You know the recycling basics: paper, plastic and metal together in the cart; glass on the side. But some items just don’t seem to fit nicely in those categories. Recyclers count on us to send them clean materials so they can turn them back into new products. 

So getting it right is important. 

Antique glass doorknobs, wood framing from long-gone old growth forests, basket weave bathroom tiles, and inlaid hardwood floors are all beloved touches in old homes. Instead of stripping our forests and land for natural resources to decorate and build our new homes, we can harvest local reuse places like the ReBuilding Center, Restore and Salvage Works. They are already wonderful places to find hidden treasures, but they will soon be teaming with history!

School Lunch Programs Make a Difference! Styrofoam trays, stinky milk cartons and picky eaters are just a few of the special challenges of tackling waste in cafeterias.

Most of the sorting of waste doesn’t happen out on the curb. It happens in our kitchens, bedrooms, family rooms, home offices and restrooms. Strategies that create easy ways to separate waste right where it is generated in the house will increase the chance that things get to the right cart and ultimately to their correct destination. 

The Power of Repair

Do you have a favorite repair shop? You know, somewhere you go because you actually trust them with your stuff? I do! Well, I have several. But, hands down, my favorite is Mike at OMG?!? Computer repair. He has kept my laptop going with minor repairs, saves and a few upgrades. When my computer finally displayed the dreaded “blue screen of death”, he gave me recommendations on a computer that would suit my needs and be easy for him to keep repairing long into the future.

There is a growing “repair movement” afoot that is empowering people to make their stuff last longer.

Many Master Recyclers wrote and called this month wanting a response to the op-ed piece in the New York Times that claims that recycling is a waste of time...