The Green Party: How to Throw One and What Not to Throw Out!

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Even people wanting to live a green lifestyle deserve to throw a party once in a while. However, having concern for the environment can make the party planning process complicated. How can a person throw a fun bash without making a lot of trash?

Green Invitations

People planning a party should look into companies that only sell invitations that have been made from recycled materials. Research whether recycling materials were also used for the envelopes. There are even websites that allow people to design their own recycled invitations.

An even more environmentally-friendly option is foregoing paper invitations entirely and sticking to evites via email or social media websites.

Can Food Choices at Parties Impact the Environment?

Make a point to only purchase enough food for the amount of people coming to the event. This cuts down on the possibility of wasted food ending up in the trash.

For the most green food selections, stick with minimally-processed, locally sourced foods.

Decorating Sans the Landfill

Instead of purchasing paper decorations, decorate by using natural items like fresh flowers, pine cones and dried berries. Recycling is built in as these items can often be used in a compost pile after the event.

Keep trash out of a landfill after an event by choosing only materials that are recycled and can be sent to a center again for repurposing. Recyclerfinder.com is a great resource that lets users find a recycling center in the local area.

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Recycling – Find a Good Hauling or Debris Box Service

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How green is your pet?

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Going green is a popular way to live these days, but how far can people take their attempt to lessen their impact on the environment? While most people know that using less electricity, water and fossil fuels is a great way to help the planet, most are unaware that their choice in pets can make an impact as well.

Greener Pet Choices

The first thing to note when deciding on a green pet choice is that the population of dogs and cats in the United States is out of control. A step toward a greener pet is to choose an older dog or cat to discourage the intentional breeding of animals for commercial purposes. Breeding cats and dogs simply fuels the overpopulation of these animals, while adopting a pet is almost like a form of recycling.

A benefit of owning a dog or cat is that their feces can be used for compost. In turn, the compost can be used to grow food for pets.

Environmentally-friendly Pet Supplies

Companies that embrace recycled materials for use in their products are the best option. Consumers should choose a company that only uses recycled, sustainable materials in its products.

Some examples of unique green products for pets include a cat toilet that eliminates the need for cat litter waste, pesticide-free grooming products that are safer for use on animals and around humans and hemp collars that are more comfortable for animals to wear regularly.

Pet owners can help the environment even more by recycling pet products after use.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall–Who’s the Greenest of Them All?

San Francisco the city by the bay, is number 1 in recycling!

Which American city recycles the most? A study of major cities sponsored by Nalgene, a company that makes reusable drinking bottles, gives us some indication. By their measurements, San Francisco recycles more glass, metal, and plastics than anywhere else. Ninety percent of San Franciscans report that they recycle. San Francisco’s commitment to recycling is clearly part of a larger concern for the environment. The Nalgene study named it the most “green” city overall, as well.

It’s no surprise that San Francisco gets such high marks for caring for the environment. The city government has launched a “zero waste” initiative that aims to completely eliminate waste by the year 2020. According to the latest statics offered by the city, it already recovers 77% of the materials it discards. It has accomplished this through proactive efforts by the local government: all residents are required to separate recyclable and compostable material from their trash, and building owners and event managers must provide color-coded receptacles for recyclable materials. The city government also promotes awareness in various ways, including a television advertising campaign. In addition, it has worked to ensure that every residence has access to a recycling service.

Most cities aren’t as green as San Francisco, but with RecyclerFinder.com, it’s easy and free to find the nearest recycling center, no matter where in America you live. Recyclerfinder.com also offers a mobile app that allows you to keep the nearest facility’s information in your phone through the use of a QR reader.

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Play the Zip & Win Game to find the golden coin.

