Recycling

For the second season of The GreenShows during New York Fashion Week, models strutted down the runway showing off the best in sustainable, recycled and really awesome attire.

This year the events were held at a new yet-to-be inhabited eco-friendly apartment building in New York City's East Village.

The GreenShows opened with a unique showcase of Gary Harvey's recycled couture. Newspapers and laundry bags rustled down the runway, along with old sweatshirts and baseball jackets repurposed into gowns.

The collection was designed to challenge people's perception of secondhand clothing. Gary, who was previously creative director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe, believes: "Too many garments end up in landfill sites. They are deemed aesthetically redundant and get discarded at the end of the season when there are often years of wear left."

So, we say, long live the trench coat! Long live the baseball jacket! Long live whatever else Harvey uses to create his collections! The Daily Green featured 18 recycled dresses by Gary Harvey.

Here's a look at five of the most interesting.

 

The GreenShows was sponsored by natural beauty company Weleda, and its Skin Food lotion was honored in this creation. Gary Harvey used 350 boxes of lotion to create this masterpiece.

 

 

Who says print is dead? It's alive and well, living as eco-couture. This dress was created using 30 copies of the Financial Times.

 

 

The Denim Kimono was created using recycled denim jackets and jeans.

 

 

It took 21 laundry bags to create this dry-clean-only garment.

 

 

The Baseball Puffball Dress was created using 26 nylon baseball jackets.

 

 

Photos by Gloria Dawson.

 

Do you think Gary Harvey is a green hero? Nominate your local hero for a Heart of Green Award, and he or she could win a trip to New York City to be honored alongside celebrities and dignitaries working to make green go mainstream.

 

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

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Given my proclivity for adopting minimalist New Year's resolutions, I'm really pushing the envelope this year by vowing to thoroughly declutter my house and my life.

In January, I dove head over long into my decluttering campaign, rummaging through the garage, closets, and dresser drawers for items I haven't used in at least the past year or two. I've told myself that those are the things I should seriously consider parting company with.

My pile of rarely used items quickly began to take over the living room floor, and when I stood back to appraise my progress, a wave of anxiety hit me. It was a veritable tsunami of materialistic nostalgia.

This is great stuff, I said to myself. I can't give it away!

My original intention had been to cart everything off to a local thrift store or maybe post it on the Freecycle Network, as those are terrific ways to redistribute things you no longer need. But I decided that my old stuff is so special, it deserves the best possible new home.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but after some online research, here's my last will and testament concerning the distribution of my stuff to some very special new homes:

• My favorite-but-now-sadly-threadbare fleece jacket: I'll drop it off at the local Patagonia store, where it'll be recycled into new clothing as part of Patagonia's Common Threads recycling program.


• The speed-bag that nearly knocked me out last time I tried to use it: SportsGifts.org will pass it along to an aspiring Rocky Balboa, since this group uses donated sports equipment to create community-based sports programs for underprivileged kids around the world.


• A duplicate copy of Stuart Little, one of my all-time favorite books by E.B. White: I know it will find a good home and delight some young reader when I donate it to Project Night Night, a nonprofit organization that provides "Night Night" tote bags filled with books and other items to homeless children.


• Six partially used gift cards, each with such a small credit balance that I know I'll end up spending more on stuff I really don't need if I go shopping to redeem them: I'll donate the balances to some of my favorite charities through Gift Card Donor.


• Our overabundance of used blankets, towels, and linens (where did we get all this stuff?!): Local animal shelters often need donations of such items to use in animal cages. Visit Pets 911 to find animal shelters near you.


• The suits and ties I (thankfully) don't wear anymore, ever since I quit my last "real job" to become a writer: To Career Gear, a nonprofit organization that distributes business clothing to disadvantaged men who are trying to re-enter the workforce. (I'm happy to help, but just don't hold my taste in ties against me.)


• The saxophone I bought during my Kenny G. phase, but never learned how to play: The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation will find a good home for it, since this organization refurbishes used instruments and donates them to underfunded school musical programs.


