Warm weather is finally here, and for many that means home renovation projects. Last summer, a new roof was put on our house and I wish I knew then what I know now. Asphalt shingles can be recycled!
Instead of filling an multiple dumpsters, shingles can be ground up and used to pave roads! The shingles from an average sized home can pave about 200 feet of a two-lane highway. Recycling your shingles can keep really large quantities of hazardous waste materials out of landfills (and your ground water), reduce the amount of virgin oil used to make asphalt, and it can save tax-payer dollars (your money) by reducing how much local municipalities spend on paving materials.
Here in Western New York, Triad Recycling collects shingles for recycling. They've teamed up with The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to provide recycled asphalt for paving roadways across New York State. To find a recycling facility near you, use ShingleRecycling.com's find a recycler tool.
Before you start a roofing project on your home, speak with your contractor and make sure they are willing to have your shingles recycled.
Once your old roof is recycled, remember your new roof can be more eco-friendly too! Many new roofing products are Energy Star certified. Not only are there products available that can reduce your home's energy usage, but some are made using more earth-friendly materials too. Make sure you do a little research before choosing your new roof.
Further Reading:
http://www.asphaltroofing.org/asphalt-shingle-recycling-faqs
http://www.owenscorning.com/roofing/find-contractor/
http://www.earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-shingles/ http://www.shinglerecycling.org/
I drink wine. You drink wine. We all drink wine. In fact, 892 million gallons of wine were consumed in the United States in 2013. That's an average of 2.82 gallons per American. GALLONS. There are about 13 billion natural corks finding their way to landfills around the planet every year.
Surprisingly, the demand for cork is not threatening the natural cork forests. On the contrary, cork forests are being sustainably maintained in a way that is actually good for the environment! That's because cork trees aren't cut down. The bark is harvested from the trees every 9 years or so, and the trees themselves can live up to 300 years! The forests support high levels of biodiversity including some endangered species, and they absorb millions of tons of carbon every year. Natural cork is a sustainable and renewable material. The problem lies in the disposal of wine corks. Natural cork is an organic material, but it is impermeable, so it doesn't biodegrade very quickly. That means it will sit in the land fill for a really long time.
The most important thing to do is be more selective about the wine you purchase. Natural cork is a way better option than synthetic corks and metal screw tops, which don't biodegrade and are harder to recycle. Next time you're shopping for wine, look for the "Real Cork Inside" acorn on the label.
Once you've finished drinking your wine, hang onto the corks instead of tossing them into the trash. There are plenty of options for recycling them.
Here's a video of a wonderful TEDx talk given by Patrick Spencer, executive director of the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance (CFCA). He speaks about why it's important to maintain natural cork forests.
The CFCA has created the Cork ReHarvest campaign and partnered with a variety of companies to recycle used wine corks and turn them into a variety of products. You can drop your corks off at any Whole Foods location. If you don't live near a WF, here is a list of collection sites.
ReCORK is another company that recycles used wine corks. The cork they collect is used to manufacture shoes for the SOLE brand. Find a cork collection site near you using their location finder.
You can also ship your used wine corks to Yemm & Hart, a materials manufacturer that actually pays 1/2 cent per cork. The minimum package weight requirement is 15 lbs, so this option is probably best for groups of wine drinkers or businesses that go through large quantities of wine. But maybe you can package up 15 lbs of wine corks on your own. No judgement!
You can even compost your natural corks. As I mentioned, they won't biodegrade quickly, so you may want to cut them up into small pieces before you toss them into your compost pile. Try giving your corks a quick whir in the food processor to break them down. Having bits of cork in the soil will actually help to retain water for your plants!
If you want to support cork recycling even further, you can purchase products that are made out of used wine corks. When you purchase one of these products, you are supporting the maintenance of natural cork forests and keeping wine corks out of the landfill.
Further Reading
http://recork.org/
http://www.corkforest.org/
http://compostbin.org/composting-wine-corks/
For years and years, I wore flip flops from the first snow melt to the first snow fall of the year. I mean I lived in the things! Thanks to places like Old Navy, I could get a pair of rubber flip flops for $2, and stockpile them, with a pair in every color imaginable. Now, my problem feet require something a bit more supportive, and I'm more conscious about where my footwear is coming from. So my flip flop collection is sitting idle, taking up valuable space in my closet. I can't bring myself to toss them, because I know they're going to end up in a landfill somewhere. Luckily, I've come across another handy recycling service that will solve this dilemma!
