Recycling
by B. Dear

Recycling is a great idea for just about everyone. You can cut down on the amount of trash you have to take to the curb, and help save the planet at the same time . Recycling is also a fun way to spend time with your family and it gives back to society.

So how can you recycle? It all depends on what you use and what you are willing to do to contribute to the effort. I have listed below some things that I do, that may give you some ideas.

Locate the nearest recycling point in your area and get yourself some information  about how their process works in your area. Most programs ask you to separate your recyclables into separate bins for pickup. One for glass items, one for metals, and one for paper. Others will require you to drop these items off at a pickup point.

• Metals: Aluminum cans and other aluminum products can be melted down to make new products. In some states you can collect money for the cans you bring in, which is even better. You can actually get paid for improving the environment.

• Glass: Glass bottles and jars can be melted down and new ones can be created from them.

• Plastics: Milk jugs and soda bottles can be reused for storing liquids, (when appropriately labeled) or placed in the recycle bin.

• Paper: Newspapers, cardboard, old paperbacks and other forms of paper can be pulped and made into new ones.

• Books: Books can be donated to your local library or given to friends to read. Setting up a "book swap" in our local book club or library will get a lot more use out of those books you've read and aren't reading anymore. Better for other to use them than let them take up space in your house.

• Cardboard Boxes: I always seem to know someone who is moving and moving boxes are expensive. By breaking down your boxes when you move, and storing them in the garage, you can pass them on to a friend when they need boxes, eliminating the need to buy new ones.

• Old Computer Components: If you remove the hard drives,  the rest of the computer can be donated safely to a charity or  passed on to a friend. Computers that aren't powerful enough for gaming, still make great machines  for surfing the Internet. I pass on my old computers to my children for writing papers or  playing older  computer games.

• Cell Phones and Cell Phone Batteries: These can be turned in at many electronics stores or other places that collect them  to be turned into new ones.

• Old Clothing:  If there are clothes that you don't wear anymore, pass them on to another family that might need them. If you don't know anyone that needs or wants old clothes, take them to the Salvation Army.

• Old Toys:  If your children outgrow toys,  put them out in a yard sale. If they don't sell, take them to a local charity.

• Leaves: Leaves can be used for compost, mulch and I even feed them to my pet goats. They love them.

• Grass Clippings: I use a mulching mower and let the clippings go back into the lawn. if you don't want to do that, you can add them to your compost pile.

• Sticks and Tree limbs: I feed these to my goats, then  when they clean all the vegetation off, I chop them up and put them on my woodpile. Then they are used to heat my home in my wood stove.

• Plywood and 2X4's: I have an area on my property where I store leftover lumber. I use  the wood to build chicken houses for my chickens, forts for my kids... you name it. I also go to construction sites and remove wood for free for reconditioning to build projects.

• Furniture: Old furniture can be sold in garage sales or  given to the Salvation Army or any other charity.