Tag: recycling tips

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Articles Home Decor Home Design

Four Ways to Furnish Your Home Inexpensively

When it comes to having a home that you are truly comfortable living in, this will take a lot of effort on your part in terms of decorating it. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank to keep your home looking it’s best.

Here’s a quick look at four ways to inexpensively decorate and furnish your home.

Stack Shelves To the Ceiling

Even in the smallest of living spaces, you always have the option to maximize your square footage by going up. Think about it. If you take an entire wall in your home and line it with shelves that go all the way up to the ceiling, this can add anywhere from 100 square feet or more of storage space, and best of all, high-quality shelves are very affordable.

Freecycling

There are lots of people who have started taking part in freecycling. If you have a local freecycling organization, you should definitely join. In doing so, you can come across lots of free furniture pieces for your home, and in return, you can donate items you don’t want, which will then be available free of charge to other members in the group. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Maximize Air Space

Just the same as you should stack shelves up to the ceilings, you can also optimize the way you use your air space. From floating book shelves to hanging TVs, both of these ideas will go a long way in helping you decorate and furnish your home in an expensive yet stylish manner.

Old Wine Bottles

If you’re a drinker, then it’s time that you start recycling your wine and alcohol bottles. Some of these bottles make for the prettiest center pieces. A great way to get the sticky labels off the bottles is by letting them soak overnight in a small trash can full of one part ammonia and four parts water. The next morning, simply rinse off the bottles, and the sticky labels should come off very easily.

 

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Articles Lawn & Garden Recycling

Turning Your Backyard Into a Green-Living Haven

No home is complete without a spruced up backyard. Even if this outdoor area is rather small, with the right touch, it can look better than ever before, and more importantly, it can be used as a versatile form of living space. From outdoor kitchens to in-ground swimming pools, there are many ways to make use of a backyard. And best of all, there are many green-friendly techniques you can follow to ensure you turn your backyard into a green-living haven.

Revamp Your Used Furniture

Your current outdoor patio furniture may seem a bit worn out, but by upcycling these pieces, you’ll be well on your way to revamping them into completely new pieces. From adding a fresh coat of paint to replacing the cushions, there are many affordable and eco-friendly methods for sprucing up old furniture and extending its longevity.

Be Cautious with the Way You Plant Flowers and Trees

If your backyard is spotted with plants, flowers and trees that require lots of water, you’ll at least want to group these together. In doing so, it will be easier to water these areas on a more consistent basis than you do other areas of the yard. Not only does this help conserve water, but it will do wonders for your water bill.

Do the Work Yourself

One of the best ways to create a backyard haven in a green-friendly way is by doing the work yourself. From raking the yard to digging holes to planting flowers, when you do things yourself, this allows you to accomplish your tasks in the greenest manners possible. And in addition to taking lots of pride in the end-product, you’ll also save a ton of money by doing the work yourself. Do keep in mind, though, that maintaining your backyard will take lots of work; it will need your attention all year long.

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Articles Home Decor Recycling

How to Upcycle Old Wooden Furniture

Looking to add some fun and unique furniture pieces to your home? If so, then you might want to look at what you already have or even check out a local antique shop. You might be surprised at just what kinds of furniture you may be able to upcycle and use to add one-of-a-kind style to your space. Old wooden furniture, such as dressers and end tables, can be upcycled and restored with just a little bit of creativity and elbow grease. Read on to learn how to restore and upcycle old wooden furniture for your home.

Stripping Existing Paint and Varnish
Start by removing any hardware from the furniture that you want to keep intact so that only the wood structure itself remains. Hardware may include knobs, handles, and even metal drawer sliders. From there, you’ll want to apply the remover (using a paint brush or sponge) as directed on the label and give it as much time as needed to work. Attempting to strip the paint or varnish before it’s ready will result in an inconsistent look and will not be fully effective (HowStuffWorks).