TerraCycle has teamed up with Old Navy to create this awesome service. Gather up about 10 (or more) pairs of unwanted flip flops, download a FREE shipping label, and drop your package off at UPS. Done! Your flip flops are on their way to becoming something brand new and awesome! As a bonus, Old Navy will send you a coupon for a free pair of flip-flops, and other discounts. (I'll be donating my coupons to the local women's shelter, as I prefer not to shop at Old Navy, or other "fast fashion" retailers.) Remember, you can send in any brand of rubber flip flops; not just Old Navy!
If you're in Buffalo, and want to add your flip flops to my shipment, let me know! I'm also accepting reusable shopping bags, worn or orphaned socks, and just about anything else I've written a "You Can Recycle That" post about. If you're nearby, I'll even pick it up! Send me a Tweet, or email me at smallonessurroundus@gmail.com to let me know.
It seems a little weird - why would you need to recycle a reusable shopping bag? Their whole purpose is to eliminate waste. But a lot of us have a surplus of reusable shopping bags that we just don't use. It seems that every business is distributing the bags as promotional items to market themselves. They've become so popular that just about every store is giving them away, and a lot of us end up with so many that we can't use all of them. Personally, I have at least 15-20 of the bags, but only about 4 or 5 that I actually use
Package up all of your unwanted reusable shopping bags and ship them to ChicoBag. The bags will be distributed to low-income families, encouraging them to "start a reusable bag habit." Any bags that are determined to be unusable will be disassembled and woven into new products suchs as aprons or rugs by The Grateful Thread, providing job training opportunities for victims of domestic violence.
Not only will you be ridding your home of clutter and keeping your reusable bags out of landfills, you'll also be encouraging others to reduce their plastic bag consumption, and providing employment opportunities to those in need. It's a win-win-win-win!
Send your unwanted reusable shopping bags to:
ChicoBag Company C/O Zero Waste Program 13434 Browns Valley Drive Chico, CA 95973
I'll admit to being a little shocked myself when I came across this service. Adult toys and novelties are one of those topics that you only discuss with your closest friends, right? So let's just skip all the taboos and get to the point. If you have old toys that you don't use or want anymore, you probably want to get rid of them quickly and discreetly. Luckily, they don't have to wind up in a landfill.
While it may seem like a total joke, there is actually a real company that offers sex toy recycling services. Scarlet Girl is an online erotic toy store based in Oregon. When you send in your old sex toy for recycling, they give you $10 credit towards a new one! All you have to do is clean it, package it up, and ship it to them! Check out the details on their sex toy recycling page.
Scarlet Girl Recycles
Before you start shopping for some new toys to replace the ones you recycled, remember there are green options available! Check these out.
Good Clean Love - An eco-friendly personal lubricant brand. All of their products are free of parabens, glycerin, silicon, and petrochemicals. They're 100% organic and cruelty-free, and because they're vegan, they're also edible!
Glyde - Certified ethical, vegan, and fair trade condoms.
Earth Erotics - Your one-stop-shop for earth-friendly erotic supplies.
And I'll be keeping my eyes out for GӒSM, the eco-friendly vibe that started out as an April Fools joke from Swedish sex toy brand, Lelo. The joke was so popular that the toy-makers are supposedly planning to come out with the real thing!
As you're taking down the tree and holiday decorations during your annual bout of S.A.D., don't be so quick to throw out all of the faulty strings of Christmas lights! Believe it or not, those lights can be recycled.
Not only will you feel good about keeping your lights out of a landfill, but you'll receive a coupon for 25% off a purchase of (eco-friendlier) LED Christmas lights. It's a great deal for you and the environment!
Check out HolidayLEDs.com for shipping information and details about how to get your coupon.
I hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween! Whether you didn't get as many trick-or-treaters as you expected, your kids have left you with their least favorites, or you just don't want it around for you to eat, you probably have some candy you want to get rid of after Halloween. That candy doesnt have to end up in a landfill OR in your belly!
There are a few great organizations that will accept your unwanted Halloween candy.
The Halloween Candy Buy Back is a partnership between Operation Gratitude and dental care providers around the country. Donors can bring candy to any participating dentist's office in exchange for various oral hygeine products and services. The candy (often along with dental care products from the dentists) is then distributed to U.S. troops overseas via care packages.
Operation Shoebox is another organization that sends care packages to troops overseas.
In case you didn't already know, October is Bra Recycling Month! Yea, I had no idea either. I guess it makes sense though; it coincides with breast cancer month. Someone decided that it's a thing, which is great because who doesn't have old bras they need to get rid of?
If you have old bras you don't use anymore, but don't want them to end up in a landfill, here are a few great organizations that will help you out.
The Bra Recyclers accept used bras via mail or drop-off locations and distribute them to women and girls in transition all over the globe. You can find a drop-off location or ship your bras directly to the organization.
Free the Girls is a non-profit organization that refurbishes and sells donated bras, providing jobs to rescued sex trafficking victims.