• And finally, I think I'll take my big stack of old magazines - including Boxing Digest, GQ, and Saxophone Monthly - over to the local hospital and some nearby retirement homes to see if they need reading material.

I'll sleep better tonight knowing that my special stuff has found some very special new homes. Now, who deserves my Chia Pet collection?

Follow Jeff Yeager on Twitter and friend Jeff on Facebook. Friend TDG on Facebook and follow TDG on Twitter.

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Like me, you've probably been watching the coverage of the earthquake in Haiti with a big knot in your stomach and maybe you've already donated $10 by texting HAITI to 90999, but if you want to do more (and help out the environment while you're at it), there's an easy way to do so.

ReCellular has launched a disaster relief program for the victims of the earthquake called "Phones for Haiti." All proceeds from donated phones will go straight to the American Red Cross for their work in the country.

If you're like most people you have an old cell phone lying around somewhere and this is a great way to donate to those in need and keep your electronic waste out of a landfill at the same time.  ReCellular refurbishes the donated phones and then sells them to people in developing countries.  Some phone models like Blackberries or iPhones could contribute up to $100 to the Red Cross.

ReCellular also accepts your old chargers, batteries and other accessories and the shipping is free.  Click here to get started.

via Inhabitat

Wondering what to do with all the old stuff now that you've gotten a bunch of new things for the holidays?  

Resist the urge to cram your closets with junk you'll never use again or send perfectly useful things to the landfill. Here's how you can donate, give away, recycle, sell, or trade old items.

 

Electronics

Most of us already have a stockpile of old electronics we don't know what to do with. Luckily, it's easier and easier to responsibly get rid of old gadgets. Don't forget to take your personal info off of cell phones and computers first.

• Many major consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Dell and Apple, will take back their old products.


• A growing number of retailers have extensive free recycling programs or trade-in options (where you get store credit when you bring in old electronics). Best Buy, Staples, and Radio Shack have in-store and online programs that are worth checking out.


• Donate old cell phones and computers directly to a charity in need. Some Goodwill locations accept computer equipment in any condition for refurbishing or responsible recycling. Your old cell phone, PDA, or MP3 can benefit a charity of your choice through CollectiveGood.


• Try selling your old gadgets at Gazelle.

 

Sports equipment: Donate to schools, youth programs, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Or see if you can trade it in for new gear at Play It Again Sports.

 

CDs, DVDs, video games: You can drop off CDs and DVDs at any Best Buy store in the U.S. Just look for the free kiosk just inside the front door. GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, and video and audio tapes and their cases. You can swap, music, DVDs, or video games by mail through Swaptree, SwapaDVD, SwapaCD, and Game Trading Zone.

 

Kids stuff: Donate old toys to a nearby children's hospital, daycare center, or Goodwill.  Trade (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer want at Tots Swap Shop, Kizoodle, Swap Baby Goods, or Hand-Me-Downs.

 

Books: Ask your local library, school, or hospital if they can use books you no longer need. Otherwise, consider sending them to the Global Literacy Project, which distributes books to communities, libraries, and schools around the world. There are also several websites that are dedicated to helping you swap old books into new reading material.

 

Clothing: It's well-known that you can donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. And women's business attire can go to Dress for Success. You can also trade what you no longer wear at Swapstyle or Swap-O-Rama-Rama.  

 

Shoes: Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes and distributes them to the needy. Drop off your old shoes at a nearby donation location or mail them to one of its distribution centers. If your athletic shoes are too worn out to donate, then Nike will recycle them into a material that's used in sports surfaces, playgrounds, and new products.

 

Of course, you can also give away many things on Freecycle, or sell your old castaways on Craiglist or eBay.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

 

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The gifts are unwrapped, the guests are gone, and your house is littered with tinsel, paper, and empty boxes. Not to mention, there's a big tree sitting in the living room. What's the best way to dispose of all this junk, preferably without digging a new landfill in town?

