recycling ...

Oh boy, this movie is more than inspiring...it is a MUST WATCH brought to by Indybay.org. Just goes to show what can happen if business gets involved in the process of making a better future. Just click on the image.

 

 

And this movie, The Story of Stuff, is the shortest, clearest explanation about the negative impact of consumerism on our planet and ourselves with Annie Leonard. Make sure the kids and their teachers see this one.

Want to recyle your phone books? The Dex recycle site has options. Phone book paper has very short fibers and may not always be able to be reused as paper, however, you could keep it for your fireplace to get that next fire started. Use for packing in packages you are mailing, instead of plastic fillers. Biodegradable, pages could also be shredded and used as mulch in the garden.

And...Wireless service provider Cricket Communications Inc. will launch a year-long effort to recycle used cell phones in commemoration of Earth Day on April 22. Also take a look at Call2Recycle for batteries and cell phones.

Recycle your computer, cell phone, eyeglasses and more. See below.

The city of Albuquerque has made it relatively painless for us to recycle paper, plastic and cans.

"The manufacturing of new products requires considerable energy. If these materials are reused or recycled instead of being disposed of at landfills, less energy will be used, saving on scarce resources. For example, the production of an aluminum can from recycled metal uses 95% less energy than a can produced from raw aluminum." Src: City of Albuquerque.

Albuquerque offers curbside pickup for most residents and the city website provides a good list of what they do and do NOT recycle, as well as guidelines for the curbside pickups (no styrofoam or cereal boxes). If you do not have pickups there are 12 recycling "drop-off" centers around the city that will also take glass. If you have a business, there is a good list of recyclers that will take computers, car batteries, oil, etc. We were surprised to learn that many large companies now have their very own inhouse Sustainability Manager, responsible for both energy conservation and recycling. Times...they are a changin'.

Residents of Bernalillo county must call (505) 892-1200 or request a recycle bin through Waste Management (you are already paying for it).

Did you know that you can take your plastic or grocery bags back to any Wal-Mart, Smiths, Raleys or Albertsons? (I took a Home Depot (plastic) bag into Walgreens and they were delighted to reuse it for my purchases.) UPS will take all those styrofoam "peanuts". About.com also has a good article on the "paper or plastic" decision. In a nutshell, plastic does not biodegrade for a very long time and then becomes toxic to our soil...not a good choice. See these photos and excellent information to get an idea of the problem. Best choice: reusable bags (I think the Ecobags are great). This video link was sent from the Nob Hill Growers Association and I love it because it makes me laugh. Canvas Bags by Tim Minchin.

Soilutions Organics Recycling Facility in the South Valley will take your leaves, yard clippings, tree branches, and other green wastes and turn them into compost and mulch for a tipping fee of $4.00 a cubic yard for greenwaste material. You can pick up some rich organic soil for your garden or learn some permaculture techniques while you are there. (More about Soilutions in our sustainable food section.) ABQ will also pick up your green wastes two times a year (spring/fall) and turn it into mulch for our landscaped medians/parks (a notice usually appears in your water bill). The rest of the year you have to take them to the Soil Amendment Facility on Edith. Over 30% of our landfills are made up of recyclable green waste. Rio Rancho can take green wastes to Desert Rock (2600 Idalia).

Try FreecycleABQ: You give away items you no longer need and can pick up items offered by others. Their mission: to connect people who have still-usable items with people who can put them to good use. Everything is FREE. (No bartering or trading, and no money exchanges.)

Best Idea: Turn your green wastes into a healthy garden by learning to compost on your own: watch a video (commercial first), read NM Rycycling Coalition's composting brochure, buy a composter or talk to expert Larry Kloepple at the Growers Market.

Building Materials/Supplies - Run an ad, post on the NM Recycle site or just go to ReStore. ReStore (San Mateo/Coal) is a retail store which sells donated new and used building material, electrical fixtures, appliances, kitchen cabinets, and even dog houses at greatly reduced prices.  ReStore is one of over 300 Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the country. They will even offer you a tax receipt for some items. We went to a recent meeting of the New Mexico chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and were surprised to learn that builders are now recycling building materials at a much greater rate than in the past and receiving LEEDs points for doing so.

Redecorating? Besides good will or garage sales, you might try Furniture on Consignment at 701 Candelaria NE or Consignment Interiors at 5850 Eubank Blvd NE for those odd pieces that no longer work.

The three "R"s. Reduce,Reuse and Recycle. Albuquerque's (Waste) Processing Factory has recently been upgraded and sorts the recyclables by type. Our old newspaper is recycled into new newsprint used by The Albuquerque Journal. Recycled plastic is manufactured into shrink wrap and carpets, to name just a couple of products. Through recycling, more than 60 tons of garbage is saved from Albuquerque's landfill every day to be turned into something new. Interestingly, Local Energy in Santa Fe has started an innovative program to power a section of their downtown using biomass (wood from forest thinning)....a form of recycling energy. Construction on New Mexico's first commercial-size biomass plant by PNM, to be built near Estancia, could start as early as January. Also check out Zeri - NM and their sustainability/recycling projects, plus could this be the ultimate in trash recycling?..... Zapping Trash With Plasma Produces Clean Energy and Fuel. Florida is doing it.

A short list for you:

* Buy products that are recyclable, and whose packaging can be recycled.

* Avoid disposable products. Buy better quality ones, which have a longer life.

* Reduce the amount of waste you produce. Re-use what you can, and recycle the rest.

* Compost garden and vegetable waste. Introduction to Composting

The VERY BEST resource we found for information on recycling is The New Mexico Recycling Coalition. Check out their "Out of the Box Recycling Ideas" and "How to Stop Junk Mail" , the Haves and Wants List (a post for items you would like to recycle or find a new home for), and even a brochure on composting.

Another VERY good source is an online article called, "How to Recycle Just About Anything" and Freecycle, a web site that is a local recycling network where you can post wants and haves that are FREE!!!!!

Be CREATIVE and we can make a difference.

PLEASE be a part of the solution. mysuggestions@sustainableabq

Sustainable ABQ is your one stop site for LOCAL sustainability solutions. (Tips, Ideas, Information, and News) Home Contact

 

Why we should just Ban Plastic Bags

The New Mexico Recycling Coalition