Reuse & Recycle

The idea of getting paid to recycle may sound far fetched and you may think the story will end with, “…and they lived happily ever after.”  But that is not the case with a company from Pennsylvania who has come up with the genius idea about how to encourage people to recycle.  The company is called RecycleBank and it’s a Philadelphia-based private company that has a very high tech idea about how to interest more people in the thought of recycling.

It may sound like a science fiction movie, but the idea is to issue wheeled totes to people that have a computer chip implanted in it that would keep information about the people who own the tote.  In addition to the name, address and phone number information there would also be included a bank account number, linked to RecycleBank that would tally the amount of recyclable-waste that is turned in to a collection truck that would be equipped with a special computer and barcode system.  It will work along the same lines as the self-serve lane at the grocery store and other retail stores.

Once the data of the weight of the recycled material is entered an amount of RecycleBank-Dollars would be deposited into the RecycleBank account.  Residents would then have access to those recycle-dollars to be used at participating retailers.  Some of the companies already working with RecycleBank include Target, Starbucks and Whole Foods Market and their hopes are to have as many local businesses included as well.  Some may find it to be a rewarding experience in being able to donate their RecycleBank Dollars to a local environmental group or organization, rather than spend the money themselves.  What a great idea and a great way for people to be given an opportunity to help an organization whose sole purpose it is to keep our planet alive and well?  What a beautiful way for some of us to be able to make our contribution to the environment times two?  First by recycling and then again by being able to donate the RecycleBank Dollars we tally up.

When you think of it, the opportunitites are nearly endless for single homes to be able to contribute to the positive changes of our environment and if that is the case, imagine the impact a small business could have?  How many thousands of dollars and trees could be saved by the implementation of a program like RecycleBank?

For me, this idea is a much better one than the other option proposed by some companies of “Pay-As-You-Throw” (PAYT) which operates in the opposite direction where you would pay for what you throw away.  I guess the ideas are similar but I sure like the idea of being credited for my good deeds rather than being punished for what I throw away.

How many cities and towns could gain not just monetary benefits from a program set-up like RecycleBank but the benefits of turning us all into recycle-oriented consumers and residents?

For 43 years I’ve been someone who never really finished the thought; when I throw something away it goes…

I’ve given myself a great gift this year; call it a field trip, if you like, but I took myself to my town’s landfill and had my eyes opened for the first time.  Maybe the concept of someone reaching their 40s and still not being contientious of recycling is one that sounds far-fetched, well, it’s the truth.  I didn’t grow up imagining the Earth covered in over-flowing landfills, piles and piles of garbage as high as the tallest building that was not my experience.  But because the idea of leaving too much waste for the Earth to handle is a bitter reality today, I’ve begun to educate myself.

I guess I’ve always thought of using credit cards as not being real money, that’s the same way I viewed trash.  I know I’ve read about landfills becoming, well, full and how that will cause a problem but until I took myself out to the site itself, I still had this childish idea that once I put something into the trash can, it just went – away.

Seeing, with my own eyes, the area designated for my community’s left overs was like a big slap of reality.  I was finally able to comprehend the thought; “if I’m not the only one throwing things away carelessly, and if others are doing it too, this space will not last too long.”

I was surprised at some of the items I saw at the town’s landfill, too.  There were pieces of furniture that, being someone creative, I could see would make nice trash-to-treasures pieces.  Maybe these refurbished items could be the one piece that brought the feel of a room together, that completed what the room is to feel like and express.  Instead, someone tossed them out and they were taking up (a whole lot) of space in a limited area and would cause stress, not happiness.

I’m fortunate because my children, who are early teens, have been taught about the importance of recycling and the importance of what we need to do to keep the world from being buried in useless trash.  They have been paying attention to the lessons that have come their way, where as, I had to see it for myself before I could be motivated to change the way I do things.

The good news is, it only took one quick trip to the landfill, for me to come to my senses and make changes about the way I do things and about the way I think.  If we are not thinking globally when it comes to waste, and what we’re leaving behind, we’re not being smart.

Grab some kids, or some forty-somethings and take yourself on a field trip that may very well, do for you what it did for me; make the changes necessary for me to see what the reality of our situation is and change the way I do things.

In today’s world, where the idea of recycling is not an option, but a necessity, having your own compost pile is a great activity and resources in keeping with the mandatory recycle laws.  The bonuses of composting heavily outweigh any negative connotations compost piles have had to defend themselves against; mainly, the smell.

Because food waste, when compiled properly and maintained can create rich soil that can be reused on lawns and gardens, it seems the thought of not having one is the poorer choice.  We have to eat and there is inevitably an excess and waste, that it seems like a no-brainer to put our scraps and law clippings to good use.

To begin your project you will need a compost bin.  Compost bins can be built or purchased.  Before putting out any money for this project, check with your town hall to see if they sponsor a program that will provide residents with the bins.  If your town doesn’t provide bins specifically for composting, you should check with local hardware or home improvement stores.  These bins can also be found online or via gardening center websites or catalogs.

If none of these options pan out, a compost bin can be built with just a few materials and tools.  All that is needed to build your own compost bin would be; some wood, concrete blocks, pallets, wire and maybe even a garbage can with holes poked in the bottom.  The only thing to keep in mind when constructing a compost bin is to remember to incorporate a way for excess moisture to escape and a great way to do that is to be sure there are holes at the bottom of the bin but that they are not so big that little critters can climb into the bin and wreak havoc!  It’s best to keep the drainage holes no more than half an inch in diameter.