With just a little bit of sorting, you can clear out the house for the New Year. Here's how:

Recycle the Christmas tree

If, like 30 to 35 million American households, you bought a freshly cut, real tree for the holiday, you can easily recycle this renewable resource.

Go to Earth 911, type in "Christmas tree," and then enter your ZIP code to find one of the 4,000 recycling programs around the U.S. Many communities have curbside pick-up for trees after Christmas, while other towns have drop-off locations.

Before you recycle the tree, make sure to prepare it correctly:

• Remove lights and decorations, including all strands of tinsel.
• Take the tree out of the stand.
• Be sure there is no metal attached to the tree.
• Don't wrap the tree in a bag for pick-up unless instructed to do so.
• Check to see what size trees are accepted; if necessary, cut the tree in pieces.

Flocked trees usually can't be recycled and must be put into the garbage. "Living" trees (with root balls) shouldn't be recycled; they should be planted as soon as possible after the holiday.

Also, artificial trees can't be recycled. If you need to get rid of an artificial tree, try to donate it to charity or give it away on Craigslist or Freecycle. Otherwise, it will sit in the landfill forever.

Recycled trees are used throughout the country as mulch in public gardens. Some communities offer this mulch back to individuals for free. Christmas trees have also been used to help rebuild dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama, following Hurricane Ivan. Nearly 1.5 million Christmas trees were recycled into waterway conservation projects in Louisiana.

Recycle the gift wrap

First step is to sort: Remove ribbons and bows, tear off remaining bits of tape, and separate out any metallic or glitter-encrusted papers. None of that stuff is recyclable, although some of it may be reusable (especially ribbons!).

Now, can you recycle the paper that's left? This will depend on where you live. Look for the website of your local waste management company, because that's who will decide what to take. Plain wrapping papers can be added to mixed-paper recycling in some communities.

Next year, try using less wrapping paper. You'll save money and have more fun being creative with fabric wraps, reusable bags, and recycled wrappings.

Recycle the boxes and packing material

Cardboard and paperboard boxes are easy to break down and recycle in most curbside programs. If you have a lot of material, you might need to bundle the cardboard in small packets with string.

If you have space, you might want to keep a few boxes around to give next year's gifts in. Or give them away - people can always use large shipping boxes as moving boxes.

Bubble wrap and packing peanuts can be reused. If not by you, then by someone searching Craigslist or Freecycle. Mailing centers such as The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. will also accept them.

Wondering what to do with other packaging stuff? Find out what else can be recycled and what should be trashed.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Shopping online can save you time and is much less stressful than battling the crowds at the mall. It's also better for the planet than making a dedicated trip to the store, but it can be a real hassle to get rid of the resulting packaging, which can really pile up. 

As much as half of the 85 million tons of paper products Americans consume every year goes toward packaging, wrapping, and decorating goods, according to Earth 911.

Here are some tips for tackling it with a clear conscience: 

 

Bubble wrap

You have many options for reusing bubble wrap. Set it aside for another time when you need to ship something fragile, if you have the room to store it. Or give it to someone who has a use for it now. Try listing  bubble wrap on Freecycle or in the free stuff section of Craigslist, or bring it to your local mailing center (such as the UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc).

Otherwise, try clever ways to reuse bubble wrap such as keeping produce fresh longer, removing frost from your windshield, or using it for insulation. Really! Check out all these innovative suggestions from Planet Green.

 

Packing peanuts

As with bubble wrap, the best thing you can do is figure out how to reuse packing peanuts as they were meant to be used. You can reuse them yourself (store in an old pair of pantyhose) or give them away (shipping stores take them back, and Freecycle and Craigslist are also an option).

Feeling more creative? The Green Cheapskate says they can help make ice last longer, and they're handy to have around for projects.

 

FedEx envelopes

Paper envelopes can go in with your paper recycling. Depending on where you live, you can probably get away with leaving the plastic sleeve on, but it's better to remove it if you can. "It is always good practice to remove non-paper items from your paper recyclables so you don't contaminate the recycling stream," says Jennifer Berry at Earth 911.

