Recycling Jackson Reporter

Christmas LED lights still in progress

2010-03-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

The holiday-light recycling program offered by HolidayLEDs.com has been extended past its original Feb. 28 cut off date.

"We receive several e-mails each day from people interested in the program and inquiring whether it is too late to send us their lights," said Philip C. Curtis of HolidayLEDs.com. "As long as there is sufficient interest and demand for the program we will continue the operation," he said.

The Jackson, Mich., company has recycled more than 10,000 pounds of holiday light strings so far this year. People who send in their old strings of lights receive a coupon for discounts at HolidayLEDs.com.

Nice to see a Jackson-based company doing great things.

Surge in e-waste hitting developing countries

2010-03-06T19:44:00.001-05:00

Sales of electronic products in countries like China and India and across continents such as Africa and Latin America are set to rise sharply in the next 10 years.

And, unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials, many developing countries face the spectre of hazardous e-waste mountains with serious consequences for the environment and public health, according to UN experts in a landmark report released today by UNEP.

From United Nations Environment Program.

Donate online with JustGive.org

2010-01-19T20:40:00.002-05:00

Good news: you can now make tax-deductible contributions to Recycling Jackson online.

We've teamed up with JustGive.org, a fellow non-profit that does what PayPal does for eBay; namely, they let you make a donation online. They do all this for a paltry 3% of whatever you donate. So if you donate $10, JustGive.org keeps $0.30.

It's worth it, considering we had no infrastructure to accept donations.

Use the button below - and thanks for any donation you make.

Downtown Jackson recycling site moves to Goodwill

2009-12-04T13:32:00.000-05:00

News from the Jackson Citizen Patriot:

The Community Recycling Center will reopen today at its new home at Goodwill Industries, 617 N. Mechanic St.

The center, which is operated by Northwest Refuse and Modern Waste Systems, has been in a parking lot at 209 W. Louis Glick Highway since it opened in 2005. It ceased operations there Monday.

Goodwill Operations Manager Matthew Brown said the store already recycles clothes and computers at its retail location, so the center is a natural extension.

"We're hoping it will boost our donations," Brown said.

The Louis Glick Highway location was chosen because it was convenient for residents on their way to and from downtown. Jackson City Councilman Andrew Frounfelker, whose ward is downtown, said some residents used the site to dump nonrecyclable items despite the presence of signs forbidding the act.

"Having Goodwill manage the city's recycling efforts will remove that expense for city taxpayers," Frounfelker wrote in an e-mail. "Overall the move to Goodwill, I believe, will be a positive endeavor for Goodwill, the city and, most important, the citizens of the community who participate in recycling."

The center will continue to accept common household recyclables. While it has been open 24 hours and unstaffed, it will henceforth be open and staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Goodwill will celebrate the move at noon Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, lunch, refreshments and tours of its facilities.

For more information about the center, call Brown at 787-0570, ext. 20.

Hopefully this will help clean up some of the problems the Louis Glick Hwy. drop-off site saw over its years of operation.

Winter news from Recycling Jackson

2009-11-30T14:16:00.001-05:00

Two things we want to pass along.

One, On November 1, 2009, Recycling Jackson began collecting $1 per pound to offset our cost to recycle your alkaline batteries. One pound of batteries is approximately a quart bag full of batteries. To our knowledge, we are the only company in town that actually recycles the batteries. If you are going elsewhere please ask if they are actually recycling the alkaline batteries that you drop off.

For environmental and economic reasons we strongly encourage you to consider using rechargeable or lithium batteries as an alternative to the alkaline batteries that you use.

We continue to recycle rechargeable batteries (NiCd, NiMh) and Lithium batteries at no cost.

Second, Starting in January of 2010 we will only be open on the first Saturday of each month through June of 2010. This is not by choice but due to financial reasons.

About 18 months ago Recycling Jackson was told that we would no longer receive payment for the paper, plastic, glass, metal and cardboard that we collected at our Monroe St. drop-off site. With that decision, the primary source of income needed to run our recycling operation dried up. We had hoped that the funding would come back over time, but the economic situation in our state and community has made that scenario seem unlikely.

While Recycling Jackson will limit our drop-off site operations, we will be expanding our advocacy and education efforts in the community. Those efforts are grant- and local-donor-funded and they continue to receive strong support. Next year, our community education efforts will be a team effort through the Dahlem Conservancy. That partnership will help us expand our education efforts to include the Green Schools program.

Again, I do apologize to our many loyal members for having to make these changes, but Recycling Jackson cannot operate without income. Please watch for more information on an adopt-a-recycling site program that we hope to start in 2010. That program is aimed at keeping the recycling drop-off sites around town clean, and to provide assistance to those that need it for unloading materials.

Watch here, or our web site for details.

How your materials are recycled

2009-10-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

Cool look at a paper baler in California, courtesy of Trash Trip's YouTube channel.

Karen Hawes, the self-described "Queen of Trash," runs the Trash Trip blog. There, Hawes chronicles the travels of trash all across the North and South American continents.

Green your feet

2009-10-07T11:41:00.003-04:00

Tread softly by recycling the old and stepping into a new pair of eco-friendly shoes.

When it’s time for a new pair of shoes, breathe new life into your footwear selection with a pair of first-rate ecologically-conscious “green” shoes made using second-time-around recycled materials and natural materials of all kinds, in many different styles and sizes.

When you find a suitable way to reuse or recycle your old pair and find a charming new pair of eco-friendly kickers, you reduce new landfill deposits and help reduce the size of the “carbon footprint” you leave. These are just a few small steps you can take to make a positive impact on the planet.

With an array of brands and choices, the selection of “green” footwear has grown by leaps and bounds. You’ll take the switch to green in a confident stride with a variety of shoes that will complement any style. Whether you’re looking for some all-weather rugged hiking boots for hitting the trail, some sandals for those beach days or even more formal styles like a pair of men’s dress shoes or perhaps a pair of ladies’ stylish pumps, there’s a “green” shoe to fit you!

Shoes are often produced using “first materials,” which puts a drain on resources. From factory production to transportation, they leave a big “carbon footprint” trail behind them on their way to your feet. Certain types of shoes that are made from a variety of materials can be difficult to recycle, resulting in them landing in the garbage bin, further increasing their burden on the environment. Eco-conscious shoes fit the “green” bill because they are composed of recycled materials like recycled rubber and fabrics or other natural materials that need less intense processing and are therefore more earth-friendly.

Once you decide your old comfy worn-out sneakers are ready to be retired, think green by locating a running shoe recycling program in your area. Many areas have shoe-recycling drop-off centers while the “reuse-a-shoe” program offers a mail-in option, as well as information about organizing and starting up a shoe-recycling program in your community if you don’t already have one. Some programs turn running shoes into their favorite counterpart – an athletic-grade surface! Other programs reuse the shoes through charity organizations worldwide. Two good places to begin looking are Recycled Runners and National Recycling Coalition's Rescue-a-Shoe.

After you’ve found an eco-friendly way to dismiss your old shoes from service, the fun begins.

Recycled shoes often take other difficult-to-dispose-of items and turn them into useful ingredients to make a long-lasting, earth-friendly, foot-hugging shoe. For example, old automobile tires enjoy a comeback as part of the latest from Flat Tire Footwear. These green shoes will put the bounce in your step with their unique “crumb rubber” soles made from recycled tires. They’re cushy and comfortable and offer plenty of traction. The line includes men’s and women’s shoes in several styles including sandals, clogs and casual shoes. Many feature suede-leather uppers.

If you need durable, earth-friendly shoes for enjoying nature, the Patagonia Company offers a large variety of hiking shoes and boots for men and women that feature a significant percentage of recycled plastics and cork. They also offer trainers, flip-flops and two-in-one slip-ons, all of which come in very stylish earth tone colors.

If you like tennis shoes or bicycle shoes, Worn Again is an environmentally conscious British company that creates spiffy shoes with great attention to detail. Worn Again boasts products that are made from inner tubes, airline seats and other surprising materials.

If you need some suave dress shoes, Ecolution has designed some great “green” ones for men including hemp oxfords. They are naturally organic and come in black, brown and light tan.

If you feel like splurging, treat your feet to a pair of Beyond Skin pumps or heels. They are available in a wide variety of ultra stylish designs and are all made from earth- and animal-friendly materials.

The Zoe & Zac line by Payless Shoe Source features a naturally different assortment of women and girls’ summer shoes produced by using organic materials and recycled rubber.

The next time you shoe shop, go green with your footwear. The ground you walk on and future generations will thank you.

Banner paper boxes reused for fluorescent tubes

2009-09-04T07:33:00.002-04:00

Here's a handy little something I do at work.

We print banners and posters on three-foot-wide HP paper. Each roll of paper comes in these long, narrow cardboard boxes.

One day, I got the bright idea to start keeping our fluorescent tubes in the boxes until they could be recycled. And it works great: there's a little plastic or paper tube in the box that kept the paper rolled up, and the lights slide right in.

Every once in a while, I take a stack of them to our drop-off site. "Reuse" comes before "recycle," and this is a handy way to reuse something so unique.

RJ holds chamber luncheon

2009-08-18T06:33:00.003-04:00

Our old pal and former president Travis Fojtasek, along with the newly-reformed Recycling Task Force, gave a lunch talk about the benefits of recycling to Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce members.

Fojtasek told the group about the history of recycling in Jackson County, something he has worked hard to maintain:

Within Jackson County it has been demonstrated that private enterprise and local authorities can work together on recycling. The county government has not shown support due to the existence of the county incinerator. However, Recycling Jackson went to the Villages and Townships of our county and now Emmons, Modern Waste Disposal and Northwest Refuse pick up from 21 recycling centers free-of-charge.

He also gave tips on how to start a recycling program at local businesses, followed by a question-and-answer session for everyone who attended.

Wear sustainable shoes with Eco Sneaks

2009-06-26T06:22:00.002-04:00

Looking to make a difference with your feet?

A company called Simple Shoes has developed the Eco Sneak, a sustainable pair of sneakers that "uses materials like recycled car tires, certified organic cotton, PET (think recycled plastic bottles), recycled bike tires, and hemp."

Simple Shoes uses the shoe box to make a statement, as well:

The box is made from 100% post consumer recycled paper and printed with soy-based inks. The shoes have foot forms made from 100% post consumer paper pulp inside them when they arrive in the box. This is the only other packaging that comes with the shoes. No plastic, no excess paper stuffed inside the shoes, nothing.