Once the remover has been left on as long as is needed, use a scraper and/or steel wool to scoop up the clumps of removed paint or varnish; then, dispose into a safe container to bring to a local hazardous materials facility.

Sanding and Preparing for New Finish
Once you’ve stripped the old paint or finish, you’ll probably want to prepare the bare wood for a new finish. This will involve sanding the wood. The grain of sandpaper you’ll want to use will depend on the condition of the wood; if it needs a lot of sanding, then a coarser grit paper (around 160 grit should do the trick) will be needed. For finer sanding, stick to 240 grit or higher.

Applying the New Finish
Once the furniture is sanded, it’s ready to take on a whole new look. Decide between staining the wood and painting it based on your personal preferences. If you’re looking to achieve a truly rustic and unique look, consider distressing the paint yourself (HGTV). Once the new finish is dry, adorn your new wooden furniture with new hardware if desired to give it even more character.

Save the planet and your pocketbook by upcycling old furniture and giving it new life in your home. You’d be surprised at just how much fun you can have with this project!

~Danielle N. 

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Green Building Recycling Uncategorized

How To Make S’Mores And Memories With Your Old Washer And Dryer

Is it time to replace your old, beat-up washer and dryer? Don’t drag them to the curb just yet. All it takes is a little creativity and elbow grease to transform them into something entirely different from their intended use. In fact, that old, beat-up washing machine and the dryer that no longer gets hot will soon become the focus of your next backyard get together. With these easy instructions, you can transform the washer to a fire pit and the dryer to a beverage cooler.

From Washing Clothes to Making S’mores

Have you have dreamed of sitting around a backyard fire pit, roasting marshmallows, eating S’mores and making family memories? Good news, the metal drum of your old washing machine can make that dream come true. Follow these four simple steps and you can start making memories this weekend.

  • Remove the metal drum from the washing machine.
  • Remove any rubber or plastic pieces attached to the drum.
  • Using a wire brush and warm soapy water, scrub off all the soap scum and rust.
  • Paint the drum with a high heat-resistant spray paint, such as Rustoleum.

The fire pit can be used as a portable unit or installed in a decorative stone surround. To make the fire pit portable, simply bolt three metal casters to the bottom of the tub. For a more decorative, permanently placed pit:

  • Clear an area in the yard that measures about 3 feet by 3 feet.
  • Place the tub in the center of the cleared space and place decorative stone about 2-inches deep around the tub.
  • To contain the stones, sink bricks in the ground to create a perimeter around the fire pit area.

 From Dryer to Beverage Cooler

The only thing more perfect than a backyard fire pit is sipping on a cold beverage while you’re roasting marshmallows. The basket of the dryer is the ideal size for a beverage cooler and the holes allow the water from the ice to drain. Simply remove the basket from the dryer, clean with warm soapy water, fill with ice and your favorite beverage.

What to do With Leftover Parts-
Once you have removed the tub from the washer and the dryer, separate the remaining parts. Take the metal housing from both appliances to a metal recycling plant where you can sell it for scrap metal. Appliance repair shops often need difficult to find parts for older machines, which means you could sell your extra parts to them. Check with your county about how to correctly dispose of any left over wiring and other unusable parts from your old appliances.

Want to turn your fire pit into a grill? Visit your local appliance repair shop to search for inexpensive metal grates from old ovens or refrigerators. Clean the grate and place it over the fire pit and you instantly have a unique, one-of-a-kind grill.

~Rene W.

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Articles Eco Tips Recycling

A Re-Purposeful Life

New isn’t necessarily better. In fact, repurposing items can create a unique environment filled with pieces that can’t be found in chain stores and can keep articles out of landfills. You can take this a step further when you reclaim materials from a deconstruction site. If you’re building or deconstructing a home or business, consider buying or selling materials to use again.

