E-waste be gone!

stop the e-waste madness...the following info is from ideal bite, a wonderful endless source of recycling tips:


Ready to eject your old CDs?

Pause before you chuck 'em. Now that MP3s and Blu-ray hi-def movies are taking over, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes (and their cases) are going the way of the phonograph. After you've converted or burned them, recycling is easier than skipping to the next song.

The Benefits
More space for everything else. When was the last time you actually listened to that copy of Kenny G's Greatest Hits?

CDs that don't play the earth. Each month, more than 45 tons of CDs become obsolete and end up inlandfills and incinerators - and in landfills they can take centuries to biodegrade.

Personally Speaking
Toshio found a record store in Portland that pays cash for any CD - yes, they even took Celine Dion.

Wanna Try?
Greendisk Technotrash Pack-IT - recycle any electronic waste in your home (up to 20 pounds) through this mail-in service ($7).
Ripstyles - Lazy Biters: opt for its LXRY service, where it'll burn your albums for you and recycle your jewel boxes (prices vary depending on volume).
ACT Recycling - recycle videocassettes and computer disks through an org that provides jobs to disabled people.

DIY Bite: Many nonprofits such as Goodwill will take your old CDs, DVDs, and computer games. You can also exchange them for cash or new media in used movie/music shops, or online.

Do It Yourself Laptop Bag

SG reader and friend lice sent me this recycling tip:

How to Make a Laptop Bag from Cardboard

So you've just received a nice laptop, but you can't afford 40 bucks for a carry case? Or your current laptop bag has shredded, gotten coffee spilled on it, or doesn't fit your new laptop? You can make an inexpensive temporary replacement from nothing more than a box and some packing tape!


thanks lice!

Watch out for the plastic bag monster!!

Not only will he kill the earth, but he's stealing the balloons! I know it's an ad for Chico bags, but it's awesome and so are the bags. Enjoy!

Tin Can Garden Lanterns

Do you want to start a small art project in the winter months, make gifts for your friends and recycle cans all at the same time?

Here is a great How-To create a Garden Lantern article to get you started. There is a good tip about freezing sand & water in the can to keep it's shape while you hammer out the design.

The picture on the left shows different leaf designs but the lanterns would look equally beautiful with a random abstract design. Have fun!

cracking the corn habit

who are these dudes & why are they in a cornfield?

i heard about this documentary, king corn, but haven't seen it yet. king corn tells the story of 2 good friends, an acre of corn and this subsidized crop that fuels our fast food nation.

on october 31st, these 2 buddies decided to take on a "king corn" challenge for the month of november:

The rules of the challenge are simple in theory, but treacherous in their reach, a symptom of the broad adoption of corn byproducts and feed usage in our industrialized food system.

--No corn products, apart from fresh corn on the cob.
--No soda or other products made from high fructose corn syrup.
--No meat, dairy, chicken, fish, or other animals that have been raised on corn products.
--No products that contain corn derivatives.

join them by signing up here or check out their progress here.

if this is just too much to take on now, see the daily green, a new website launched by hearst media that touts itself as "the consumer's guide to the [green] revolution." i found some useful tips (lots of familiar stuff i post from ideal bite or grist) but most useful is the "get local info" menu which directs you to recycling resources, markets, etc.

will this website make green mainstream?

New York Joining Ban on Plastic Bags?

A proposal introduced on Monday requires stores in New York City larger than 5,000 square feet to set up an in-store recycling program and sell reusable bags. New York is seeking to follow an international trend and hopes that this will be a model for other cities.

Some 700 food stores plus large retailers such as Target and Home Depot would have to collect used bags and provide a system for turning them over to a manufacturer or to third-party recycling firms. Stores would be required to use bags printed with a reminder to consumers: “Please return this bag to a participating store for recycling.”

Environmentalists say plastic bags are a scourge and take years to biodegrade and contaminate soil and water.

The bill was expected to come to a vote within several months.

In 2002, Ireland introduced a tax on plastic bags, reducing their use by 90 percent. Some communities in Australia have banned them in retail stores since 2003.

In March, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets and the state of California enacted a law in July that requires large stores to take back plastic bags and encourage their reuse.

Americans use an estimated 84 billion plastic bags annually, and the production of plastic bags worldwide uses over 12 million barrels of oil per year, the council said.
Recycled bags can be used to produce new bags plus a variety of plastic products, including furniture.

