Tag Archives: conscious consumer

8 Weird Items You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle

by AnneSASMfvyq Posted on June 14, 2019

Recycling is an important part of reducing how much garbage we send to landfills. According to the EPA, Americans generate more than 262 million tons of waste every single year.

Seventy-five percent of this is recyclable material, but only 25 percent of this actually makes it to recycling facilities, a horrifying figure given that 73 percent of Americans have access to curbside recycling services.

Amusingly,?a sizable portion of?these forgotten recyclables are off-the-wall items?like shoes, furniture and – no joke – dentures. Never in a million years would I have known dentures are recyclable! Here are ten of these such items not to send to the landfill!

1. Dentures

The average set of dentures contains approximately $25?of recyclable metals, including silver, gold and palladium. The Japan Denture Recycling Association (yes, that exists) collects false teeth, removing valuable materials and discarding the rest. Once the process is complete, the program donates 100 percent of its earnings to UNICEF. Cool idea, right?

2. Mattresses

Equipped with special saws that aren’t found?in traditional recycling facilities, mattress recycling?factories can separate foam, metal, wood and cloth and?recycle these materials independently. Wood is chipped, foam and cloth are shredded, springs are melted down. Who knows, maybe that wallpaper in your dining room was made from an old mattress!

3. Expired prescriptions

Expired prescriptions should never get into the wrong hands. To help prevent this, some states allow you to donate unused drugs back to pharmacies, while a few charities accept leftover medicines from people who have changed prescriptions, stopped using the mediations or passed away.

4.?Trophies

Got a collection of plastic trophies from your school days sitting in the back of your mom’s attic? It’s time to move on. Lamb Awards, a specialty recycling center, can break down retired awards, melting them down to reuse in new trophies or other post-consumer recycled items.

5. Crayons

Even the stubbiest little crayons can find renewed purpose through the National Crayon Recycle Program. This organization collects broken, worn down crayons and melts them down into new wax so they can be remade and resold. The program says they’ve saved more than 120,000 pounds of crayons from the landfill so far!

6.?Dirty diapers

In the time leading up to potty training, the average baby soils 6,000 diapers. 6,000!?Fortunately, the company Knowaste collects and recycles dirty diapers from hospitals, public restrooms and nursing facilities. Knowaste sanitizes the diapers before separating plastic from organic matter. Plastics are then compressed into pellets and recycled into roof shingles, while paper pulp becomes wallpaper or shoe soles. Genius!

7.?Pantyhose

Got torn pantyhose still taking up space in your drawers? Textile recycler No Nonsense is here to save the day! The organization recycles old stockings by grinding them down (didn’t think it was that hardcore…) and transforming them into things like playground toys and carpet.

8.?Aluminum foil

Aluminum products are among the easiest metals to recycle thanks to their ability to be melted down and turned into new products essentially forever. Luckily, most recycling facilities can handle foil, no problem, as long as it is donated in ball form, instead of loose sheets.

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8 Weird Items You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle

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Can Receipts Be Recycled?

by KatherineUbc Posted on June 9, 2019

You may have said that you didn’t want a receipt at checkout, but one certainly got printed. And now you’re stuck with it.?But it’s paper, right? Can’t it just be recycled??I wish!

About half of the receipts we receive in supermarkets, restaurants and boutiques are printed on a shiny, thermal material. It looks like paper and tears like paper, but because it’s made from multiple materials that cannot be separated from one another, receipt paper is unrecyclable.

In addition, rather than being printed with ink, receipt paper uses?BPA chemicals?that react to heat to reveal markings on the paper.?Through the recycling process these materials, which have been linked to cancer, pre-mature puberty, obesity and type 2 diabetes, could be released into the air and become breathable. BPA-coated receipts may also contaminate recycled paper, only increasing human exposure to BPA. No good.

So what should you do with your paper receipts?

Well, you have two options:

  1. Throw them away. It sounds simple, but receipts really add up and our landfills are already overburdened.
  2. Opt for a digital receipt, as often as?you can.

If the stores you frequent don’t offer digital receipts by email, encourage the managers of those establishments to invest in technologies that allow them to offer electronic receipts and leave toxic, unrecyclable receipt paper behind. You may have to get out of your comfort zone, but asking for?better, more environmentally responsible decisions to be made is your right as a consumer. Use that?right for good!

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Can Receipts Be Recycled?

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Can Used Aluminum Foil Be Recycled?

by rlittlesr1999 Posted on May 27, 2019

Aluminum foil is a staple in most modern kitchens.?Pliable and easily manipulated, it’s a favorite first choice for wrapping everything from a potato to a casserole dish. Foil is also often?used in disposable packaging thanks to its ability to act as a total barrier against light and oxygen. It preserves things beautifully!

