Goal For The Green

Editor’s Note:  I am bringing this post forward to my front page, because of its relevance and importance.  It is my hope and desire that you will make recycling, and your own personal waste management, a top priority.

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It is the third R in the term reduce, reuse, and recycle. It is the re-making of old materials into useful new products.  The goal of recycling is to reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials and energy usage, which then reduces green house gas emissions. By  recycling, we also lower the  amount of raw waste that would otherwise end up in our landfills. Recycling is the key component in waste management as we know it today.

The convenience of recycling at your curb-side now serves half of the U.S. population.  The top five most recycled items are paper, plastic, glass, aluminum and steel/tin cans.

In 2007, my area implemented the use of single stream recycling.  The company provides 65 to 94 gallon carts in which all materials are commingled.  This means that households no longer have to separate their materials into recycling bins.  Evidence has already proven that this method has increased the quantity of household recyclables.

My area also has a recycle depot.  I have not had garbage service for years, because of an altercation with the company.  I set up my own system in my garage.  It consists of two 32 gallon trash cans, one for plastic and one for trash,and 4 blue recylce bins for newspaper, magazines/junk mail, glass, and cans. We also have an area to break down and stack cardboard. When my children were still home we went to the dump every other Saturday.  Now, my husband goes once every 4-6 weeks, with one 32 gallon bag.  They know him at the dump, and the most they ever charge him is $3.00.  Many times they let him go for free because they know he is a disabled vet.  The average rate for disposal in my area is about $35 a month.  That’s a pretty good savings for not very much work.

Written in association with waste management experts

It is my pleasure and goal to inform you about companies and products that can help you reach your goal for living a greener lifestyle.  GreenCulture is such a company.  Their goal is to promote products that are manufactured and designed with our planet in mind.

GreenCulture offers eco-friendly products, that are made from recycled materials, or that come from renewable and sustainable sources.  Enlightened Products is also something else they feature. These products may or may not be made with 100% eco-friendly products.  However, this company carries these type of products anyway, because they believe they are comparatively better for our environment, than similar products currently marketed.

Perhaps you are wanting to liven up or change your decor.  One of the simplest and most economical ways to do that is by using an area rug.  GCrugs.com, is home to one of the largest selections of area rugs on the web.  There diverse collection, brings you both selection and variety in many shapes and sizes.

If you are new to the idea of an area rug, you can relax and breathe easy.  Green Culture has a terrific buyers guide for you.  It answers your questions on rug basics, and offers guidance about what may be the best rug for you.  It even offers tips on how to decorate with your new rug.

Be sure and visit their Eco-Facts, where they offer their thoughts on rugs made from bamboo, wool, polypropylene, polyester, jute and sisal.  This will help you make an informed choice from their diverse collection of these popular textures and fibers.  They also have an extensive selection of traditional, braided, casual or contemporary rugs, that are meant to inspire your style and help you transform and complete your decor.

The philosophy of how this ” green” company, prefers to do business really caught my attention.  For this reason I think they will be around for quite some time to come, because they have an open and workable relationship with the manufacturers they do business with.

“At GREENCulture, we strive for a 100% planet friendly product mix. Manufacturers, however, many times make wonderful products which do not meet the stricter portions of our criteria. Manufacturers always LISTEN when we ask them to modify their products to be more in line with our environmental and enlightened products mission. However, manufacturers CHANGE their manufacturer processes and materials only when we show to them that we can send them a large volume of business. They know that we are a small and growing company, committed to making great changes but the volume of business we direct to them does not justify modifying their manufacturing processes to achieve our strict goals. We know that with the help and support of our customers, we will continue to grow, and as we do so we’ll work with our manufacturers to modify their manufacturing processes to get closer to meeting our strict criteria. ”

Based in Lake Forest, CA   Green Culture, promotes environmental conservation through sales of diverse environmentally-friendly furniture, lighting, rugs, compost and gardening products.   They are strictly an online based company, that also welcomes phone orders.  Another plus that they pride themselves for,  is that they can deliver anyhwere in a timely and effective manner.  Here’s to your making greener choices and working toward a better tomorrow.

See where the cutest ladybugs live!

Perhaps you have been looking for simple ways to “go green,” or become more eco-friendly.  Did you know the easiest place to begin you “green” quest is in your kitchen?

Best of all , I love it when a company whose product is in nearly everyone’s kitchen, jumps on the “green” crusade.  Reynolds, the makers of Reynolds Wrap® Foil, now have an economical and versatile version of their foil, made from 100% Recycled Aluminum.

The process of making Aluminium foil from recycled aluminum, is just as clean and safe to use with food, as foil made from new (virgin) aluminum, which is maufactured from the the mineral bauxite.  Until recently, Reynolds had been unable to find a consistant supply of recycled aluminum, that could meet their standards of strength, performance and durability.  That has all changed now.

The 100% recycled version of Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil, is made from post- consumer and post-industrial aluminum.  Post- Consumer Aluminum includes stadium seats, automobile components, cookware, gutters and siding.  Post -Industrial is scraps form industrial cable.

The process of melting down recycled recycled aluminum requires heating the metal to more than 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, burning off any debris in the metal.  Then the molten metal liquid is sent trough a filtration process, then poured and rolled into thin sheets.

Environmentally, there are benefits to buying Reynolds Aluminum Foil Wrap made from 100% recyclable Aluminum.  There is 80% less energy used during the process of turning recycled material into foil, as opposed to the making of foil from new virgin materials.  The use of  manufactured and recycled content, creates the loop of reduce, reuse, and recycle that helps ensure the overall success of recycling.  It also produces fewer emissions, such as greenhouse gases and landfill waste.

The cool thing about aluminum foil, the regular or the recycled version, is that it can be recycled again after use.  Just rinse, crumple and toss in your recycle bin.  You will need to check with your local recycling facility to see if they accept aluminum foil.  Visit www.earth911.com for recycling locations or check with your local municipality.

Be sure and check out these Green Kitchen Facts and some recipes.  Reynolds has done a fine job of bringing you the same durable quality you’ve come to know and trust in Regular, Heavy Duty, or 100% Recycled Aluminum foil.

See where the cutest ladybugs live!