Category Archives: recycling

Dumpster Diving gets a New Look!

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Wow, I really like this idea. As someone who has furnished nearly 95% of her apartment with used, often curbside/alley found, objects I think this see-through bag would revolutionize my dumpster divin’ scores.

“Whether it’s that purple vase your sister-in-law got you, or that particular coffee-pad-loving coffee machine (you know the one) that’s been lying in the basement for ages; everybody owns items that are no longer of value to them,” says designer Simon Akkaya on the WaarMaker website.

What do you think? Clever, eh?

Be Green in 2013: Recycling Odd Things

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More Plastic Recycling!
If you use plastic bags (grocery, food-storage, newspaper bags, etc.) Your local grocery store probably accepts them for recycling. Jewel & Dominick’s (or other Safeway stores) are two locally that I know accept these. The Whole Foods in Orland Park also does. So does Target, Wal-Mart & JC Penny at Ford City Mall!! Just to double check, for store drop-off locations near you, see this site Earth911 directory.

  • At the very least, most stores collect plastic carry out bags (the kind you receive if you forgot your cloth bags). The bin is often located at the entrance or sometimes at the checkout area
  • Most stores collect a wider variety of “plastic film” or “plastic bags and wraps”—like Jewel, Dominick’s, Wal-Mart, Target & Whole Foods—you can recycle any of the following: plastic carryout bags; dry cleaning bags; newspaper bags; bread bags; cereal box liners (plastic bags inside the cardboard box); produce bags; sealable food storage bags (like Zip-loc); wraps from paper products, (diapers, napkins, paper towels, bathroom tissue, and baby wipes); & case wrap from bulk snacks & beverages.
  • Most of these different plastics outlined in bullet 2 are labeled with a #2 or #4 near or inside the recycling symbol on the bag.
  • Make sure plastic bags and wraps are clean and dry (you want them that way for storing at home before bringing them to the store, anyway). No food residue, paint, adhesive or stickers.

Eyeglass Recycling!
Do you have old eyeglasses lying around? Not sure what to do with them? The Lions Club collects used glasses (in one piece or broken) and redistributes them to people in need.

Imagine if you could help a child read. An adult succeed in his job. A senior maintain her independence. And provide a community with more opportunities to grow and thrive. Donate glasses and change someone’s life with the Lions Club.

Visit this site, type in your city (Orland Park has at least 5 sites!) and locate a Lions Club and an eyeglass collection center.

You can also package your old eyeglasses and mail them to one of two locations:

  • Your nearest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center
  • Lions Clubs International Headquarters
    Attention: Receiving Department
    300 W. 22nd Street
    Oak Brook, IL 60523, USA

And, don’t forget- the Moraine Valley Center for Sustainability is still collecting Frito-Lay Chip Bags, Expo Markers & PaperMate Pens for recycling.

Office L-242 or email sustainability@morainevalley.edu for more information

DIY gifts, save $ & the planet! (or at least decrease environmental impact)

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Repurposing otherwise obsolete items is a great way to recycle and decrease the environmental impact of waste. Sometimes it’s call upcycling. Whatever you call it- let’s do it! Upcycle craft ideas are all over the web and in light of the Holiday Season, I know many are still thinking…”What should I get for Aunt…” well, here you go. How about a cool caddy to keep wires and small electronics in place while charging? Have a baker in the family who always needs hot pads? Or maybe someone that would appreciate a book of tasty recipes? Check out

@Sierra_Magazine Who Asks: Want to save some green? Make these 10 DIY gifts to save and be green.

Happy Holidays, Y’all, take good care of yourselves and our planet!

 

Trying To Go Plastic-Free? I am!

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For the last few years, I have been trying to go as plastic-free as possible. Plastic production, use, and breakdown produces an immense amount of toxins.  Some of these toxins are even carcinogens.  I find that terrifying.  In my family, we are committed to limiting our plastics and fantasize about going plastic-free someday.

In the book, Plastics: A Love Story, by Susan Frenkel, it states that the US  has “produced nearly as much plastic in the last ten years as we have in all previous decades put together”.  The more plastic in our lives, means there are more and more toxins.

If you would also like to try to live plastic-free, check out this blog.  On Mondays, the authors are posting suggestions.

http://blog.greenamerica.org/2011/10/24/plastic-monday-say-no-to-stupid-plastic/

 

ReBuilding Exchange Antique and Flea Market Sunday

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Up in my neighborhood in Bucktown on the Northside of Chicago, this great organization, ReBuilding Exchange, has an antique and flea market on Sunday.  They salvage housing materials from various buildings and sell them at pretty low prices.  I got my husband a drafting table for $20 at the last flea market.  They also periodically have DIY classes on how to do home renovations.  Check out the information on their Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/rebuildingexchange.

Green Festival This Weekend!

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Green Festival ChicagoCelebrate Green Festival’s 10th Anniversary at the Chicago Green Festival, May 14th-15th at McCormick Place Lakeside!

Green Festival inspires and promotes the connection between change and sustainable progress for people, communities and businesses. Green Festival’s interactive marketplace and learning environment provides solutions to help make healthier lives-socially, economically and environmentally.

