Yahoo! Green: RECYCLING

Recycle your old phones and help Haiti quake victims

Megan Treacy — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:38:00 PST

Like me, you've probably been watching the coverage of the earthquake in Haiti with a big knot in your stomach and maybe you've already donated $10 by texting HAITI to 90999, but if you want to do more (and help out the environment while you're at it), there's an easy way to do so.

ReCellular has launched a disaster relief program for the victims of the earthquake called "Phones for Haiti." All proceeds from donated phones will go straight to the American Red Cross for their work in the country.

If you're like most people you have an old cell phone lying around somewhere and this is a great way to donate to those in need and keep your electronic waste out of a landfill at the same time. ReCellular refurbishes the donated phones and then sells them to people in developing countries. Some phone models like Blackberries or iPhones could contribute up to $100 to the Red Cross.

ReCellular also accepts your old chargers, batteries and other accessories and the shipping is free. Click here to get started.

via Inhabitat

Getting rid of old stuff

Lori Bongiorno — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:24:17 PST

(Photo: Getty Images)

Wondering what to do with all the old stuff now that you've gotten a bunch of new things for the holidays?

Resist the urge to cram your closets with junk you'll never use again or send perfectly useful things to the landfill. Here's how you can donate, give away, recycle, sell, or trade old items.

Electronics

Most of us already have a stockpile of old electronics we don't know what to do with. Luckily, it's easier and easier to responsibly get rid of old gadgets. Don't forget to take your personal info off of cell phones and computers first.

Many major consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Dell and Apple, will take back their old products.

A growing number of retailers have extensive free recycling programs or trade-in options (where you get store credit when you bring in old electronics). Best Buy, Staples, and Radio Shack have in-store and online programs that are worth checking out.

Donate old cell phones and computers directly to a charity in need. Some Goodwill locations accept computer equipment in any condition for refurbishing or responsible recycling. Your old cell phone, PDA, or MP3 can benefit a charity of your choice through CollectiveGood.

Try selling your old gadgets at Gazelle.

Sports equipment: Donate to schools, youth programs, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Or see if you can trade it in for new gear at Play It Again Sports.

CDs, DVDs, video games: You can drop off CDs and DVDs at any Best Buy store in the U.S. Just look for the free kiosk just inside the front door. GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, and video and audio tapes and their cases. You can swap, music, DVDs, or video games by mail through Swaptree, SwapaDVD, SwapaCD, and Game Trading Zone.

Kids stuff: Donate old toys to a nearby children's hospital, daycare center, or Goodwill. Trade (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer want at Tots Swap Shop, Kizoodle, Swap Baby Goods, or Hand-Me-Downs.

Books: Ask your local library, school, or hospital if they can use books you no longer need. Otherwise, consider sending them to the Global Literacy Project, which distributes books to communities, libraries, and schools around the world. There are also several websites that are dedicated to helping you swap old books into new reading material.

Clothing: It's well-known that you can donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. And women's business attire can go to Dress for Success. You can also trade what you no longer wear at Swapstyle or Swap-O-Rama-Rama.

Shoes: Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes and distributes them to the needy. Drop off your old shoes at a nearby donation location or mail them to one of its distribution centers. If your athletic shoes are too worn out to donate, then Nike will recycle them into a material that's used in sports surfaces, playgrounds, and new products.

Of course, you can also give away many things on Freecycle, or sell your old castaways on Craiglist or eBay.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

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How to clean up after the holidays

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:42:43 PST

(Photo: Influx Productions / Getty Images)

The gifts are unwrapped, the guests are gone, and your house is littered with tinsel, paper, and empty boxes. Not to mention, there's a big tree sitting in the living room. What's the best way to dispose of all this junk, preferably without digging a new landfill in town?

With just a little bit of sorting, you can clear out the house for the New Year. Here's how:

Recycle the Christmas tree

If, like 30 to 35 million American households, you bought a freshly cut, real tree for the holiday, you can easily recycle this renewable resource.

Go to Earth 911, type in "Christmas tree," and then enter your ZIP code to find one of the 4,000 recycling programs around the U.S. Many communities have curbside pick-up for trees after Christmas, while other towns have drop-off locations.

Before you recycle the tree, make sure to prepare it correctly:

Remove lights and decorations, including all strands of tinsel.
Take the tree out of the stand.
Be sure there is no metal attached to the tree.
Don't wrap the tree in a bag for pick-up unless instructed to do so.
Check to see what size trees are accepted; if necessary, cut the tree in pieces.