PlanetReuse connects buyers and sellers to materials for repurposing from deconstruction projects. You can build a home or business with reprocessed items from top to bottom. The PlanetReuse Marketplace features links to roofing materials, ceiling fans, wooden beams, lighting, molding, siding, windows, carpet tiles, and pine flooring. There are kitchen cabinets, bathroom sinks and various types of tables waiting to be recycled. For treasure hunters, stained glass windows, vintage clawfoot bathtubs, and antique sconces are yours for the salvaging. Moreover, if you’re interested in redoing your driveway or garden, you can use reclaimed landscaping rock, edging pavers, bricks, cobblestone or granite to create your own work of landscaping art. It’s all available at PlanetReuse, so check out its Marketplace section to see what’s available online.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers throughout North America. Its website features a drop-down menu with filters by zip code and state to find Restores in the U.S. and offers an alternate filter for Canadian Provinces. Not only can you buy new and gently used furniture, appliances, home goods, and building materials, you can buy items far below retail prices. As an added attraction, proceeds go to build homes in communities in need of aid.

The Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) specializes in finding deconstruction or reuse businesses in your area with its business directory of listings and an interactive map. BMRA works to advance the recovery, reuse, and recycling of building materials by reducing resource consumption and landfill waste.

When it comes to interior decorating, you can adorn your home or business with vintage items from antique stores, yard sales or check out Freecycle.org; it’s an organization dedicated solely to recycling free items. Another option is to conduct online searches for reuse centers and resellers in your area. Lastly, if you see a deconstruction project in your area, contact a project representative or community liaison to see what may be available.

To reprocess an old saying, they don’t make things like they used to, so why not reclaim it? With recycling options at your fingertips, you can make your life a re-purposeful one.

~Maureen F. 

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Eco Tips Featured Uncategorized

Going Green:5 Small Steps That Make Big Differences on the Environment

Going green simply means choosing to live your life by taking steps to be more environmentally responsible. Being more eco-friendly is intended to decrease the ecological impact you make on the earth and its resources. Going green may seem confusing or overwhelming to some, but it doesn’t mean you have to take drastic steps. The first step to going green and preserving the planet is to start small. Many of the small changes you make will have a large impact on preserving Earths natural resources.

Reusable Shopping Bags

One of the easiest, yet most effective things you can do to start going green is to stop using plastic grocery bags. Using reusable shopping bags will not only reduce the amount of plastic bags you have stored throughout your home, but it reduces the amount of plastic that lays dormient for years in a landfill as well as reduces the impact they have on marine ecosystems. Reusable grocery bags are inexpensive and they are more sturdy than plastic bags.

Clean Water

An easy and inexpensive solution to buying bottled water is to invest in a recycled container and an inexpensive water purifier. It will save you money, allow you to drink fresh water whenever you want and reduce the amount of plastic being thrown in local landfills.

Cleaning Products

Most household cleaning products contain a vast array of harmful chemicals. Each time you use these products, chemicals are being released into your home as well as into the environment. Try using homemade cleaners, such as vinegar, baking soda and/or lemon. These products are much less expensive than store bought cleaners and they clean better. For example, using lemon juice on the stove surface will dissolve built-up grease and remove cooking odors.

Energy Use

If you are fed up with paying outrageous utility bills each month, there are several things you can do that will not only conserve the use of energy for future generations, but lower your utility costs. For example, by changing all of the light bulbs in your home to LED bulbs and unplugging electronics when not in use, you could save several hundred dollars each year in utility costs.

Transportation

It is convenient to get in the car and drive to work, school and shopping. However, each time you drive, the fumes from the car are being released into the environment and damaging the ozone layer. Not to mention the cost of gas and maintenance for the car. By using public transportation just one time a week, you will be doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint and you will save a few hundred dollars each year on gas and maintenance.

It is virtually impossible to completely change your lifestyle overnight and you are not expected to do so. However, by making a few small changes in daily living habits, you will make a huge impact on an array of environmental problems. Simple things often make the biggest difference, such as practicing the 3’Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and using organic household cleaners.

~Rene W.