Estimates vary widely for how long it takes plastic bags to decompose, and some environmentalists say it is impossible to know because plastics have only been used commercially in recent decades.

blog action day--the SG readers green tips & more!

green tips from SG readers:

My green tip is for everyone to help the environment by shopping at any store or venue that sells or recycles already used items. Whether it's flea markets, thrift stores like St. Mary's (in Hoboken), Salvation Army, auctions, gate sales, eclectic stores like MackeyBlue, Craigslist, freecycle, antique stores like Erie Street and even what you might find at the curb, when you're in need for something in your home, try these places first. You'd be surprised at how much shops and recycling sites have to offer not to mention the wide array of cool things you could come across with more character and intrigue than brand new items. Also, the prices are probably alot easier on your bank account as well. Try it, you'll be surprised what you may find and what you may learn in the process!

Save the arts & the environment in one fell swoop! Become a donor at MFTA.org.
Materials for the Arts, NYC helps artists realize their visions, provides students with a richer educational experience, and furnishes businesses with a simple and efficient way to enhance the cultural life of their city while promoting environmental awareness and reuse.

Recycle your electronics at a BTTF while supporting a nj women's business:
Back Thru The Future (BTTF) is a recognized industry leader in the proper environmental handling of electronics and secure data destruction for hard drives, PDAs, cell phones, cds and backup media. Based in Ogdensburg, New Jersey with close proximity to New York City, BTTF is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE).

Twist and spout! Place Twist and Spout on your soda or water bottles and instantly give them renewed life as ergonomic pourers! Fits virtually any soda or water bottle with a screw-on cap.

Recycled bottles = art!

I cut up old tee shirts that are stained or that I no longer wear to make rags. I use these rags over and over again for cleaning dishes, my counters, dusting, cleaning the floors and wiping up messes. I also save dryer sheets and use them for dusting and cleaning as well.

for hudson county residents: here's a list of household hazardous waste items you can recycle in nearby jersey city.


and 2 articles for green reading today:


1. from mother jones: There are more untapped oil and gas reserves in the Arctic than almost anywhere else in the world—and with the ice melting, the race to get to them is about to turn ugly.


2. from grist: read an interview with julia butterfly hill (my green hero) about her struggle to save the redwoods (i read her book "the legacy of luna" to learn about her vigil living high up in the trees) and her environmental action group circle of life.

her one piece of advice? "Get rid of disposability consciousness -- every paper bag, paper plate, paper napkin, plastic to-go container, and Styrofoam cup. I have walked on the earth that is connected to the thread at the other end of those horrific choices, and I am not being overdramatic when I say disposables are weapons of mass destruction."

21 kick ass recycling tips!

in anticipation of our environmental blog action day on 10/15, here is a handy list of stuff you can recycle. i have been trying to find a place in hudson county to recycle household batteries.

et voila... read on for more tips.


and while you're thinking green, go to co-op america's website and vote for the 2007 green business of the year. my vote goes to reuseablebags.com.

Co-op America

21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle

Garbage. Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less.

Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle.

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, http://www.goodwill.org/, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, http://www.recycle-steel.org/.

2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, http://www.batteryrecycling.com/.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, http://www.auraltech.com/.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, http://www.dressforsuccess.org/. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on a new fall wardrobe and back-to-school clothes.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: http://www.ikea.com/.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at http://www.findacomposter.com/.

8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at http://www.videofitness.com/.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html.

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each. (or try cartridge world -- i used to get my dell cartridges refilled here at a reasonable price, you can also drop off empties for recycling or get recycling bins for your office.)

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, http://www.recycleoil.org/.

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, http://www.collectivegood.com/. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: http://www.donateaphone.com/. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, http://www.reclamere.com/.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, http://www.playitagainsports.com/.

17. “Technotrash”: Project KOPEG offers an e-waste recycling program that can help you raise funds for your organization. Use Project KOPEG to recycle iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, http://www.greendisk.com/.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. http://www.oneworldrunning.com/.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Recycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups. 888/354-7296, http://www.recycline.com/.

20. Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.
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©2005 Co-op America. All rights reserved.

...good green news...

as we get closer to blog action day on 10/15... here's a piece of good news from today's new york times:

"Seattle now recycles 44 percent of its trash, compared with the national average of around 30 percent, which makes it a major player in big-city waste recovery. Its goal, city waste management officials said, is to reach 60 percent by 2012 and 72 percent by 2025.

