REUSE & RECYCLING OTHER THAN SINGLE STREAMREUSE & RECYCLING OTHER THAN SINGLE STREAM
TOOTHBRUSHES REUSE: Use your old toothbrushes for cleaning the tiles in the bathroom, car parts, or the mud off your shoes; or for making a spatter painting with your children.
You can buy Preserve products including recyclable toothbrushes and razors at Target, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. When they are no longer any good, they will recycle them into plastic lumber. Go to www.recycline.com to print mail labels.
LARGE CHUNKS OF STYROFOAM RECYCLE: The large pieces of Styrofoam (EPS) used to package TVs, electronics etc, for shipment can be recycled by going to one of the places listed below. You can learn more about the recycling of this product on their web site www.epspacking.org
FP International, Auburn 508-832-5369 Insulation Technology, Bridgewater 503-697-6926 EOMS Recycling, Brockton 508-587-9686 ALA Recycling Industries, Canton 781-828-1335 Conigliaro Industries, Framingham 508-872-9668 Polyfoam Corporation, Northbridge 508-234-6323
BROKEN CRAYONS RECYCLE: Send your broken crayons with the paper still on them or boxes of crayons you get at restaurants to be recycled into new “crazy crayons.” Crayons are a petroleum product and it takes year for them to biodegrade. The web site is www.crazycrayons.com
PRINTER CARTRIDGES RECYCLING: Take your empty cartridge to Staples or Office Max to have it refilled or turn it in for cash or copy paper.
You may also check your local paper for a school near you that may collect them as a fundraiser.
EYEGLASSES DONATE: Drop off your old prescription eyeglasses or even non-prescription sunglasses at a Lens Crafters near you. They provide free sight care and eyewear to underprivileged individuals in North America and developing countries. OR Send or give them to a Lions Club “Lions in Sight” program to bring basic eye care and glasses to the needy.
TOOLS DONATE: Tools you no longer need to your local Habitat For Humanity. They will put them to good use building affordable housing.
PACKING PEANUTS/BUBBLE WRAP RECYCLE: You may take foam packing peanuts and bubble wrap to your nearest UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc. They will be glad to have it.
FITNESS VIDEOS RECYCLE: Do you have a fitness video you bought that was either too easy or too hard? Try going to www.videofitness.com and swapping it for something else.
UNWANTED MAIL REDUCE: The key to stopping all that unwanted advertising mail you receive at home is getting your name off the mailing lists. Go to www.directmail.com . Before registering to have your name removed, please read the answers to their most Frequently Asked Questions.
RECYCLE: Put all your advertising mail into your recycling bin or barrel.
ELECTRONICS GreenDisk accepts the following in either the Technotrash Can or the Pack-IT Service:
NOTE: Please check the web site at www.greendisk.com for complete information.
WINE CORKS RECYCLE: You can send your wine corks (not the plastic ones) to Yemm & Hart, who will recycle them into cork tiles. See the web site at www.yemmhart.com
SPORTS EQUIPMENT RECYCLE: Sell your used sports equipment at Play It Again Sports Stores in Dedham, Hyannis, North Reading, Stoneham or Leominster. www.playitagainsports.com
WEB SITES RECYCLE/DONATE: Have you checked out these web sites? They are great places to sell, donate or trade items you no longer want or need, or to find some great treasures:
BATTERIES RECYCLE: Rechargeable batteries can be recycled inside any Best Buy store nationwide, Whole Foods, and Radio Shack. Rechargeable Apple product batteries can be recycled at any Apple retail location in the U.S.
DIGITAL CAMERAS
DONATE: Give your older models of digital cameras to a good cause. Operation Home Front distributes cameras to military family support groups so that families can trade images and stay in contact. http://www.homefrontonline.com/
ATHLETIC SHOES/CROCS
RECYCLE: You can recycle your used sneakers at the Nike recycling center. Go to www.letmeplay.com and get information on where to send them. They will be recycled into material for playgrounds.
RECYCLE: www.solesforsouls collects used shoes and donates to those in need including victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami.
RECYCLE: your old Crocs and they will be given to those in need. Go to www.solesunited.com
CFL BULBS
Richmond Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe’s and IKEA accept your old CFL bulbs for free. These bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and should not be thrown away or recycled with glass bottles.
CELL PHONES
RECYCLE: Verizon Wireless retail stores accept phones in any condition from any service provider. These phones are either refurbished or recycled. Verizon donates wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence with the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones. You may also go to their web site www.charitablerecycling.com Cell Phone for Soldiers also takes cell phones for recycling. They buy prepaid calling cards for soldiers with the proceeds. www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
From a list compiled by Diana Althouse, Sustainable Braintree
BE AWARE ….. SHOW YOU CARE
DID YOU KNOW? - The garbage in a landfill stays for about 30 years. - Most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastic every year. - 1/3 of all water is used to flush the toilet. - The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a traditional light bulb for four hours. Imagine how long it would light a CFL! - For every 2,000 pounds (ton) of paper recycled, we keep 7,000 gallons of water free from chemicals. - The amount of wood and paper we throw away is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years. - Earth is 2/3 water, but all the fresh water streams only represent one hundredth of one percent. - It takes 90% less energy to recycle aluminum cans than to make new ones - 5 billion aluminum cans are used each year. - 84% of household waste can be recycled. - Each year billions of batteries are thrown away in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 50% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills. - Approximately only 10% of every landfill can be cleaned up. - One gallon of motor oil can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of water, so dispose of it properly. - Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each year ends up in the ocean. - Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees.
Here is an example of the water we use every day: 3-7 gallons for toilet 9-12 gallons for 1 dishwasher load 25-30 gallons for a tub bath 25-40 gallons for 1 washer load of laundry 50-70 gallons for a 10 minute shower
Here is how long it takes some things to break down: Plastic takes 500 years Aluminum cans take 500 years Organic materials take 6 months Paper takes 6 months
The information comes from the web site www.planetpals.com
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