Getting Ready for Earth Day: Recycle!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.20.07
Earth Day is really just around the corner (Sunday!), and we hope that as the day draws near, you've been thinking about what you can do to make our world a greener, healthier place. When it comes to equating everyday behavior with saving the planet, few things are as high on the list as recycling. Here are some tips and resources for incorporating recycling into your life, not just on Earth Day, but every day.
1) Recycle your stuff: it can be fun (and sexy) with the EcoPod; with programs from Dell, Apple (remember, iPod has its own program) and more, there's no excuse not to recycle your computer; the online community at Superuse has user-generated ideas, pics and descriptions to help you do-it-yourself and keep it out of the landfill; and, as if you needed more incentive, Recyclebank pays you to do it. More tips on recycling something today can be found here.
2) Get recycled and second-hand stuff: just about anything can be made with recycled content or given a new home, from toothbrushes to computers to home insulation and apparel.
3) Give recycled and second-hand stuff: 'tis better to give than receive, so rather than chucking it in the garbage, help it find a new home with services like FreeCycle, Craigslist, Material Love and Swap-O-Rama-Rama.
4) See the results: recycled stuff doesn't have to "look recycled". To wit: you can recycle a 747 into a house; build a yacht entirely from recycled materials; get a ring from recycled precious metals; create art or fancy lighting; and create a couture dress from umbrellas. The sky's the limit.
For more examples and ideas, check out our How to Green Your Recycling guide and dig in to our category dedicated to recycling. Happy Earth Day!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Obama: It's Not About the "F---ing" Light Bulbs
- Paper Piling Up In Warehouses as Market Collapses
- Top 7 Green Categories of 7 Green Lists of 7 Green Things
- Is TextID a Greener Business Card?
A Laptop, Some Repeaters, a Sailboat, And a Quarter-Ton Server
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Reminder: Oprah and Simran Going Green Today!
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AND! don't forget www.earth911.com
They are a wonderful website for learning where to recycle items.
That's not a bad list for recycling resources.
But it is possible to recycle without having to actually pass your stuff onto anyone.
For example, recycle an old PC by giving it to one of your kids instead of buying them a new one - costing you money and the environment resources. Many PCs are trashed for little reason other than someone 'needs' a new one. So why not use the old one as a dedicated machine for web surfing, or word processing - ideal for your kids' use. And if they complain about getting an 'old' PC that's no good because it'll never store all their music/photos, then just buy a cheap external drive - far, far cheaper than forking out for a complete system!
There's more to recycling than simply giving your stuff away - start by asking if you really need something new at all.
Steve N. Lee
author of eco-blog http://www.lionsledbysheep.com
and eco-suspense thriller 'What if...?'