With the Presidential race taking up most of the news and the Iowa caucuses just about a month away, it seems appropriate to take as close a look as possible at how “Recycling Friendly” our 2012 Presidential candidates may be.

To keep things simple, I am focusing on the top talked about contenders: President Obama, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, and Rick Perry. Because whispers are growing that a new late entry Republican candidate may emerge from the political rubbish, I will save the complete “Presidential Recycling Analysis” for a later date. (Goodness knows I would not want to leave any viable contender out.) (more…)

Just as it is important for all of us to recycle plastics, it is also important for us to support companies that make plastic goods from recycled plastic. When purchasing a product made from plastic, confirm it contains recycled plastic content. Our purchases help to promote recycling too. -R.G.

Imagine a world where all plastic products were recycled. Living in a world where no plastic debris litters the roadways, nor floats in our oceans, nor sits in landfills for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. To most of us this seems almost unimaginable, but is it? (more…)

When doing back to school shopping make sure to purchase environmentally conscious school supplies. Make back to school shopping a green experience. -R.G.

August is the month that big box stores load up on traditional school supplies. For us environmentally conscious shoppers, there are more green choices for back to school supplies than ever before. Also, knowing how to properly recycle these scholastic tools can make them even greener. Smart teachers and PTA moms know well that establishing a recycling club, collecting items, and recycling in bulk can be great educational and fundraising opportunities too. (more…)

Support cigarette recycling in your area. Visit the website of your local assembly member and let him or her know about New York State’s assembleman, Michael DenDekker, and his Bill- New York A02147. Maybe we can get a national effort going to support cigarette butt collection and recycling. A grassroot effort could actually lead to a viable recycling idea and an implementable plan to recycle cigarette filters. Let’s take it to Twitter too!

There is no doubt about it, where smokers trod, cigarette butts remain. Left behind with a flick of a finger, many smokers treat the disposal of a cigarette butt as if nature can just reabsorb it. Well, this simply isn’t the case. Cigarette filters, the most littered item in the world, are not biodegradable. These polluters of our city streets, roadways, and beaches not only look unsightly but release harmful toxins into the environment. Often travelling via drainage systems into our inland waterways which eventually empty into our oceans, cigarette filters can pose serious poison and choking hazards to aquatic wildlife. Yes, cigarette butts do travel and take along their toxins too! (more…)

Become familiar with the plastic resin identificaiton codes found on the packaging of the foodstuffs and personal care items that you purchase. Purchase products with recyclable and/or compostable packaging. Be leery of packaging made from mixed plastic resins; this packaging is not recyclable. Oftentimes, you can purchase the same or similiar items packaged in highly recyclable glass or tin instead of mixed plastic. -R.G

When it comes to recycling, there is nothing lucky about plastic resin code, Seven. The last member of the code numbers developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) to help identify the type of plastics entering residential waste streams, this catchall “OTHER” resin code no longer helps clarify plastic identification, but confuses everyone. (more…)

Lately, as you wander through the grocery store aisles it doesn’t take long before you notice that some shelved items seem to be jumping out at you.   Many beverages, yogurts, snack foods, toddler meals, pet foods, cleaning and personal care products seem to be screaming, “Look at me!”  Glossy, vividly colored, labeled items do stand out from the crowd, but are they wreaking havoc in our recycling streams?

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Let your friends know that PVC heat shrink labeled packaging is not environmentally friendly. If you must purchase an item that is heat shrink labeled, please remove the label before your recycle the bottle or container. You will be helping to ensure the item you are recycling actually gets recycled. -R.G.

Since the first official Earth Day on April 22, 1970, both the world and the celebration of Earth Day have seen a lot of changes. (more…)

Plan to make your next Earth Day experience an active one. Be involved and involve your friends. The Earth will be a better place because of your efforts. -R.G.

Support industry in its effort to provide greener products through green chemsitry solutions. Purchase green cleaning agents (citrus-based cleaners are an example), non-volatile water-based paints, and foods packaged smartly in recyclable packaging. Our buying power does make a difference. -R.G.

While the word, RECYCLING may bring “green thoughts” to mind, for many of us the word, CHEMISTRY, conjures up thoughts of bad chemicals, mad scientists, and incomprehensible concepts. Even the definition of chemistry, “the science that deals with the composition and properties of substances and various elementary forms of matter,” is enough to make most of us either yawn or not want to learn more. But, let’s put all of our preconceived ideas about chemistry behind us and take a look at where chemistry is heading; it is in the early stages of going green. And, let’s take one step further and see how this new green chemistry can even make recycling greener. (more…)

Let your friends and neighbors know that there is a crucial Bill in the House of Represtatives, H.R. 54 The Gulf Restoration Act. Please convey that everyone needs to let their representatives know that America wants this Bill to be passed. Without this legislation, the Gulf Coast region will not receive any of the many billions of U.S. dollars the government will collect from fines imposed under the Clean Water Act for the deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. The Gulf Coast region needs help; our support is crucial. -R.G.

Punxsutawney Phil came out of his ground hog burrow and did not see his shadow, so up North spring will come early this year. Meanwhile, down South in the Gulf of Mexico, the advent of spring is not predicted by a famous ground hog, but announced by the great bird migrations. Each spring over 250 bird species (some travelling from as far south as Patagonia to as far north as the Arctic circle) travel across the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi Flyway.

Because last year’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill wreaked havoc on avian stopover sites in the Gulf, February 2011 was established as the target date for Gulf clean-up completion (just before migratory check-in). Sadly, a clean Gulf Coast is nowhere in sight; oil rings still linger around marshland plants and tar balls still wash up on beaches. (more…)

Take a moment to think about how many books you read monthly. If you are the type of person who has two or three books going at a time, you may want to consider purchasing an E Book. Not only are E Books very portable, they are paperless. Using less paper is good, green living. -R.G.

Recently, I received one of those gifts many people do not buy for themselves, an electronic book. Having well learned the art of bending book spines to open up a paperback and creasing paper pages to make bookmarks, the idea of an electronic book seemed too “plasticiky”, too “unintimate” for entering the world of a novel. Like many others, I kept telling myself, “I just like the feel of a real book”. After all, isn’t the tactile splendor of paper beneath your fingers an essential part of pleasurable reading? (more…)

Be curious and inquire about how the merchandise you purchase gets to market. Do the retail outlets where you purchase goods have green supply chain management (SCM) practices? Managing pallets via a pallet pooling program can greatly lower the impact that pallets have on the environment. While pallets are often put to work behind store front activities, we consumers can best see pallets in action at big warehouse outlets. Next time you are in such a retail establishment, take a look at the pallets underneath the stacked goods for sale. Look to see if the pallet wood is stamped or painted. If yes, the pallets are probably part of a pallet pooling program. For example, the CHEP program paints its pallets blue for easy identification. If you see a blue pallet, take a closer look, it will probably be stamped with the CHEP logo. Support retailers with green SCM initiatives.