Wrapping Paper

Don't forget that wrapping paper is paper. Recycle it!

Packaging

Buy gifts that don't have a lot of packaging. Also check that the packaging it does have, can be recycled.

Straws

Recycle plastic straws.

Napkins

Use cloth napkins whenever possible. If you need to use paper napkins for certain occasions, buy recycled brands, and then recycle them again.

Paper Recycling

According to the Sierra Club, an estimated 900 million trees are cut down annually to produce paper - writing paper, print paper, paper plates, cardboard, napkins, etc. All of this should be recycled. Almost 50 percent of most Americans trash is paper. There is NEVER a good reason to throw a piece of paper or envelope in the garbage. Put it in the recycling bin instead.

If your name and address are printed on something or the material is sensitive - shred it. Place the shredded paper in a paper bag and put it in your recycling bin when the bag is full.

Save trees:

* Buy recycled printer paper and sticky notes
* Use the back of your child's homework or other documents to print on
* Print on both sides
* Buy recycled napkins, paper towel, etc.

Let's Talk Trash!

It's hard to believe that the average American creates about 4.5 pounds of trash every day. That comes to over 1,600 pounds of garbage every year! Where does all this garbage go? To our landfills! What can we do about this?

Always recycle everything you can. If you are unsure if a certain item can be recycled, call your local waste management company. (I sometimes throw it in anyway. Shhh...)

Some examples of everyday items that need to be recycled are: newspapers, paper, envelopes(think junk mail), cardboard(food boxes), bottles, and cans. Put them in the recycling bin instead of the garbage.

For every ten aluminum or steel cans recycled, you save four pounds of carbon, and for every ten glass bottles recycled you save three pounds of carbon. Recycling newspapers can save 50 pounds of carbon per year.

If all Americans recycled, 75% of waste would not be sent to landfills.

Our future generations will thank you!

Recycling Electronics

If your family is similar to mine, you have a lot of electronic equipment. What are you supposed to do with them when it is time to upgrade or they stop working? Find a local electronics recycling drop off site. The items will be reused or recycled, and not placed in our landfills where they leach toxic chemicals into the earth and our water supply. Check with your county or local recycling centers for drop off sites.

Some electronics that can be recycled are computers, keyboards, and monitors, laptops and their accessories, televisions, stereos, cameras, camcorders, power cables, cell phones, fax machines, and photocopiers.

Recycling Plastic

We know that we need to recycle plastic, but then we hear that some can leach toxic chemicals into our earth and water. Use the following list of numbers found inside the triangles on the plastic as a guideline:

#1, PET or PETE(polyethylene terephthalate): easily recycled. Used in water, soda and juice bottles.

#2, HDPE(high density polyethylene): easily recycled. Used in milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and liquid detergent bottles.

#3, PVC or Vinyl(polyvinyl chloride) : NOT recyclable. Soft PVC is known to leach toxic phthalates. Used in some cling wraps, detergent bottles, meat wraps, rain gear, cooking oil bottles, and spray bottles.

#4, LDPE(low density polyethylene) : recyclable at recycling centers. Used in plastic shopping bags, some baby bottles, and sandwich bags.

#5, PP(polypropylene) : sometimes recyclable. Used in most yogurt and deli takeout containers and reusable food containers.

#6, PS(polystyrene) : mostly not recyclable. They can leach styrene, a neurotoxin. Found in foam cups, takeout containers and egg containers.

#7, all other plastics, like PC(polycarbonate) : mostly, no.