Category: Recycling

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Featured Gadgets & Gear Recycling

Solecan™ is Your Single Can Trash & Recycling Solution!

Watch out world there’s a new product on the market that has the ability to change recycling as we know it. The product is called Solecan™ and it was designed and invented by Liz and Jeff Helfrich.

What exactly is the Solecan™? Liz and Jeff have “reinvented” the traditional trash can. The Solecan™ is a dual-sided trash can; the two halves snap together in the middle, with one side designated for trash and the other for recycling.  By unsnapping the two halves, you can easily empty trash into the larger trash can and the recycling into the family’s main recycling bin. You can still use traditional trash bags in the Solecan or you can go without. The Solecan™ is made in the USA and it is made with recycled plastic, so its eco-footprint will be as small as possible. The Solecan™ honestly looks the same as a traditional trashcan but has a lot more functionality. It is a perfect way to get the whole family to recycle and can be used in virtually every room in your home.

Right now they are seeking funding on a website called Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a site that allows creative projects to raise funds from “backers” in exchange for rewards. You can be a part of bringing this product to market by pledging as little as $1. If they reach their target investment (which is preselling about 3,300 Solecans by April 22, 2013, Earth Day) then you will be charged your pledge. For $17 and up you will receive one of the trash cans.

Want some more information or want to get your hands on the perfect Earth Day gift? Check out www.solecan.com for more information or to pre-order your own Solecan™ directly go here!. You can also find them on Twitter or on Facebook.

 

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Eco Tips Featured Recycling

4 Ways to Reduce Junk Mail and Paper Waste

Excess junk mail and paper waste… almost every household seems to have this problem. From credit card advertisements, free sweepstakes opportunities, magazine subscriptions you didn’t order, and of course the very popular free coupons. The coupons may come in handy.  As for everything else, the likelihood of them meeting your paper shredder is definite.  There are a few ways that you can decrease the pile of paper waste and junk mail in your home.

Unsubscribe Magazines and Newsletters: If you like receiving magazines or store catalogues, you can get these online.  For example, if you have a Nook, Kindle, or iPad, these subscriptions can be continued digitally and without the use of paper.  It would cost less as well to have your subscriptions electronically transferred to your portable reading device.

Opt-out: Sign up at the website optoutprescreen.com where you can remove your name and mailing address from the mailing list for credit card and insurance providers.  This will definitely decrease the amount of junk mail you receive!

Avoid Sweepstakes and Contests: If you have entered a contest or sweepstakes online, which requires you to give the website your home address, you will receive a lot of junk mail! Those guys won’t let you off easy.  They will want you to sign up for another contest or be part of a great deal in town! Try to avoid these sites.

Pay Bills Online: With current technology, banks, insurance companies, and other service providers have been able to give their customers the online bill pay option.  Rather than receive your bill in the mail, you can sign up online to receive an alert when the time comes to pay a certain bill. After that, you can go to the insurance site or your online bank account and pay the bill! That makes less bills coming through the mail. Most banks are trying to promote the option of bill paper to decrease the amount of paper waste!

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Articles Featured Recycling

5 Things You Should Be Recycling

You should already have the basics of recycling down — glass, plastic, paper. However, there are plenty of other household items and materials that can be re-used. Have you thought about recycling hangers, pantyhose or sporting equipment? We’d love to hear about other household items that you recycle. Feel free to send us an email or post helpful comments with your suggestions.

Dry Cleaning Hangers. Dry cleaners are thrilled to have you bring your hangers back for recycling since it saves them the added time and money it takes to buy new ones.

Plastic Grocery Bags. Check to see if your local grocery store has a recycling container for plastic grocery bags outside the main entrance.

Panty Hose. No Nonsense started the first panty hose recycling program and they accept all brands. No Nonsense turns used panty hose into park benches, playground equipment, ropes, and even carpeting. Call 1-800-575-3497 for more information.

CFL Light Bulbs. CFL light bulbs can be taken in to your local Home Depot for recycling. These bulbs also contain mercury, which is toxic to people and the environment, so it’s especially important that they are disposed of in an eco-friendly manner.

Used Sporting Equipment. Equipment that is still useable can be donated to a local Goodwill store or taken to a second-hand sporting good store such as Play It Again Sports.

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Articles Home Decor Recycling

3 Great Ways to Recycle Wine Bottles

Most of us have played the role of party host and then noticed an array of empty wine bottles left around the house in the aftermath. Sure, you can toss the bottles into a blue recycling bin, but how about getting a little creative? Here are three fun ways you can get the most out of those empty wine bottles after the toast:

  • Cut a small circular hole about a half inch wide in the bottom of the bottle with a glass cutter, fill with a short strand of Christmas lights, put the cork back in the top, and add some raffia to create a unique lighting solution for the top of your wine cabinet or bar area.
  • Use angled cuts on bottles with a glass cutter to create an eco-friendly vase for flowers or vines.
  • Look online or ask your local wine boutique if they sell forged iron wine bottle candelabras. Wisteria.com and WineEnthusiast.com both sell wine bottle candelabras that can be inserted right into the neck of the empty bottle.