask for a $10 donation to help pay for the truck. Totally worth it so Mr. Trashmaster and I didn’t have to figure out how to get all that stuff in the back of our car (and I didn’t have to carry the coffee table across town on the bus!).
Here in Portland, we sometimes get flyers in the mail or on the doorstep reminding us that Volunteers of America will be by on a certain date to pick up materials. If you choose to donate to them, just set out your items on the curb or let them know it’s on your doorstep. In the case of larger items you’d rather not leave on the curb or if the weather won’t let you put your stuff out safely, call to arrange a time so you can meet the driver at the door.
Do you have leftovers from a remodeling project or from building a shed or deck, maybe? Donate to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore or The ReBuilding Center. Got a spare tool box full of tools, or even some extra screwdrivers? Find your local tool library, like the Southeast Portland Tool Library. Don’t forget to recycle that leftover paint!
I’ve also posted about what to do with electronics here.
And as always, in the Portland/Metro region, if you’re not sure what to do with it but you just know it shouldn’t go in the garbage, call Metro’s Recycling Hotline at 503-234-3000.
You’re welcome!
“But Trashmaster,” you say, “I have stuff to get rid of that doesn’t really go any of the places you wrote about.”
Not to worry. I’m not quite finished yet.
“Whew!”
When established households combine, as in the case of myself and Mr. Trashmaster, there is often furniture that needs re-homing. I sent my couch, coffee table, microwave oven, a small cabinet on wheels, and my TV to Community Warehouse. These fine folks collect and distribute furniture and other household items to low-income families. Community Warehouse works with the families’ caseworkers, so they know just what kind of items to give to each family. Because I had large items, and I was willing to work with their schedule, I was able to arrange to have my stuff picked up. They ask for a $10 donation to help pay for the truck. Totally worth it so Mr. Trashmaster and I didn’t have to figure out how to get all that stuff in the back of our car (and I didn’t have to carry the coffee table across town on the bus!).
Here in Portland, we sometimes get flyers in the mail or on the doorstep reminding us that Volunteers of America will be by on a certain date to pick up materials. If you choose to donate to them, just set out your items on the curb or let them know it’s on your doorstep. In the case of larger items you’d rather not leave on the curb or if the weather won’t let you put your stuff out safely, call to arrange a time so you can meet the driver at the door.
Do you have leftovers from a remodeling project or from building a shed or deck, maybe? Donate to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore or The ReBuilding Center. Got a spare tool box full of tools, or even some extra screwdrivers? Find your local tool library, like the Southeast Portland Tool Library. Don’t forget to recycle that leftover paint!
I’ve also posted about what to do with electronics here.
And as always, in the Portland/Metro region, if you’re not sure what to do with it but you just know it shouldn’t go in the garbage, call Metro’s Recycling Hotline at 503-234-3000.
GET RID OF IT! Part 1
Not only was I sick for close to three weeks, but I’m also still unpacking from a recent move – Mr Trashmaster and I recently combined households.
First things first. The best way to move all your stuff is to have less stuff to move. Want to “live more simply”? Don’t take all that crap with you! Mind you, I’d been living in a 560 square foot house for the last few years, but I still found plenty of stuff to get rid of.
“This sounds good”, you say. “I’m interested in having less crap and more space in my home and my life. But I also don’t want to chuck it all in a landfill.”
Heavens no, I say. You should know me better than that by now. If your stuff is in good shape, it’s entirely possible to a bit of money through yard sales or Craigslist. I don’t usually have much luck with this, but that’s me. I know of people who are, essentially, professional yard-sale hosts and Craisglisters. Me, I’d rather throw it in the back of the car, take it somewhere I know it will do someone some good, drop it off and be done with it.
If you’re moving house, or if you’re just spring (er, summer cleaning), here are some places to take – or send – your stuff.
-Goodwill Tried and true, and probably the easiest for most of us, as there’s a Goodwill less than 10 miles away in almost every city of reasonable size. We all know Goodwill as the place we take all our crap when we spring clean and where we go when we need quick, cheap Halloween costumes. But do you know what Goodwill does with your stuff and your money? Goodwill “offers customized job training, employment placement and other services to people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.” They help their clients (veterans, immigrants, seniors, people with disabilities, youth, etc) learn English, earn their GEDs, learn to manage their money, and much more. They also coordinate programs to mentor at-risk youth to help them stay in school, stay out of gangs, and generally make a positive difference with their lives.
