The Three R’s
Everyone knows the three r’s of the green movement- reduce, reuse, recycle. One question 
that arises from this mantra is what can I actually recyle, reduce and reuse? Sure, we all know paper and glass, but what else? Thanks to Co-op America, we now know more! Co-op America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982 whose mission is to harness economic power to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
According to Co-op America, here is a list of of “21 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle” (or reuse!).
- Applicances
- Batteries
- Cardboard boxes
- Cds/DVDs/Game disks
- Clothes
- Compact fluorescent bulbs
- Compostable bio-plastics
- Computers and electronics
- Exercise videos
- Eyeglasses
- Foam packings
- Ink/toner cartridges
- Miscellaneous
- Oil
- Phones
- Sports equipment
- “Technotrash”
- Tennis shoes
- Toothbrushes and razors
- Tyvek envelopes
- Stuff you just can’t recycle– Co-op America recommends that when practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.
For complete instructions on how to recycle and reuse these 21 items, go to Co-op America’s site right here.
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September 13th, 2007 at 11:02 am
This is great information about items you can take somewhere to be recycled. Another way to approach this topic is to figure out ways you can recycle items at home, such as turning old clothing into rags, using egg cartons as fire starters or putting shredded paper in boxes as shipping materials. I wrote about some unexpected uses of everyday household objects here: http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com/2007/08/creative-ideas-for-reusing-everyday.html
Thanks.
Leah Ingram