Recycling

We are thrilled to share a guest blog post with you by Jakob Barry, a home improvement journalist for Networx.com.  Here are some tips on greening the Super Bowl!

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Each year the National Football League (NFL) spends time and energy on Green-oriented projects throughout the city where the Super Bowl is taking place. 

Although most of us won’t be going to the actual game a good segment of the population will watch it from the comfort of their own homes and likely in the company of groups of others.

These gatherings, sometimes large, can be a lot of fun as Super Bowl Sunday takes on a life of its own in many communities. Nevertheless, the event has the potential to produce large amounts of waste and wasted resources across the country.

Every holiday season, you're bound to end up with a few gift cards.  The gift card market is a multi-billion dollar industry, with sales expected to climb to $52.2 billion by 2012!  That's a lot of gift cards that need to be disposed of properly.  

Unfortunately, gift cards are often made of the dreaded PVC.  PVC is toxic to produce and seldom accepted through curbside recycling plans.  Because of this, I was surprised to see it listed as the greenest gift choice in Country Homes Magazine.  ... read more

I really like throw pillows, but unfortunately many of the throw pillows in my house have seen better days.  While going through the attic, old clothes, and my son's closet, I had an idea:  what if I upcycled these ratty old throw pillows?  I have a crafty friend with a sewing machine who has been hosting upcycling workshops - this could be a fun project.  

I gathered up some things that would be good covers on these old throw pillows:

Old T-shirts

I found a big old Winnie the Pooh t-shirt among my pajamas.  It's not something I wear frequently, and my son is a huge Winnie the Pooh fan, so why not turn that old Pooh shirt into a throw pillow for my son's room?

Old Sweaters

Sweaters can make a nice cozy material for a throw pillow.  If you have sweaters that are ill-fitting, ripped, or uncomfortable, they could make a lovely pillow case. ... read more

Check out Planet Green Recycle's FREE e-Waste recycling event THIS WEEKEND in Valencia, CA!  All raised funds will go towards Sunshine Learning Centers!  Here's the Facebook event.    If you live in the area, definitely stop by and get rid of some old electronics!... read more

With the holidays around the corner, I've been thinking of some more green ideas for more eco-friendly gift wrapping options.  Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that there's a way to make tote bags out of old t-shirts.

Intrigued, I immediately looked online for instructions.  What a perfect idea -- reuse an old t-shirt, use it as a gift bag, and the gift recipient can use that bag for shopping -- so it can be used again and again!  I found this Today Show segment which instructs viewers on how to create a bag out of an old t-shirt.  You don't even have to sew.  All you really need are scissors, duct tape, and a stapler.  It's quick, too.

Check out the video below.... read more