Play the Zip and Win Game at RecyclerFinder.com

Win some cool prizes, It’s free! The golden coin can appear next to any facility, anywhere across the U.S. and Canada. Enter a zip code search the facilities displayed and if you see this Golden Coin next to a facility name then click it to win a $5 gift card for one of our retailers listed on the drop down list. MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO PLAY

The search is limited to a 5 mile search radius from the zip code you entered. Once a coin is discovered and redeemed our system randomly selects a new facility from one of our over 16,000 facilities listed to place the coin next to. So you never know where the coin might pop up next. RecyclerFinder.com employees and family are not qualified to play. Game may be terminated at any time. Over 100 coins available!

Below is a list of the retailers you can redeem your card for. Some Gift Cards may or may not be redeemable online. Not all retailers listed are available in all areas.

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Recycling Water In Space

Luke, I am a dork!

When astronauts travel into space, they carry along air and water. Volume and weight restrictions limit the amount of supplies that can be carried, so water must be rationed and recycled. This is especially important on long missions. Extended stays at the International Space Station would not be possible without careful recycling.

Water recycling has always been employed at the space station. It is not a glamorous aspect of being an ISS crew member, but astronauts must even recycle urine to preserve limited drinking water supplies.

Recycling equipment on the ISS is a system of modular components. A separate water processor assembly and urine processor assembly function together as the water recovery system, and the water recovery system is part of the larger oxygen generation system. These systems function together to produce enough air and water to support seven ISS crewmembers for extended stays in space.

If manned space exploration is to progress further, size and efficiency of recycling equipment must be optimized. Preservation of all available resources will be critical to interplanetary travel to Mars or the establishment of a lunar colony. The technology ultimately used must be able to sustain astronauts for a period of three years without external resupply.

Researchers are working steadily on several different approaches to recycling. Some efforts focus on mechanical processing, while others use chemical reactions to reclaim oxygen and water. Some research even focuses on bacterial processes, similar to those used at wastewater treatment facilities on Earth, to produce air and drinking water.

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From “Roach Coach” to Green Lunch Trucks

Is this truck suppose to be a rat or a pig? Guess it depends on what they're serving! If you can tell the difference that is.

Lunch trucks, often referred to as roach coaches, are popping up all over many American cities. They’re popular with new bohemians, hipsters and anyone who wants to grab a quick bite to eat but wants to avoid the typical burgers and fries of fast-food chains. The impression these food trucks give is that they focus on green living, recycling and a devotion to the environment and the local community. However, is a lunch truck really more environmentally friendly than a traditional restaurant? For the most part, the answer is yes.

A lunch truck doesn’t use as much energy as a traditional restaurant. Restaurants have to keep their dining rooms well lit and comfortable, which often means compensating for the heat given off from the kitchen. Although food trucks use energy for cooking and fuel to get around, they don’t have to maintain large kitchens, bathrooms or dining spaces.

When it comes to mileage, you might think that a food truck obviously consumes more energy than a restaurant. However, a restaurant’s customers often drive in for their meals. A lunch truck can park at busy locations like office buildings or mall parking lots, eliminating the need for individuals to waste gas. In addition, food trucks tend to focus on providing locally produced food, which requires less transportation to get from the grower to the consumer.

Because lunch trucks provide meals to on-the-go diners, they usually serve their food on disposable dinnerware. However, many food trucks offer recycling or compost bins, reducing the amount of waste they create. Restaurants that serve food on reusable dinnerware don’t create as much waste, but more energy is wasted in the dish washing process. In sum, lunch trucks do tend to be more green than restaurants. They use less energy, take up less space and best of all, they come to you. Next time you’re hungry, walk over to the food truck and order lunch for the whole office. You’ll save gas and help the environment.

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CD Case Recycling: Music to Our Planet’s Ears

Say goodby to CD's, the 90's and these nut jobs! My eyes hurt!

MP3 players, such as iPods, have revolutionized how the masses buy music and provide a compact way to carry around entire music libraries, while also reducing one’s carbon footprint. These rechargeable gadgets have popularized digital downloads and reduced the demand for CDs, making them a big win for the environment, which is music to our planet’s ears.

