How Do I Recycle Medicines?

With young kids in the house, we all know how important it is to keep prescription and over-the-counter drugs safely out of reach. But what do you do with the old and expired ones?

Image via Wikipedia

The FDA recommends taking the medicine (pills or liquid) out of its original container and mixing it with an undesirable substance (e.g. coffee grounds or kitty litter) and then sealing it in a container (e.g. bag, 2 liter soda bottle, coffee can). The idea is to deter anyone, including animals, who may happen upon the medication after you dispose of it.

You should not flush them down the toilet because this puts the drugs into our water system.

The National Conference of State Legislatures has a recycling program in most states for unopened, unexpired drugs. The rules are obviously stringent, but for people with unopened boxes of medicine, this can be a great way to get these into the hands of people who need them.

Now... go clean that medicine cabinet! And, while you're there, check to see if you have any of the recently recalled children's medications (Motrin, Tylenol, Zyrtec, and Bendadryl).

What to Do with Latex Paint

A blog reader recently asked about how to recycle latex paint. I assumed it fell under the normal Household Hazardous Waste Program, but apparently things have changed and, at least where I live, latex paint is no longer considered a hazardous material.

Image by House Of Sims via Flickr

Still, it is made of chemicals which would be better off not seeping into the ground or water, so what do you do? I got my answers from an informative flyer put out by Charlevoix County in Michigan.

The short story is:

• If it's over 20 years old, it is lead based and should be handled through your local hazardous waste program.
• If the paint can is already dry, you can simply toss it in the garbage.
• If there is still a small amount of paint, take the lid off and let it dry before you throw the can in the garbage.
• If you have a lot of paint, you need to find a way to dry it yourself. The recommended way is to get a box or other container that you can line with plastic (the larger the surface area, the quicker it will dry). Pour in about an inch of paint and wait for it to dry. Repeat the process until your done, making certain that it isn't somewhere that kids or pets can get into while the drying process takes place. Adding dry kitty litter to the paint can speed up the drying process.

The latter option will definitely be time-consuming, which is a good reminder to not over-buy next time you're painting.

I'll keep that in mind when we're painting my son's room this summer. He seems to have outgrown the pastel walls, but we haven't yet agreed on a new palette. His favorite colors are red, black, and metallic gold. I'm open-minded, but can't imagine any of those colors on the walls!

Hotels Go Green = Saving Green

Hotels are starting to figure out that they can use their green efforts as a marketing feature, but I think the real reasons hotels are making changes is they've learning it can save them money.

Last week we stayed at the Westin Ocean Resort Villas North in Ka'anapali Beach, Hawaii (one of those unplanned school auction purchases!). Upon check-in, we were notified that we would be receiving one "tidy" service during our week, but no daily cleaning. I've seen hotels with the signs about leaving your towels hanging if you don't want them changed or placing a card on the bed if you don't want new linens, but once-a-week "tidy" service was new for me. Basically, after three days, they'll come in to change your sheets and towels and take out your garbage. No cleaning at all while you're there (but they do provide a broom and dustpan should your bathroom start to look as sandy as the beach!)


Actually, it was fine with me because I hate having to vacate a room in the morning because the cleaning people are ready to get to work. The funny thing though is that the hotels are pitching this as this big way they're going green, and I'm thinking... yeah, it's definitely saving some green. It is a HUGE savings in labor, water, electricity, and cleaning products.

Saving money is the best motivator for a corporation to go green so I'm not surprised it's the bottom line that's starting to drive changes. Their restaurants and bars also featured new compostable cups. You can see on the cup it says "Made from Corn." Again, I applaud the hotel for their efforts, but in this case, they're only halfway there. The cups are compostable, but the hotel doesn't actually compost them. They still go off to a landfill somewhere for now. Baby steps...

We did like the fact that the hotel offered recycling centers in several locations around the hotel and we took advantage of those. We also tried to do our part to keep the beach clean by picking up the trash and recyclables we found. We found a large bag of cans which I'm guessing someone just forgot to take them home at the end of their party. We took care of the last step so all those cans didn't end up getting swept back into the ocean.

All in all, Hawaii is a beautiful place and as guests on the island, I think we owe it to them to keep it beautiful!