Because of aluminum foil, fats are kept from going rancid, moisture in food items is retained?and?ready-take snacks are shelf stable. Lasagnas get crispy and bubbly on top, fish gets perfectly steamed, quiches don’t get freezer burned. In other words: it’s a staple for a reason.

But what do you do with it once it’s been used? Can aluminum foil with food bits on it be recycled??

Aluminum products are among the easiest metals to recycle because they can be melted down and turned into something new essentially forever. It’s also the most cost-effective choice for most manufacturers. Brand new aluminum is really expensive and energy-intensive to produce; recycling?aluminum is much cheaper.

The main challenge is, of course, food contamination. Oil and grease can damage recycling equipment and create an inferior end product, so food-affected recyclables typically have to be thrown away. That recycling contamination is a risk most facilities aren’t willing to take.

While some companies accept aluminum foil as long as it’s been cleaned, others decide they’d rather protect their equipment than accept it as recyclable. To get your aluminum foil recycled, you’ll need to take the following steps. Even then, getting it recycled?isn’t a guarantee!

1. Check if your city?accepts aluminum foil.

Ask your local curbside pickup company if they take foil.
Use this recycling locator?to find a new recycler if it doesn’t.

2. Clean the foil thoroughly.

Rinse off small bits of food (discoloration from hot water is normal).
Tear off sections that you can’t get clean.
If soiled with greasy foods like meat, gravy or butter,?you’ll have to toss it.

3. Ball it up.

Crumple foil into a ball so it won’t get torn or stuck in recycling machinery.
Save and add to it over the weeks and months. Larger balls are easier to process.
Make sure the aluminum ball is at least 2-inches in diameter before recycling it.
Save foil from yogurt containers, K-cups and takeout containers.

4. Start reusing foil.

Save foil after cooking to use for your next meal.
Clean aluminum foil can be folded up and put in the fridge until next time.
Foil from your cooking dish can be reused to cover leftovers.

5. Eliminate foil from your life wherever you can.

There are plenty of reusable alternatives to aluminum foil.

Related Stories:

Is It Safe to Cook with Aluminum Foil?
How to Host a Zero Waste Dinner Party
How to Lead a Nearly Zero Waste Life

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Can Used Aluminum Foil Be Recycled?

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What to Do With Your Extra Craft Supplies

by BettyeTarenorer Posted on May 27, 2019

If your closets are starting to look like the scrapbooking aisle at Hobby Lobby, it might be time to talk about downsizing. Crafting is fun?? it’s a great way to engage your creative side, let off a little steam or just pass the time?? but it’s easy to get carried away.?

While it?can be convenient to?have every type of ribbon under the sun available at a moment’s notice, the wise?thing to do is buy only what you need, when you need it and to pass on the excess in a responsible manner.

Overwhelmed by boxes upon boxes of craft supplies? Downsizing in anticipation of a move or lifestyle change? Here’s how to responsibly dispose of those extra crafting supplies in a way that’s both thoughtful and environmentally friendly.

What to do with unopened?supplies

It’s easy to overestimate how much you’ll need of any given craft supply, particularly if you aren’t crafting with detailed instructions. Unopened supplies?? paints, yarn, stickers, buttons, etc.?? can be given away in any of the following manners:

Create a kit for a friend:?Do you have a?friend, godchild, neighbor or family member who might enjoy using the excess you have available? Put together a little kit of “like items” that can be used together to create something new!
Share what you have online:?There are all sorts of Facebook groups specifically centered around passing along useful items. Conduct a quick search for your local “Buy Nothing” chapter. Someone is certain to pick up what you’re giving away!
Donate:?There are so many schools, community centers and nonprofits out there with small budgets and limited resources. Why not give them away? Just make sure you give them a call ahead of time to see if they could use?what you’re getting rid of.

What to do with fabric?remnants and notions

There are lots of uses for fabric remnants, no matter how small! You could quilt a blanket, make a wall hanging, whip up some pot holders or start tying a rug.?If the remnants are too small to be usable, you can always donate them to a textiles recycler (more on that here). The process isn’t perfect, but most old textiles?can be turned into recycled?fibers and put to productive use.