Of course, with this eco-friendly move away from CDs, which are notoriously hard on the environment with their material requirements, manufacturing process, packaging and long-distance delivery, there are plenty of folks who now are wondering what to do with all of those old CD cases that are taking up space on their bookshelves. The key, of course, is to recycle, which leads to the question of where exactly this CD case recycling happens.

Some CD cases have a recycling code, which most often consists of a triangle with a 6 inside and PS underneath. This lets us know that CDs are categorized as type 6 plastic – aka polystyrene. This type of plastic is not often accepted for pick-up in curbside recycle bins in most cities, but using a site like RecyclerFinder.com is an simple, convenient way to locate recycling facilities that accept CD cases. This makes it easy to do your part to save the planet and helps you get rid of all of those old cases that are no longer needed.

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The Magical World of Recycling

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Theme parks aren’t known for their recycling efforts or for attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. But with recent developments it seems that amusement parks are starting to do their part to keep the world as green as possible as long as possible.Major theme parks like Six Flags and Disney World have started recycling programs in order to keep the millions upon millions of plastic cups and the like out of landfills. Some amusement parks have even switched to biofuel to fuel rides and machines, friendly cleaning products and locally grown ingredients in their eateries.

An online company called Green Halo Systems allows users to track what they recycle and where it’s going. What this means for amusement parks is that Green Halo software will give them the ability to see what they waste and how much they waste. Now companies can see first hand the impact they have on the environment rather than having to make an educated guess. Any data from Green Halo software can be shared with multiple users and can also be printed out.

Other efforts some theme parks are making to go green are using LED lights, switching to water-saving fixtures and switching from plastic trash bags to ones that are biodegradable.

For many of us, an amusement park is one of the last places that we could think of as going green, but why not? It’s place where a large amount of people gather, eat and walk, which can add up to quite a lot of trash in a short amount of time. Amusement parks are doing their part to keep the environment intact, make sure you’re doing yours.

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Recycling Behind Bars – Prison Recycling Programs and Green Initiatives Take Root

Cedar Creek Correctional Facility in Washington Recycling Program

Gone are the days when college campuses and aging hippies had a virtual monopoly on dedication to the environment. Another, perhaps unexpected, segment of society has recently begun to embrace vital strategies for protecting the earth. Prison facilities throughout the United States are increasingly showing their commitment to environmentally conscious operations by instituting a variety of recycling programs and other green initiatives largely staffed by inmates. Glass and plastic recycling, composting, organic farming and land conservation projects are just some of the ways in which prisons across the country are embracing a more earth-friendly philosophy while simultaneously providing enhanced rehabilitation opportunities and skills acquisition assistance for incarcerated individuals.

A prime example of the trend toward these environmentally responsible facilities is that of Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington state. Inmates there raise thousands of pounds of organic vegetables each year, turn discarded shoes into artificial turf that can be used on children’s playscapes, and compost the majority of the prison’s food waste. The green initiatives being launched at prisons nationwide also extend to clean energy projects focused on harnessing wind and solar power. The Ironwood State Prison in California recently utilized over 6,000 solar panels placed at the facility to generate energy sufficient to power over 4,000 homes for a period of 12 months. Wind turbines have sprouted up at an Indiana prison, where wood chip powered water boilers are also in use. Prisoners in North Carolina correctional facilities have regularly been tasked with converting large food shipping containers into cisterns capable of collecting rainwater.

Changing their lives and the environment for the better. Great job.

The benefits of these types of green initiatives and recycling programs can be quite substantial, given the enormous amount of resources and energy typically consumed by correctional facilities. However, the positive impact may go well beyond the achievement of lower operating costs and reductions in environmental damage. The life skills gained by inmates who participate in such initiatives and the public-spirited nature of the work in which they are engaged may ultimately help trim the number of re-offenders and encourage a greater sense of personal responsibility among prisoners upon release.

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