The Idiots Guide to Recycling - Learning How to Recycle One New Item Each Day!

I am taking the web pledge to the web community that from now on, I am going to learn how to recycle all those things that I throw in the garbage everyday or put in my recycle pile, although I never know if the waste haulers that my building uses are really going to recycle them or not.

The phrase that is beginning to take hold, particularly in corporate America, which is a good thing, is Reduce, Recycle, ReUse. I am focusing on the Recycling part but I may on occasion throw in a Reduce tip or a ReUse idea.

I go to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park every Saturday, I work there actually, yet I am not clear on what is to be composted, recycled or thrown away. There are so many things in the world and what am I suppose to do with each and every item that is "somewhat" disposable.

So from now on, I am going to track down, one stupid item a day and if I don't have the answer today, I will make a point to find out the answer. Paper is a category to recycle but there are a lot of different paper items out there in the world. When I start looking at any one category it gets complicated.

Today's item is any magazine with a shiny cover, like a Time, like my Dartmouth alumni magazine, like TCW(Todays Chicago Woman). What the heck I am suppose to do with it and where will it go? I will post the  response to this later today or tommorrow once I track down what the answer is.

Some of the resources I will be using"

         Chicago Recycling Coalition Website

         Earth 911

          The guy at the Green City Market compost center

If by any miracle anyone actuallly reads this post and has some thoughts, insights, information please leave a comment below. Actually, it WILL BE A MIRACLE if I even get one comment over the course of this project. You will make my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Ciao,
  JB

Plastic Bags, Plastic Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My new challenge is to go through a day without accumulating another plastic bag. There is a great documentary called Bagit, that focuses on the issue that plastic doesn't compost, it just stays.

I wrote a poem about plastic a few years ago:

Plastic

We throw so much out

Where does it go?

It doesn’t vanish like smoke

It won’t burst like a balloon

Humans decay

Plants rot

Rivers dry up

Ice melts

Wood burns

Plastic cups, plates

Ready- made food containers

Dry cleaning covers

Packaging

We throw it away, throw it away

Millions, billions, trillions of tons

Throwing away bags

Will everyone have plastic lawns?

Walk down streets

Lined with plastic trees

Astro-turf

 Smothered in plastic

All for progress, efficiency

Superiority

Money

Big Business

Capitalism

Deep pockets of plastic

Vested interests

Campaign coffers

Plastic PACs

We’re Americans

We are entrepreneurs

We are sharks

Competitive, Aggressive

Hungry, Ruthless

We are children of Cheney

We know how to do things right!

We know how to destroy the world………

My challenge is to figure out how to recycle plastic bags......If you have any ideas leave it in the comments below!!!

Ranting Recycler in Chi-town - Old Computer Equipment

Okay, todays rant and something that I have been obsessing about for awhile is what to do with old power cords from computers, old blackberries, old cell phones, old lap tops. Technology seems to be outdated the moment you buy it. So what to do with all the old stuff?

I live in Streeterville, in Chi-town and for awhile I have been thinking, I am great at thinking and not doing putting together a pamplet for the neighborhood called "recycling for dummies(me)". Secondly, hoarding runs in my family so I am trying to do the opposite, getting rid of stuff without throwing it away. I have always until recently been an early adopter of technology which means I also have a lot of old stuff. The thing that seems to accumulate the most are the power cords.

I had a full time office job for 3 months which was an experiment, it taught me how I am not an administrative type, I am entrepreneur! I did help them move offices while I was there, I am good at schlepping things and they saved a ton of money from not paying movers, but the thing they had a ton of were old discs, old power cords and they didn't want to throw anything away "in case" they needed it, NOT!!!!!!

SO this blog is really to see what the web comes back with, I am seeking information and welcome any commenters who come upon this rant and can offer suggestions. I don't own a car, I don't have time to drop something off in the middle of nowhere. Okay, I do need to stop by the Apple Store which is around the corner from me and ask what they suggest. But sorry to be so cynical, but I am sure they will say, I am so sorry, we don't have an answer for you.

SO does anyone in the world of the wide web have any ideas???? I will repost a rant if I come upon an answer but this whole issue of power cords, adapters, old batteries(yes, some places will take old batteries), all those miscellaneous parts that come with an Iphone, an Ipod, a Blackberry, a digital camera, a lap top, where can it go to get recycled rather than just a landfill, where, where, where??????????????

Update: 1) I emailed Foresight Design who are "THE SYNEGISTS" of bringing all sorts of information people together on sustainability in all areas of life. Bobby Selzer emailed me back with these suggestions:

We've found this is the best place to start—Earth911.com. Best Buy also takes some electronics for $10 and gives you a $10 gift card in exchange.

So that spurred me on to finally checkout the Apple Store and checkout Best Buy which are right in my neighborhood. I spoke to an associate at the store and he said, bring in little stuff and he would put it in their recycle bin "in the back". I am going to go to their website to see if they have anything written. But have you ever bought an Apple product, it comes with all these little parts to take into account that you live in a foreign country, need to project your image, etc...So I am going to see if there is any official imformation on their website.

Best Buy..I went to the information desk which hits you when you walk into the store and the guy at the information desk knew nothing about recycling, I think he merely points to where cameras or phones are, he sent me to customer service. I went to Customer Service and they had a big blue bin which is signs of progress and it was divided into, old phones, old gift cards and batteries. However, Best Buy is in the Hancock Building which does not recycle so I am going to look further into what Best Buy does after it is in the bin. The customer service lady told me to go to their website that they had nothing in writing. So I did gather more information which is a step. But I am purposely making time to do this, what about all the gizillions of people who have no time?? To be continued....

Went to the Best Buy website and their recycling policy is pretty good actually, it is here. It is too bad it is not spelled out more clearly in the store. The only issue is that you are limited to 3 items a day and if I am any indication, if you finally decide to get rid of all the old stuff, there is a lot of old stuff. The next question is where does it go? Do they just rely on what their hauler says? But this is definitely a lot better than the Apple Store.....

2)Update #2..Almost success...Success will be when I get rid of all the extra telephone, stereo wires, power cords and endless small peripherals. Best Buy - See above..I went back into the store and asked further questions, they will take power cords, they will take my old blackberry and stuff, they will take it!!! They either ship it off or call a special hauler to bring it to the right place. Success will be when I clear out some stuff...but if I succeed, Best Buy you are the greatest and you really put the high and might Apple Store to shame who hardly has any information on their website about recycling, there is nothing prominent in the store, I think they are just too intent on selling more..and Apple I really used to really like you to but it seems you are moving towards the dark side unfortunately. So now the onus is on me to start going through my stuff to get rid of it!!!!! woo hoo!!!!!!