Tag Archives: recycling

Digging Ourselves Out from More Trash Than Ever

  Let’s talk trash. Err, that’s municipal solid waste, but I prefer simply calling it trash. Have you wondered about the trash generation rates of today compared to the last 30 years? How about the recycling rates?   I can’t tell you about the trash of 2012, or even 2011, but the EPA has examined the trash generation and recycling rates of Americans for 2010.  And guess what? Americans are recycling more now than ever, but we’re also generating more trash to be recycled!   Here’s the breakdown for trash generated and percentage recycled: In 1980, Americans generated 151.6 million tons of trash, and recycled and composted just … [More]

What to do with Used Moving Boxes

When you need it most, there’s nothing more perfect than a good moving box! When I move, I usually need a few more boxes than I had anticipated, but once the unpacking starts, I can’t wait to get rid of the cardboard clutter. I have to keep in mind that while the easiest solution may be to take the boxes to a recycling center, that’s not always the very best choice. Expand the Box Life Cycle You know I love recycling. (If you don’t then you missed my series on plastic recycling!) It’s wonderful to recycle, but reuse is better. If you allow someone else to use your … [More]

Get Rid, Get Paid, Part Two

Selling your stuff the old-school ways (like I wrote about last week) can usually ensure you get some money in your pocket relatively quickly. Nothing is certain, of course. So why not try to make even more money from your items? Online selling gives you a bigger potential buyer pool, which increases the possible value of your items. At a yard sale, Joe from four streets down only wants to give you $1 for the same item that sold on eBay for $20. Not always the case, but many times this is true. If you want to yield a higher outcome from your online sales, consider taking good … [More]

Get Rid, Get Paid, Part One

Is it me, or does it seem that lately there is major excitement and interest over self-storage auctions? It has me thinking about cleaning out my own house (and garage) and freeing up some extra cash. But how? There are so many different ways to sell your stuff. Which makes the most sense and the most money? Sometimes Old School is Better The online world can be fickle. You spend hours taking pictures, uploading, editing, and writing descriptions and then… nothing. Nobody bids, no responses. You still have to pay the listing fees, but you got nothing in return. When trying to make some extra cash, this can … [More]

Decoding Plastic Recycling: Helpful LDPE and PS

Plastic shopping bags and those little packing peanuts, aw, things I love and hate, or is it love to hate? Annoying or not, these items (sometimes) have a place in my world, and they just might have more life to give after I’m done with them. By the way, are you surprised that packing peanuts are considered a plastic? As all delightsome things must come to an end, I remind you that this post marks the close of our series on plastic recycling. Previously, we discussed plastics PETE and HDPE, plus a more difficult trio to recycle: PVC, PP and Other. These last two plastics can’t always be … [More]

Decoding Plastic Recycling: Difficult PVC, PP and Mystery Other

My household, like many others, has its share of yogurt and other dairy containers relaxing in the refrigerator. Yet, my wife’s yogurt habit doesn’t mean the nearby landfill will be swamped with plastic containers of yesteryear. Yogurt containers can be more difficult to recycle than the easygoing plastics PETE and HDPE, which we discussed recently in this series on plastic recycling. Yet, just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, right? While plastics identified with the numbers one (PETE) and two (HDPE) are commonly recycled, a few of the higher numbers in the plastic gang are a bit more difficult, or moody. Temperamental or not, … [More]

California: Give Us Your E-waste

Electronic waste, or e-waste as most of us call it, is a threat to human and environmental health when not disposed of properly, but I’m happy to announce that Extra Space Storage is helping residents of California do the right thing by providing a free and convenient way to recycle their unwanted electronic items. Starting on March 9, residents of California can leave their e-waste at any of 48 participating Extra Space locations! Once you leave your e-waste at a participating Extra Space location, GREENspot DROPoff, the largest e-waste collector in the state, will handle the important work of making sure the waste is recycled properly. Plus, if … [More]