You might routinely recycle and already bring your own tote bag when you shop for clothes and food.  What more can you do?  Well, there is a chance for you and your organization to recycle in a whole new way.  Terracycle makes eco-friendly products from a wide range of waste packaging that traditionally has not been recycled.  When you collect these specific packages and ship them or drop them off at one of hundreds of Terracycle recycling centers, you get cash back for your recycled donations.  Terracycle transforms these waste products to cool new products such as tote bags, pencil cases, clipboards and many other items.


Please visit the following website for more information, www.terracycle.net/brigades


By partnering with your local library, school or other not for profit organizations, we can work together to raise cash by recycling these product packaging.  


Great concept and company that strives to be one of many eco-friendly solutions to our growing waste problem.

Now that my boy is riding a bike without training wheels, we are already thinking of his next bike.  Unfortunately, there is not enough bike lanes in most American cities.  Riding a bike is a great form of exercise.  Also, studies have shown that by riding a bike to work instead of driving a car, you can save up to $500 in gasoline costs per year.  That is a lot of money.  Also, it reduces the amount of air pollution associated with driving cars as well.  


The following is a great not for profit organization that is raising a strong grass roots movement in advocating for more bike lanes and bike friendly laws.  Please visit this website for more information, www.peopleforbikes.org.

As Americans approach alarming rates of obesity across the country, politicians and educators are focusing on various solutions to promote healthier living.  Improving diet and increasing exercise are proven methods to promote healthier living.  However, studies have shown that individuals want specific solutions that are simple to follow.


By creating more sidewalks and mandating the existence of sidewalks in all developments throughout the nation, more individuals will become regular pedestrians.  Yes, something so simple as having a safe place to walk will encourage more Americans to drive their cars less.   Less driving means less pollution.


The following is a great website to find out more about sidewalk improvement and creation efforts, www.saferoutesinfo.org.


Write to your congressman today and tell them that you want them to support the maintenance and creation of more sidewalks.  

It's Earth Day.  To celebrate Earth Day, we're planning to have a board game night tonight (no television or other electronic distractions).  It's been a hectic week so far, planting our garden, doing spring cleaning, trying to fit in some exercise so I can stay relatively healthy, etc.  

Please visit the following website to find out more about great Earth Day events:  www.earthday.org.

The following are some simple tips on how to start living an eco-friendly life (today's a great day to start).

Donate all of your old clothing/items to a charity (Goodwill, Salvation Army, local churches or local libraries).
Give a living plant or a pack of seeds as a gift for an upcoming holiday (instead of buying some plastic gimmicky gift item, consider giving a plant to someone you love).
Donate time (with every leading busy lives, the one thing people appreciate the most is the gift of time, so help a friend out and babysit for free or volunteer, the dividends are endless).
Encourage face time (instead of depending on electronics, texting, cellphone, skyping, etc., schedule some in person face time, you will enjoy hearing their voices in person).

Have you ever wondered where does all of the leftover school supplies or educational materials go?  For corporations, do you ever wonder where outdated promotional items go?  When I was working in marketing in the corporate world, there were a number of promotional items that we inevitably had to discard because the information on them where irrelevant or outdated.  I used to think, what a waste it is for all of these items to be disposed.  I actually spent a number of hours asking our legal department if it was okay to donate them and they came back and told me that it was too much of a hassle or a liability.  The same often happens in many corporations and organizations.  Well, I found an organization that helps address this issue.  

It is the Reusable Resource Association.  This not for profit organization that has locations in various states and will take donations that can be repurposed for educational/art related purposes.  

Major corporations and individuals can donate their items by visiting the location closest to them and also can obtain items from their nearest center by becoming a member.

Please visit the following website:  www.reusableresources.org

Have you ever wonder if the leftover soap in hotels can be put to a better use?  Well, here is a website/not for profit organization that will partner with hotels to accept used soap, purify the used soap and repackage it as donations for third world countries.  It's such a great cause.  Basically, the hotel trains the cleaning staff to collect  the used soap and have them sent to this organization for recycling.  GlobalSoap.org does not collect personal donations of soap because they do not have the facilities to process various different kinds of soaps.

It reduces unnecessary soaps filling up landfills and waterways (did you also know that excess sulfurs and potassium based soap products are causing a pH imbalance in most water systems, disrupting the natural eco-systems and disturbing natural marine food chains?).

It helps those who need access to soap.

For more information, please visit www.globalsoap.org.  The next time you are at a hotel, speak with the hotel manager about this program and encourage them to participate (when enough consumers take action and request hotels to do the same, we'll all make a difference).