Placement of the bin should be somewhere shady, where it can drain properly and where it will be fairly easy to access without being too close to become a “smelly” problem inside your home (or the home of your neighbor)!

The first level of compost should allow for air passages as well as drainage.  A layer of smooth rock placed loosely on the bottom of the bin will work to do the trick.

When you start to add to your compost you should think in layers; start with the bottom layer of coarse materials to further enable the air and drainage passage, and then layer between “brown” waste and “green” waste.  “Brown” waste may consist of, autumn leaves, wood chips, saw dust, pine needles, paper towels, newspaper and coffee filters and “green” waste consists of, food wastes, fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass clippings and weeds.  Another tip is to add a layer of soil on top of each layer of waste because that will help speed up the process.

One last maintainance tip is to always fluff your layers as you go by using a hoe or a compost turning tool.  You’ll also want to be sure to “toss” the entire pile once in the spring and again in the fall, wehre you turn the entire pile upside down with the bottom ending up on the top of the pile.

Enjoy your compost pile and know that with every item added it is one less item for the waste that will be left for future generations to contend with.

Loon Mountain is located in New Hampshire, right in the middle of the state and as a part of the White Mountains.  If you know anything about New Hampshire, you’ll know that some of the country’s best winter sports take place in the White Mountains.  When you think of skiing; recycling probably isn’t your first visual, but Loon Mountain is looking to change that perception.

Loon Mountain has started a new way of doing things in regards to recycling and energy conservation that should not go unnoticed and will hopefully pave the way for other resorts, all over the world, to follow.

When you think of New Hampshire, the White Mountains, or even the northeastern area of the United States and you picture the area during the winter time, you probably have visions of yummy hot cocoa with tiny marshmellows, hats, mittens and scarves covering as much of a person from Old Mr. Frost, a roaring fire and a foot and a half of snow.  Most of that image is accurate, except, unfortunately, for the snow part.  For more than a decade or so the northeast region has not been able to enjoy Mother Nature’s usual assault of blizzard upon blizzard, resulting in a sno-globe fantasy of winter sports.  While there is still an occassional blizzard, and a lot of the White Mountain Resorts are blessed with a foot or so of base snow, it just isn’t like the winters of our grandparent’s generation.  What used to fall from the sky without hesitation or exception, for the most part, today, must be manufactured.

While most resorts have to run their snow-making machines there have been advances made in their production to further help with recycling in mind and using energy saving principles.  Loon turned to a new idea in snow-making guns where the gun generates its own compressed air, thereby saving on the energy used to have a compressed air hose as a separate unit.  At one place they have combined one “disconnect” between two of their popular slopes; Little Sister Trail and Loon Mountain Park and will be able to service both trails with the same snow-making apparatus.

Other efforts toward recycling include changing their light bulbs over to compact fluorescent alternatives, which are said to use 75% less energy and last ten times longer than the average light bulb.  Bathrooms now have motion sensors for the lights and fans, so energy is not being used when no one is in the room.  New windows and doors have been put in to replace older models that allowed for heat to leak out and the cold northeastern wind to come in.

Let’s take the lead that resorts in New Hampshire have provided and make the changes necessary in our own homes this winter, in the name of recycling and energy-saving efforts.  By following the lead set by resorts like the ones on Loon Mountain, you can bet that more resorts will fall in behind, and utilize all of the resources they have in the effort to recycle.

The idea of recycling is to reuse an item rather than toss it into the trash and have it end up filling space in a landfill, right?  Here’s a thought; why not have the waste in the first place?  Are you with me?  How can this be accomplished, you may be asking yourself, and that’s good because I have a few ideas I’d like to share.

Be aware of the items you purchase and how they are packaged.  Some manufacturers use layers of wrapping that will just get tossed into the trash because there isn’t another use for it.  Try not to purchase such items.  Do a little looking, a little digging, a little research and find items that have less packaging and stick to only buying them.  I believe the manufacturers will get the hint when consumers start paying attention to the waste one product makes and opt for its competitor.

A good way to utilize this kind of thinking is to buy in bulk.  Buying in bulk cuts way down on the packaging and more often than not, it is a better buy just by the price.  That’s a win-win, in my book!

If you have to buy something that has an excess of packaging, stretch your mind a little and figure out what you can use that excess for and then put it to good use.

A great way to curb the surplus in a landfill is to reuse things and an easy one to do this with is the plastic bags you get to carry your groceries home in.  Rather than getting the bags home, emptying the contents and putting them away and throw the used bag into the trash, think about the different things you can use that bag for; in my house all of our home-lunches are carried to and from school in reused plastic bags.  We even reuse the bags over and again, until we know that nothing will stay bagged but will fall out.  Just by reusing items like this will cut down greatly on the stuff that is filling up our precious space-craved landfills.

At my grocery store the store has manufactured mesh bags with the company’s logo on it and they sell them for less than a dollar.  These are excellent for reuse because they last a lot longer than the plastic bags do and if you continue to bring these bags to the store rather than the plastic or even the paper bags that is a few more less that will ever leave the store.

Recycling, at its best, is prevention of excess.  Keeping that in mind and taking the steps to incorporate the changes into your life will further enhance the lack of waste and will make it much easier for landfills not to get so over-filled; because over-filled landfills are not a pretty sight and not what we want in our future or in the future of our children, down through the generations.  Prevention of waste takes just a little forethought, and any of us are capable of that.