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Eco Tips

Old Pictures, Memorabilia and Family Heirlooms

As you go through the attic, basement or storage space of your home or a loved one’s, it’s difficult to know what to do with old pictures, memorabilia and family heirlooms. You want to keep it all, but it’s not possible. Not to worry, you can find a respectful home for items you cannot keep.

One rule of thumb is to give what you can to family members, especially articles of sentimental value, and distribute historical artifacts to organizations that can provide a setting where the viewing public can appreciate it.

The first step is to get your boxes and labels ready, so when you peer into the eyes of an old doll, flip the pages of a revered book or grasp the handle of a timeworn teapot, you can consider who in your family can truly appreciate its significance.

Here’s the tough part: giving away pieces to non-family members. What can make this an easier task is having comfort in knowing that a much-loved keepsake is going to a home that your parents, grandparents or great grandparents would appreciate. You can contact a local historical society, sports club or museum in your town, city or state about submitting treasured items. Likewise, if your relative is from another country, you can contact a local library, museum or college for guidance. In the United States, the following institutions welcome gift donations:

The National Archives and Records Administration accepts documentary materials.

The Naval Historical Foundation accepts photographs, artwork, books, physical artifacts and paper documents through its Naval History and Heritage Command. The NHHC headquarters is in Washington, DC, but it has museums located throughout the United States.

The Library of Congress takes books and other materials.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accepts artwork, clothing, uniforms, textiles, documents, correspondence, diaries, propaganda and other objects directly associated with the Holocaust. In addition, the museum accepts prewar, wartime and postwar photographs as well as liberation photographs.

The National WWII Museum accepts books and periodicals, photographs, letters and journals, medals, uniforms and insignia as well as service documents, scrapbooks, ration books, postcards, leaflets programs, tickets, souvenirs, news articles and wartime brochures as well as Axis pistols and rifles.

Since guidelines vary, prospective donors should contact organizations directly about gift-giving procedures. Furthermore, donors should avoid vigorous cleaning of an item; unintentional damage can occur, making the item unfit for donation.

~Maureen F. 

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Eco Tips Recycling Uncategorized

Online Social Recycling

It’s happening again. You’re online connecting with friends, posting pictures, and responding to event invites. Eventually, you become vaguely aware that clearing out the closet is fast becoming a fading dream, but it doesn’t have to be. You can do it all with social recycling.

Invite Friends to Spark Online Chatter

With social media, you can invite your friends to an event, group page, or hangout without using your personal homepage as a source of contact. Instead, you can create an alternate way to exchange information for your online recycling project:

  • Facebook events: set a date and time for a recycling event and invite your friends
  • Facebook groups: create a group page focused on exchanging and recycling items
  • Google Hangouts: have a video chat with friends to plan upcoming recycling plans
  • Twitter: tweet about your upcoming event or post photos of items looking for a home

Events

If you can create an event to meet friends for dinner or a birthday, you can create one to host a recycling party, event, or both. Do yourself a favor and ask if a few guests can arrive early to help sort clothing types and sizes, books, toys and other items. Consider these event ideas as a starting-off point:

  • Throw a clothing-swap party in the day for kids or at night for adults
  • Schedule a yard-sale event or combine forces, making it a neighborhood event
  • Create an online flea-market event or page, so everyone can post photos of wares to share

Volunteer Meet-ups

Sometimes it’s not possible to host a gathering in your home, but you can still host a meet-up with your Facebook, Google and Twitter friends at an organization looking for volunteers. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

  • Meet at your local animal shelter and bring blankets, sheets, bath- and beached-sized towels
  • Choose a non-profit, such as Dress For Success or Career Gear, and donate gently used clothes
  • Volunteer at a local library and donate your used books, CDs, cassettes, records, and DVDs
  • Roll up your sleeves and build your own Little Free Library or your neighborhood

When you create events with friends and family, you create memories. These are special because of the company and the intention. So the next time you’re whiling away the time online, have some productive fun with social recycling—create new memories and clear that closet out.

