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How to Recycle Unusual Items III

© April Kelley

12. Greeting cards Saint Jude's Ranch http://stjudesranch.org/ is a non-profit, non-sectarian home for abused or abandoned youth. They provide counseling and opportunities for the young people in their care. The kids at St. Jude's have their own business in which they take used holiday cards, cut off the front covers, glue on new back covers and sell them. The kids keep all the money and they get experience at working together in a business. Sending them your holiday cards also shows that you care about what happens to them. Send your cards to St. Jude's Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude Street, PO Box 60100, Boulder City, NV 89006. You can send bundles of cards using UPS ground or using the library rate at the US post office.

13. Packaging supplies Did you know that some packing peanuts are just made from cornstarch? Yup. You can just dump 'em in the bathtub, turn on the water and away they go - dissolved down the drain. A company named Surepak makes this type of packing peanut, called Ecofill. So, check out your nuts and make sure they aren't dissolvable before you go down the recycle path.(You may want to test them just a few at a time). If you do a lot of shipping you could always reuse packing peanuts. Unfortunately, they can't be recycled because it isn't cost feasible. But, there is hope. Even if don't reuse them, Mailboxes etc http://mbe.com/ and other shipping companies will. If you'd like to donate to these companies don't call them, instead call 1-800-828-2214 they'll direct you to a drop-off locale near you. Of course bubble wrap, plastic and paper are all recyclable.

If you've got polystyrene blocks, molded plastic or any other packing materials that won't easily go into your home recycling bin, then check out, The Alliance of Foam Packing Recyclers at http://www.epspackaging.org/ for more information.

14. Yard waste Think about it - what composes most of your household trash? Unless you are running an unusual business from your home, your garbage is probably mostly yard waste and kitchen trash. The smell of burning leaves is great - but it isn't so good for the environment when you get a few million people sparking up the autumn foliage. It isn't so great for the environment when you've got several tons of rotting food and plant matter heading for a landfill either. A better alternative is to recycle the leaves - and just about anything else that comes out of your yard or kitchen. Food scraps, grass clippings, laundry lint, cooking oil, wine corks, used paper towels and paper napkins can all be recycled. How? By composting.