A new pair of Eco Sneaks will set you back $55-70.

Hope for e-waste in Nigeria

2009-05-06T12:54:00.001-04:00

That's the great thing about recycling electronics: what most Americans consider obsolete is pretty advanced for developing nations.

Time-lapsed e-waste collection

2009-05-03T19:56:00.003-04:00

Here's how they do it in Vermont.

Small Dog Electronics, an Apple reseller and electronics store, hosted a five-hour e-waste event where they collected 150 tons of electronic waste (e-waste).

This video was made using time-lapsed images over an hour. Look at all those recyclers!

Recycling Jackson at Earth Day 2009

2009-04-22T07:27:00.001-04:00

Recycling Jackson participated in the Jackson Outdoor Coalition's third Earth Day activities at Cascades this past weekend.

Despite the rain, we answered many questions and passed out lots of coloring books and bags for the kids.

Don't forget to plant the saplings we handed out - today's Earth Day!

Bad news: only pastics #1-2 accepted

2009-04-15T07:15:00.003-04:00

Recycling Jackson received unfortunate news from Northwest Refuse: they're no longer accepting colored glass or plastics numbered #3-7.

"Due to circumstances beyond our control we are unable to locate a market and are therefore no longer able to accept the above items as recyclable materials," Northwest told us in a letter.

Now they're only accepting clear glass and plastics #1 and #2.

The recycled material market hasn't been kind to recyclers lately.

Northwest tells us that they're working on updating the drop-off site signage to reflect the changes. It was nice when we could say any type of plastic is acceptable for recycling; let's hope we get back to that soon.

Wired: 'Where Gadgets Go To Die'

2009-04-02T09:18:00.004-04:00

Wired.com has a great photo essay about an electronics recycler in California - including piles of material (above) that gets reused.

The staggering thing is seeing those piles of electronics and realizing it's only the tip of the iceberg.

Wired also posted a manufacturer-specific "how to recycle e-waste" article on their How-To Wiki.

Join us at American 1's Project: Zero Waste

2009-03-25T18:38:00.004-04:00

Recycling Jackson is participating in American 1 Federal Credit Union's new Project: Zero Waste day.

Project Zero Waste is a chance for Jackson County residents drop off materials like metal, plastic, paper, Styrofoam, tires, and e-waste to be disposed of in an environmentally-responsible manner. The day will take place Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

Residents will have to pre-register to participate in the event. Most items will be taken free of charge, but some – like TVs, tires, and LP tanks – will carry a minimal charge. Recycling Jackson will take e-waste items. The good news is that we'll take the first TV or monitor you bring for free, and only ask for a donation after the first one. Recycling Jackson is also accepting the usual computers, laptops, batteries, printers, and anything else with a circuit board - except that we're accepting most of it for free.

We're joining Goodwill, Sam’s Club, Northwest Refuse, Emmons Services, OmniSource, Rapid Refill Ink, Dart Container, Pak Mail, and HUCO Kurpinski Recycling – along with the City of Jackson, the Jackson County Fairgrounds, and American 1 – to put this day on.

Plus, Project: Zero Waste kicks off a weekend of events in Jackson that will celebrate Earth Day and environmental stewardship. There’s also a big event at Cascades park on Sunday, April 19 sponsored by the Jackson Outdoor Coalition.

County residents who want to participate can download a registration form online at projectzerowaste.com, or pick one up at any American 1 branch. Registration forms are now due by April 10 (American 1 just extended the deadline). We're asking that people get registered just because of the traffic and timing issues.

A full list of accepted materials is also available at projectzerowaste.com.

Kids get creative with RJ canvas bags

2009-01-12T21:23:00.002-05:00

Look at home much fun these kids are having decorating our Recycling Jackson canvas bags.

Mary Tallman, our education/outreach coordinator, takes the bags when she visits local elementary students. As you can see, the bags are a hit.

The bags are reusable, so the students will get some mileage out of them - and help spread the good word.

Dreaming of a green Christmas

2009-01-05T19:03:00.003-05:00

Turns out lots of Jackson residents went green with their post-holiday wrappings. From the CitPat:

Bill Thomas, resource recovery coordinator for Northwest Refuse, said the company saw a significant increase in the volume of recyclables dropped off at recycling centers after Christmas — when people are getting rid of plenty of cardboard boxes and paper from gifts that had been under their trees.

How about that?

The CitPat also noted that county recycling drop-off sites were "overflowing" after Christmas. "Scenes like these show the need for a better public recycling program." We couldn't agree more.

Recycled materials harder to sell?

2008-12-13T13:02:00.002-05:00

An interesting story from the New York Times on how the economic troubles have affected recycled materials. Says the article:

There are no signs yet of a nationwide abandonment of recycling programs. But industry executives say that after years of growth, the whole system is facing an abrupt slowdown.

Nothing is immune, it seems, from the financial crisis - let's just hope the environment doesn't become old news.

Build a Buddhist temple out of 1 million beer bottles

2008-11-20T17:57:00.003-05:00

It's true:

Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct their Buddhist temple. Mindfulness is at the center of the Buddhist discipline and the dedication and thoughtfulness required to build everything from the toilets to their crematorium from recycled bottles shows what creativity and elbow grease can accomplish.

The monks were able to clean up some of the pollution and make an amazing, and news-worthy, structure that I'm sure looks dazzling on a bright, sunny day.

If Buddhist monks can take a million beer bottles and make a house of worship, is it too much to ask for us to recycle our plastic water bottles? Seriously.

60 Minutes follows the e-waste trail

2008-11-10T07:41:00.003-05:00

Wow - if you didn't see 60 Minutes special report on e-waste last night, be sure to check it out online. It was a scary and informative piece about what happens to our electronics when we toss them out.

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley follows one Denver, CO "recycler" that actually sends his e-waste to China to be sold and melted down, even though the recycler claims everything stays in the U.S.

And what happens in China? That's the scariest part of the story: people getting burned, inhaling toxic fumes, and living with the highest concentration of lead in their blood of anywhere on Earth.

Frightening stuff. It's good, though, to remind us that all this gadgetry we buy has to end up somewhere.

[image courtesy of CBS.com]

Number of the week:

2008-10-20T20:51:00.005-04:00

21,326

The amount of electronics, in pounds, that we collected at our Oct. 11 e-waste drive.

According to President Steve Noble, that's the second-highest haul ever.

"71% of it was TVs and monitors," he says, "and the rest were PCs and peripherals."

Isn't that something? Thanks again, Jackson, for taking care of your e-waste in a responsible way.

E-waste drive this weekend

2008-10-09T20:22:00.002-04:00

That's right, electronic recyclers - it's that time again.

Recycling Jackson and Sam's Club are hosting the Fall E-waste Drive this Saturday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sam's Club in Jackson.

We're taking the usual TVs, computer equipment, stereos, batteries, and fluorescent lights. We ask for a donation for each item you bring, but some items - like CD players and printers - are free.

Check out our e-waste page for all the details.

40 easy ways to go green.

2008-09-26T07:22:00.005-04:00

If you haven't checked out the No Impact Man blog yet, please do. A guy, Colin, living in New York City decides he's going to live by making as little impact on the environment as possible. It's a great read.

His "40 steps on the personal path to green" post is a good primer if you're looking for ideas to reduce your own impact on our world.

Experiments like Colin's are what makes this whole "green movement" so interesting: no one has figured it all out, but - bit by bit - we're getting closer.

Choosing a safe reusable water bottle.

2008-09-18T07:14:00.003-04:00

According to Lifehacker, "Americans consume 28 billion single use bottles of water per year and roughly 80 percent of those end up in a landfill." And considering how much bottled water we drink, all the plastic takes up a lot of space...somewhere.

The Good Human addresses some of the bottled water concerns, including a list of the best reusable bottles you can buy. The worst are PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles - the same kind Aquafina, Coke, and other water, juice, and pop bottles come in.

The site concludes that the best kind of reusable water bottle is one made out of stainless steel:

Ideally, the best way to drink water on the go would be an aluminum or stainless steel water bottle, as they seem to exhibit the least amount of health concerns out of all the choices. Add in the fact that they can be used over and over again with no degradation and do not need to be recycled each time you use one, they really are the “green” choice. And since upwards of 40% of bottled water is actually just tap water in disguise, buying it seems like not only a health risk due to the plastic leaching possibilities, but also a wallet risk due to wasting money on something you already have at home!

What kind of water bottle do you use?

Stop the automatic phone book deliveries.

2008-08-28T07:14:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but two or three phone books each year is too much.

YellowPagesGoesGreen.org thinks the same thing. The group doesn't think that we should ban phone books all together, but put forward a simple idea: when we want one, we can ask.

Says the group:

Yellowpagesgoesgreen.com was started because we are continually bombarded with Yellow and White Page directories at both home and office. The movement is not intended to stop the use of such directories, but to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of the books. If we want a book we will call and order one.

Over 500 million of these directories are printed every year. That is nearly two books for every person in the country! These directories produce a staggering amount of waste, not only in terms of misused natural resources but also in filling of valuable landfill space.

All that paper going to waste - it's a wonder someone hasn't done this sooner.

Yellow Pages Goes Green will help remove your name from printed Telephone Directory mailing list, and provides links to resources that will help in the effort - including the Do-Not-Call Registry.

Downtown Jackson drop off site gone Nov. 4?

2008-08-18T19:17:00.002-04:00

If you read Thursday's Jackson Citizen Patriot, you may have caught the story on the City Council outlining city manager William Ross's goals for the rest of the year.

One of those goals included "relocate city recycling center by Nov. 1."

We've tried to spread the news on this, but we really encourage everyone to call their city council representative and voice their opinion on the matter.

Recycling Jackson advocates keeping the site where it is, or moving it to the (often vacant) parking lot across the street. We don't want to see it on Water St. with limited hours and accessibility.

At the same time, we don't want the mess and the disrespect to continue.

Make your voice heard!

Thanks Fazoli's for the waste

2008-08-09T10:17:00.004-04:00

This is why people complain about too much packaging in our world today.

Look at that. A simple piece of cheesecake from Fazoli's inside a container big enough for the entire cake. And because I bought two pieces, I got two of these monstrosities. Why couldn't they just stuff two pieces of cheesecake inside THIS package?