~Maureen F.

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Recycling

4 Recycling Tips the Entire Family Can Use

It has become more and more challenging for families to recycle these days, especially when society has a great need for plastics, metals and paper. We forget to think about how our actions with such goods affect the earth. According to the Associa Green Foundation, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic products to circle the equator 300 times every year. The good news is that families can help protect our environment by reusing basic household items.

Coffee Grounds. After having your morning coffee, use the grounds for the compost pile. Along with the decomposing leaves and food particles, the acidity from the coffee grounds will give the compost mixture a more nutrient rich combination that the soil will benefit from. If you don’t have a compost pile, simply sprinkle the grounds around plants preyed on by slugs and bugs. The coffee grounds will keep them away.

Recycled Yarn. For all those knitting and crochet lovers, there are companies who make and sell recycled yarn. For example, Nepalese recycled silk sari yarn is created using scraps from the production saris. This yarn is hand spun in Nepal and helps financially support the women who spin this unique and colorful yarn. You can find this yarn online at Himalayayarn.com and Recycledsilk.com. Do you have an old sweater you never wear? You can make your own skein of recycled yarn by simply, and gently, unraveling that old sweater to save for another project.

Reduce Trash. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of trash you and your family create. Use stainless steel water bottles instead of store-bought plastic ones. This is also a great money saver so that you won’t have to go to the store every two weeks replenishing your water bottle supply. Another way of reducing trash is to use plastic lunch boxes rather than paper bags for kids’ lunches.

Paper Towel Tubes. Think of clever ways to reuse your paper towel tubes. Instead of throwing away plastic grocery bags, stuff them in a paper towel tube to reuse later. You can also give the tubes to kids to use for craft projects. Kids can color the paper tubes; make them into telescopes, magic wands or trumpets for playtime. Paper towel tubes can also be used as kitchen knife sheaths when you’re on the way to a picnic or potluck dinner. Just flatten the tube and place some duct tape over one of the ends.

Sources:  Associagreen.com

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Articles Featured Furnishings Home Design

Ways to Get Green When Refurnishing

As our world continues to become more heavily populated, we need to be concerned with the amount of resources that are being consumed and wasted. Homeowners who remodel or refurnish frequently tend to add to the problem; however, the good news is that many are now seeking out environmentally conscious refurnishing and remodeling methods. We found five in particular that are easy to implement.

CFL Light Bulbs. Use lighting that requires the least amount of energy. Incandescent light bulbs have set the standard for household lighting. However, these bulbs pollute the earth and give off excess heat. A much more efficient alternative is the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, in combination with natural light. These newer bulbs use less energy and last up to ten times longer that incandescent light bulbs. And by using natural light during the day you will use even less energy.

Furniture Made From Recycled Materials. Purchase furniture that’s been made of recycled and environmentally friendly materials. Recycled materials have many uses in the home, so it’s really no surprise that furniture manufacturers are now recycling used materials. When furnishing your home, search for furniture made from recycled woods, cork, or bamboo. These materials are readily available and can easily withstand everyday wear and tear. They are also available in neutral colors that will match any home decor.

Earthy Wall Decor. Plain white walls can definitely bring down the energy in a room. Fortunately, there are options available to liven up those walls without hurting the environment. Wall accents made from glass, paper, shells, and even bamboo will add a sense of quirkiness to any room. Not only are these materials fairly easy to get your hands on, they are also able to be used for multiple purposes when you want to change the decor in the home afterwards.

Live Plants. Plants are a good way to accentuate tables and counter spaces. They add a splash of color to your home environment while also cleaning the air. Another way to add a bright splash of color to your home is by purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables to use as a centerpiece on a table.

Reuse Household Items. Many people throw out candles and other items once they are no longer usable. Instead of being wasteful, recycle the candles by melting down the leftover wax into an empty container.