Recent Green Weeks:
September 5:
Cook More Efficiently
August 29:
Use Cold Water for Laundry
August 22:
Find New Uses for Old Phones
August 8:
"Bee" Kind to Pollinators: Limit or Avoid Pesticide Use
August 1:
Reduce Waste: End Junk Mail!
July 25:
Encourage Pollination: Help Bees!
July 18:
Use Less Oil: Walk or Bike at Least Once this Week Instead of Driving
July 11:
Water Lawns and Outdoor Plants in the Morning or Evening Only
July 4:
Practice Safe Souvenir Buying
June 20:
Reuse Paper Scraps
June 13:
Safely Dispose of Hazardous Wastes
June 6:
Give New Life to Old Stuff
May 30:
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaners
May 23:
Find Ways to Consume Less
May 16:
Reuse your food scraps and yard waste: make compost!
May 9:
Make Sure Your Seafood's Sustainable
May 2:
Use a Low Flow Showerhead
April 25:
Reduce Weight in your Vehicle
April 18:
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
April 11:
Switch to Fluorescent Bulbs
April 4:
Buy in Bulk
March 28:
Unplug Your Appliances When They're Not in Use!
March 21:
Turn Off Your Engine Instead of Idling Your Car
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Give New Life to Old Stuff
What to do:
Find ways to continue the life of items you no longer want. Have a garage sale, give household items to a local donation center such as
Goodwill or the Salvation Army,
donate scrap paper or office supplies to a local school, donate pet items to a local shelter, give books to your library, consign clothes to a second hand
store, sell items online… the possibilities are almost endless!
Why it Helps the Earth:
Finding a new home for unwanted stuff reuses AND reduces. On the one hand, you make sure your items get reused, which keeps them from going to a landfill.
On the other, fewer people have to buy new things, which reduces the energy and other resources used by manufacturing.
What the Research Says:
According to the EPA, the amount of waste the average person creates in one day has almost doubled over the last fifty years, reaching 4.5 pounds a day in
2008. For a straightforward primer on US waste statistics and a compelling list of reasons to try to avoid your garbage can,
read Reduce & Reuse .
Why it Helps You:
However you decide to have your old items reused, you get a guilt-free way to reduce clutter. If you decide to sell your stuff, you' also be making money.
If you donate to a local organization, you'll get the satisfaction of doing the right thing and helping your community. (You might also get a
tax write-off!) If you simply want to find the most convenient way to give away your stuff, just take everything to the nearest donation center.
Certain organizations will even come to pick up larger items. Check with the organizations in your area to see what they accept and to find out the easiest
ways to donate.
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Last Revision: July 6, 2010