Tyvek envelopes are a different story since they are actually made of plastic and not paper. You can mail Tyvek envelopes back to the manufacturer (Dupont) for recycling.

Stuff envelopes (less than 25) into an inside-out Tyvek envelope and mail to this address: Tyvek Recycle, Attn. Shirley B. Wright, 200 Elliham Avenue, #A, Richmond, VA 23237. You will have to pay for postage yourself. Otherwise, you should throw them in the trash.

 

Cardboard boxes

You can recycle cardboard boxes with mixed paper in most communities. Just break down the boxes and remove tape.

Better yet, store cardboard boxes and reuse them, or give them to someone who needs them. You can also drop off used boxes at U-Haul stores or use the company's message board to trade or sell boxes.

 

Clamshell packaging

You probably won't have to deal with this hard plastic packaging until after the gifts are opened, although if you know the recipient won't return your present (if you buy your child a toy, for example) you may want to open the package up before you wrap it to save the recipient the hassle later on.

Whether or not you can recycle clamshell packaging depends on where you live and what type of plastic it's made of. Given that the ubiquitous packaging is typically made from PVC (#3) or polypropylene (#5) and that most curbside recycling programs only accept polyethylene (#1) or high density polyethylene (#2), you probably can't recycle it.

"If your recycling program does take all kinds of plastics, it's important to note which kind of plastic your container is made of and to verify if it's accepted, says Berry. "I hate to say it, but when it doubt, try to find a way to reuse it or throw it out."

 

Wrapping paper

This is another post-holiday concern, but good to think about, especially when you are wrapping gifts. Try to choose paper that is made from recycled paper or that can be recycled. Better yet, get creative, and save money on store-bought paper.

Grandma had the right idea about saving any paper in good condition and keeping ribbon and bows to use again. But sometimes that is just not possible.

Whether you can recycle wrapping paper depends on what it's made of (metallic and foil aren't a good bet for the recycling bin) and where you live. Most traditional wrapping paper isn't recyclable, but some municipalities do recycle it. Be sure to remove all tape, ribbons, and bows beforehand. If you're not sure, you should throw it out.

 

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

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What if that brand new Prius is worse for the environment than a 1995 Chevy Suburban, despite getting 38 more miles to the gallon?

What if that sirloin, shipped to the steakhouse from a newly deforested pasture in the Amazon, means less to the global climate than a hill of individually wrapped jellybeans?

What if using that old avocado-green clothes washer turned out to be better for the environment than the brand new Energy Star model?

These are the types of thoughts one thinks after reading two recent reports by Joshuah Stolaroff, who could do far more to turn "going green" on its head than your average faceless bureaucrat.

Stolaroff was at a low enough level at the Environmental Protection Agency when he wrote Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Materials and Land Management Practices that he can't even "speak for the agency" when discussing it. The Product Policy Institute, which published is next paper, Products, Packaging and Greenhouse Gas Emissions encouraged him to talk, but the only reporters who sat in on his recent press call were writing for publications serving readers in the solid waste industry. (The second paper was like the first, but included a key addition: Consideration of the greenhouse gas emissions embodied in imported goods, not just domestically produced items.)

The reports have the same conclusion: The stuff we buy and the packaging that comes with the stuff we buy represents our biggest contribution to global warming - far more so than the amount of electricity our stuff uses or the amount of fuel our stuff burns on the highway.

As a nation, the products we buy, and the plastic and paper those products are packaged in, account for 44% of our greenhouse gas emissions - dwarfing all other sources of pollution. It's all about stuff. Good stuff, bad stuff, fuel-efficient stuff, organic stuff: The problem is too much stuff.

Powering every AC unit, boiler, and hot water heater in the United States adds up to less than half the impact of our stuff - just 21%. Driving our cars, or - why not? - Hummers, as the case may be, accounts for just 13%, and food just 12%.