It's horrifying. And it's a good thing we have plastic recycling in Jackson County now. These two containers may need a whole bin to themselves.

Recycling gum? It's possible.

2008-08-06T07:14:00.003-04:00

That wad of Bubbleyum you just stepped on? That could've been recycled.

Companies like Recycle Media are offering ways to recycle used bubble gum using cute, cuddly bins like the one above.

There are even some artists who use the chewed-up gum as their medium to their masterpiece.

Sign up for our new e-mail list

2008-07-29T20:17:00.005-04:00

We're in the process of setting up a new e-mail distribution list. Maybe you received the first one we sent out a few months ago: that was simply a big Yahoo.com list. We want to do something a little fancier.

This is why the city wants to move the downtown drop-off site:

2008-07-19T20:38:00.003-04:00

Our city recycling drop-off sites are not trash dumps, but some people aren't getting the message.

It's no wonder the city wants to move the site to a "secure" location: people are probably dumping in the middle of the night. That also means, however, residents can't use the drop-off site at any time.

If you see someone pulling this kind of thing, please let us know. Because of the people who do this kind of thing, we may not have recycling sites at all.

Tell City Hall not to move downtown recycling site

2008-07-15T07:17:00.000-04:00

Our president Steve Noble read an article in Saturday's paper (I can't find it online) about how the city wants to move the Louis Glick recycling drop-off site to Emmons on Water St. Here's Steve's full letter:

Hi All

Don't know how many of your saw the article in the paper on Saturday but
the city has come out and advised that they are considering moving the
downtown recycling site to Emmons facility on Water Street. This will
greatly limit access and drastically reduce the convenience for our
residents.

I'm sure there is more to this than what was printed but that will only
come out if there is controversy. I will be offering our thoughts about
this at the city commission meeting tomorrow night to hopefully stir up
discussions before the decision is made in August. More than anything
we need residents to call their commissioner to voice an opinion against
this action.

There are several options that could implemented rather than putting the
drop off site in an old industrial section of town with limited access.
One option is to repeal the ordinance that prevents curbside pickup of
trash and recyclables. Also there is a similar location that the city
could use across the street from the current location.

I will be offering our assistance to educate the public about the
benefits of recycling and the effects of midnight dumping.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Steve

Click over to "Contact" to find the phone number to reach Steve on this effort.

Recycling saves businesses money.

2008-07-14T19:14:00.004-04:00

A little local news for you: The Saginaw News shows how going green can help business.

"Recycling and reducing waste should prove a no-brainer for business leaders because it impacts the bottom line, Duebbert said," and the article shows how up to one-third of waste comes from businesses, and how recyclable paper makes up the majority of that.

When a company goes green, side benefits include improved employee productivity as well as an improved standing among customers who also believe in recycling. Less waste means less cost for disposal, Duebbert said.

Nice to see a Michigan-based effort to get businesses to care more about waste management.

E-waste: taking responsibility

2008-07-03T17:32:00.001-04:00

A thought struck me during our recent e-waste drive on June 21: by recycling, people are taking responsibility for their trash.

I couldn't believe how many CTR monitors (especially Dell monitors) and old TVs that came in. Part of the haul comes from people updating to flat-screen and LCD monitors, but I couldn't help but wonder - if all of these are just coming from Jackson residents, what's happening all over the country?

People loaded these electronic relics into their vehicles, drove them to Sam's Club on a Saturday, and gave us a donation to responsibly recycle them. That's quite a bit of effort, and it happened at least a hundred times on one weekend day.

The same kind of effort goes into everyday recycling. Keeping track of paper, plastic, metal, and glass in your home, seperating it, and taking it to a recycling drop-off site takes work. Recycling isn't for lazy people.

All of that work does a lot of good. And it makes people take responsibility - both in mental effort and in calories burned - for the trash they produce. We take from the earth's supply of natural resources, and instead of tossing it out we reuse it in some other product. We could just bury it. A lot of people do.

Recyclers, however, take a stand and say, "This will not go to waste."

Or at least we say, "We'll take care of it responsibly." Thanks for taking responsibility for your corner of the world. With our successful e-waste drives, it just goes to show that feeling is shared by more and more people.

> Go here for more e-waste drive photos

E-waste drive this Saturday

2008-06-17T19:31:00.002-04:00

Join us for our annual summer e-waste drive this Saturday, June 21 at Sam's Club in Jackson from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Head to our e-waste page on our web site for a full list of suggested donations for items. Notice the price drop: because of volume, our e-waste recycler is cutting everyone a deal, which we appreciate.

Recycling Jackson's e-waste drive is happening at the same time the Jackson County Health Department is hosting their Household Hazardous Waste drive (scroll down for their flyer). So a quick trip across town and you can get some responsible cleaning done.

Please bring your computers, TVs, stereos, cellphones, and other electronic junk to Sam's and we'll take care of it for you.

Best Buy wants your e-junk.

2008-06-05T20:44:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the posting delay, folks. I've been on vacation - just got back from a driving tour of New England.

Getting ready for our June 21 e-waste drive at Sam's, it was nice to hear that Best Buy is now taking certain e-waste items at its locations. It looks like printer cartridges and cell phones are a go, and appliances they'll even pick up for you, but other things are touch-and-go depending on where you're at. Around here, it looks like the closest you can get is Ann Arbor.

Some items you can upgrade and trade-in for Best Buy gift cards. Not bad.

Had an experience with Best Buy recycling? Let us know in the comments. And look for more info on our summer e-waste drive, coming soon!

Links of the week.

2008-05-05T18:53:00.000-04:00

Reuse disposable items [from Lifehacker.com]
Another list of ways to reuse stuff [from Tipnut.com]
Backlash against green marketing [fromSeth Godin's blog]

That last one is interesting, because I noticed the big brew-haha that went on during the week of Earth Day. Can we really be "green" by buying (and throwing away) more stuff? Probably not.

Sign up for our e-mail list

2008-04-30T07:09:00.004-04:00

So, we're Recycling Jackson, and every quarter we send out paper newsletters through the mail. We also print new brochures every year or so.

There's a bit of irony there. And we'd like to help end that.

That's why we're developing an e-mail list so that, if you're interested in receiving our newest newsletter, brochure, or update on e-waste drives, you can get it without any harm done to the environment.

Duh, right?

If you're interested, please send us an e-mail to: recyclingjackson [at] yahoo [.] com

We're not going to spam you, or send you stuff every week (maybe not even every month), but we would like to develop a list of hardcore supporters who are interested in hearing the latest and greatest from Recycling Jackson.

Thanks, and hope to see your e-mails soon!

Happy Earth Day.

2008-04-22T06:27:00.003-04:00

Today's kind of a holiday for us recyclers, and this year seems like it's going to be huge. With all the global warming stuff in the news, the reports that water is becoming scarcer, and even green fashion taking hold in the public consciousness, everyone wants to slap a leaf on their logo and celebrate all week long.

Here's a round-up of what some companies and organizations are doing.

> NBC's week-long greenfest

> Fox's "Green It. Mean It." campaign

> Environmental Protection Agency's photo contest

> Al Gore's new "We Can Solve the Climate Crisis" campaign

> Ride a Monowheel to Work Day (I made the day up, but the bike is real)

> New York City's Earth Day 2008 celebration

Earth Day a hit @ Cascades

2008-04-21T06:27:00.003-04:00

Thanks for all the nice folks who stopped and said hello during the Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition's Earth Day festivities yesterday.

Mary, our new education/outreach coordinator, Randy, and I answered questions, passed out brochures and newsletters, and enjoyed the sunshine (maybe a bit too much in my sunburned case). We also passed out white pine seedlings.

If you were there, hopefully you got some great information from all the groups - like Lynsy (above) from the Jackson Citizen Patriot (and the fab "Livin' Green" blog) and her swell new "Green MI" magazine. Everyone one from the Dahlem Center to the Friends of the Falling Water Trail were on-hand to spread the good word of sustainability and environmental care.

It really was a day for kids, though, with most groups featuring arts and crafts and educational activities. And with the setting in Sparks Park, there was tons of nature and critters and ponds to explore.

A great day. Hope to see you all again next year!

See you on Sunday for Earth Day.

2008-04-16T21:34:00.002-04:00

We'll see you Sunday for the Jackson Area Outdoor Coalition's second Earth Day celebration.

Stop by our spot at Cascades on Sunday, April 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. We'll be handing out sapling trees and offering information on our services, and recycling in general.

Last year was a hit, and Brad Whaley, executive director of the Dahlem Conservancy, is bragging that this will be twice as big as the 2007 shindig.

“We’re really excited about all of the activities that are planned. We’ll have something there for people of all ages and interest levels,” Brad said. “We’ve got the Grand River Environmental Action Team (GREAT) bringing in their kayaks and canoes for people to try out in the lagoons, Paragon Charter Academy will be conducting a Reuse-A-Shoe drive. We’ll be building blue bird houses, passing out free tree seedlings (quantity limited) for people to plant, and leading birding tours of the park. There will be musicians, storytelling, and visual artists. There will be many other kinds of activities, demonstrations, and fun events happening, really too many to list them all. Twenty five different local groups, agencies and organizations will be there to engage people.”

How about all that for a fun Sunday afternoon? Hopefully the weather is as lovely as it was last year.

Also, Lynsy Smithson-Stanley at the CitPat (and "Livin' Green" fame) will be showcasing her awesome new Green MI magazine. Be sure to pick up a copy.

See you then!

New interactive site map available

2008-04-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

View Larger Map

Check it out - our new recycling site locator map, thanks to Google!

Click, drag, zoom. It can handle it.

El Presidente, profiled!

2008-04-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

If you read Thursday's edition of the Jackson Citizen Patriot, you may have seen a familiar face on page A4: our own president, Steve Noble.

Steve was profiled by the newspaper. The story includes how Steve got involved in Recycling Jackson, and a nice picture of him outside our Monroe St. drop-off site.

Steve is the second local recycler to be profiled by the CitPat. A few months ago, Mitzi had her picture in the paper, too.

Check it out - and if you see Steve, be sure to congratulate him.

Giant number of the month

2008-04-04T07:28:00.002-04:00

161,100

That's how many pounds of e-waste we've collected so far. It all adds up to 80.5 tons of electronic junk that won't be burned or buried in some third-world landfill.

Our program kicked off three years ago this spring.

