Basically it works like this…

1. See if RecycleBank is offered in your area. RecycleBank serves more than one million people across 19 states (TN, PA, NJ, NY, MA, VT, VA, DE, CT, NE, MN, SD, TX, OH, KS, NM, FL, MI, and AZ).
2. Sign up for RecycleBank.
3. Gather up all your recyclable materials and place them into a cart for curbside pick up.
4. Recycling carts have an identification tag that is recorded by the recycling truck, which in turn gets back to RecycleBank.
5. The amount recycled is converted into RecycleBank Points, which you can use to order rewards such as free Yo Baby Organic yogurt, $ off green products, and more.

If RecycleBank is offered in your area, it’s a cook perk on top of helping make the world a cleaner place. Visit RecycleBank to learn more.

Below is RecycleBank’s piece; Recycling…as American as Apple Pie:

What is patriotic? Fighting for one’s country is patriotic, flag-waving is patriotic, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” is patriotic. Now, let’s think outside the bin (sorry, recycling humor) to something you do everyday. That’s right. Every time you reduce, reuse and recycle you’re celebrating your love for your country.

During World War II citizens were urged to recycle (or “salvage”) metal, rubber, paper and even kitchen fat to help in the war effort. Today’s soldiers don’t need recycled steel for guns, salvaged kitchen fat for explosives or scrap paper for packaging, but recycling is still patriotic.

By recycling, we show our love for our country by protecting our nation’s resources, reducing our dependence on the resources of other countries and boosting our economy.

Here’s how:

-Recycling plastic reduces the need for virgin plastic. Of course, virgin plastic isn’t a natural resource, but the petroleum used to make it is. In fact, approximately 4% of our annual oil consumption is used to make plastics. By recycling more plastic we reduce the need for the production of virgin plastic and that reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

-Manufacturing products using recycled materials instead of virgin materials requires a lot less energy. Making an aluminum can from recycled aluminum requires 95% less energy than making an aluminum can from virgin aluminum. In 2003, we reduced our oil usage by more than 15 million barrels by recycling 54 billion aluminum cans.

-Of course, oil isn’t our only source of energy. Recycling materials also reduces our need for coal—and that protects those purple mountains majesty.

-Using less energy also saves money. Saving money improves the national economy, but the recycling industry has given the national economy a real boost by creating over a million jobs. In fact, a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that jobs in conservation and pollution mitigation (including the recycling industry) make up 65% of the United States’ clean energy economy.

-Recycling reduces the amount of solid waste we need to dump in landfills, which in turn, reduces the need for landfills. By protecting our land from being “filled” with garbage, we’re helping to keep America beautiful.

-Recycling paper protects our forests by reducing the need for trees to produce paper. Recycling cars and other objects made of steel and iron reduces the amount of iron ore we must mine and recycling aluminum reduces the amount of aluminum we have to pull out of the ground.

There you have it. You love your country. You just have a different way of showing it. Now, gather your friends and family and enjoy your 4th of July barbecue. Don’t forget to grab your recycled (and recyclable) plates and your recycled American flag.

Post from: Blisstree

Recycling…as American as Apple Pie

1. Find out what is recyclable everywhere. For example, even though we didn’t have curbside pickup for plastics in my area of New Mexico, we all know plastics are still recyclable. Make a list. If you’re not sure what’s recyclable and what’s trash, read Commonly Recycled Materials.

2. Perform a trash audit at your house. If you’re tossing recyclables, a well done (and easy) trash audit will let you know. One audit only takes about a week of your time, and in the long run will save you money on your garbage bill and help the planet. How to do your own green trash and recycling audit.

3. Set up a good recycling center in your home. I suggest placing your center in a high traffic area, but the garage or porch is good too. Ideally, you’ll want bins for each type of recycling, and if you have little ones, you’ll want to mark each bin clearly with a picture.

4. Contact your local recycling center about curbside. Your goal is to find out what they pick up and what they won’t. Many curbside programs pick up stuff that might surprise you. If you have curbside, make a note of days and times for pick-ups, and stick it to your fridge.

5. Locate a recycling center for all the stuff curbside won’t pick up. It’s highly unlikely that curbside recycling will pick up everything you need to recycle. For example, old CDs, batteries, drink boxes, wood, electronics and motor oil are good examples of things you can recycle, but not usually curbside. To locate a recycling center for almost anything, check out the resources below before you toss that item in the trash:

• Earth 911 – allows you to enter your zip and an item and a list of centers will pop up.
• Where Can I Recycle My…
• How Can I Recycle This? – AWESOME site that looks at new uses for old items. Highly reader interactive, so head over and participate.

Now you have no reason not to recycle; right!?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Five Steps To Recycling

The house, located in De Soto, Wisconsin, is an off-grid home, timber-framed and strawbale construction. There’s a greenhouse, natural springs, and 6.25 acres to boot. I like that it looks all curvy from the front:

Then from the side it looks super slick.

You have to see the interior – nice and simple and very basic; just my style. This green home and others are for sale at Green Homes for Sale.

[images via Green Homes for Sale]

Post from: Blisstree

Green Home of the Week