What to do with unwanted tools

Sewing machines, sergers, wire clippers, paper cutters…there are so many tools needed to stock a crafting closet. Then again, if you find yourself always doing paper crafts instead of sewing, that seam ripper is never going to see the light of day. If you have more tools than you know what to do with,?ask yourself these questions:

  1. Which crafting styles really speak to me??Locate your preferences. Consider holding onto supplies for only three styles of crafting and no more. You can always hop back on your “Buy Nothing” page to request tools for a new project if your tastes change.
  2. Have I used this tool in the last month??Downsize like you would if you were editing your clothes closet. Have you used those decorative scissors in the last month? Two months? If not, pass it along.
  3. Do I know someone from whom I could borrow what I need??The ability to borrow infrequently used items is such a blessing! Aunt, grandma, nephew, neighbor…there’s always someone nearby that would be glad to share.

Once you know what you’re keeping and what you’re getting rid of, think through the best possible donation for your extras. Is there a local school that could use that three-hole punch or set of paint brushes? A community center that would love to get their hands on a jewelry-making set? Give those items away. Those organizations (and the people they serve) will be so glad you did!

What to do with?leftover papers

That paper stash can so easily get out of hand! There are themed papers, glittered papers, cardstocks, transparent papers, striped papers, spotted papers, holiday papers, and on and on. Rather than purchasing a large book of 250, consider buying single sheets for specific projects instead. This will help you avoid overwhelming drawers with half-used sheets and help prevent paper waste.

Have clippings of seemingly unusable paper? Use those shreds to make new paper (look for a secondhand deckle) or create bedding for small animals, then recycle the rest. There are so many?alternative uses for paper!

There’s more than enough to share

While it may be nice?to have a wire cutter and acrylic paints?handy at all times, the best?approach to crafting?is to buy only what you need, when you need it, and to pass on the excess in a responsible manner. Happy crafting!

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What to Do With Your Extra Craft Supplies

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How to Responsibly Dispose of Old Clothes

by BerryKDPPmmpcp Posted on May 1, 2019

Did you know that the typical?lifetime of a piece of clothing in an American’s closet is just?3 years??The average American throws away 70 pounds of textile waste annually; and just 15 percent of this actually gets recycled. The rest? You guessed it: landfill.

When we think of waste piling up in our landfills and our oceans, we typically envision things like plastic straws, broken electronics and dirty diapers ??not perfectly wearable clothing. But unwanted garments actually make up 5 percent of all landfills in the United States…

It’s shameful, really. And totally unnecessary!

If you’re used to?bagging up all your old clothes and dropping them off on the doorstep of your local thrift store, know that there?are other ways!?Even in the case of decade-old underwear and paint-stained t-shirts, there?are textile recyclers that will take them. Let’s take a?look at the options that are out there.

How to responsibly dispose of
clothing and textiles

What to do with clothing that is?current, but doesn’t fit or doesn’t suit you

Resell it! Recycling clothing doesn’t necessarily mean shipping it off to get broken down and remade into new fibers.?It can also include selling (and purchasing) gently used items from the secondhand market.

If you have items in great condition and want to make a little extra cash, consider one of these three options:

  1. Take clothing to your local consignment shop. They’ll put your items on the rack and, once they sell, pay you a cut of the earnings. It’s easy and a great way to support local business!
  2. Send clothing to an online reseller like thredUP.?Earn cash or store credit for items you’re no longer wearing. They’ll ship back or responsibly recycle anything they don’t think will sell.
  3. Resell clothing in your own online boutique.?Take pictures of your gently used items and post on platforms like Poshmark, eBay, Mercari or?The RealReal. Get cash each time you make a sale, minus a small percentage that goes to the platform host.

What to do with clothing?that is?dated, but still in wearable condition

Donate or upcycle?it! Thrift stores, community centers, homeless shelters and charity shops can use?your unwanted clothing to?support people and fund valuable programs. Just make sure that there is an actual need for the items you’re dropping off! This is really important.

Also, when you donate clothing, make sure it’s actually in usable, wearable condition. Many shops have policies that disallow unacceptable items like old socks or?torn up sweaters, forcing them?to send unwearable clothing to landfill. That just defeats the whole purpose!

Feeling crafty? Repurpose worn out t-shirts into cleaning rags, sew your jeans into a tote, and make drawstring produce bags from whatever’s left.

What to do with clothing that?can’t be used in its current condition

If?the clothing?you are trying to get rid of just aren’t suitable for reselling, donating or upcycling, consider shipping them to textile recycling programs like these:

Terracycle Fabrics
The Bra Recyclers
Soles 4 Souls
Wearable Collections?(NYC)
Green Tree (NYC)
GemText (PNW)
Don’t Let Fashion Go to Waste (H&M)
Reuse-A-Shoe (Nike)
Common Threads (Patagonia)
Clothes the Loop (The North Face)

Not what you were looking for??Check out these resources for more information:

Council for Textile Recycling
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles
Donation Town

Well, there you have it! Everything you needed to know about keeping your clothing out of the waste cycle and back into productive use. Have questions about all this? Leave them in the comments!

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How to Responsibly Dispose of Old Clothes

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These Products Will Turn You into a Zero-Waste Superstar

by CandraSeymore Posted on February 23, 2019

Let’s not beat around the organic bush. Living a zero-waste lifestyle takes effort. I mean, you’re basically thumbing your nose at convenience.

The thing is, convenience comes at a price, and it’s a lot more than the cost of your Starbucks grand? double-mocha with extra cream.?Convenience?means leaving a trail of single-use plastic in your wake.

None of us sets out to do harm. We’re just opting for easy in a world that’s too busy. Unfortunately, easy invariably comes with consequences. Imagine knowing your straw was responsible for?this:

5 Zero-Waste?Products

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle might take some effort, but it’s not hard. If everyone carried these five items with them, we’d stem the tide of trash that we’re washing into our rivers and?oceans.

1.?Collapsible Coffee Cup

Given the amount of coffee and tea we indulge in on a daily basis, keeping a cup in your bag is a no brainer. The problem is, most reusable cups are unwieldy, especially if you’re a grand? double-mocha kind of person (and who isn’t?).

The solution: Get a collapsible coffee mug. They’re leak-proof and much easier to stow than their bulky, full-sized cousins. How ingenious!

2.?Bamboo Straw

Biodegradable straws are de rigueur in a lot of hippie and health-conscious establishments, but most mainstream outlets are still all about the bottom line. That approach doesn’t allow for anything other single-use plastic straws.

The solution: Invest in some reusable straws. (One for you and the rest for your envious table mates.) You get all different types (stainless steel, silicon, glass, etc.), but I like bamboo, because it’s best for the environment.

3.?Filtered Water Bottle

More and more companies are turning plastic bottles into jackets, but that’s not a good enough reason to grab a bottle of Evian with your lunch. Plastic water bottle pollution is worse than you think, with only one in every six bottles being recycled (or downcycled, really). And that’s just the tip of a two million-ton iceberg.

The solution: A filtered water bottle is the perfect workaround. You get to be a better human and have filtered water on tap. There are plenty to choose from, so it’s up to your budget and personal taste.

4.?On-the-Go Cutlery Set

More and more restaurants and eateries are joining the sustainability movement. It’s gratifying to see them providing wooden utensils rather than the usual plastic cutlery we’re accustomed to. But, like with straws, the movement is still in its infancy.

The solution: Buy an on-the-go cutlery set. It’s worth spending the money on a quality kit, as a poorly made knife or fork that doesn’t do the job is enough to ruin a good lunch.

5.?Lunch Box/Food Container

Making your own food from scratch is better for your health, your budget and your zero-waste efforts. But let’s face it: not everyone has the time or the inclination to spend the weekend meal prepping.

Maybe going to your favorite deli for lunch is how you indulge in ‘me time.’ Perhaps enjoying a meal out with friends and family is your preferred way to socialize. I get it.

The solution: Get a lunch box/food container and ask the deli to serve your meal in there instead of their plastic takeout containers. And when you go out for dinner, guess where your leftovers go?

Using these five items will drastically reduce the amount of trash you create on a daily basis. If this is all you did, you’d make a significant difference to the environment. You could stop there and still feel really good about your zero-waste efforts.

If you want?take your mission?next level, though, you could switch up your beauty routine, shop at zero-waste stores and even try your hand at a little apartment composting.

The next thing you know you’ll have been living a zero-waste for a full year.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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These Products Will Turn You into a Zero-Waste Superstar

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How to Fly Without Creating an Ounce of Trash

by KristiPulsford Posted on December 8, 2018

Air travel and?eco-conscious living are two things not often discussed together. It’s next to impossible to justify the vast amounts of fuel burned when flying and the airline industry is notorious for its wastefulness.

That said, traveling the globe is a part of modern day life. Sometimes, taking an airplane is simply unavoidable. Hopping a flight or two this year? Here are some personal steps you can take to minimize wastefulness.

When you pack

  1. Aim for solid beauty products in zero waste packaging. Think tooth powder, bars of soap, and solid shampoos and conditioners.
  2. Bring multipurpose products. For example, you can use baking soda as a toothpaste, deodorant and laundry detergent!
  3. Avoid buying or bringing disposables like q-tips and plastic razors. There are lots of better zero waste options out there.
  4. Pack a capsule wardrobe built around the essentials. Mix and match, launder frequently-worn items and hang them to dry.