And a note: Our next e-waste drive is June 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sam's Club in Jackson. Look for more info coming soon.

Meet our new Education & Outreach Coordinator

2008-04-03T06:21:00.003-04:00

Recycling Jackson is proud to announce its new Education and Outreach Coordinator, Mary Tallman.

Mary is a native Jacksonian who graduated from the University of Michigan with a fine arts degree in painting and drawing, and earned a master of arts in education from Spring Arbor University.

Currently, she serves as Title I parent liaison for Jackson Arts and Technology Academy. Her work as educator for Recycling Jackson is a natural extension of her current and past work in Jackson area schools.

She and her husband Jim credit their three sons for educating them on the benefits of recycling and the necessity of strong advocacy and good resource stewardship.

Both Mary and her husband enjoy boating and kayaking on Browns Lake and are active in the Browns Lake Residents Association.

If your school or organization is interested in having Mary speak about the benefits of recycling, e-mail her at recyclingjackson [at] yahoo.com.

Recycling makes more sense than burning.

2008-03-28T16:57:00.003-04:00

I wish I had the clear conscience of those who say burning our trash is the best method of disposal. But when I read facts like recycling a ton of paper saves two barrels of oil, or that recycling creates six times as many jobs as landfilling, I can't help but wonder if trash burners are thinking of America's best economic interests.

Burning trash in a barrel, as in days of old, may make our hearts and hands warm and fuzzy. The reality is, it's harmful to everything from our forests to our national fossil fuel consumption levels. In these days of $100-a-barrel oil, recycling seems the patriotic thing to do.

Maybe trash burners learned nothing from their Depressio-era relatives, or those who lived through World War II; they knew better than to let a scrap of metal or rubber go to waste. They thought long-term instead of short-term.

We're not making trash haulers rich by recycling. We're creating jobs, reducing government inolvement in how we handle our garbage, and improving the air we breathe. Who can argue against that?

The trash burning mindset is an old-fashioned one, one that is cherry-picked by those who support the county incinerator despite the evidence and benefits of recycling, and ignore the wisdom of our elders. They taught us to never let a thing go to waste. My grandma still recycles all her plastic bags and Cool Whip containers to reuse. She's taught me a lot. Maybe she needs to teach others.

In this age of disposable everything, there's a lot we could learn.

-by Dave Lawrence, Recycling Jackson VP

Renew mag subscriptions online, save a tree

2008-03-20T18:52:00.003-04:00

A thought occurred to me today, just as I was about to drop two magazine subscription renewal envelopes in the mailbox:

Why not do this online?

I subscribe to two monthly magazines, Wired and Harper's, and both have been bugging me for months to renew my subscription. Harper's even sent me a letter saying that, by renewing early, I could save them the cost of several more notices.

Now I realize what a smart idea that was. Renew early and save the company postage and printing costs AND save on the fuel it takes to ship that envelope from Red Oak, Iowa to my apartment in Jackson, Michigan. Harper's wins, and so does the environment.

But then I thought, shucks, I betcha I could do this online. Sure enough, both sites had a renewal section. All I needed was my name and address, and a debit card, and in two minutes both subscriptions were renewed. No postage needed, no mail infrastructure to engage, no check to write, no yucky envelope taste on my tongue.

I should've thought of this a long time ago...

Free e-cycling from the Post Office

2008-03-18T18:12:00.004-04:00

Good news: the U.S. Post Office is offering free envelopes for e-cycling in 1,500 office locations nation-wide.

Says their press release:

Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.

Postage is taken care of by the Clover Technologies Group, an organization that "recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics."

It sounds like the perfect marriage between a need and someone willing to pay for it: the Clover Group pays to have electronics sent their way, and they repackage them for profit. The Post Office just serves as the middle person.

According to the press release, this is just a pilot program set for 10 areas across the U.S., but "could become a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful."

Let me tell you: make it easy for people to send their e-waste, and any program could be successful.

No word on whether Jackson County gets to be included in the pilot communities, but we'll let you know.

The space of travel.

2008-03-13T18:04:00.002-04:00

Interesting to note how much space these people take up compared to the modes of transportation they choose.

It almost looks like the bus, which carries the same amount of people as all those cars, take us less space than the bikes.

Who wants to say public transportation is a waste now? Think about all the raw materials those cars eat up.

Trash times are changing

2008-03-10T19:47:00.001-04:00

I would like to thank the Citizen Patriot for its public stance on the outrageous cost of trash disposal in our county. The incinerator cost is a stealth tax for the residents of this county and we have five years to learn to live without it.

Just like the infamous county proclamation that since people would not recycle in 1988 so they will not recycle now, our residents have proven that times have significantly changed. Our recycling rates now exceed 10 percent of the waste stream. People are interested in recycling and we need to capitalize on that for the benefit of all.

Concerning the program we have in place, Recycling Jackson is well on its way toward that comprehensive and cost-effective program. Working with local service providers, we have 20-plus drop-off locations in and around the county. The program accepts a more diverse array of plastics, any plastic marked #1 to #7, than neighboring counties. We have locations that accept Styrofoam, a material shunned by others for recycling. Thanks to the Jackson County Community Foundation we also have a very comprehensive electronics recycling program.

While we have a great program we do have a few steps left to take. We need more recycling opportunities for rural areas. We need to cooperatively work on educating folks about what can be recycled and need to deal with the midnight dumping that occurs at the recycling locations.

Thanks to a vote of confidence in the way of a grant from the JCCF-MACI Fund, this month we hired a community educator to address these items and many more. To assure long term success, we now need the support and cooperation of the city and county government to allow us to implement the last portions of our convenient, comprehensive and cost-effective program.

by Steve Noble, President

Apple recycles iPods and cell phones

2008-02-28T20:19:00.004-05:00

Apple is making it easy - as easy as one, two, three, in fact - to recycle your used iPods and cellphones.

All it takes is a quick form to fill out, print the free mailing label, and cart it to your neighborhood post office. Simple, eh?

Says Apple:

Apple’s commitment to responsible environmental citizenship includes ensuring that an iPod is properly disposed of at the end of its useful life. The recycling program covers your iPod or any cell phone — regardless of the manufacturer or model. Apple’s recycling program makes it easy for you to help protect the environment.

This after much ballyhoo about Greenpeace's attacks on Apple's lack of green initiative. Take that, Greenpeace!

We're looking for a few good board members.

2008-02-21T18:28:00.001-05:00

Recycling Jackson is looking for a few good men and women.

In fact, it seems like we're always searching for board members. New ones come and go, term limits boot others out - it's the usual story with a small non-profit organization.

Now we need at least two board members to help out our green cause. If you've always wanted to help make an environmental impact in Jackson, this is your chance.

Our board meets once a month, usually on the third Monday at 5:30. We have several committees, including site operations (for our Brown St. drop-off location), education and outreach (to get our word out in the schools and community), marketing (stuff like this blog, our quarterly newsletter, ads, and press releases), membership, and e-waste.

We're a working board, which means we do a lot of the heavy lifting for Recycling Jackson ourselves. For instance - as the marketing chair, I design the newsletter, update the web site, and send our press releases when we have something to say. We don't pay anyone to do that work for us - we do it all ourselves.

And hey, if you like getting your hands dirty, there's plenty to be done.

Our board is the perfect spot for environmentalists, home recyclers, waste management wonks, or anyone who gives a darn about the world and our place in it.

You can develop skills like community relations, networking, city and county political negotiations, and knowing the difference between cardboard and paperboard. Cool, huh?

For more information, or to ask us any questions, drop us an e-mail (recyclingjackson [at] yahoo [dot] com). There's no tests or quizes or gauntlet to run through. We just need passionate people who care about recycling.

Hope to hear from you.

- by Dave Lawrence, RJ VP

What a good neighbor

2008-02-18T18:33:00.001-05:00

"About four years ago Mitzi Cranmore decided to start recycling to make her household green.

'After finding out how easy it was, I realized that one house does not make a difference,' Cranmore said.

She realized she could further the cause by educating students about recycling."

One of our very passionate helpers was in the paper - check out Mitzi's profile at the CitPat!

Aquafina is tap water, and therefore is nothing special.

2008-02-13T18:15:00.000-05:00

That's what the Simple Dollar author says in a great rant on the evils of plastic-bottled water. The author says to think about the cost, the environmental impact, and the fact that it is plain ol' tap water.

Preach on!

How to: recycle glass

2008-02-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

Recycling Jackson accepts glass bottles, as do most of the in-town drop-off sites.

Here are some guidelines, thanks to Better Homes and Gardens, and what to do and not do with your glass.

Do recycle

unbroken food and beverage containers, such as applesauce jars, ketchup bottles, wine and beer bottles.

Don't recycle

baking dishes, ceramics, windows, mirrors, and vases. They're made differently than containers and can contaminate. Donate household goods (like the baking dishes and vases).

Eventually, your recycled glass becomes food containers, tiles, landscaping and fish bowl pebbles, and road surfacing (kind of weird to think about, isn't it?).

Really, we just like the cool shattering sound when you toss a glass bottle in with the rest.

Whole Foods says 'BYOB'

2008-02-10T18:09:00.000-05:00

Whole Foods won't say paper or plastic - they'll say bring your own.

That's thanks to their new "Bring your own bag" (or BYOB) program, outlined on their site here.

When you bring your own bag to any Whole Foods shopping location, they will give you a refund of 5 cents per bag. They also have their own canvass bags, as we've lauded before, available for the usual 99 cents.

But what about paper? Says Whole Foods:

We aren’t trying to settle the "paper vs. plastic" debate. We say "reuse!" instead. But when you don't reuse, we provide 100% recycled (and recyclable) paper bags.

Help keep sites clean.

2008-01-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Unfortunate news from the CitPat on Friday. C'mon, Jackson - we can do much better than this:

Trash dumped at recycling center upsets officials

Friday, January 25, 2008
By Kristin Longley

A white, 6-by-8-foot sign looms over the Summit Township recycling center: ``Free recycling depends on good sorting and preparation.''

Unfortunately, not everyone is getting the message.

Officials increasingly have noticed improper use of the recycling center, located at the township offices, 2121 Ferguson Road.

People are dropping off unaccepted materials or leaving their recyclables outside the labeled green bins, said township Trustee Gordon Heins.

Use of the center is free to anyone and open 24 hours a day.

