IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Brought to you by Joan Kosmachuk, Professional Organizer
and Personal Life Coach

““I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.“ —E.B.White

Kermit the frog’s song, “it ain’t easy being green” echoes in my brain each time I think about how I can be a better steward of our earth’s resources. It may seem like getting organized is a big enough challenge in itself without having to worry about repurposing or recycling the things you finally decide to toss. But, taking better care of our planet in the coming year should be a New Year’s resolution for all of us, so here are several resources that will make it easier for you to practice being “green” as you de-clutter your home in 2008.

Batteries:
Primary components of rechargeable batteries can be reclaimed to make stainless steel products and new rechargeable batteries. Many retailers such as Radio Shack, Best Buy, Batteries Plus, etc. now have free drop-off boxes in their stores. For a complete listing of participating retailers near you go to http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/retail/index.html.

Bedding and Towels:
Even torn, stained or worn bedding, pillows and towels can find a new life at your local animal rescue shelter.

Building Materials:
Boston Building Materials Cooperative in West Roxbury accepts donations of reusable building materials from homeowners, businesses and contractors to sell to low-income families. This program reduces the amount of construction waste headed to landfills. All donations are tax deductible. For more information call 617-442-8917

If you live outside of the Boston area, check with your local “Habitat for Humanity Re-store”.

CD’s:
All it costs is the postage to ship them and “Back through the Future” will recycle your CD’s. See http://www.cdrecyclingforfree.com for more information.

Computers:
If your computer is no longer useful to others, Staples will recycle it for you. Keyboard and mouse can be dropped off for free but hard drives and monitors require a $10.00 recycling fee. Check in-store or on-line www.staples.com for further details.

Fabric and linens:
The Boston Project uses recycled fabrics bedspreads drapes, blankets mattress pads fiberfill and neckties (lots of these needed) to create “ugly quilts” which they distribute FREE to people who are out on the cold streets of Boston. Donations are accepted throughout the year.

Plastic Grocery Bags:
Recycle plastic bags at local grocery stores. Most stores accept any plastic shopping bags, as well as plastic newspaper wrappers—look for collection bins near store entrances.

Printer Cartridges:
For every ink or laser toner cartridge that is recycled, two quarts of oil are kept out of landfills. Staples offers a free drop-off for your used printer cartridges. Check out the details at www.staples.com or in store. If you want your old inkjet cartridge to help homeless pets, pick up a free mailer at PetSmart.

Wedding Gowns and Bridesmaid Dresses:
Heavenly Angels in Need takes wedding gowns or any satin dresses and creates the most beautiful burial garments for babies. The garments are given to hospitals to give to grieving families to wrap their baby in and see them for the last time dressed in a beautiful handcrafted garment specially created for this moment.

Worn-out Running Shoes:
Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, accepts worn-out athletic shoes of any brand (not just Nike). The shoes are collected, processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for youth around the world. http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=26&cat=reuseashoe

Do you have something else to recycle that’s not on our list? Check out Earth 911 for more recycling information. http://earth911.org

Don’t forget curbside recycling:
To encourage your family to be active participants in the curbside recycling in your community, set up a recycling center in your kitchen, garage or back porch. The key is to have it handy for you and your family to use daily.

1. Post the current recycling guidelines next to your bins. This may be on the inside of your kitchen cabinet door, on the wall above your bins, or on the side of the bins themselves.

2. Clearly label each box, bag or bin i.e. paper, plastic, and if you have young children, use pictures.

3. Before putting anything in the trash, first check if it can go in a recycling bin

4. Make sure you put bin contents out to the curb each recycling day.

If you need help with eco-friendly organizing, consider getting professional input by hiring a professional organizer.

To hire the services of Joan Kosmachuk, please email your request to info@simpleeffects.com or call 617-784-0707.

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