REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

1)  Think twice before you throw something away.  Could you use it for something else?  Can you compost it?  Is it recyclable?  Is it toxic or harmful to plants & animals?    These are the things that we must ask ourselves, can the trash be used for something else? (i.e. using newspaper to clean you windows works well, paper mâché for a child's school project, lining the bottom of your bird cage or making your own homemade paper.)  Can the item be composted? (i.e. yard scraps, leaves, plant clippings, vegetable peelings, food scraps.  Careful not to put fat, meat or dairy products into compost piles.) Can it be recycled? (i.e., corrugated cardboard, plastics, glass, newspaper, aluminum, steel cans)  Is it toxic?  Old paint, motor oil, cleaners, batteries, paint thinner and wood stains are just a few that can do serious damage to our environment.  Make sure you call your local authorities on waste to find out how to properly dispose of these chemicals. 

2)  Buy products that are made of or contain recycled materials.  Buy products that don't use a lot of packaging or products that come in containers that can be easily reused. 

3)  Start a recycling program at home, you can collect aluminum cans, steel cans, plastic (#1 PETE & #2 HDPE) bottles, newspaper, glass.  If you can arrange to get it picked up then great, otherwise call to see who you can take it to, a good place to start is your  municipal or county waste diversion agency. 

4)  Start a compost pile or bin in your backyard.  Composting is nature’s way of recycling and compost is a wonderful additive to plants and trees.  Check your local book-store for books on composting. 

5)  Get the kids started on recycling.  Children these days are very concerned about their environment.  Teach them how they can start taking care of it and do their part to keeping it clean.  Let them find new uses for old things, teach them what can be recycled and what can't.  Take them to a trash treasure hunt and help clean up a neighborhood park.  Once you get the kids started, watch out!  Before long they will be telling you how to recycle. 

6)  Stop throwing away unwanted catalogs and junk mail.  Call the companies and ask to be taken off their mailing lists.  Donate old magazines to schools, libraries, or your neighbors and friends to read and enjoy.  Recycle catalogs.

7)  Have old paint?  Not really sure what to do with it?  If the paint is still in usable condition you have several options.  Mix cans of paint together (make sure not to mix oil and water-base together though), you'll come up with a earth-tone/brown colors that make great primer for other paint jobs.  Donate unused paint to schools or local charities to use for painting drama props, covering graffiti, or other really useful activities.  If the paint is dry or otherwise unusable, call your local waste hauler or recycling authority and they can give you locations to drop it off.  Don’t throw oil-based paints and solvents in the trash.  Take them to a household hazardous waste facility for proper disposal.  This way the paint will stay out of out landfills and out of the groundwater. 

Do you have suggestions and tips for a cleaner earth?  We'd love to hear from you!  Drop us an e-mail and type in "tips for recycling" on the subject line.  Thank you.