ThuRs Recycle Reuse

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ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Fabric, Sewing Supplies

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

I like the bumper sticker that reads, “She who dies with the most fabric wins!”  I want to do more quilting in my golden years. Quilters, embroidery artists, and fabric crafters know you have to have a good “stash” for your palette.

But, what do you do when you have moved on to another passion (organizing, grandchildren, coaching, etc.) and want to let someone else benefit from your bounty? To whom can you donate such a wonderful collection of fabric and sewing notions?

These are three worthy organizations that will use donations of fabric to make quilts for injured, hurting or needy folks:

Columbus Area Linus Project

This organization’s mission is “to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer ‘blanketeers’.”

The Peanuts cartoon creator Charles Schulz approved the use of his lovable character in the cause of providing security blankets for needy children. Each blanket is marked with a Linus tag before it is given to a child.

Donations welcomed include:  washable cotton fabric, flannel or polar fleece, batting, yarn, thread, stamps, cash and gift certificates to fabric and craft stores.

Contact: Amy                         Chapter Website
(614) 327-1041                  [email protected]

Columbus Metropolitan Quilters

CMP members donate their time in the program “Kids Quilts”, by making and distributing baby quilts for the Columbus Board of Health. The CBH provides these “blankets of love” to a visiting nurse program and to the Ohio Health Community Outreach, a mobile unit that goes to schools to provide obstetric care for teenage mothers.

The quilts also make their way to infants who are considered at risk due to HIV infection, a mother’s alcohol or drug abuse while pregnant, or abandonment.

For more information about Kid Quilts or to donate your time or fabric, please contact Rita Herzberger, 614-213-3893.

Quintessential Quilters Guild

QQ has an ongoing relationship with “Choices“, a local women’s domestic abuse shelter. Since 1995, over 130 quilts have been made and given to individuals who seek this shelter’s assistance.

QQ also participates in the Quilt of Valor (QOV) program.  “The mission of the QOV Foundation is to cover ALL war wounded and injured service members and veterans from the War on Terror whether physical and/or psychological wounds with Wartime Quilts called Quilts of Valor.”

Email Quintessential Quilters with questions about how to help.

Donating your extra fabric and/or sewing supplies to any of these Central Ohio groups is a great use of the resources you no longer need or use.

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Greeting Cards

Thursday, December 30th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

Do you have crafts items in your house made with old holiday greeting cards? I treasure the placemats Emily made for me in 1992 from Christmas cards under plastic. The “I love you, Mommy” in 2nd grade handwriting melts my heart every time.

So what will you do with your stash of greeting cards from Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Years? A couple of ideas:

1.  Greeting cards can, of course, be recycled in any paper recycling program.

2.  Simply cut off the back half, then reuse the front as a postcard greeting.

3. Cut around motifs and punch a hole in a corner to use as a gift tag.

4. Save your favorite greeting card art. Print your personal interior sentiment on new 110# cardstock using a notecard template .  Paste the greeting card art on the front. Mail the renovated card in envelopes made to fit ¼ sheet of computer paper.

5. Send all occasion greeting cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. (Copyright cards from Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cannot be recycled.) Using a USPS Flat Rate Box is an inexpensive way to mail large quantities of cards.

Happy New Year!

Mail donations to:  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

You can always find a grade school teacher to pass the cards on to. Then students can make a masterpiece like mine.

Thursday Recycle and Reuse: Batteries

Thursday, October 28th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

A recent email from Neil L. Drobny of the Waste Not Center prompted this post. I am summarizing the information found by following Neil’s links.

Recycling of rechargeable batteries is now a fairly straightforward process.

Rechargeable battery types are: Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead* (Pb). Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, two-way radios, camcorders and remote control toys.

You can take these types of batteries to any of the participating retailers. In the U.S.:

  • Alltel, Batteries Plus, Best Buy, Black & Decker, Cingular Wireless, The Home Depot, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Orchard Supply, Porter Cable Service Center, RadioShack, Remington Product Company, Sears, Staples, Target, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart.

The battery manufacturers have funded this joint recycling initiative. Find the center nearest you that will take rechargeables here!

Non-rechargeable batteries (typically “dry cell or alkaline batteries”) still don’t have a recycler and general ly just must be disposed in the trash. Per Neil, “If you are interested in ordering a battery recycling kit, check out the three sites listed below:

The least expensive option is the iRecycle Kit 5. This is a battery and handheld electronics recycling kit for household that includes UN approved collection box, pre-paid shipping and pre-paid recycling.

Materials accepted include all types of dry-cell batteries including AA, AAA, C, D, power tool, laptop, cell phone, camera batteries and others; plus all handheld electronics such cell phones, iPods, and PDAs.

The cardboard container holds approx. six month’s to one year’s worth of batteries for an average household (5 lb. capacity) and is for Continental U.S. use only.  Cost: $24.95

Is that more information than you ever wanted to know about battery recycling? Me, Too. Now I have to actually dispose of batteries responsibly.

