More Tips on Recycling

I'm always looking for ways to reduce the amount of trash that goes to the landfill. About a year ago I took a look around my neighborhood on Monday morning, trash day, and was dismayed to see how much trash we produce. I vowed to do everything I could to keep trash out of the landfill, however I could. So here are a few new ideas for recycling. Some you've probably heard of and maybe even do, others may be new to you, as they were to me.

1. Recycle old soap. When a bar of soap gets down to a certain size, don't just throw it away. Save a bunch of little soap scraps, boil them together on the stove, and make into a new bar of soap. So simple.

2. Old running shoes. If shoes are still in decent condition, they can be donated to organizations that will send them to needy people here and abroad. Your old shoes may seem brand new to an African woman that hasn't had a new pair of shoes in five years. Very old shoes can be recycled too. The rubber, leather, and fabric can be remade into building materials. Go to http://www.blogger.com/www.recycledrunners.com to find out more about this program.

3. Recycled dentures. Most people just throw old dentures away, but there is a non profit in Japan that takes out the precious metals and donates the profits to UNICEF.

4. Old mattress. How many times have you seen an old mattress sitting out with the trash, ready to go to the landfill. Take your old mattress to a recycling center. About 90% of the mattress is recyclable. It can be turned into fiber for clothing, wood chips, foam products and scrap metal. 20 million mattress are discarded in America every year.

5. Disposable diapers. This is one of the biggest problems in the last 30 years, as millions of pounds of waste and plastic are sent to the landfill, to sit there forever and produce toxic gases into the environment and ruin the surrounding land. I first started thinking about this a few months ago when my grandson was born. My son and daughter in law are very environmentally aware, and I wondered how they would deal with the problem. (they haven't come up with a perfect answer yet). There is a company from the UK, Knowaste http://www.blogger.com/www.knowaste.com, that recycles 98% of the disposable diaper. They did a six month trial test of their recycling center in Santa Clarita a while back, but there are mixed reviews on its success. At least this is something entrepreneurs are recognizing is a potentially huge market.

Finally, check out The Daily Green http://www.thedailygreen.com/ for more information on recycling and conserving. Every little bit helps. If everyone does just a little bit, in the long run it will make a big difference.