It's Tax Time - Shredded Paper, Anyone?

I wish I could say that I was one of those people who neatly file my paperwork in some great organizational system, but sadly, that's never been me. I'm more of a, "Oh no, it's March and my tax documents are squeezed into that giant pile along with the warranty manuals, kids report cards, medical records, and mortgage re-finance documents!" kind of person.

Image by Gavin Luhrs via Flickr

So, here it is March again and I am once again vowing to never get such a giant pile again. There's much less paper coming in these days since many of my bills and statements are online, but my renewed attempt at creating a manageable filing system (I'm going with financial guru Suze Orman's advice this year), has lead to lots of paper shredding.

Where does all that shredded paper go? In my case, I put it in with our yard waste/food scraps where it gets turned into compost at Cedar Grove. Apparently, shredded paper doesn't have enough fiber to be good for recycling, but it does help with the composting. Check with your local garbage company to see if they have the same preferences.

I hope my spring cleaning contributes to some yummy vegetables or pretty flowers this summer!

Olympics Day #4: Capitalism and The Plastic Bottle

Transportation Day #4
2 Skytrains
2 City Buses
2 Olympic Buses (the nice ones with bathrooms – perfect for kids!)

An awesome day at Cypress Mountain for the Ladies Halfpipe Snowboarding! There was enough snow for the event, but that was about it - they trucked in just enough snow for the halfpipe and snow/skicross area. They are starting to refer to these as the Spring Olympics - it was so warm people were actually wearing tank tops early in the day!

The amount of plastic bottles that are being consumed at these Olympics must be in the millions. The recycling bins are easy to find, but all the Dasani water bottles I’ve been purchasing this week have left me questioning the corporate influence on our choices here.

We knew in advance we wouldn’t be able to bring water bottles or food into the indoor Olympic venues, but had also read they would be allowed at the outdoor mountain venues. The rules, however, seem to be a bit more murky than that. Dasani water bottles can get by security if they are factory-sealed (meaning no refilling and no bringing your own from home).

Originally, I thought it was a concern over alcohol, but there is plenty of Canadian beer at the venues! I think it comes down to the money flow. I saw one woman finish her water bottle at the security stop, only to be told that to take the empty water bottle into the venue, she would have to remove the label! Dasani is a Coca-Cola product and her bottle was a competitor to one of the biggest Olympics sponsors.

Since snowboarding was a 6+ hour event in the mountains, we came prepared – water bottles we had filled at the hotel, Coke Zero, snacks, etc. When we went through security, we were told that we would need to empty all the liquids. We dumped the water, and my husband quickly drank the Coke Zero (all the while wondering why that can was a problem – perhaps because he didn’t pay $3 for it?). Of course, a few hours later we were back at concessions buying $3 water all over again.

I guess my objection is to buying it all in the first place when there are other alternatives. Coke is actively pitching their new bottles which are made out of 30% plant material. Good idea, but what if we just bought less bottles in the first place? I know, I know… that’s not the way of capitalism. Personally, I just wish they had refill spots where you could pay the vendor and fill your own bottle.

Recycling issues aside, the snowboarding was amazing! The grandstands were quite the athletic feat for spectators as it was 350 steps straight up to get to our seats - and that was after a healthy walk from the bus to the mountain. The best part for me was seeing the Slovenian snowboarder come sit with her family (on her mom’s lap!) right in front of us while she waited to find out if she made it into the finals. She made it and we cheered her on! We also met one of the Japanese snowboarders who posed for a picture with us.

Seeing them flip, jump, and fly makes you wonder if they weren’t born with wings.

How Do I Recycle Batteries?

I never used to worry about this before I had kids, but I've noticed that babies seem to come

Image via Wikipedia

into the world with batteries. First comes the bouncy seats, then the annoyingly loud push toys. Before you know it you're into remote control cars. But what do you do with all those used up batteries?

I have been throwing mine in the garbage, but was sure that wasn't the best answer. It turns out it is the only answer for dry-cell batteries (9-volt, D, C, AA, and AAA). Recycling these isn't an option unless you live in California, but that doesn't mean there aren't other choices you can make as a consumer. This might be a good thing to consider since Americans purchase 3 billion dry-cell batteries each year!