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Refrigerators

Thursday, August 26th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

If you live in Ohio and have an old refrigerator hanging around, now is the time to get rid of it. AEP Ohio has doubled the reward for recycling from the usual $25 to $50 through the end of August.

Karen Sloneker, director of customer service and marketing for AEP Ohio, said the program gives people looking to let go of an extra refrigerator or freezer an easy way to start saving money and to make money.
‘All they have to do is schedule an appointment and we do the rest,’ Sloneker said. ‘However, the $50 offer will only be extended through July and August, so it’s important to act now.’ (Wierton Daily Times, July 9, 2010)

The old refrigerators are trucked to a warehouse on the west side of Columbus where they are disassembled by JACO Environmental. Workers separate the different elements: plastic, glass, aluminum trim, refrigerants, oil, and copper tubing for reuse. All told, 95% of the appliances will stay out of a landfill.

To recycle a refrigerator, call American Electric Power at 1-877-545-4112 or visit gridSMARTohio.com to schedule a free appliance pickup. Refrigerators and freezers must be cleaned out, operable and at least 10 cubic feet in size.

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Backpacks

Thursday, August 5th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

We used to get new backpacks every year until we realized that buying one of quality was worth the investment. Our backpack of choice was JanSport, but have read good things about North Face, LLBean and Dakine. By middle school, especially, the better construction is necessary for heavy use.

In any case, when you find that last year’s backpack is obsolete but serviceable, there are several ways to reuse it within your home:

  • Backpacks make great baby/diaper bags for younger siblings.. You can stash a lot of diapers, creams, drinks and snacks in the many pockets.
  • Use the pack in the trunk of your car to keep it neat while holding emergency items like: blanket, flares, kitty litter, lock de-icer, etc.
  • Stuff your gardening tools inside, so you can grab everything at once to head out into the garden.
  • Designate the backpack as the overnight bag and keep it packed with extra toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, pj’s, and change of clothes – ready to grab and not forget a thing.
  • Make a backpack the “home” for the best loved stuffed animals. Hang on a hook with faces peeking out. Use this as a good time to purge ratty and unused plush.

If you can’t use the backpack yourself, donate to a thrift store while summer is here so the family who needs one can find it before school starts!

One last option for conservation-minded folk is to donate the backpack to the American Birding Association. This organization’s mission is to inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds.” I love it!

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Toys/Games

Thursday, July 29th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

I am always looking for new homes for the stuff my clients are willing to share. I was excited to read Melissa Dilley’s article “Parting with Toys Not Always Easy” in the Columbus Dispatch this past Friday, July 23rd.

In keeping with the Toy Story 3 theme, Melissa spoke to several families having yard sales to sell their growing children’s toys. She encountered a young man who couldn’t give up his first two-wheeler, as well as a mom who was keeping things that her child said could be sold. I wonder whose wishes will change in the future.

Best of all, was the specific list of places to donate toys and games here in Columbus, OH.

  • Huckleberry House, 1421 Hamlet St., accepts board games and toys targeted to children ages 12 to 17.
  • JOIN (Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs), 578 E. Main St., accepts all used children’s toys. Call 614-241-2530.
  • Boys and Girls Club, 115 S. Gift St., accepts board games. Call 614-221-8830.

Hopefully, your donated toys will not want to escape from their new home, but will be treasured and enjoyed by new owners.

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Carpets

Thursday, July 15th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

Did you know there was a national agreement on carpet recycling? I didn’t until I was researching this article.

On January 8, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, members of the carpet industry, representatives of government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, and non-governmental organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship (MOU).

Participants set goals over a ten year period with a proposed end result of 40% recycling and reuse by 2012.

A non-profit organization,  Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) was created to find solutions that will divert used carpet from landfills and to monitor results. Since its inception in 2002, CARE has diverted over 1 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet from landfills according to their fact sheet.

So what can you and I do to aid this effort? Visit the CarpetRecover.org website for a list of carpet reclamation centers.

In my Columbus, OH neighborhood there is only one listing on the West side:

Reclamation LTD
2664 Fisher Road
Columbus, OH 43204-3536

(614) 279-2515 (warehouse phone)

This company will take any amount of carpet that is delivered to this warehouse address between the hours of 7:30 am – 4:30 pm, M-F.

Of course, if you are blessed to live in Georgia, your can not only purchase carpets directly from the mills, but recycling centers abound in this carpet-making capital of the U.S. One that I am particularly impressed with is the Shaw Group.

Shaw Contract Group has a recycling program for their customers who are replacing at least 500 Sq yds of carpet with their ecoworx product. That means they will remove the carpet and truck it to their recycling facility.

With the ability to recycle 100 million pounds of carpet each year, Shaw’s recycling capabilities represent one-third of the entire industry’s capacity.  You can watch their video that explains their cradle to cradle Eco Solution Q nylon carpet.

Would that every product we use could be reused to this extent to save natural resources!

More posts in this series: