Aspire To Be…

Tips:  What to do with your used electronics

REFURBISH – Check all used electronics to see if it is in good working order, if it can be repaired take the steps to fix any problems, so that it can be donated.

REUSE –  Donate used electronics to local nonprofit organizations, lower-income families or schools.  (electronics in working order) This insures that others may have access to computers and electronics not currently available to them.

RECYCLE –  If electronics can not be repaired or reused then computers and other electronics can be recycled. Sites like Earth911 and Electronic Industries Alliance’s Consumer Education Initiative can be used to get information on local programs.

Links:

US Environmental Protection Agency

Earth911

TechSoup

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)

While shopping everyone at least once has glanced to see what other shoppers have in their shopping carts. Have you ever notice after going through the check out line, who has brought their own bags? The reusable kind. I’ve been doing it recently and I feel like my family is in the minority. All though in recent years they have become more popular to buy, I’m just not seeing them used as frequently.

Last week at the grocery store, I didn’t notice a single shopper that brought reusable bags to put their purchases in. One of my biggest pet peeves is those plastic bags, almost every retailer in my area uses. I have almost banished them completely from my house. We try always to have reusable bags on hand, for the big grocery-shopping day, the spur of the moment stop, or while on my lunch I decided to do little shopping

This is a good way to minimize your “Carbon Footprint”. Here are 5 excellent places to get reusable bags so everyone can start to do their part.

#1 – Local retailers are now offering reusable bags for sale, like Target,

Walmart, and even Macy’s.

#2 – Etsy.com is a perfect place to purchase reusable bags. Not only are

these handmade, but also can be customized to fit your needs. All

you have to do is contact the seller and specify what you want.

#3 – Reusablebags.com – This is an eco-friendly website that caters to your

reusable bag needs.

#4 – Ecobags.com is another eco-friendly website that has awesome

produce bags.

#5 – You don’t have to run out and buy a bag. Use what you got! I ‘m sure

you have at least one bag of some kind that you can use instead of

packing another plastic bag home.

Now that you know were to purchase them, REUSE them.

Kanawha County’s recyclables collection has resumed. They have struck a deal and I now have a place for my recycling to go. I have been so bummed out by the hold that the Solid Waste Authority had put on Kanawha County. I just got my family in the groove of recycling and then the market bottoms out and we are told to stockpile.  I stopped recycling because I had no were else to put mine. Now I have a place for it to go. I’m sure alot of other residents had stopped as well.  It would not have been good for our community or the environment for it to continue. 

Thanks to all involved in this venture. My family and the planet breaths a sigh of releif. (I’m not sure on how long my family could have taken my complaining)

Read the article from the Gazette Kanawha to resume recyclables collection http://zi.ma/8f03e7.

HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

This year I have been slowing inserting “Green” into my family’s daily lives. Muhahaa! They are totally oblivious, but will be very thankful later. I cringe at the thought of the state the earth will be in by the time my child has children. I’ve not overly exuberant about it; I just want to do my part. Here are some changes I have made:

1. Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) – changed every light bulb in the house to these.
2. Paper Back Swap (www.paperbackswap.com) – Instead of purchasing new books, I read and swap the books I own for books I haven’t read.
3. Stopped buying petroleum based products – Seventh Generation products(www.seventhgeneration.com) save trees and petroleum. (as much as I ca
4. Buy local – I buy local produce and meats as much as I can. It doesn’t have to be West Virginia grown to be local. Just the shortest route from where it’s grown to your house. Better to buy from California then from Chile.
5. Natural and Organic – I started purchasing natural and organic goods and products. From toothpaste to Orange juice. (Kroger http://zi.ma/6699b7  is now carrying a lot more organic goods, I also get a lot from Target http://zi.ma/c2a206
6. Reusable shopping bags – One of my pet peeves is those plastic shopping bags that all the stores have. I loath them. I make sure I always have some of the reusable ones in my car at all times, just in case I have to stop at a store.
7. Recycling- I started recycling as much as a could and I could see a significant difference in how much garbage actually made it to the curb.

    

    

   Do to the recent economy woes the recycling center on Slack Street is telling everyone to stockpile there recyclables until further notice. I do not live in city limits so I always had to take my recycling to Southridge. They put a notice up before thanksgiving saying that they would be removing the bin until further notice. I can’t stock pile my stuff. I’m reduced to the same carbon footprint as before until further notice. I was doing so well with my recycling thing. I had my family involved.

    

   So my question to you is How green are You? I hope that I have somehow motivated, someone to at least think on it. Who knows it may become more then a trend, but a way of life.

    

   http://www.thegreenguide.com/

   http://www.treehugger.com/

   http://www.ourearth.org/

   www.green.org/

   www.ThinkGreen.com/