When you arrive at the airport

  1. Bring only a carry-on. Checked bags automatically cause paper waste as they require sticker tags, which cannot be recycled.
  2. Go totally paperless. Download your airline, bus, train and metro line’s travel apps. They’ll allow you to purchase and display tickets from your phone!
  3. Refuse all paper receipts. They’re covered in carcinogenic BPA (gross!) and generate trash you don’t want.
  4. Stash TSA-approved snacks ahead of time so you won’t be tempted to shell it out for a bag of chips in the airport.

When you board

  1. Use your own earbuds to enjoy entertainment so you don’t end up having to purchase or use their plastic disposables.
  2. Say no to straws, napkins and free snacks. Airlines do not recycle! Instead, enjoy your own pre-packed snacks and fill your bottle before you get on the plane.
  3. Bring digital entertainment, rather than buying magazines. Any smartphone should have the capability to download TV shows or books ahead of time.
  4. Set a good example. The more people get used to seeing zero waste behavior around them, the more they’ll be likely to join the movement!

When you land

  1. Choose to carbon offset your flight. It won’t stop global warming, but it’s the best option you have for retroactively reducing your carbon footprint.
  2. Eat at sit-down restaurants rather than fast food joints, and use real plates and silverware.
  3. Carry a lightweight utensil set, to-go container and bottle so that you never have to use plastic disposables for street food while you travel.
  4. Eat and drink local as much as possible. Businesses that strive to source local produce will have a smaller carbon footprint and likely have more sustainable items on offer.
  5. Walk as much as possible. This will help you avoid?unnecessary transport tickets and receipts.
  6. Be mindful of your consumption in hotels. Don’t let your towels and linens be laundered without cause, keep the heat or AC down, and refuse single-use tea bags, water bottles and snacks.

Remember: easy changes like this can make a huge difference in the long run. Be mindful, act intentionally and you’ll be able to fly without creating trash, promise. Have a good flight!

Related Stories:

How to Lead a Nearly Zero Waste Life
How to Keep a Zero Waste Pet
How to Keep Your Holiday Shopping Zero Waste

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How to Fly Without Creating an Ounce of Trash

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What’s the Environmental Impact of Flying Cross-Country?

by AnaBruxner Posted on December 3, 2018

With millions traversing the globe to reach their loved ones for the holidays, travel (particularly air travel) is top of mind.?How can I avoid the lines??Will I be able to fit all these gifts in my carry-on??But one more question arises in the environmentally conscious: What’s this going to do to my carbon footprint?

Aviation is, at its core, a fossil fuel industry, one which guzzles a shocking 5 million barrels of oil every single day. Burning this fuel to get you to your grandma’s place in Wisconsin or that winter getaway in Hawaii currently contributes to close to 2.5 percent of total carbon emissions. Experts expect this figure to rise to 22 percent by 2050, even as other sectors start cutting.

Additionally, we are flying more than ever. Demand for flights increases daily, to the point that demand from new and existing travelers is supposed to double by 2035. With?the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warning us that we have just 12 years to avoid apocalyptic climate change disaster, this rising trend in air travel is certainly bleak.

The third problem? While aircraft is becoming more fuel efficient, electric planes are still decades away. We have yet to invent a battery that can deliver as much power as jet fuel and, so far, the technology is cost prohibitive.

Most of us are ignorant of how our flying behavior contributes to climate change, largely because it just isn’t communicated to us very often. Think about it…when was the last time you saw an advertisement mentioning the environmental impact of flying? New cars, appliances, even houses are required to disclose energy efficiency. Planes and airlines? Not so.

So what’s to be done? We won’t be shutting down cheap air travel anytime soon (aviation was purposefully excluded from the Kyoto and Paris climate change agreements) and regulatory organizations are dragging their feet, avoiding any plan that might have negative economic implications.

Here’s what you can do about this.

Your government, your favorite airline, the companies that control global wealth…they won’t do a thing as long as citizens remain blissfully unaware of the impact of aviation emissions. Want a carbon tax on flights? Speak up.

Connect with your peers. Encourage everyone to use their voice to make change. Maybe then, we will be able to find a less damaging solution, while still retaining access to global travel and that vacay you always dreamed of in Hawaii.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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What’s the Environmental Impact of Flying Cross-Country?

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Is Plastic Really That Bad?

by ElizaDYEhlra Posted on November 29, 2017

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Is Plastic Really That Bad?

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How to Store Leftovers Without Plastic Packaging

by CandaceAnthon Posted on November 15, 2017

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How to Store Leftovers Without Plastic Packaging

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