In many other parts of the country, recycling is in the doldrums — and in some cases backsliding — despite the sounding of environmental alarms about global warming and shrinking resources. And it is a far cry from recycling’s heyday, after the nation was jarred into action in 1987 by images of a barge carrying garbage from Long Island being towed up and down the East Coast in search of a place to unload. Six months later, its cargo was returned to New York and burned in a Brooklyn incinerator.

The wandering barge had a profound effect on the American psyche, and within three years most states had passed laws requiring some kind of recycling. But recycling victories are now gauged in much smaller increments. In Seattle’s case, the latest success is measured in scraps.
As the law now stands in Seattle, residents of single family houses are allowed to mix food scraps with yard waste, which is then shipped off to be composted. Recycling of food scraps will become mandatory in 2009.

The new law may add yet another container for curbside pickup, which already includes receptacles for nonrecyclable trash, yard waste, glass and other recyclables. In Seattle, many residents take pride that their weekly nonrecyclable output fits in a container no larger than the average countertop microwave."

and another interesting tidbit from the nyt today: seltzer water, how to get your fizz without the guilt of buying and using plastic bottles. read about the three devices you can get to create your own fizz at home!

the reporter also tests several siphon bottles with "a coated aluminum interior from iSi North America (about $40) and a two-liter Liss with a stainless steel interior (about $65). You can buy them online at amazon.com and prairiemoon.biz or from stores like Target or Williams-Sonoma. Boxes of 10 disposable cartridges cost $6 to $10. They can be used for either product and are usually available where siphons are sold."

howard hates plastic bags

i know this is a bit dated but i just saw this on the reusablebags website... howard stern, who knew?

Sirius Radio 03.28.07
Hear Howard Stern blast the absurdity of plastic bags upon San Francisco's announcement to be the first US city to ban plastic grocery bags: "In this country, there are so many (plastic) bags. We bag everything - we bag our bags, we have bags for our bags. It is outrageous. All this plastic has nowhere to go, it's a tremendous waste amount of garbage, and it's a completely wasteful thing all these plastic bags." Listen here...

p.s. scroll down to the end of the posts for the reusablebags ad & buy your canvas bag now...

is it art or just compulsive recycling?

walking around hoboken yesterday on bloomfield street, i stumbled across this bizarre art/recycling installation. thursday is paper recycling in our city. so, was the creator of this art form merely putting out his/her recycling?

inside every Parliament cigarette box was a neatly folded up bunch of paper. totally obsessive compulsive. apparently this is a usual set up. a month ago, i noticed this exact arrangement but it was late at night and i didn't have my camera. disappointed that i couldn't document such creativity, i figured it was a fleeting, one-time street art project. i'm glad to say it is not. this person sure is puffing away a lot but at least he/she is recycling...

a simple choice

while wondering about the million mass of people clamoring to buy the iphone today (and then pitching their current phones), my thoughts returned to the never ending dilemma of buying and discarding water bottles. i'm a regular offender (carbonated h2o is my weakness but i won't buy the pepsi/coke water brands acqufina-- #1 seller & dasani-- #2 seller in the nation). lately, i've really been trying to break the habit. i saw an article today, message in a bottle, from fast company that might just scare me out of my numb complacency enough to commit to tap water. some jaw dropping stats from the article..

• We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year--in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.


• 24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi.


• Worldwide, 1 billion people have no reliable source of drinking water; 3,000 children a day die from diseases caught from tainted water.
  
• San Pellegrino's 1-liter glass bottles weigh five times what plastic bottles weigh, dramatically adding to freight costs and energy consumption. The bottles are washed and rinsed, with mineral water, before being filled with sparkling Pellegrino--it uses up 2 liters of water to prepare the bottle for the liter we buy. [ouch! i really gotta stop buying this stuff!]

it's time for us all to start making a choice about the luxury of bottled water.

update: how to green your water... lots of tips & plenty of info to help you tackle serious h2o conservation. here's a green guide from treehugger. one tidbit from the EPA: Much of the world gets by on 2.5 gallons of water per day. The average American uses 400 gallons per day, 30% of which is for outdoor uses and half for watering lawns- 7 billion gallons per day. [damn suburbs!] also check out ideal bite for advice on water filters and bottles to tote your l'eau.