Rechargeable batteries are the best option. My family does have a few sets of these, but we tend not to use them - probably because they're buried in the back of a cupboard behind the AA batteries that we're usually looking for. Now I'm going to dig them out and start using them again. Rechargeable batteries last a long time (and will save you money and energy), but they do eventually wear out. The good news is that they can be recycled.

For more info, check out the Battery Recycling and Disposable Guide for Households from Environmental Health and Safety Online.

A Look Back To 1989 Part II

Sorry if this is a repeat for email subscribers, but I just realized this post was hidden in last month's section so I'm reposting for today.

A few weeks ago, I posted the first 28 suggestions from a 1989 book titled 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth just to see how far we've come in 20 years. Many of them were slam-dunks (e.g. don't use leaded gas), but a few made me think. Now we're on to the section of the list titled "It Takes Some Effort." Thankfully, many of them really don't take much effort in 2009. I guess that counts as progress.

29. Reuse Old News - This is much easier today than 20 years ago with 8,550 curbside recycling programs in our country and over 50% of all paper products being recycled. Next step: when you need paper goods, look for the recycled content on the label.

30. Recycle Glass - Again, curbside recycling makes this easy, but as the costs of recycling glass increases and the need decreases, this may get more challenging in the future. See my earlier blog, The Future of Glass Recycling.

31. Don't Can Your Aluminum - Same as above.

32. Precycle - I was impressed this was even a word in 1989. I know I hadn't heard of it till more recently. The key here is to reduce waste before you buy. This is a work-in-progress for me. What about you?

33. Use Cloth Diapers - Thankfully, I'm past this stage, but the great diaper debate rages on. I confess I used disposables. The last I heard, neither disposable or cloth was a good choice (because of all the chemicals required to clean the cloth diapers and fuel used to deliver them to homes). I don't have any babies to try them on, but I've heard gDiapers is a newer alternative available today that aims for an Earth-friendly and convenient diaper.

34. Put It To Work...At Work - The recommendation here is to be green not just at home, but at work as well. Since I'm blogging about it, I think I'm covered here. This one is much harder for people who work in other industries - the medical industry comes to mind. I remember the days when medical equipment was reused. Now, spend a day in the hospital and you'll be amazed at all the disposable pieces of equipment that get used once and tossed. Seems there should be a middle ground somewhere.

35. Recycle the Rest - plastic, tin, etc. Again, all this is easier now. Ever need to know how to recycle something in particular? Send me an email and I'll see if I can find some answers.

36. Build a Backyard Wildlife Refuge - Well, let's see... I have a 2-year old pug that barks at anything that flies, crawls, or creeps in our backyard so our yard is more of a terror zone than a refuge. My son's second grade class is planning to do something like this in the spring so I'll try to live vicariously through them instead. Just in case you have a backyard that isn't patrolled by a crazy pug, check out the National Wildlife Federation for tips on attracting wildlife to your yard. You can even become a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

37. Help Protect the Rainforests - I worry about this, but have never done anything to help. I just learned that next week is World Rainforest Week, so you can count on more information to come.

38. The Great Escape - The recommendation here is that you not let the heat (or air-conditioning) inside your house escape through leaks and cracks. I've never had an energy audit, but it would be interesting to see what they find.

39. Plant a Tree - I've already blogged about chopping down a bunch of trees in my yard, so I probably fail on this one in my own yard, but lately I've been thinking more about urban trees and their impact on the rates of inner-city asthma rates. Another future blog post...

40. Prevent Pests Naturally - I rarely use pesticides in my yard, but I think the bigger issue here is the products I buy that come from farmers who do use pesticides. The local farmer's markets, homegrown vegetables, and organic foods from the store all are a step in the right direction.

41. What a Waste! The recommendation here relates to Hazardous Waste. We all know we shouldn't just dump things like paint and oil, but do we go the extra step to find out how to properly dispose of them? A good first step is to check with your local garbage company or transfer station. Nationally, you can always check with the EPA. As for me? Looking at my garage, I think I have a tendency to just let the paint cans lie around in the garage. Future project...

42. Carpool to Work - Today's vanpools, transit systems, and carpool lanes definitely encourage this, but I'm afraid Americans still cling to their favorite single-occupant transport system - their car. For me, I get off easy on this one. I work from home so there is no carbon output!