``This could be closed down, and we don't want to do that,'' Heins said. ``It's a very popular site and only a few people are ruining it for the rest of us.''

In the past several weeks, wooden pallets, plastic foam, mechanical parts and unflattened cardboard have been found at the center. Once, officials found a plastic tub containing unidentified materials left near the bins, Heins said.

The overhead sign clearly lists the accepted materials, which include cans, glass, plastic bottles, newspaper, magazines and paper.

The recycling center opened in 2004. It was not expected to cost the township beyond building the concrete slab on which the bins sit. But the recent problems have cost both time and money.

Scattered papers and other trash prompted township leaders to add a three-sided wooden fence around the center for about $1,800, Heins said.

Still, local firefighters and township officials, including Heins, frequently have to tidy up the area, he said. Fire Chief Scot Harvey said firefighters often help clear away unaccepted materials.

``We don't mind picking up, but the biggest issue is it's getting worse,'' Harvey said. ``It's taking more and more time, and it looks bad.''

The city of Jackson's recycling center, 209 W. Louis Glick Highway, is experiencing similar problems, said SanDee Porter, public works assistant.

Pieces of furniture and other nonrecyclable items are packed between bins. Staff members visit the area two or three times per week to pick up garbage and broken glass, she said.

``A lot of people are abusing it,'' Porter said. ``Something needs to be done.''

Northwest Refuse in Blackman Township handles the recycling centers in Summit Township, Jackson and six other sites in Jackson County, said Bill Thomas, resource recovery coordinator. Sometimes, complaints arise from an overflow of recycling materials, he said.

The bins are emptied at least every Friday, and staff members check them when trucks are in the area. People can call Northwest Refuse if the bins are overflowing, Thomas said.

``For the most part it's a community effort,'' he said.

Heins said people who witness misuse of the Summit Township site are encouraged to contact the township office at 788-4113.

``We don't like garbage. We don't like trash,'' he said. ``This is a real privilege, and we want to be able to continue it.''

Bottled water: scourge of the Earth?

2008-01-15T06:31:00.000-05:00

Salon.com ran a great question-and-answer piece, "Ask Palo," where a reader asked if bottled water was really that bad, environmentally.

Palo makes a statistical and moral case:

First, the manufacturing of plastic bottles, which are often made from nonrecycled virgin material, requires vast quantities of petroleum, and only 12 percent of this material is recovered for recycling. The total mass of an empty 1-liter bottle is around 25 grams (this varies from brand to brand) and it is made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate). One kilogram (1 kg = 2.2046 lbs.) of this type of plastic requires around 6.5 kilograms of oil, uses 294 kilograms of water (this includes power plant cooling water), and results in 3.7 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on my calculations, an empty 1-liter bottle requires over 7 liters of water in its manufacturing process, uses 162 grams of oil, and results in over 100 grams of greenhouse gas emissions. (That's about 10 balloons full of carbon dioxide, or how much an average car emits over half a kilometer or one-third of a mile.)

Next, the distribution of bottled water, often by container ship from the other side of the planet (Fiji, Evian, San Pellegrino), is fuel intensive and results in greenhouse gas and sulfur dioxide emissions. Transportation emissions are measured in grams of greenhouse gases (in carbon-dioxide-equivalent units) per metric ton per kilometer. Shipping by container ship emits about 17 grams of carbon dioxide per ton km, while trains release 56 grams per ton km, trucks spew 102 grams per ton km, and jet aircraft belch 570 grams per ton km. So the important factors in transportation emissions are weight, distance and transportation mode. Since we can't alter the weight of bottled water and companies will automatically select the most efficient and cost-effective means of transport, we are left to control the distance component through our consumer choices.

...When compared with the price of tap water, bottled water costs up to 50,000 percent more (and many brands get their water from municipal water supplies).

Bottled water also represents a major ethical dilemma, given that millions of people around the world lack access to clean and safe drinking water. Currently, over one-sixth of the world's population, or about 1 billion people, routinely lack access to safe and clean drinking water. Just 20 percent of our annual $75 billion expenditure on bottled water could provide for the drinking water needs of less fortunate people around the world. If we assume that one well is needed to meet the minimum needs of about 100 people, and if we assume an average cost per well of $1,500, we would need to spend $15 billion globally. According to these assumptions, we collectively spend five times more on bottled water each year than it would cost to eradicate the 1.8 million deaths of children due to waterborne illness each year.

So think about that next time you reach for an Aquafina: some kids don't have access to clean water out of a bucket, let alone a plastic bottle.

Fight identity theft AND recycle your documents

2008-01-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

American 1 Federal Credit Union - otherwise known as my place of employment - is hosting a "Shredfest" day this Saturday.

You can drop by this Saturday, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at our 718 E. Michigan Ave. branch location, at the Home Office. Document shredding company Shred-It, based in Troy, MI, are the shred experts and will shred and recycle all your personal papers.

Identity theft is said to be the ìfastest growing crime in America,î with up to 8 million Americans affected in 2005, according to a Federal Trade Commission survey. The credit union also helps members fight identity theft through postings on its ìScamWatchî web page and articles in the monthly newsletters.

Think of it this way: you can protect your personal papers and get your recycling done in one swoop.

The way I see it, the more paper we shred on Saturday, the less chance thieves can get their hands on it. And it means less paper will be going to our local landfill. Plus it's a good way to start the year off on a clean slate. You get to shred all your documents safely and securely, and weíre going to make sure it all gets recycled, too.

Hope to see you Saturday!

- by Dave Lawrence, RJ VP

Make my bag canvas.

2008-01-07T18:41:00.000-05:00

The world is starting to hate plastic grocery and shopping bags - and for good reason. The things are slowly but surely taking over the earth.

Much buzz has sounded over the giant, Australian-sized plastic heap in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It's a giant Atlantis of rubber ducks and plastic bags.

But just last week I noticed my favorite grocery store, Meijer (who is already doing pretty well environmentally), has provided canvas-style shopping bags for purchase. The price? Ninety-nine cents. The style? A snazzy royal blue and green.

I snatched three of them up, figuring that my $3 would help ease my conscience over using so many plastic bags over the years. That, and they make a pretty profound statement: in the checkout, there were a few shoppers who took notice of my new take-homes.

Meijer isn't alone. Local grocer Polly's Country Market, with locations from Chelsea to Adrian and everywhere in between, provides the sturdy shopping bags too, and also for 99 cents. It's a trend that includes the famous "I am not a plastic bag" bags from our friends in the East. People are eating them up.

This is a trend that we at Recycling Jackson couldn't be happier about. Just this weekend, while working at the site, I noticed people bringing their plastic recyclables wrapped in - what else? - plastic grocery bags. They don't take up as much room as, say, your Tide detergeant bottle. But add them all up together in one bundle, and you're talking about a big petroleum-based monster.

So do us all a favor: spend 99 cents a week and stock up on reusable bags. Just remember to bring them in each time you shop, and spread the word.

- by Dave Lawrence, RJ VP

How to recycle your Christmas tree.

2008-01-03T19:27:00.000-05:00

Still have your needle-shedding Christmas tree?

The Daily Green gives some direction on how to properly take care of your tree. They point to an Earth911.org site that give tips on what to do and where to go.

Says Teresa Hall, "just because these trees are green doesn’t mean that they are always friendly to the environment."

Over at Treehugger, they held an informal poll on whether environmentalists go natural or use plastic trees, plus they give some advice on how to make your Christmas tree as earth-friendly as possible.

Relight your tree: incandescent bulbs on their way out

2007-12-27T20:40:00.000-05:00

Goodbye inefficient incandescent Christmas light bulbs, hello CFLs.

That's what Congress said when they passed a law outlawing the sale of plain ol' light bulbs - at least the inefficient kind - as of 2012.

Says the New York Times:

And so far, consumers have been slow to give new products a chance. Compact fluorescents, for example, are already ubiquitous in stores. Many retailers, led by Wal-Mart, have promoted the economics of the bulbs — though compact fluorescents generally cost six times what incandescents do, they last six times as long and use far less energy.

The change was inevitable, given that your everyday lightbulb casts off most of its energy in the form of heat, not light. Compact fluorescents still contain mercury, however, and need to be handled with care. Recycling Jackson is working on an easy way for Jackson resident to dispose of their CFLs.

The future? LEDs, says the article, but right now they're just too expensive for casual use.

Exciting news in plastics.

2007-12-12T07:12:00.000-05:00

Northwest Refuse sent us some exciting news, via our former president Travis Fojtasek. They are now accepting dry cleaner bags, bubble wrap, and black plastic garden and nursery pots.

Hurray!

Travis also told us that, when you recyle plastic bottles, you can keep the screw-top lid on. Northwest will accept those from now on, too.

The list of acceptable plastics keeps growing!

2008 site open dates.

2007-12-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

It's official: we're open in 2008.

Half-time, that is.

Below, you'll find our Monroe St. drop-off site open dates. You can drop off your materials from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

January 5, 19

February 2, 16

March 1, 15

April 5, 19

May 3, 17

June 7, 21

July 5, 19

August 2, 16

September 6, 20

October 4, 18

November 1, 15

December 6, 20

Be sure to register as a member of Recycling Jackson to do all your recycling at our site for free.

We're hiring: education and outreach coordinator

2007-12-05T20:36:00.001-05:00

How would you like to work for Recycling Jackson?

We're seeking an education and outreach coordinator. It's a part-time position to implement and maintain a multi-age outreach and educational program on solid waste management. Nobody but organized, independent, flexible self-starters should apply. And we'd love to have someone with teaching/classroom experience.

Please send your cover letter, references and resume by December 19 to recyclingjackson[at]yahoo.com, or to:

Recycling Jackson
PO Box 426
Jackson, MI 49204

And since I hated in when companies didn't give me a name to address my cover letter to, you can send yours attn: President Steve Noble.

He likes it when you call him "President Steve."

HolidayLEDs.com offers light bulb recycling.

2007-12-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

HolidayLEDs.com, a local retailer for LED Christmas lights, is accepting incandescent Christmas lights for recycling.

Says HolidayLEDs.com:

All lights submitted for recycling must be mailed to HolidayLEDs.com, postage paid, and post-marked no later than December 20, 2007...The first 100 participants (which shall be determined by the date the packaged is post-marked) will receive one free set of LED Christmas lights. The second 100 participants (which shall be determined by the date the packaged is post-marked) will receive a 10% coupon for any purchase at HolidayLEDs.com.

