Recycling Tips

Devastating oil spills, garbage floating on our shores, littering, global warming, and pollution. Unfortunately these problems are becoming more common. They can not be ignored any longer. If everyone just started to do one thing, it WILL make a difference. The Earth is a perfect ecosystem. It provides us with everything we need to survive; food, water, air, materials for clothing and shelter. But we’re ruining the very thing we need in order to survive. Isn’t it time that we all started to do something to help this wonderful planet? Below is a list of things that anyone/everyone can do. Begin with one or two things and once it becomes a habit, try another and then another, etc. Check back often because I’m also asking for everyone’s help here. If you have a recycling tip/idea, email it to me and I will add it here. Together we can make a difference.

RE-THINK when you are at the grocery store. Over packaging and all of that extra plastic in our garbage system is monumental. It is the number one item we throw away. It takes hundreds of years for one plastic bag to break down and it is made from petroleum. Plastic uses more petroleum than our vehicles. Think; do I need this? Is there another item that I can purchase that doesn’t create so much waste?

• Call/email manufacturers and ask if they can cut down on the over packaging. I’ve done this many times and it does make a difference.
  
  
• Use canvas bags instead of plastic at EVERY store – not just the grocery store.
  
  
• Use string bags for fruits, vegetables and small items at EVERY store. SEE THE ONES THAT WE SELL.
  
  
• Buy your grains, pasta, snacks in bulk. If your grocery store doesn’t offer it, ASK. It can’t hurt and again, if enough people ask, they will start to offer it.
  
  
• Don’t waste electricity. If you’re not in a room, turn off the TV, light(s), etc.
  
  
• Unplug unused appliances.
  

Change your regular light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL). Check with your electric company. They will either offer them to you at a discount or know where you can get some at a great deal. You don’t have to change your entire house all at once. Change one or two a week. Not only will you save money in the long run (they last longer, and burn more efficiently so your electric bill will be less) but you’ll be saving a great deal of energy. How much? Each month my electric company sends a newsletter with their invoice. I am quoting in one of the newsletters, “Energy Star, which is a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Dept. of Energy says, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.” (You should probably have another sip of tea and read that again. It’s amazing!)
-
Don’t just toss used/old/broken appliances, cell phones and computers away. If they’re just used, give them away. If they’re old, find someone who can use them. Call your town/city to find out if they have a “recycling day” in which they collect these items and keep them out of the landfills.

Cell phones – people seem to get rid of their cell phones as soon as the newest ones come along. Don’t do this. Keep them as long as possible and if you need to get rid of them, please find a place/person that will take them. There is a mineral called coltan. It is used to coat components of the cell phones. Unfortunately this mineral is found deep in the Congo which is the home of the lowland gorilla. Their habitat is being destroyed because of the mining operations to get the coltan because of the increase/demand for new cell phones.

Take leftover dishes when you go out to dinner for your leftovers instead of using their Styrofoam containers.

COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST It’s easy and anyone can do it. I have more information on another page. Just click here

RECYCLE whatever your town/city will take. When you are at the grocery store, look at the item you are purchasing and ask yourself, “Can this be recycled?”

CARPOOL or take public transit or even better; walk or ride a bike.