6/4/13

While gift cards are convenient to give when you're not sure what to buy someone, they can be tough to recycle. More than 75 million pounds of PVC plastic from gift cards are thrown away every year. Your used gift cards are now recyclable thanks to EarthWorks, a company that recycles them to make plastic sheeting, which can be used to make new gift cards, ID cards, signs, hotel key cards, bookmarks, rulers and more. To learn more, visit earthworkssytem.com.

6/3/13

While many of us know a plastic container marked with Nos. 1 or 2 on the bottom means it is easily recyclable, we need to be sure it did not hold any poisonous or toxic substances. Containers that held pesticides, cleaning products or bleach must be rinsed out thoroughly before recycling. If in doubt, it is better to throw the container away than to place the contaminated recyclable plastic into the recycling bin.

6/2/13

Donating food to your local food bank or soup kitchen is a great way to empty your pantry and help others. But keep in mind that just because it's technically food, it doesn't make it OK to donate absolutely anything. Generally, canned food that is unlabeled or has any rust on it is not OK to donate and should be tossed. Homemade food items, beverage mixes and soda should also be avoided. The most-wanted items include healthy foods like canned and boxed meals (think mac and cheese), pasta, rice, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, cooking oil and 100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.