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by Barney Whistance, Contributing Writer  Photo (c) Pixabay user MartinStadlober, Public Domain There is a whole lot more other than bottles that you can recycle. Everything from Crocs to bras can be recycled. Americans create a lot of trash. The average person generates around 4.3 pounds of waste per day. That is 1.6 pounds more than what an average American produced in 1960. According to the EPA, data for 2013 showed 254 million tons of trash was generated. This was 4 million more than 2010. Trash generation is on an uptick. There are only so many landfills that we can fill up, and only so many parks we can build over massive parcels of buried garbage. What we really need to do is recycle as much as possible. We will talk about 5 household items that may seem destined for a dump but can actually be recycled with ease. Athletic Shoes Surprisingly, we as a nation go a through a lot of these. I think that’s a pretty good sign, we are becoming an active lot. However, old running shoes are filling up landfills. What you can do is discard your shoes by throwing them in one of Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe recycling bin. Nike uses these old shoes to turn into a raw material called Nike Grind which is used to make everything from running tracks to shoe soles to zippers. Bicycles Americans send more than 15 million bicycles to the graveyard each year. Rather than throwing them in the dump, you can give your trusted steeds a second life by donating them to Bikes for the World. These guys collect and refurbish old bikes and then donate them to lower-income people in developing countries. So the next time your child outgrows his/her bike, do not dump it, donate it. You will have effectively recycled and added one more good deed to your list. Bras There comes a time in every woman’s life when she has to discard her bra and get a new better one (one which hopefully does not cut into the shoulders). But bras aren’t something women will be tossing on the “to donate pile”. Surprisingly, Bosom Buddy Program is a recycling company in Arizona which takes old bras for recycling. They spruce up old bras and then donate them to women’s shelters or other programs. Crocs Crocs are awesome. These are something the kids have not found a way to destroy. Crocs are one of the very few wearables that the kids actually outgrow instead of destroying. However the landfills are starting to get filled with these. Croc Cares takes in your old Crocs and recycles them into used Crocs into new shoes and then donated underprivileged families. Crayons Our landfills are getting quite colorful. We produce over 120,000 pounds of crayons each year. The National Crayon Recycle Program will recycle your rejected crayons and then turn them into new ones. So far this program has diverted more than 88,000 crayons from landfills. If all of us tighten the reins around the house, soon we will be seeing the day when all of the garbage collectors will have put the sign “used dump trucks available for sale”. 
by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Image by Hey Paul Studios via Flickr.com
How many times have you seen people throw out furniture that can still be used just because they got something new? How many times have you done it yourself? Go green and upcycle that so-called junk to prevent it from going into a landfill too soon.
Check Craigslist's free section. Among the sales and want ads, Craigslist also has a section with people offering items for free. Many times they stick the items by the dumpster and they get thrown out before anyone can make use of them. Not a great way to go green, is it? Whether you rescue one item or do it regularly, you will be helping. Rescue the items for yourself, your friends, those in need, and the Earth. Repurpose old items. Take your own old items or those you may have found on Craigslist or elsewhere and use them for something new. For instance, if you get a new entertainment center, but your old one can still be used (even if it needs to be pieced back together), you can use it for another reason. Turn it into a decorative shelf where you can store your plants, books, and more. Refinish an old table or just drape a cloth over it and use it for decorative purposes. Saw an old table in half and add legs to each new half to create two desks. There are so many different options. If you can't use it, be green and donate it. If you really just cannot use the item, consider donating it to the less fortunate. Think of people you know who are in need first. But if none of them can use the items, upcycle by donating to organizations. Many programs give used furniture, clothing, baby items, household items, and more to those in need. Chances are that what you may consider junk could be exactly what someone else needs but is unable to get at the moment. If you need the extra money, garage sale it. Donating is a good deed. But if you're strapped for cash, hold a garage sale. You'll still be helping someone by offering something at a lower price than the original sticker. Why throw things away when you can fulfill a need, make some money, and prevent waste at the same time? Don't let good things go to waste. If you're walking around the neighborhood and see perfectly good items being thrown out, rescue them. Even if you can't use the items yourself, save them from unnecessary destruction. Find someone who needs the items or sell them in a yard sale. Even post your own Craigslist ad if you can't figure out what to do with them. At least you will be biding the Earth some time and possibly helping someone in need of the item. |
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Lyn Lomasi is founder and owner of the Brand Shamans Content Community. Services include ordained soul therapy and healing ministry, business success coaching, business success services, handcrafted healing jewelry, ethereal and anointing oils, altar and spiritual supplies and services, handcrafted healing beauty products, and more!
Lyn is your brand healing, soul healing, marketing & content superhero to the rescue! While rescuing civilians from boring business practices and energy vampires, this awesomely crazy family conquers evil and creates change. They live among tigers, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantastic energies, teaching others to claim their own power and do the same. By supporting us, you support a dedicated parent, healer, and minority small business that donates to several causes. Profits from our all-inclusive store, Intent-sive Nature support these causes and our beautiful family! HIRE OR SHOP WITH LYN | CONTACT LYN Archives
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