Blog: Surfing the Paper Wave
Holiday Recycling
In this brief post during a busy holiday week, the keyword is RECYCLE. I actively encourage each of you reading this to look for recycling opportunities for all of your holiday "fallout." I will be doing so myself. You can recycle:
- Greeting cards – There are crafty, creative ways to recycle greeting cards if you enjoy that type of project. If not, greeting cards can be recycled with your regular paper.
- Wrapping paper – Believe it or not, wrapping paper can be recycled with household paper, too. Maybe there's one of those fundraising paper bins on your daily route? Why not dump your holiday excess and benefit a worthy group at the same time?
- Plastic & glass – Even if you're lukewarm about using your community's recycling program the rest of the year, seriously consider using it for all the empty soda and liquor bottles and recyclable containers that food and gifts come packaged in.
- Corrugated cardboard – Perhaps you're aware of a local outfit that recycles corrugated cardboard. There's one where I live. This would be a good week to explore this option. Many of the cartons that toys and other gifts come packaged in are made of corrugated cardboard. To tell, look at an edge of the box horizontally. If it looks like a sandwich, with "wavy" material as the filling, the cardboard is corrugated.
- Plastic bags - Many supermarkets now hav a bin to recycle those thin plastic bags most stores use these days. If you haven't used yours before, this would be a good week to start.
- Food – Is there a homeless shelter or other institution serving the needy in your area? Check to see if they may welcome carefully packaged holiday leftovers. This would be a good place to send all those tins of cookies you want to get out of the house before you eat them, too!
- Gifts – I don't mean passing on an unwanted gift to someone who might like it, although this has its place. I mean using the one-in, on-out rule to keep your possessions manageable. Did you get a new coat, sweater, gloves, and other articles of clothing as gifts? Why not pass your old ones on to someone in need NOW, and start their New Year more brightly? The same goes for appliances, toys, and other gift items.
- Do you have other ways of recycling your holiday excess? Tell me about them, and I'll share them in a future post.
I once read an article that used the word "tsunami" to describe the trash generated by our end-of-year holidays. Somehow that word really brought it home to me, and I've begun doing what I can to reduce my holiday landfill contributions. Even though my trash contribution may be just "a spit in the ocean," our collective efforts can make a difference.
May your holiday be a happy, peaceful one.
posted on: 12/23/2007 10:30:00 AM by Suzanne Kuhn
category: Paper
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Surfing the Paper Wave
by Suzanne Kuhn
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About Suzanne:
Suzanne Kuhn is the owner of ACE ORGANIZING, offering affordable, customized, energizing organizing solutions to homes, schools and small businesses in the five-county Philadelphia area and central New Jersey. Although an organizing generalist, (she'll organize anything!) Suzanne has a growing specialty in paper and electronic filing systems and financial organizing. To receive her FREE booklet, 50 TOP TIME MANAGAGEMENT TIPS, email her at [email protected]
Suzanne's Website:
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogList.asp?sort=organizer&schedule=41&name=Suzanne_Kuhn
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