Fun for the whole family! Festivities include presentations by more than 125 renowned authors, leaders and visionaries, informative how-to workshops, cutting-edge films, enriching kid’s activities, organic beer and wine, delicious organic vegan and vegetarian cuisine, diverse live music and an amazing marketplace of more than 300 green local and national businesses and organizations.

Chicago Green Festival features national and internationally renowned authors, leaders, visionaries and activists. Keynote speakers include Amy Goodman, John Perkins, Dr. Sharif Abdullah, Colin Beavan (No-impact Man), The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Dr. Devra Davis and Hunter Lovins.

Preview local, regional and national green businesses in the 2011 Exhibitor Directory.

A Big Win For Italy – Plastic Bags Banned

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Talk about an excellent new year’s resolution!!  Italy banned single use plastic shopping bags at the start of the year.  Imagine if the entire US made that commitment.  Oregon is considering the same ban and many towns and cities in California have instilled the ban, including parts of LA.  Personally, I can’t remember the last time I took a plastic bag.  I keep a stash of cloth bags in the car and for my daily walks have those great little Chico bags that clip to anything with a little carabiner.  When was the last time you took a plastic bag?

America Recycles Day! No Excuses.

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10/15 is the Annual America Recycles Day celebration. It should be everyday, but some corporations are sponsoring the idea that one day should be special throughout the year. In honor of that Mother Nature Network is chiming in. I really like their sources and sites, so I taking the opportunity to share with you. Here is a great list from the Mother Nature Network about 10 kitchen related things you have no excuse NOT to recycle. Check it out and remember – everyday should be America Recycles Day. Below is their Top 10 List. Follow the link to learn WHY & HOW.

  1. Glass bottles.
  2. Aluminum and steel cans.
  3. #1 & #2 plastic containers.
  4. Plastic grocery bags.
  5. Cereal and other food boxes.
  6. Cereal box liners.
  7. Bread ends. (My personal favorite- some pretty fabulous reuse options for this item…of course, I just prefer to eat them).
  8. Aluminum foil.
  9. Kitchen electronics.
  10. Old appliances.

Do you have other ways you recycle? Or are there items missing from this list that you’d like to add? Post a comment and let us know how you are sending less to the landfill.

And don’t forget to find out HOW & WHAT you can recycle at Moraine Valley: http://www.morainevalley.edu/sustainability/recycle.htm

Green Your Day Off! Memorial Day weekend advice.

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This link has 5 great, simple ways to green your day off. I’ll elaborate just a smidgen on each below, but do read this great, full of ideas, short article too:

1.     Ride your bike –

a.     If biking is out of the question for you, then take a walk! Walking is great exercise, doesn’t burn fossil fuels and fun for everyone… especially if you visit one of our beautiful preserves and bird or butterfly watch- ‘tis the season for all sorts of wildlife out and about looking for food, mates and nesting areas. (p.s. info about biking to work will be out soon. We’re participating in Bike to Work week and will have biking buddies, safe route maps and meet up places for group ride-ins. Email me if you’re interested!)

2.     Green up your BBQ –

a.     When thinking about what to grill or serve, go for organic and/or locally produced foods. And when serving it up, choose reusable, washable dishes and silverware…or at least recyclable and make sure it gets recycled!

3.     Clean up…DIY style –

a.     Did you see Tommy and Maura make all those wonderful recipes for household cleaners during Earth Week? What a great video! If you missed it we’ll let you know when it’s posted. In the meantime, check the link above for quick recipes that are cheap, safe and effective too!

4.     Take out the recycling –

a.     I was visiting a class yesterday to talk about sustainability and one student said “some ‘things’ are just not recyclable.” To which I replied, nonsense! Someone either just hasn’t come up with a use/commodity for those “things” or you just haven’t found the spot that does collect it. So, when you are looking at that “thing” that is no longer of use to you, consider it. Is it recyclable? Does someone reclaim it somewhere (ex batteries may not go in your curbside, but you can take them to Staples…same with expired CFL bulbs). If no one takes it, what can you do with it? Make something new, repurpose it, donate it?

5.     Pay Tribute –

a.     Remember this holiday is to honor those that have fallen so we may live freely! Freely with equality and access to fair civil, social, economic and environmental securities. Remember to honor them in some way this weekend. The link has some neat ideas.

Have a safe, green holiday!

Town Bans Bottled Water

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One of my pet peeves is drinking bottled water.  The bottles are made from oil, thus furthering our reliance on those non-renewable fossil fuels.  Bottled water is a hazard to our health: carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting toxins leach from the plastic into that expensive water and filtration standards are low to none at all.  In the bigger picture, the toxins from the plastic leaches into our ground water providing us with a second hit, not to mention the all of the other organisms that are also hit with the unpleasant and toxic exposure to our bottled water habit.  Check out this town that has become part of my dreams by banning bottled water all together.  The bottled water industry is even looking to sue the town over this.  http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/concord_ma_to_be_first_us_town_to_ban_bottled_water.php?campaign=weekly_nl