What has this list left you thinking about? I want to learn more about the rainforests, keep working on precycling, and contemplate getting an energy audit in my home. Up next, the last 8 recommendations from 1989.

A Look Back to 1989 Part Two

A few weeks ago, I posted the first 28 suggestions from a 1989 book titled 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth just to see how far we've come in 20 years. Many of them were slam-dunks (e.g. don't use leaded gas), but a few made me think. Now we're on to the section of the list titled "It Takes Some Effort." Thankfully, many of them really don't take much effort in 2009. I guess that counts as progress.

29. Reuse Old News - This is much easier today than 20 years ago with 8,550 curbside recycling programs in our country and over 50% of all paper products being recycled. Next step: when you need paper goods, look for the recycled content on the label.

30. Recycle Glass - Again, curbside recycling makes this easy, but as the costs of recycling glass increases and the need decreases, this may get more challenging in the future. See my earlier blog, The Future of Glass Recycling.


31. Don't Can Your Aluminum - Same as above.

32. Precycle - I was impressed this was even a word in 1989. I know I hadn't heard of it till more recently. The key here is to reduce waste before you buy. This is a work-in-progress for me. What about you?

33. Use Cloth Diapers - Thankfully, I'm past this stage, but the great diaper debate rages on. I confess I used disposables. The last I heard, neither disposable or cloth was a good choice (because of all the chemicals required to clean the cloth diapers and fuel used to deliver them to homes). I don't have any babies to try them on, but I've heard gDiapers is a newer alternative available today that aims for an Earth-friendly and convenient diaper.

34. Put It To Work...At Work - The recommendation here is to be green not just at home, but at work as well. Since I'm blogging about it, I think I'm covered here. This one is much harder for people who work in other industries - the medical industry comes to mind. I remember the days when medical equipment was reused. Now, spend a day in the hospital and you'll be amazed at all the disposable pieces of equipment that get used once and tossed. Seems there should be a middle ground somewhere.

35. Recycle the Rest - plastic, tin, etc. Again, all this is easier now. Ever need to know how to recycle something in particular? Send me an email and I'll see if I can find some answers.

36. Build a Backyard Wildlife Refuge - Well, let's see... I have a 2-year old pug that barks at anything that flies, crawls, or creeps in our backyard so our yard is more of a terror zone than a refuge. My son's second grade class is planning to do something like this in the spring so I'll try to live vicariously through them instead. Just in case you have a backyard that isn't patrolled by a crazy pug, check out the National Wildlife Federation for tips on attracting wildlife to your yard. You can even become a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

37. Help Protect the Rainforests - I worry about this, but have never done anything to help. I just learned that next week is World Rainforest Week, so you can count on more information to come.

38. The Great Escape - The recommendation here is that you not let the heat (or air-conditioning) inside your house escape through leaks and cracks. I've never had an energy audit, but it would be interesting to see what they find.


39. Plant a Tree - I've already blogged about chopping down a bunch of trees in my yard, so I probably fail on this one in my own yard, but lately I've been thinking more about urban trees and their impact on the rates of inner-city asthma rates. Another future blog post...

40. Prevent Pests Naturally - I rarely use pesticides in my yard, but I think the bigger issue here is the products I buy that come from farmers who do use pesticides. The local farmer's markets, homegrown vegetables, and organic foods from the store all are a step in the right direction.

41. What a Waste! The recommendation here relates to Hazardous Waste. We all know we shouldn't just dump things like paint and oil, but do we go the extra step to find out how to properly dispose of them? A good first step is to check with your local garbage company or transfer station. Nationally, you can always check with the EPA. As for me? Looking at my garage, I think I have a tendency to just let the paint cans lie around in the garage. Future project...

42. Carpool to Work - Today's vanpools, transit systems, and carpool lanes definitely encourage this, but I'm afraid Americans still cling to their favorite single-occupant transport system - their car. For me, I get off easy on this one. I work from home so there is no carbon output!

What has this list left you thinking about? For me, I want to learn more about the rainforests, keep working on precycling, and contemplate getting an energy audit in my home. Up next, the last 8 recommendations from 1989.