When you send your lights, you have to include your name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address.

Send your lights to:

HolidayLEDs.com

Attn: Recycling Program

120 W. Michigan Ave., Suite 1403

Jackson, MI 49201

If you don't have any lights to recycle, you can also participate in the Ugliest Christmas Lights Contest.

Apple e-mails a how-to.

2007-11-29T21:49:00.000-05:00

Over at Hack This Mac, the writer bought a new Mac Mini and had Apple e-mail him/her this:

Nice Apple - love the headline. Apple also includes shipping barcodes, but the author suggests in-store e-cycling, which is a darned fine idea.

Wired: e-waste is scourge of the earth.

2007-11-27T06:34:00.000-05:00

Tony Long, the Luddite, has a great column on e-waste over at Wired.com:

According to the Associated Press, upwards of 500 million tons of electronic trash is generated worldwide every year, and the lion's share of it comes from here. Most of it winds up in U.S. landfills, a cheery thought. What's left is sent overseas to Third World chop shops, where what can be salvaged and resold is. The rest is dumped, and without much care.

Burying old computer components and television monitors in landfills, or dumping them in a Malaysian ditch, is a particularly malignant form of pollution, given the high levels of toxins present in these electronics. On top of that, the workers who deconstruct all this wonderful innovation in Vietnam or India or, especially, China aren’t protected by OSHA regulations. Using crude tools and sometimes no tools, they are expected to extract what can be recycled, leaving them exposed to poisoning and sickness and, who knows, maybe death.

...Some of you may be untroubled by this. If so, shame on you. Your planet is slowly dying from carbon dioxide emissions and the casual dumping of toxic waste. Turning a blind eye to this fact while eagerly consuming every glittery new tech bauble dangled before you is not only pathetic, but suicidal.

Long goes on to say that if tech innovators really think they're cool, they should invent an easy way to recycle e-waste.

When Black Friday comes.

2007-11-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Looking for a green way to shop? Try Cooler, a site that calculates the environmental impact of your holiday shopping. Divine Caroline also has 13 ways to grab green gifts this holiday season.

Caroline suggests memberships to national parks, rugged plastic water bottles, bikes, and books:

Knowledge is power, and these books could revolutionize the way a friend thinks about mundane things like food, driving, and this little place called earth.

Shopping for a green (as in inexperienced) greenie? Try the Go Green gift bag starter, the perfect gift to brainswash your waste-happy friends and family.

And don't forget to recycle all those shopping bags and cardboard boxes.

by Dave Lawrence

Reuse is the best "R"

2007-11-19T18:46:00.000-05:00

So says the folks over at Low End Mac.

And it could be true. If items are reused indefinitely, then there's no need for trashing or recycling. They stay out of the waste stream forever.

I'm an Apple Mac geek. I love Macintosh computers, new and old, and currently own and maintain an iBook G4, an original iMac G3 Bondi Blue, an original clamshell iBook G3, and two Mac SE/30s, as well as a Newton MessagePad 110 and video iPod. Thanks to Recycling Jackson, I was also able to restore a strawberry iMac G3 for a friend.

The author of the Low End Mac column, owner and operator of eRecycler Online, noted

We are a growing recycling company in Texas and believe firmly in reuse. Towards that end we run over 100,000 online auctions a year; the proceeds help support the more expensive aspects of responsible recycling.

That's something we've found at our e-waste drives: people turn in perfectly useable computer equipment. "Sometimes things die and can't be fixed, but I'd rather see an old usable Mac given a new home than stripped for recycling," says Dan over at Low End Mac. Thankfully eBay is full of old Mac and PC stuff, and there are ways you can save old electronics like iPods.

Recycling Jackson will gladly take your e-waste. But if there's a chance your computer is still good, give it to someone who needs it, or to someone who can't afford a new computer on their own.

In our use-and-throw-away culture, good things can be said about people who don't automatically hit the "delete" key on their e-waste.

by Dave Lawrence, RJ vice president

How to prepare materials for recycling

2007-11-16T07:28:00.001-05:00

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when you bring your recycling materials to our Recycling Jackson drive-up site at 1401 N. Brown St. (see map above).

NEWSPAPER: Loose or in paper bags.

MIXED PAPER, MAGAZINES & PHONE BOOKS: Junk mail, office paper, school papers, file folders, boxboard, etc. Loose or in paper bags.

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD: Break down and flatten boxes.

GLASS: Clear, brown and green glass. Rinse, remove caps and rings. No Pyrex, window glass, drinking glasses, dishes or lightbulbs.

METAL: Metal cans, rinsed and flattened. Other iron and steel.

ALUMINUM: Aluminum cans, pans, clean foil, lawn chairs, eaves, doors, etc. Remove screws and strapping from aluminum.

PLASTICS: All plastics No. 1-7 with recycling symbol, such as milk jugs, water and juice bottles, detergent/bleach containers, margarine tubs, cottage cheese/yogurt containers. Only lids with recycling symbol.

Items not accepted:
Plastic silverware, plates, cups, toys, flowerpots, automotive containers, hazardous-material containers, soda can rings, sandwich/bread bags.

America Recycles Day

2007-11-15T20:26:00.001-05:00

Happy America Recycles Day. This is actually the tenth year.

I think it's one of those days that people just like to put on a calendar, like Middle Name Pride Day, or National Pecan Day.

Interesting, according to BetterWorld.net:

Until 'modern times' recycling was the normal way of life. During World War II for example, when the nation needed to conserve resources at home, 25% of all wastes were recycled. But by 1960 less than 8% of our wastes were recycled. Today, 32% of wastes are recycled in America and there are more than 10,000 curbside recycling programs in America!

The National Recycling Coalition has a cool site to celebrate, including a recycling impact calculator.

How to recycle paper.

2007-11-03T23:07:00.000-04:00

You've got a paper bag full of paper ready for recycling. You arrive at one of the drop-off sites, and see two different bins marked "newsprint/paper" and "mixed paper." Then there's one with "cardboard" on it.

What to do?

Here's a quick run-down:

Newsprint and newspaper

This one is pretty easy. Newspaper and newspaper-like newsletters get tossed into this bin, as does phone book paper. This is newsprint, according to Central Management Services:

Newsprint is an uncoated, ground wood paper made by grinding wood into pulp without removing certain components, including lignin. (Lignin remaining in the ground wood paper fiber is what causes newsprint to turn yellow and deteriorate over time.)

Easy, right? Newsprint is probably the top type of paper that's recycled, thanks to newspaper subscriptions.

Mixed paper

This is where things get tricky. Cereal boxes? Mixed paper. Copy machine and printer paper? Mixed paper. Magazines? Mixed paper. Basically, anything that's not newsprint gets thrown into these bins. The kicker is stuff that looks like cardboard - like cereal boxes or six-pack boxes - but isn't really cardboard. Basically, if you can rip it and it doesn't have the corrugation stuff between paper sheets, it's mixed paper.

Corrugated cardboard

Storage boxes, shipping boxes - anything that's corrugated (has the ripples of cardboard in between sheets for strength) counts. One clue is to look at what's already in the bin. If you see a bunch of copy paper boxes, you're good to go. What I like to do is carry my recycling paper IN a cardboard box, dump the paper in the "mixed" bin, and then dump the cardboard box in the "corrugated" bin.

It's not a huge deal if you mix up your paper in the bins, but pre-sorting makes things easier for the hauler - and the less they have to work, the more profitable recycling becomes.

And we all want that.

IKEA takes CFLs.

2007-11-01T19:33:00.000-04:00

Recycling Jackson has heard a few questions regarding compact flourescents - they do contain mercury, and aren't always easy to dispose of.

Then along came IKEA.

The Consumerist reports that the uber-furniture retailer is taking CFLs at all its giant locations.

Check out IKEA's website for details.

Here's IKEA's take on it:

Bring your used mercury containing lightbulbs to the IKEA store for free disposal. Since our CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, they should not be simply tossed out. IKEA offers the perfect solution: a ‘Free Take Back’ program offering recycle bins in all IKEA stores.

So if you plan to shop for Swedish kitchen tables at Michigan's IKEA location, near Canton (and beware - the parking lot is nuts), be sure to take along your expired CFLs.

Save on energy bills with class.

2007-10-26T07:13:00.000-04:00

[From the Jackson Citizen Patriot]

Interested in getting a $100 credit toward your energy bill?

Community Action Agency is offering the credit to eligible candidates who participate in an energy-reduction class.

Classes are offered on several dates throughout October, November and December.

For more information or to register for a class, contact Community Action Agency at 784-4800, ext. 250. Classes will take place at 1214 Greenwood Ave. in Jackson.

Starve the incinerator.

2007-10-25T18:45:00.000-04:00

In reference to the article on October 24, 2007 (“Trash Flow at Troubled Incinerator Increases"), why don’t the residents in Jackson County do their best to put the incinerator out of business?

A quote from the article stated “the amount of trash being diverted to the landfill also has increased, but (Steve) Shotwell said that is because trash flow overall has increased.” This is good news?

I find it disheartening that trash flow has increased. When will the residents of Jackson County understand that the trash hauling fees they pay are directly tied to the $91.41 per-ton tipping fee? By reducing the amount of material they put on the curb each week as trash, they can save themselves money, as well as reduce the overall trash flow.

A lot of the material that is put out as trash can be disposed of in many of the areas recycling collection points. This will reduce the trash flow to the incinerator, which in turn could eventually lead to a decreased need for the incinerator itself.

At a recent electronic waste collection event coordinated by Recycling Jackson, over 24,000 pounds (12 tons) of “e-waste” was collected. This was a six hour event, and if that material was disposed of as “trash” and taken to the incinerator, the cost would have been just over $1,000 in tipping fees. By collecting this material during the event, the burning or burying of this material in the McGill Landfill was prevented.

Recycling can be an emotional issue of “saving the environment”, but for those that are looking for ways to reduce expenses at home, simply removing the recyclable material from their trash can save them money. Businesses that remove recyclable material from their trash can realize savings up to 50% on their trash hauling costs.

It is time for Jackson County residents to make it a goal to reduce the dependence on the incinerator, and force the local government to find a different way to generate income from trash; 6,563 tons of trash generated nearly $600,000 in tipping fees in September.

