reuse

...now browsing by tag

 
accountable benefits book review charitable donations closets clothes clutter declutter disorganization donate downsize efficiency efficiency. organizing encourage family home focus get organized get started goals howto inspiration L.I.F.E. learning styles linens motivation organizing Paper Management personality photos planning priorities procrastinate productivity quotes recycle reference files reuse simplify small spaces sorting storage strategy stress stuff time
 

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.

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | 1 Response »
Tags: , ,

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.

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

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!

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: ,

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.

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: ,

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:

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Fur

Thursday, May 6th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

If you have an old fur collar, coat or wrap that you will never wear, why not donate it to help orphaned wildlife? The Humane Society of the Unites States (HSUS) will collect your donations and send them on to wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Wildlife rehabilitators cut the fur into an appropriate size for the animal, whether a chipmunk, raccoon, squirrel or opossum, and put it inside the animal’s enclosure. The furry blanket becomes a “surrogate mother” to the orphaned or injured animal, reducing stress and giving comfort. (hsus.org)

Items to be donated include: fur and fur trimmed coats, hats, gloves, scarves and muffs. Simply package your fur in a sturdy box and mail to:

Fur-Free Century
The HSUS
2100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037

The current fair market value of your donation is tax-deductible. The HSUS will send you a letter acknowledging receipt to keep for your records.

You can also check here to see if there is a wildlife rehabilitator in your area.

More posts in this series:

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: The Waste Not Center

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

What do 14″ green, 10″ blue and 8″ orange plastic balls, bins of odd Styrofoam shapes and hundreds of black porcelain bowls have in common? These are just a few of the objects donated to and available at the Waste Not Center, on the west side of Columbus, OH.

This center is a wonderful opportunity for Franklin County residents to help teachers while keeping tons of materials from becoming solid waste. The program is a win-win-win for environmentally conscious residents, students/teachers/artists, and the Department of Sanitation.

The Waste Not Center (WNC) receives donations from individuals and businesses of supplies that would otherwise be discarded and makes them available to teachers, artists and non-profit organizations at no charge other than a small annual membership fee.

Students pay $35-45, the teachers/artists’ fee is $75, while entire schools can register for $295 for the year.

Some of the more common items that can be found at the center are paper products, art supplies, decorating samples, office supplies, silk flowers, fabric, carpet samples, and Styrofoam. Then there are the surprises like a 6′ tall faux orchid tree, dozens of safety vests, and a 40″ faux moss wreath. Photos of current inventory items can be viewed here.

The Waste Not Center is open:

  • Every Thursday, 2:00pm – 6:00pm.
  • 2nd Saturday of each month, 9:00 am – 11:30am

It is located at 2830B Fisher Rd, Columbus OH 43204 (map).

To make donating easy and accessible to all, there are bins for Neighborhood Drop Offs at 10 locations around Columbus.

Now you can feel good about letting go of those craft supplies that you will never use, knowing that a teacher will be thrilled to have them. All donations are tax deductible.

More posts in this series:

Posted in ThuRs Recycle Reuse | Comments Off
Tags: , , ,

« Older Entries