Of course, there are many other charities you can donate household items to. If you have a favorite cause, and your stuff matches their requests, go for it. I mention Goodwill because it’s super-easy to find one near you, they take a wide variety of items, and because while everybody I know has heard of them, almost no one I know is familiar with the work Goodwill does outside of running the shops.
-Donate to a local school or children’s program Schools love children’s clothing of almost all sizes, especially for children 6th grade and younger. You would be amazed at how fast the office goes through spare clothing for lunch-time mishaps, “accidents”, paint spills, all sorts of things. T-shirts and button-up shirts are great for art smocks. After school programs can also use clothing. Have a bunch of office supplies? Especially in these lean economic times, teachers will often spend their own money to make sure their students have enough pencils, crayons, notebooks, rulers and glue for the year. Got an extra backpack or two? Students need a way to cart all their stuff to and from school, and not every family can afford to replace them as they wear out. Got sports equipment you aren’t using anymore? See if an after-school program can use it – maybe the Boys & Girls Club or YMCA.
-As long as we’re on the subject of sports equipment Have you heard of Play It Again Sports? They are a national retail chain that buys and resells used sports stuff along with new stuff. (Remember them when you’re looking to start up that New Year’s Resolution too). Or Sports Gift? They are a nonprofit that redistributes gear to more than 40,000 underprivileged children worldwide each year.
-Craft materials If you’ve got yarn or paint or paper or wood or bubble wrap or door knobs or just about anything that could POSSIBLY be used in an art project, or resources on how to do various kinds of crafts, try donating it to a school or a program like SCRAP. This organization “inspires creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community”.
-Freecycle If you’ve got it, there’s probably someone out there looking for it.
First things first. The best way to move all your stuff is to have less stuff to move. Want to “live more simply”? Don’t take all that crap with you! Mind you, I’d been living in a 560 square foot house for the last few years, but I still found plenty of stuff to get rid of.
“This sounds good”, you say. “I’m interested in having less crap and more space in my home and my life. But I also don’t want to chuck it all in a landfill.”
Heavens no, I say. You should know me better than that by now. If your stuff is in good shape, it’s entirely possible to a bit of money through yard sales or Craigslist. I don’t usually have much luck with this, but that’s me. I know of people who are, essentially, professional yard-sale hosts and Craisglisters. Me, I’d rather throw it in the back of the car, take it somewhere I know it will do someone some good, drop it off and be done with it.
If you’re moving house, or if you’re just spring (er, summer cleaning), here are some places to take – or send – your stuff.
-Goodwill Tried and true, and probably the easiest for most of us, as there’s a Goodwill less than 10 miles away in almost every city of reasonable size. We all know Goodwill as the place we take all our crap when we spring clean and where we go when we need quick, cheap Halloween costumes. But do you know what Goodwill does with your stuff and your money? Goodwill “offers customized job training, employment placement and other services to people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.” They help their clients (veterans, immigrants, seniors, people with disabilities, youth, etc) learn English, earn their GEDs, learn to manage their money, and much more. They also coordinate programs to mentor at-risk youth to help them stay in school, stay out of gangs, and generally make a positive difference with their lives.
Of course, there are many other charities you can donate household items to. If you have a favorite cause, and your stuff matches their requests, go for it. I mention Goodwill because it’s super-easy to find one near you, they take a wide variety of items, and because while everybody I know has heard of them, almost no one I know is familiar with the work Goodwill does outside of running the shops.
-Donate to a local school or children’s program Schools love children’s clothing of almost all sizes, especially for children 6th grade and younger. You would be amazed at how fast the office goes through spare clothing for lunch-time mishaps, “accidents”, paint spills, all sorts of things. T-shirts and button-up shirts are great for art smocks. After school programs can also use clothing. Have a bunch of office supplies? Especially in these lean economic times, teachers will often spend their own money to make sure their students have enough pencils, crayons, notebooks, rulers and glue for the year. Got an extra backpack or two? Students need a way to cart all their stuff to and from school, and not every family can afford to replace them as they wear out. Got sports equipment you aren’t using anymore? See if an after-school program can use it – maybe the Boys & Girls Club or YMCA.
-As long as we’re on the subject of sports equipment Have you heard of Play It Again Sports? They are a national retail chain that buys and resells used sports stuff along with new stuff. (Remember them when you’re looking to start up that New Year’s Resolution too). Or Sports Gift? They are a nonprofit that redistributes gear to more than 40,000 underprivileged children worldwide each year.
-Craft materials If you’ve got yarn or paint or paper or wood or bubble wrap or door knobs or just about anything that could POSSIBLY be used in an art project, or resources on how to do various kinds of crafts, try donating it to a school or a program like SCRAP. This organization “inspires creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community”.
-Freecycle If you’ve got it, there’s probably someone out there looking for it.
April 9, 2011
Craft Magazine: April is UpCraft Month
In spring a young man’s fancy may lightly turn to thoughts of love, but my thoughts usually turn to crafting. Something about spring gets me thinking about new projects. Maybe it’s the whole outdoors coming to life thing making me want to create something along with it.
Craft magazine usually has some great projects that involve some or all of the parts being recycled or reused in some way. This month, however, the whole theme is UpCraft. Check out some of projects here. One of my favorites is “Homemade Pantry Staples”. I’ve been getting more and more into making things like these at home, and I’m looking forward to adding a few more to my repertoire. I also rather like the cardboard and rubber band “guitars”. I may have to make some of these for my kids at work.
Craft magazine usually has some great projects that involve some or all of the parts being recycled or reused in some way. This month, however, the whole theme is UpCraft. Check out some of projects here. One of my favorites is “Homemade Pantry Staples”. I’ve been getting more and more into making things like these at home, and I’m looking forward to adding a few more to my repertoire. I also rather like the cardboard and rubber band “guitars”. I may have to make some of these for my kids at work.
Kraft/Terracycle Team Up for Minor League Baseball Promotion
More good recycling news for baseball fans! On the heels of Free Compost Night at Seattle Mariners games comes the KRAFT Singles “Tuesday Night Tickets” promotion at Minor League Baseball games around the country.
TerraCycle is working with Kraft Foods to “turn donated wrappers into functional lifestyle products while furnishing a donation for each wrapper collected to charitable organizations”.
For more information about the promotion, check out Kraft Singles Tuesday Night Tickets.
While I am not a huge fan of processed cheese food products or hermetically sealed individually-wrapped slices, I am all for trying to recycle the plastic bits that are already out there and I am all for steering some traffic towards TerraCycle.
TerraCycle is working with Kraft Foods to “turn donated wrappers into functional lifestyle products while furnishing a donation for each wrapper collected to charitable organizations”.
For more information about the promotion, check out Kraft Singles Tuesday Night Tickets.
While I am not a huge fan of processed cheese food products or hermetically sealed individually-wrapped slices, I am all for trying to recycle the plastic bits that are already out there and I am all for steering some traffic towards TerraCycle.
“Every Bottle Counts”: video
Hey, what do you know? Turns out, recycling is easier than you think! This video, put out by the International Bottled Water Association, encourages recycling of the bottles. What did you think? Me, I think I’m going to stick with my durable water bottle.
Got a favorite video about recycling? Let me know and I’ll share them here.
Got a favorite video about recycling? Let me know and I’ll share them here.
e-Cycling
I’m a little behind the curve when it comes to electronics and technology. I mean, I have a computer (obviously), I have a old (old) cell phone, and I have an iTouch (mostly because I killed my Palm a while back by dropping it one too many times). I’ll probably give up both the cell phone and iTouch within the next year in favor of a smart phone of some sort. The cell phone is easy enough to recycle – I can take it to my local library or police precinct, who will then send it off to be cleaned up and donated to a women’s or family shelter. The iTouch is a little trickier. It’s not a phone, so it can’t be reused that way. It’s also not the latest, hottest, hippest version on the market, so it’s got limited resale value. Heck, at this point, it might even be difficult to donate to much of anyone. If you’re into personal technology at all, you’re likely aware the iPad 2 has been released, within a year of the original. So what happens to all those original iPads people bought? Do you chuck ‘em in the trash? Holy cow, I hope not.
So what do you do with your old iPad, iTouch, or other fancy electronic gadget?
-->Hang on to it as a back-up. You never know when you might drop the new one or spill your soda all over it.
-->Sell it to someone who wants it. Try Craigslist, eBay, a garage sale, an electronics website, even a note on the bulletin board at work or school. Maybe they don’t need the latest, fanciest model. Maybe they’re looking for something for their kids. Maybe they’re looking for a quick replacement after theirs broke. Maybe they’re looking for antiques. As long as they’re willing to pay, you’re good to go.
-->See if you can get store credit. If you’re planning to get the newest, hippest version, see if the electronics store will take your older version in as a trade-in.
-->Speaking of trade-in, maybe you can trade your old electronics for something you want or need. Check out Craigslist, U-Exchange, or Care-to-Trade and trade your old iPad for a couple of hours of someone painting your house, or maybe for a set of weights, or possibly for guitar lessons.
-->Find out if the manufacturer has a recycling program. Apple, for instance, will take their products, working or not, back by mail or in their stores. According to their website, if the item you send them has monetary value, they’ll give you credit towards a new product. If the item doesn’t, they’ll “recycle it responsibly for you”.
-->Donate it. Schools are finding more and more uses for iPads and iTouches. Special Education departments would especially love to use your old electronics to use with children with Autism and communication disorders. Libraries and senior centers would also love to have them. Help save the world –and- take a tax deduction.
-->What if the gadget no longer works? What if it’s flat-out broke, busted, kaput, dead? That’s still no reason to throw it in the garbage! In the Portland (OR) area, you can also take your items to Free Geek to help support the Portland non-profit dedicated to recycling electronics, providing Internet access and education to everyone, and teaching computer-related job skills to anyone who wants to learn, all in exchange for community service. For the rest of the US - Best Buy also has an electronics recycling program. They don’t even care what brand it is or where you bought it or what it is (for the most part – as always, double-check with their e-cycling info first). You can also check out the electronics section on Earth911’s ideas for reusing and recycling electronics.
Consider reading:
Donate your iPad, be a hero…: Tainted Green
Find a recycling center near you: Earth911
iThink this will add to eWaste: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
So what do you do with your old iPad, iTouch, or other fancy electronic gadget?
-->Hang on to it as a back-up. You never know when you might drop the new one or spill your soda all over it.
-->Sell it to someone who wants it. Try Craigslist, eBay, a garage sale, an electronics website, even a note on the bulletin board at work or school. Maybe they don’t need the latest, fanciest model. Maybe they’re looking for something for their kids. Maybe they’re looking for a quick replacement after theirs broke. Maybe they’re looking for antiques. As long as they’re willing to pay, you’re good to go.
-->See if you can get store credit. If you’re planning to get the newest, hippest version, see if the electronics store will take your older version in as a trade-in.
-->Speaking of trade-in, maybe you can trade your old electronics for something you want or need. Check out Craigslist, U-Exchange, or Care-to-Trade and trade your old iPad for a couple of hours of someone painting your house, or maybe for a set of weights, or possibly for guitar lessons.
-->Find out if the manufacturer has a recycling program. Apple, for instance, will take their products, working or not, back by mail or in their stores. According to their website, if the item you send them has monetary value, they’ll give you credit towards a new product. If the item doesn’t, they’ll “recycle it responsibly for you”.
-->Donate it. Schools are finding more and more uses for iPads and iTouches. Special Education departments would especially love to use your old electronics to use with children with Autism and communication disorders. Libraries and senior centers would also love to have them. Help save the world –and- take a tax deduction.
-->What if the gadget no longer works? What if it’s flat-out broke, busted, kaput, dead? That’s still no reason to throw it in the garbage! In the Portland (OR) area, you can also take your items to Free Geek to help support the Portland non-profit dedicated to recycling electronics, providing Internet access and education to everyone, and teaching computer-related job skills to anyone who wants to learn, all in exchange for community service. For the rest of the US - Best Buy also has an electronics recycling program. They don’t even care what brand it is or where you bought it or what it is (for the most part – as always, double-check with their e-cycling info first). You can also check out the electronics section on Earth911’s ideas for reusing and recycling electronics.
Consider reading:
Donate your iPad, be a hero…: Tainted Green
Find a recycling center near you: Earth911
iThink this will add to eWaste: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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