If the county became more proactive on recycling, couldn’t we have generated income from an aggressive recycling program, and reduce that 6,563 tons of trash being burned or buried in September?

I think so.

[by David Milis, written as a letter to the editor to the Jackson Citizen Patriot.]

Easy ways to recycle at work.

2007-10-23T18:04:00.000-04:00

Maybe you're a big recycler at home - but what about at work?

Many workplaces have instituted company-wide recycling program (Recycling Jackson's own George Gansos has done a tremendous job at Foote Health Systems), but some are still stuck in the pre-green era. What to do?

Do like I did: make it personal. Here are some quick tips to do your own recycling at your workplace.

Invest in recycling bins
Bins can be as sturdy as the plastic trash-like bins, or a plain old cardboard box - the key is to put them in places where people will use them. I've found next to the copy machine and printer works well, as well as our receptionist desk. If someone makes a mistake, the tendency is to toss the scrap paper in the trash. If you put a recycling reminder in front of them, it will better your chances of collecting the paper.

Paper, not plastic
I figured that gathering my loads in paper grocery bags would work best; that way, I could toss the whole thing in the mixed paper bin at the drop-off sites. So I sent out an all-staff e-mail asking for spare bags, and my co-workers came through in spades. Now I line the recycling bins with the paper bags, snatch them when they're full, and dump the whole load at the drop-off site.

Remind, remind, remind
Catch someone tossing their printed e-mail (can you say, "Grrr!") in the trash? Remind them of the conveniently-placed bins you have stationed next to the printer. Send out e-mail telling staff when you'll be collecting the paper each week. Post flyers (on recycled or already-used paper!) next to the copier or in the breakroom with recycling tips and information on drop-off sites in town. If you have a company newsletter, post a little article in their about your company's new efforts. Do away with disposable plates and cups, and have staff bring in their own from home.

DIY
Sometimes it takes a champion to do the right thing: if your place of employment isn't as passionate about recycling as you are, take the initiative and do everything yourself. It made take you a few extra minutes a week to gather your recycling and drop it off (say, on the way home - or on your lunch break), but your example may inspire others. I was the only recycler in my office, but the idea caught on and now I have a co-recycler who actually drops everything off for me.

Of course you'll always have the employee who dumps their Styrofoam coffee cup into the paper bin when they walk by, or the people who bypass the bin all-together and continue to toss their paper in the trash. It's no biggie. Just remember any little bit you do helps.

I've found that, over time, the amount of paper we're recycling has to make a difference somewhere, somehow. Even if it's a mindfulness trick - keeping recycling in people's brains - it's worth the effort.

Maybe someday I'll institute a system for plastic bottles. But for now, my little recycling program works just fine. And so can yours with just a little bit of effort.

This blog doesn't come from trees.

2007-10-18T17:41:00.000-04:00

But paper towels do.

Hence the idea behind the These Come from Trees movement - an effort to save on paper towel usage.

You can buy a set of stickers that goes to help the Sierra Club, and TCFT have found the stickers - which are a kind of culture jam - reduce towel usage by about 15%.

No trees were harmed in the writing of this post.

Number of the day.

2007-10-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

24,725

Pounds of wasted collected at this past weekend's e-waste drive.

That's more than 12 tons of electronic waste that didn't get incinerated, buried, or shipped off to some other continent.

Thanks again, Jackson, for helping us out.

Saving, by the numbers.

2007-10-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

I started doing things different when I found out it would save me money.

I switched my home over to CFL bulbs when I learned it would save me on my power bill, and I haven’t changed a bulb in the last three years. Looking back, that was my first venture in to a “sustainable” way of life, and it was 100% motivated by saving money at home.

I work with this guy that has practiced sustainability for longer than I have been alive. He got to know me, and he learned I was a “numbers” guy. “Show me the numbers, show me how the numbers are good or bad, and then we can make some decisions.” That’s me. He showed me numbers at work. He showed me bad numbers at work. Time to make some decisions…at work.

I work for this company. This company is big, and sells a lot of stuff. I mean this company is real big, and sells more stuff than any other company. They employ a lot of people (should hit two million before the end of the year). We are controversial, but when you are number one, everyone watches what you do closely. With so many stores and so many people working, yes, mistakes are made. Wait, it’s Wal-Mart. I work for a division of Wal-Mart called Sam’s Club. More importantly, I work for Sam’s in Jackson.

Sam’s in Jackson has a problem – our trash cost lots of money.

Anyway, back to this guy that has practiced sustainability longer than I have been alive. He wasn’t pushing anything, he just brought up some numbers to me. He told me that it is expensive to throw away trash in Jackson, then he showed me the numbers. He even multiplied numbers together to show me the numbers can get real big. But he had an idea.

The idea was great - and the idea was grand: if we put less stuff in our trash compactor, it will cost us less to throw away. The idea was, in fact, incredibly simple. So simple, no one had ever thought of it in our building. The numbers guy said, “how we gonna do it?”

New terms were learned by the numbers guy – tipping fees, incinerator, recycle, reuse, e-waste, and the list goes on and on. At every new term, I am putting numbers to it. If you do the research (the numbers guy did) you will simply see that trash in Jackson County is more expensive than 97% of the nation. That puts us in the top three percentile in the nation (insert comment here of things we may be in the lower 97% percentile). “How we gonna do it?”

The “sustainable longer than I have been alive” guy knows this other guy. If you want to know who the other guy is, come out to Sam’s Club and look at the three containers we have on-site. These two guys REALLY know the numbers when it comes to trash and recycling. Numbers guy has nothing on these two, but numbers guy knows they have the answer to “how we gonna do it?”

It’s called a “partnership.” Sam’s Club partners with a local company that is committed to recycling. That company (wait, Northwest Refuse. Might save you a trip to Sam’s) has allowed us to partner with them to recycle material from our business. If we put less stuff in our compactor, we can save money. Numbers guy likes this a lot. A reduction in expense can almost be considered profit. Numbers guy shares this successful partnership with the leaders in his company.

With timing being everything, the initiator at our building that has practiced sustainability longer than I have been alive (again, wait, Larry Bamm - can’t believe I didn’t mention his name earlier) showed me what sustainability was before the president of our company (Lee Scott) rolled out a program that commits Wal-Mart to sustainability.

Once this commitment was made by our company, it became very easy to implement the ideas Larry had had years in advance, and with increased support. Numbers guy embraces the possibility of saving tens of thousands of dollars per year with our buildings commitment to recycling. We have reduced the material we send to the landfill/incinerator by close to 50%. Numbers guy equates this to expenses being reduced by the same 50%.

To wrap this up, I hope to appeal in some weird way to others to look at recycling in a way that will assist them the most in implementing recycling in their lives. If it is monetary, you will save money if you recycle. I pull all plastic out of my trash at home, and have reduced my trash at home by around 40%. Numbers guy measures this by how full his trash can is at the side of the road every week. My CFL bulbs have reduced my electricity bill by 24%.

As for the more important reason to implement recycling in their lives, it will save the earth. This is a broad statement, but I have not yet attained the emotional reasons for recycling. For those of you that have this outlook, I look to learn from you. In my “numbers guy” mentality, you are the ones I learn from the most. I don’t resist you, I just need more time to learn.

Partner with me. I am the one that has the most to learn. If you have any questions about the monetary impact that implementing a recycling program at your place of business, feel free to contact me at Sam’s Club.

My name is David Milis, and I am a member of Recycling Jackson.

Blog Action Day.

2007-10-15T19:26:00.000-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day.

Hurray!

Fellow Blog Action Day-ers, Lifehacker.com (a great source, by the way, for life improvement) posted some easy way to live a greener life.

We'd add one: recycle all your e-waste, plastics, and paper. Here's how to prepare your materials.

Go Green!

On outdated hardware and e-waste

2007-10-14T16:19:00.000-04:00

Sam’s Club in Jackson partnered with Recycling Jackson for an e-waste event earlier in the year. Yesterday, we partnered up again, and kept a whole bunch of electronic waste from going in to a landfill. Or did we?

A lot of the material we saw today came from some large organizations that apparently had this material somewhere. Some of the old relics included dot matrix printers, copiers last used in 1997, some 386 computers, and I even saw some kind of cash register/adding machine that had to be from the 60s.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad it showed up today, and I know it’s going to a better place. I would just be curious where it came from. Organizations updating their hardware is understandable. One donator today said that there will come a time where disposing of a CRT monitor would require “an act of God.” It was funny, but as I saw old, outdated material roll in throughout the day, I wondered how much was left.

What do large businesses, government entities, schools, community organizations, and mom and pop still have laying around? Where is it being stored? One individual commented today when they saw a government sticker on the side of a very full truck, “are my tax dollars going toward storing that old stuff?” I don’t have the answer, but it seems like a logical question.

Back to the question of did we really keep a bunch of electronic waste from going in to a landfill. From the contributions today, the answer is a definite yes. From the items left behind, the answer may be no. Does an event such as today’s increase awareness, or make someone decide their storeroom is due to be emptied?

Will those that decide that today is the day to rid their life of electronic waste do it properly, or just figure their items will be “ok” in the regular garbage?

[by David Milis, RJ board member/Sam's Club employee]

E-waste drive a truckload hit.

2007-10-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

Our fall e-waste drive went really, really well.

Jackson County and the Community Action Agency alone could've made this drive a success. Several truckloads of printers, PCs, and monitors made for a lot of exercise.

Sam's helped us out so much - from marketing to the location, and even some pizza for lunch.

Valley City will load the e-waste to Grand Rapids and work their magic. That's a couple of tons of material that will not be burned or buried in a landfill.

Thanks to everyone for their help!

> Head here for more pictures.

Blog Action Day coming Oct. 15

2007-10-10T22:08:00.001-04:00

We're participating!

We made the news.

2007-10-10T21:27:00.001-04:00

The Jackson Citizen Patriot ran with our fall e-waste press release. Check it out here for the next month or so.

Here's the full text:

Sam's Club foundation matches grant for $1,000

Recycling Jackson has received a $1,000 matching grant from the Sam's Club Foundation Community Matching Grant program.

The grant will help support Recycling Jackson's education efforts for its upcoming e-waste collection day Oct. 13.

The collection is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sam's Club, 3600 O'Neill Drive. Jackson residents can drop off electronic waste, including televisions, computers, microwaves and cell phones.

