Mommy Goes Green

I keep a bag in my laundry room just for baby/kid’s clothing, toys and other gear that I no longer need.  I am constantly adding to that bag and try to empty it once a month.  Depending on the item and quality, I either give them to a friend with younger children,  take it to a local organization that donates them to charities and families in need or I drop them by Goodwill.   When I have large quantities of good quality items, I’ve always taken them to resale events.

I’ve just found another option: Freepeats!  Have you heard of it?  I just stumbled on it today and I love the idea.  You can pass on your baby clothing, gear, toys, maternity wear and more to local parents, and find items you want that others are giving away. And…..for FREE.  Sign me up.

What do YOU do with your used kid’s clothing, toys and gear?

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that as much as 69 million gallons of paint are left over annually in the United States. That’s enough paint to cover 27.6 billion square feet each and every year, or the five boroughs of New York City—some 303 square miles—more than three times.

You definitely don’t want to toss the paint in the garbage, contaminating the soil and groundwater.  In fact, some paint is considered hazardous waste and needs to be disposed properly at a hazardous waste collection facility.  However, for most paints and stains, there are recycling facilities.

This summer, a new pilot program was launched in Oregon called PaintCare, a program that manages the reuse, recycling and proper disposal of paint. Each time you purchase paint, a small fee is added to the price to fund the program.   This allows state-wide collections centers that accept:

• interior paint
• exterior paint
• deck coatings and floor paints
• lacquers
• melamine, metal and rust preventatives
• primers
• stains
• swimming pool paints
• varnishes and urethanes
• waterproofing, sealers and repellents for concrete, masonry and wood
• wood coatings 

If you live in Oregon, you can find a local collection center through PaintCare.  For those of you outside of Oregon, check out Earth 911 for a local facility.

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Call2Recycle has launched a nationwide campaign encouraging consumers to recycle batteries.  By October 1, they are hoping to divert 1 million pounds of batteries from going to landfills.

They accept rechargeable batteries from cordless electronic products like cell phones, baby monitors,  flashlights, remote control cars, laptops, cameras and cordless power tools.

All of the rechargeable batteries collected through the Call2Recycle program are recycled and used to create other types of materials, including new batteries, stainless steel products and more. None of the material broken down from the recycling of rechargeable batteries and cell phones makes its ways into the landfills.

There are over 30,000 recycling drop off bins in the U.S., you can find a local location here by entering you zip code or you can call 877.273.2925.

If you’re creative, enter their video contest to win prizes.  You can also follow the campaign on Facebook or Twitter.

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The obvious way to get more life out of your shoes is to give them to someone else who will use them or donate to a local charity. But sometimes, shoes just aren’t in good enough condition to be worn again.  Like many things these days, don’t put them in the garbage – it takes 1000 years for shoes to decompose in a landfill.    Recycle them!  Here are a few options:

Nike Reuse A Shoe – Shoes are put through a process that uses a “slice-and-grind” technique, where each shoe is cut into three slices – rubber outsole, foam midsole and fiber upper. These slices are then fed through grinders and purified to be made into Nike Grind.  The Nike Grind material is then made into new products such as track or playground surfaces, outdoor tennis courts and some Nike products such as the outsole of the Nike Pegasus.  Only athletic shoes and LIVESTRONG wristbands are accepted at a drop off facility in countries all over the world or you can mail them in.  I live near a drop off facility and drop off our old shoes there.

Recycled Runners – This online shoe recycling directory will help you find a place to recycle athletic shoes at a drop off facility near you.

Okabashi Shoe Recycling – Okabashi will take back their own shoes, sandals and flip flops and recycle them into new shoes or other goods. When you send them in for recycling, make sure to include your email address and they’ll give you 15% off a new pair!

Unique Eco – A company in Kenya takes old flip flops and makes them into raw materials for local artisans to make unique hand made crafts to sell in local shops and craft fairs.  You have to mail them to Kenya but consider the postage a donation to a great cause.

Earth911 – This online recycling guide will tell you where to recycle anything – just type in ‘shoes’ and your zip code and will find the nearest facilities.

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The Elmer’s Glue Crew is another great way to teach children about recycling.  Last year, in all 50 states, 1.2 million students collected empty glue bottles and sticks for recycling.  Once washed, the containers can be taken to WalMart or mailed to the TerraCycle program.

Teachers – here are lesson plans and activities to integrate the Elmer’s Glue Crew into your classroom.

For other school recycling programs, check out:

• Green School Fundraising
• A New Use for CapriSun

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