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BANG FOR THE BITE
Get rid of your old stuff for free, keep it out of landfills, and help worthwhile charities all at once… a Biter trifecta! (And you may even get a tax deduction).
COCKTAIL FACT
At 1,045 feet above sea level, a municipal landfill affectionately known as "Mount Rumpke" is the second highest point in the state of Ohio.
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home › tip library › Eco-Friendly Regifting
If you throw that hideous Valentine's gift away, just where does it go?
The Bite
Out of sight is out of mind, but it turns out there’s really no such place as “away.” Before you consign an ill-conceived gift or other item to a landfill or incinerator, offer it directly to charities or others who may want it.The Benefits
- Starve a landfill. Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of 4 lbs/day/person—a total of 210 million tons/yr.
- Reusing eliminates the need for new items whose production requires the extraction of natural resources from our land, plus water, energy and/or chemicals to turn them into new products.
- Your donations support the good work of charities and non-profits. Common usable items include books for libraries and schools, old towels for local animal shelters, and computers and office equipment for all kinds of organizations.
Personally Speaking
Jen is offloading the many cookbooks, pots and pans her admirers have been sending in a vain effort to encourage her to cook. It’s just not happening.Wanna Try?
- ThrowPlace – the Internet’s landfill alternative, encouraging users to “take what you need, and throw what you don’t.”
- Freecycle Network – Freecyclers in 3,259 communities “gifted” more than 100 million pounds of stuff in 2005.
- Craigslist – every month, more than 10 million people use these free local forums to exchange stuff, find jobs and advertise goods and services.
- Reuse Development Organization – resources to help local communities start up new reuse centers and programs.
Feb 13,2006
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Spam-a-Lot
So I got a piece of spam the other day that gave me pause. The subject line said:
"She will never forget her present if it's a Lady Glamour Plastics Replica Watch."
Indeed.
If
anyone out there is thinking of sending me a Lady Glamour Plastics
Replica Watch for Valentines Day, please know that I will be turning
around and donating it to Freecycle.
But yes, they got one bit right: I will never forget the gift.
-Heather... off to finish clearing my junk mail cache...
Biter Comments...
I am sooooooo sick of the spam. I don't know how to make it stop. And somehow the spammers think I am a man and continue to offer me cialis. Have they looked at my blog picture? Hello I AM NOT A MAN.
;)
Hey, this is a bit late, but this Bite was a great reminder to recycle! It might surprise you, but Nike recycles old shoes. You can even send in your old shoes (Nike or otherwise) to be recycled. I also loved the link to www.reusablebags.com in interest of the SIGG bottles...I definitely have to get myself one of them. And give all of my family members them for their birthdays! I was so disappointed when Nalgene bottles turned out to be potentially hazardous to my health and this seems like a great alternative.
Here in Pasadena, CA we have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and I know there are others around the country. The store doesn't sell or accept items used to build the Habitat homes. Instead, it accepts new and used donations of home-building components and all sorts of hardware and non-upholstered furniture.
Here's a partial list of what they accept AND will give a tax-deductable donation receipt for: nails, hammers, house numbers, lighting fixtures and bulbs, hinges, doors, windows, wood trim, shutters, bathtubs, sinks, plumbing supplies, unused tile, grout, paint (new and partially used), medicine cabinets, mirrors, picture frames, tools of all kinds, doorknobs, filing cabinets, desks, working ovens, refrigerators, and the like. I've even seen industrial sewing machines there.
Different ReStores take different materials, so it's wise to call and check first. Some will pick up. Good luck with this Starve-a-Landfill suggestion. Proceeds of the ReStore go to Habitat funding.
My favorite method of "recycle": pile any good used stuff on the curb and put up a "FREE" sign. Stuff is usually gone within 24 hours! Doesn't require planning or driving; how great is that?
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Joel M. | February 13, 2006 at 09:08 AM