The Future of Glass Recycling

I had a recent experience that made me question the future of glass recycling. We have curbside recycling at our home, but I try to recycle when we're away as well, so occasionally I'll drive my glass, paper, cans, etc. to the local recycling plant.

On my last visit, I discovered that glass is no longer accepted. They said there wasn't a market to sell it to anymore so they had to stop. The local paper, The Wenatchee World, reported that not only were they no longer recycling the glass, but they hadn't been for a long time - they had been quietly dumping it with the rest of the trash. I'm so glad I was driving my recyclables to them so they could throw them in the dump.

The problem is that, we've gotten to be so good at recycling that the supply is surpassing the demand. The work involved in recycling glass back into its raw state is expensive. I get that, but does that mean that we should just throw it all into a landfill?

I think the idea might be radical in the United States, but I would like to see reusable bottles. I first heard about this long ago on the Heineken brewery tour in Amsterdam - back then the brewery was a must-see for all studying-abroad students because of the free beer at the end, but I digress. They had a 99% return rate on bottles - basically, everyone did it because the bottles were sold with a cash deposit that would make it much more expensive to buy brand-new bottles.

I don't know of any companies doing this right now, but I'm going to write a few local ones and see what response I get back. It can't hurt to ask...

How Does Paper Recycling Work?

Most kids know the basics about recycling, but to take it one step further and make the process a little more real for kids, I decided to actually show a group of first graders how it works. Project for the day: making paper!

It is actually fairly easy to turn leftover paper into new paper. It was so successful, my son wants to know if we can stop buying paper now. Hmm... I'm not sure my paper is good enough to run through the printer yet, but I did agree we could start doing it for homemade cards.

Supplies: paper, frame/screen, water, large plastic tub, blender, dull knife

1. The first step is to buy, find, or build a frame with a screen. I actually had a paper making kit from years ago that came with screens. I found a few kits on the market today, but the reviews I read were questionable so you may be better off buying screens at a local craft store or building one yourself with supplies from a hardware store. To build one, you just need a basic wood frame and a screen to staple to it. Here is a picture of my screens.

2. Dig into your paper recycling container and pull out about 15 sheets of scrap paper. Any color will work, but you might want to think about what color paper you want in the end. I used mostly white with a few colored sheets. Newspaper can work if you're okay with grey-colored paper, but stay away from any glossy paper.

3. Rip the paper into approximately 1 inch squares. This seemed to be great fun for kids!

4. Put the paper scraps and four cups of water in a blender. Blend until it looks like a soupy pulp (no big scraps left). I did about 5-10 seconds on low and 30 seconds on high.

5. Pour the mixture into a large tub. I used an old plastic toy bin, but lots of things could work. Repeat step 4 until all of your paper has been turned to pulp.

6. Add enough water to the tub to make it a few inches deep.

7. Submerge your frame in the pulp with the flat side of the frame on top. Lift it directly up out of the water. Hold over the tub until the water has drained.

8. Dry the paper. My kit says that the frames can be cooked in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 degrees, but they weren't quite dry at that point. Also, if you're making your own frame, you might not know if it is able to withstand the heat of the oven. Sunshine for a few hours seemed to be the best method. A hairdryer can speed up the process, but be careful not to get too close to the screen or you can burn a hole in it!

9. Use a dull knife to separate the paper from the screen.

We added some glitter to the pulp, but lots of decorations (dried flowers, confetti, etc.) could be added for embellishments. It is a fun project with kids and gives them a chance to learn about recycling beyond throwing it in the right container.

Plastic Bottles by the Number

With all the rumors swirling out there, I thought I would take on the confusing issue of plastic

Image by Nemo's great uncle via Flickr

bottles. While I'm not promoting the use of plastic when we have other good alternatives (aluminum and glass), there are still many questions that need solid answers. Most surprising is that a lot of the misinformation is coming through email hoaxes.

* Does the reuse of plasic bottles promote bacteria growth?
No. Bacteria is no more likely to grow in a plastic bottle than another beverage container. Of course, they do need to be cleaned in between uses (hot soapy water) because drinking does introduce bacteria from your mouth into the bottle.

* Does the reuse of plastic bottles cause harmful chemicals to leach into the water?
No. Plasticsinfo.org has a detailed answer to this, but in short, the FDA has studied and found PET (the plastic used in most beverage containers) to be safe for single and repeated use.

