As a nation, are we truly reducing the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) that ends up in landfills? Are we recycling more? How do recycling rates compare across the different regions of our country? Does the future for recycling look positive? (more…)

Do you know the recycling rate of your own community? Phone your municipality to find out. See how your community’s rate stacks up against the rest of the state. Use this information to benchmark your own efforts. Let your neighbors know there is more we can all do to increase the recycling rate. Knowledge is power. -R.G.

All around the world, communities are plagued by the contamination of heavy metals. Toxic leftovers from mining, manufacturing and application of metal laden fertilizers and pesticides, these metals do not degrade, but remain intact forever. (more…)

Help keep our waterways clean. Always recycle plastic bottles and fishing line during your waterside recreational activities. If a recycling bin is not available at your waterside location, please make sure to carry away the unwanted plastic items for proper recycling. Keeping a foldable, reusable shopping bag in your car or bike pouch can help you to easily cart the recyclables.

Junk mail is on the rise. Over the past decade as worldwide letter mail volumes have seen little growth, junk mail has been growing both domestically and abroad. Thirty percent of all non-parcel mail delivered in the entire world is US junk mail. While statistics vary by source, there are about 100 billion of these unsolicited mailings generated and delivered in our country annually. With about 45% of junk mail never opened, municipalities and waste haulers are handling millions of tons of unwanted paper. (more…)

Recycle your used “Zip Lock” plastic storage bags. Cut-off all hard components (zippers etc.) and collect zipper-less bags in a plastic shopping bag. Recycle the shopping bag and its contents at your local retailer’s plastic bag recycling station. Help keep more LDPE (#4) plastic out of our landfills.

Valentine’s Day is a festival of cards, candy, and flowers. During this holiday, 65% of all US households will exchange greeting cards, 38% will give or receive candy, and 32% will turn to flowers to say, “Will you be my Valentine?” (more…)

Make your Valentine’s Day greener by incorporating gifts and decorations that contain recycled content and can be recycled. Rather than throw out “old” decorations, donate them to a shelter or other community service provider. Reuse is definitely a big part of recycling. A Green Valentine’s Day is a good thing!

Search the web to find which vitamins are inherently found in your favorite vegetable. Share this information with a friend. The power of a garden should never be taken for granted. A garden brings us closer to nature, provides vital sustenance, and is recyclable (composting provides the perfect closed loop system).

As an avid recycler with a scientific background, this latest posting is in response to an article I recently read in; “The Atlantic”, by Caitlin Flanagan titled, “Cultivating Failure – How School Gardens are cheating our most vulnerable students”. (more…)