Even all our guilt-ridden, globe-trotting vacations and every one of those celebrity private jet trips - "non-local passenger transport" in the parlance of these reports - accounts for just 9% of all global warming pollution produced by the United States.

And, in a note that makes you want to gouge out both eyes with an electric fork, the electricity used to run all our appliances amounts to just 7% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

The papers are written for policy wonks, encouraging such practices as lifecycling responsibility for manufacturers, so that the cell phone you buy today is dismantled and remade by the same company that manufactured it. "There's enough evidence here that we should institute policies around products or materials to control greenhouse gas emissions," Stolaroff said.

Good advice. But what about us?

Even as an expert on the topic, Stolaroff was surprised by the way the report affected him. "In the process of the report I became convinced that recycling is much more important than I thought it really was," he said. "Particularly appliances, cars, electronics, and construction and demolition debris - those turn out to be pretty important. I never really thought about that. We hear a lot about recycling containers, but we're much less advanced in terms of recycling durable goods, like building debris and furniture. There's lots of potential to prevent greenhouse gas emissions."

Which isn't to say that energy efficiency doesn't matter (or that other studies don't contradict some of these findings) ... but Stolaroff's studies suggest that the types of products we buy and how much stuff we buy in the first place matter most.

Choosing to buy products made from recycled materials, that can be repaired or recycled - or choosing to rent what we don't need to buy ... these amount to some of the most important choices we make for the environment.

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As a new mom and an EcoGeek, I know that choosing a diapering method is a huge issue.  Disposable diapers clog landfills for hundreds of years.  There are alternatives to disposables, of course, but they have their drawbacks.  Cloth diapers require extra water and electricity for laundering and the couple of biodegradable options don't quite perform as well and are hard to find at local supermarkets.  This leads to an overwhelming majority of parents choosing disposables and approximately 27.4 billion diapers making their way to American landfills every year.

Enter one of the more exciting stories I've come across in a while.  Companies Versus Energy and Knowaste are partnering up to build a diaper recycling plant in the UK.  Not only will the diapers collected stay out of landfills, but the plant will actually run on the organic matter contained in them.

The diapers will be shredded, washed, sanitized, and separated into organic material and reusable paper pulp and plastic that may find new life as roof tiles, shoe insoles, wallpaper, industrial thickeners, or many other potential uses.  The water used in the process will be treated and reused.

The plant will open in May 2010 in Birmingham and is the first of five planned for the UK.  The diapers will be collected from nurseries, nursing homes, and hospitals.  My fingers are crossed that the U.S. will follow soon.

via Triple Pundit

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, don't throw that away!]

I was a bank robber, the first Halloween I can remember. That involved carrying a burlap bag filled with stacks of newsprint "loot" over my shoulder, wearing a black turtleneck sweater like Illya Kuryakin wore in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and - most memorably - sliding one of my grandmother's worn out silk stockings over my head.

That memory (the last part, in particular) is etched upon my mind. And, my therapist says, no amount of counseling is ever likely to erase it.

Silk stockings are of course as long gone as my dear grandmother; truly sad to say, in both cases. But here are 20 creative ways to repurpose today's worn-out nylon pantyhose, even if you're not planning to rob a bank:

• Gift wrap storage: Keep rolls of gift paper neat and tatter-free by storing them in old pantyhose - one roll per leg - and hanging them in the closet.
• Green Cheapskate soap on a rope: Put bath soap slivers in the foot of a pair of pantyhose to get every last bit of suds out of them in the shower. Rub-a-dub-dub, there's a cheapskate in my tub. (See more "Recycling Oddities.")
• Plant ties: Use lengths of pantyhose to stake up tomatoes and other plants in the garden; because of its elasticity, it's easier on tender plants than string.
• Mold and mildew stoppers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter and place in shoes, luggage, closets, dressers, etc., to absorb moisture and reduce mold and mildew.
• Panty-pantry storage: Store onions, potatoes, and garlic in pantyhose and hang them in the pantry to promote good air circulation and keep them from rotting.
• Sweet smelling sachets: Fill lengths of pantyhose with potpourri, tie off at both ends, and use to keep closets and dressers smelling sweet. They also work well when filled with cedar shavings or moth-repelling herbs to prevent damage to clothing in storage.
• Pillow stuffing: Cut pantyhose into strips and use to stuff throw pillows or toys.
• Repair torn pair in a pinch: If she has a run in the left leg and a matching pair with a run in the right, my wife sometimes cuts off her bad legs (so to speak) and doubles up, wearing two layers of panties with a good leg attached to each. (God I love that frugal woman.)
• Packing peanut storage: Store menacing foam packing peanuts in a pair of pantyhose to keep them from invading the house until you're ready to reuse them. Cut a hole in the toe and tie it off with a twisty seal for easy peanut dispensing.
• Homemade Bungee cords: The elasticity of pantyhose make them perfect all-purpose tie down straps, or tie a metal "S" hook from the hardware store on each end for a homemade Bungee cord.
• Lint mitt: Use like a mitten to remove lint and pet hair from clothing and upholstery rather than a lint brush. The mitt will also remove deodorant residue from clothing.
• Scratch-less scrubbers: Try pantyhose to scrub tile and other surfaces where you're afraid of scratches. Also good for applying polishes to silver, brass, gold and other easily scratched metals.
• Protect prized veggies: Put pantyhose over vegetables like squash and melons while they're still growing in the garden to protect against pest damage without using chemical pesticides. Is that a zucchini in your pantyhose, or are you just happy to see me?
• Flower bulb storage: Store seasonal bulbs in pantyhose and hang them up in a dry place to promote good air circulation.
• Shoe shine buffer: Old pantyhose are perfect for putting the spit-shine on shoes.
• Wear them outdoors: Guys, don't be shy about sporting a pair of worn out pantyhose next time you go camping or work in the yard. Real outdoorsmen (and outdoorswomen) have known for years that they prevent chigger and other insect bites and minimize foot blister.
• Draft dodgers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter to seal off cold drafts from under doors and windows.
• Fishing trick: When I wasn't wearing my Granny's worn out stockings over my head, my Gramps was using them to catch catfish. He'd wrap a piece of chicken liver bait in a section of nylon stocking to keep it on the hook; the fish would still bite, and he'd still have his bait.
• Paint/stain/plaster applicator: Use pantyhose to add interesting texture and designs when applying and/or finishing paint and plaster.
• Special photo effects: Stretch pantyhose over your camera lens to give photos a muted or starburst effect. (Note: It's best to have her take them off before you try this.)

Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

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Stephen O'Shea asks: My high school has been collecting a large quantity of used household batteries with the intention of having them recycled. But when I contacted the local recycling agencies, they said these types of batteries are just considered trash. Before I dump them in the trash, do you know anymore about this?

Manna Jo Greene replies:

Rechargeables need to be recycled: Nickel-cadmium and ni-metal hydride batteries are made with heavy metals.

In early 90s, I served on the New York State Battery Task Force and we (collectively those working on battery issues) got the industry to stop using mercury in alkaline, single-use AAA, AA, A, C, and D batteries as an antioxidant (Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996).

So these batteries are not toxic per se, but do contain a metal (steel) casing and can technically be recycled with scrap metal if you have a metal can full of them, but make sure they are fully discharged. Also, do not close the storage container tightly as they can give off some hydrogen.  Most people just put these safely into the trash.

It's lead, NiCd, NiMH, and lithium batteries that are toxic. Mercuric oxide, rare specialty batteries are not used by general public, but must be recycled. Zinc air and silver oxide are substitutes.

Silver oxide batteries contain silver, a precious metal, and should be recycled and can be easily.

Lead acid batteries (for autos) must be recycled, and there is a rebate in N.Y. when you trade them in.

Lithium batteries are highly reactive and should be recycled.

In summary, rechargeables and button cells can and should be recycled, single-use can be tossed.

More info on battery recycling.

Manna Jo Greene is the environmental director of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

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