Make my bag canvas.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.