Suggested donations range from free for cell phones and printer cartridges to up to $25 for a console television.

For more information, visit www.recyclingjacksonmi.org.

Where to e-cycle?

2007-10-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

Here's a handy list of places to recycling your electronic gear, besides at the Recycling Jackson site.

[A big thanks to former Recycling Jackson president Travis Fojtasek for help with the list!]

> Apple
Takes back used Apple gear (iPods, Macs, etc.)

> Hewlett-Packard
Recycles PCs, printer cartridges, cell phones, and more.

> Toshiba
Trade-in and recycling program for PCs, batteries, and more.

> Best Buy and IKEA
Both retailers have drop-off locations for used electronic gear.

> Plug In to E-Cycling
Environmental Protection Agency hooks up with manufacturers and retailers for donating e-waste.

> Collective Good
Donate cell phones, pagers, and PDAs to charities.

> Battery Solutions
Uses Pail-Mail system to recycle batteries.

> Rapid Refill Ink
Neat store in the Jackson area that refills ink cartridges for about half the price of a new one. Great way to reduse and save!

> Goodwill Industries
Goodwill has partnered with Dell to take back computer e-waste and peripherals for free. Just drop it off during business hours.

Know of any more? Let us know in the comments!

Keillor calls it quits...with plastic.

2007-09-29T15:07:00.001-04:00

[From Garrison Keillor's weekly column on Salon.com]

Sep. 26, 2007 | I am sorry, Evian and San Pellegrino and Dasani and all the other bottled waters out there -- Aqua Velva, Wells Fargo, Muddy Waters, Joan Rivers, Jerry Springer, whatever -- but the current campaign against paying good money for bottled water when tap water is perfectly good (and very likely purer) is so sensible on the face of it that I am now done with you. Fini. Kaput. Ausgeschlossen. No more designer water. Water is water. If you want lemon flavoring, add a slice of lemon. You want bubbles, stick a straw in it and blow.

My father, a true conservative, would have smiled on this. All his life he resisted the attempts of big corporations to gouge him by selling him stuff he didn't need and so he was not a consumer of high-priced water, any more than he would've purchased bottles of French air or Italian soil. No, San Pellegrino and Perrier got rich off the pretensions of liberal wastrels like moi who thought it set us apart from the unlettered masses. We ordered it in restaurants for the same reason we read books we don't like and go to operas we don't understand -- we say to the waiter, "Perrier," to give a continental touch to our macaroni and cheese.

Enough. Man is capable of reform once presented with the facts, and the fact is that bottling water and shipping it is a big waste of fuel, so stop already. The water that comes to your house through a pipe is good enough, and maybe better.

So now I wonder, "What else am I doing that is too dumb for words?" A woman leaned over to me the other night and said, "You'd look so much better with your eyebrows trimmed." This is just the sort of advice a man yearns for -- you don't want to be walking around with eyebrows the size of sparrows for the rest of your life. Thanks for the tip, doll. What else? Maybe there are words I mispronounce, like "harbinger" or "inchoate." I'd be happy to be set straight.

I was in Berkeley, Calif., the other day and drove past a Lutheran church and then a Baptist: Perhaps some stereotypes have leaks in them. And when I was in Berkeley, a man told me in as kind a way as possible that my grasp of economics is fragile and I should not write about it in this column. Probably right.

I knew a boy in the fourth grade who insisted that it was the Chinese who had bombed Pearl Harbor, though fourth grade is sort of late to be thinking such a thing, and when our teacher showed him pictures in a book that pinned the infamous deed on the Japanese, he was sort of relieved to be able to give up his idea and not have people yell at him, "You're crazy." He reformed.

I gave up watching television 25 years ago because I liked it so much even though I couldn't remember what I had watched the day before and could see that if I went on as a viewer my life would become a blank. And now I refuse the iPod because it is an audio bubble that shuts you off from the world, which is where good ideas come from.

Reform feels good, take it from me. To correct course and avoid the reef and find clear sailing is the great tonic of life. A man grows a beard for the pleasure of cutting it off. And now I have the pleasure of boycotting bottled water for tap.

There is much we do not understand -- power cords in the briefcase, for example: You set them in neatly and a few hours later they are completely entangled with each other, and who knows why? -- but the stupidity of buying bottled water in America is easily grasped by even the dullest.

Thirsting for plastic.

2007-09-27T19:37:00.001-04:00

Water is expensive.

This according to a New York Times column (Aug. 1, 2007) that pointed out if you got your eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend $1,400 every year. Compare that with the $0.49 it would cost from plain old tap water.

Consider this: all that plastic costs barrels of oil. All those bottles cost money and CO2 to ship cross-country. Only 23 percent of bottles are recycled, and states like Michigan don't offer a deposit as an incentive.

Recycling Jackson has reported on the thirst (pun intended) for recyclable plastics: companies can't collect enough used plastic bottles, even though the demand is high. Companies are willing to pay decent money for someone's used Aquafina (which is tap water anyway) bottle.

Plastic bags, however, are a totally different story. They're a pain in the ass, according to a Salon.com story about the difficulties of recycling the jelly-fish like bags:

"Every year, Americans throw away some 100 billion plastic bags after they've been used to transport a prescription home from the drugstore or a quart of milk from the grocery store. It's equivalent to dumping nearly 12 million barrels of oil," writes Katharine Mieszkowski.

Only one percent of those are recycled.

Some have said plastic is better than paper, but you can't grow more oil like you can more trees. "The only salient answer to paper or plastic is neither," says the article.

When I attended a Mariner's game during a recent Seattle, WA trip, I noticed that everywhere I looked there were bins for recycling plastic pop, juice, water, and - yes - beer bottles. And when the game was over (they lost to Texas by one point), the announcer even reminded the audience about the recycling bins.

What do Seattle Mariner fans know that we don't?

I'll admit: I'm a fan of bottled water. It tastes good, it's portable, and I can make a health and wellness justification when I bypass the sugared soda pop for a liter of the clear stuff.

But paying $1 or more for a bottle of the same stuff I flush in my toilet seems absurd, doesn't it? This is the same stuff I use to clean my dishes, wash my car, and brush my teeth. And it's still the safest and cleanest in the world. Some parched countries in the Sahara would give a lot for a teaspoon full of what I watch go down the drain every morning.

So recently I've started drinking plain tap water. And you know what? It's not that bad. I add a few drops of lemon juice if I don't like the taste, plop in a few ice cubes, and away I go. I'm not any less satisfied. My thirst is just as quenched, and I didn't contribute any more plastic molecules that will be around longer than the cockroach.

The critique is two-fold, involving both the use and waste of plastics and the mania behind obtaining fresh water from somewhere besides the garden hose. The more you think about it the more ridiculous it seems.

All that craziness has me thirsty. Time to grab a glass of cool, clear...

Well, you know the rest.

[by Dave Lawrence]

Welcome to Recycling Jackson!

2007-09-24T20:13:00.000-04:00

We appreciate you stopping by the Recycling Jackson Reporter - electronic edition!

I'll have to think of a catchier title than that, but it'll do for now.

In the meantime, while we get things set up around here, be sure to stop by our Fall E-Waste Drive on Saturday, Oct. 13. Sam's Club has been nice enough to provide the location and some peoplepower - thanks Sam's!

Any questions, drop us a line at recyclingjackson@yahoo.com - and our apologies if it takes some time for a response.

Stay Green!
Dave Lawrence

Jackson-area recycling sites

2007-01-02T07:24:00.001-05:00

Our new Jackson County map is live - check it out here (or click on it to go to a bigger one):

View Larger Map

Go here for a searchable map/database!

City of Albion - Corner of Clinton and Cass streets. Directly behind city hall.

Calhoun County Recycling Center - 12980 27 Mile Road (Albion)
Phone (269) 781-9841, open 24 hours
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Emmons Service Inc. - 913 Water St. Phone (517) 787-8710.
Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Accepts newspaper, mixed paper and magazines, corrugated cardboard, glass, metal, aluminum, plastic, batteries, grass/brush, appliances, motor oil

Grass Lake Township - N. Lake St.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Great Lakes Waste Services - 1970 Ogden Hwy. (Adrian)
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Henrietta Township - M-106, north of Kennedy Rd.
Phone (517) 596-3374, open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Batteries, grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, plastic foam, white plastic bags

City of Jackson - 209 W. Louis Glick Hwy (Downtown Jackson)
Phone (517) 788-4020, free, open to all 24 hours.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

City of Leslie - City parking lot east of S. Main Street

Liberty Environmentalists, Inc. - 7900 S. Meridian Rd.
(517) 787-1177, Open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Fifty cents per 30-gallon bag; $5 per level pickup load.
Grass/brush, metal, mixed paper

Michigan Center - 913 Fifth Street, Michigan Center
Behind the Leoni Township Offices, (517) 764-4694.
Free, open to all 24 hours

Modern Waste Systems - 7255 Brooklyn Rd.
Phone (517) 536-4900. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday; 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Non-Customers $2 per visit.
Grass, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Northwest Refuse - 2600 Lansing Ave.
Phone (517) 787-3699. Free, open during daylight hours seven days a week.
Grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, white plastic bags

Omnisource - 701 Lewis St.
Metal, cardboard

Recycling Jackson - 1420 W. Monroe
Batteries, e-waste, grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, plastic foam, styrofoam, tires, white plastic bags

Rives Township - State Rd. at Berry Rd.
Phone (517) 569-2232. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Service limited to Rives residents only. $2 minimum fee; cost based on load.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Sam's Club - 3600 O'Neill Drive in Jackson

Spring Arbor Township - Hutch’s Food Center, 8025 Spring Arbor Road
Free, open to all 24 hours.

Springport Township - 150 E. Main Street (across from police department).
Phone (517) 857-2030. Free, open to all 24 hours.

Summit Township - 2121 Ferguson Rd.
Phone (517) 788-4113. Free, open to all 24 hours.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Westwinds Recycling Center - Westwinds Community Church, 1000 Robinson Rd. Phone (517) 750-1111, ext. 23. Free, open to all 24 hours.
Cardboard, metal, glass, plastic, mixed paper and newspaper

Contact us.

2007-01-01T07:23:00.000-05:00

To schedule a presentation to your class or organization, or to inquire about our recycling and e-waste services, contact:

e-mail: recyclingjackson@yahoo.com

Phone: (517) 414-6142