* What if I freeze the bottle?
Everything above still applies. The concept that freezing the bottle changes its safety came from an email hoax. Snopes set me straight on this one.

* What do all those numbers on the bottom of the bottle mean?
It simply indicates the type of resin used to make the plastic. For a summary of what each one means, check out this summary from Earth911.

* What can I recycle?
That is dependent on your recycling company. Mine recycles plastic bottles, jugs, and round dairy tubs. If you want to recycle something not on their list, check out Earth911 for local recycling centers. In my area, my grocery store recycles the plastic bag and UPS recycles the packing peanuts.

Any questions???

Upcycling Juice Pouches

Normally, I am not a big consumer of juice pouches. They come in small containers that can't be recycled so I try to avoid them altogether. My kids, on the other hand, love them like all kids and can't resist whenever they are around.

We spent this weekend at our church's family camp on Whidbey Island (great weather, great fellowship, and great fun for all!) Juice pouches were readily available to keep the children hydrated while they gallavanted from the lake to the pickleball court to the BMX track to the archery course. I was happy to hear that some of the church members would be carting back all of the recyclables since Whidbey Island doesn't seem to have recycling pick-up (although I did see a number of drop-off stations on the island). I have never recycled juice pouches, but offered to bring those back since a parent from my sons' school had recently let me know that she is "upcycling" them through Terracycle. This company turns the pouches (and lots of other products) into backpacks, pencil bags, lunchboxes, etc.

Terracyle is an interesting company - they started as a couple of college kids who entered an entrepreneur contest and ended up with a business that used worms to recycle college dorm food waste into plant food. Without enough money for packaging they decided to reuse soda bottles. Today, the company is trying to drive what they call an eco-capitalism revolution. What if companies could make money while be socially and environmentally responsible?

What do you think? Is this a good way to get companies on the eco bandwagon - or are we just bowing to the companies and helping them advertise their not-so-eco-friendly products on our kids' backs? I don't think I'll be buying a Capri Sun backpack anytime soon, but I do like the idea of getting another use out of the materials.

Why do We Recycle?

Yesterday, while walking home from the bus stop with my two boys, I told them about my new blog. They were confused by my concept that Earth is a "gift" that all of us leave to our kids, but perhaps that’s because they both have birthdays this week and they’re really hoping for a different type of "gift!"

When I mentioned recycling as a potential topic, my six-year-old commented, "I don’t think most kids get why we’re supposed to recycle." That made me stop and think. Recycling has always been part of his life. I assumed that this made kids natural recyclers, but maybe recycling has just become another requirement on the list of things adults make them do. "Did you put that bottle in the right bin?" might be the modern day version of the dreaded "did you take out the trash?"

So, why do we recycle? What would happen if we didn’t? To find some answers, I visited the EPA website and found some interesting statistics.

In 2007, Americans generated 254 million tons of trash. This is equivalent to 4.6 pounds of trash per person per day. That’s a lot of garbage. Of course, its worth noting that is more than any other country in the world, but that shouldn’t really be a surprise to any of us.

On a positive note, we recycled and/or composted 85 million tons or one-third of that trash. The first two Rs of the waste management cycle - Reduce and Reuse - are critical, but my son’s question was about recycling so we’ll stay on that path for today.

By recycling 85 million tons of trash, we get cleaner land (less trash in landfills), air, and water. The significant air and water benefits come from the reduced energy needed to create new products from recyclables, rather than raw materials. In 2007, recycling efforts reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 193 million metric tons. In terms a six-year-old can understand, that is the equivalent of removing 35 million cars from our roads!

But what about those other 169 million tons of trash from last year that we didn’t recycle? From a household perspective, Americans are actually doing fairly well with recycling, but other places – schools, businesses, hotels, restaurants, parks - frequently miss the mark. I was so surprised to find a compartmentalized recycling bin at my hotel in Sweden last year, I had to snap a picture.

Based on what I’ve seen in my kids’ school, I don’t believe they’re recycling in the classrooms so I’m going to make that my challenge for next week – to find out why and see what I can do to change it. What about you – are there any places you visit frequently that don't recycle? What impact can you have on that extra 169 million tons of trash?