Flocked trees usually can't be recycled and must be put into the garbage. "Living" trees (with root balls) shouldn't be recycled; they should be planted as soon as possible after the holiday.

Also, artificial trees can't be recycled. If you need to get rid of an artificial tree, try to donate it to charity or give it away on Craigslist or Freecycle. Otherwise, it will sit in the landfill forever.

Recycled trees are used throughout the country as mulch in public gardens. Some communities offer this mulch back to individuals for free. Christmas trees have also been used to help rebuild dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama, following Hurricane Ivan. Nearly 1.5 million Christmas trees were recycled into waterway conservation projects in Louisiana.

Recycle the gift wrap

First step is to sort: Remove ribbons and bows, tear off remaining bits of tape, and separate out any metallic or glitter-encrusted papers. None of that stuff is recyclable, although some of it may be reusable (especially ribbons!).

Now, can you recycle the paper that's left? This will depend on where you live. Look for the website of your local waste management company, because that's who will decide what to take. Plain wrapping papers can be added to mixed-paper recycling in some communities.

Next year, try using less wrapping paper. You'll save money and have more fun being creative with fabric wraps, reusable bags, and recycled wrappings.

Recycle the boxes and packing material

Cardboard and paperboard boxes are easy to break down and recycle in most curbside programs. If you have a lot of material, you might need to bundle the cardboard in small packets with string.

If you have space, you might want to keep a few boxes around to give next year's gifts in. Or give them away -- people can always use large shipping boxes as moving boxes.

Bubble wrap and packing peanuts can be reused. If not by you, then by someone searching Craigslist or Freecycle. Mailing centers such as The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. will also accept them.

Wondering what to do with other packaging stuff? Find out what else can be recycled and what should be trashed.

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How to get rid of annoying packaging

Lori Bongiorno — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:51:59 PST

(Photo: Getty Images)

Shopping online can save you time and is much less stressful than battling the crowds at the mall. It's also better for the planet than making a dedicated trip to the store, but it can be a real hassle to get rid of the resulting packaging, which can really pile up.

As much as half of the 85 million tons of paper products Americans consume every year goes toward packaging, wrapping, and decorating goods, according to Earth 911.

Here are some tips for tackling it with a clear conscience:

Bubble wrap

You have many options for reusing bubble wrap. Set it aside for another time when you need to ship something fragile, if you have the room to store it. Or give it to someone who has a use for it now. Try listing bubble wrap on Freecycle or in the free stuff section of Craigslist, or bring it to your local mailing center (such as the UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc).

Otherwise, try clever ways to reuse bubble wrap such as keeping produce fresh longer, removing frost from your windshield, or using it for insulation. Really! Check out all these innovative suggestions from Planet Green.

Packing peanuts

As with bubble wrap, the best thing you can do is figure out how to reuse packing peanuts as they were meant to be used. You can reuse them yourself (store in an old pair of pantyhose) or give them away (shipping stores take them back, and Freecycle and Craigslist are also an option).

Feeling more creative? The Green Cheapskate says they can help make ice last longer, and they're handy to have around for projects.

FedEx envelopes

Paper envelopes can go in with your paper recycling. Depending on where you live, you can probably get away with leaving the plastic sleeve on, but it's better to remove it if you can. "It is always good practice to remove non-paper items from your paper recyclables so you don't contaminate the recycling stream," says Jennifer Berry at Earth 911.

Tyvek envelopes are a different story since they are actually made of plastic and not paper. You can mail Tyvek envelopes back to the manufacturer (Dupont) for recycling.

Stuff envelopes (less than 25) into an inside-out Tyvek envelope and mail to this address: Tyvek Recycle, Attn. Shirley B. Wright, 200 Elliham Avenue, #A, Richmond, VA 23237. You will have to pay for postage yourself. Otherwise, you should throw them in the trash.

Cardboard boxes

You can recycle cardboard boxes with mixed paper in most communities. Just break down the boxes and remove tape.

Better yet, store cardboard boxes and reuse them, or give them to someone who needs them. You can also drop off used boxes at U-Haul stores or use the company's message board to trade or sell boxes.

Clamshell packaging

You probably won't have to deal with this hard plastic packaging until after the gifts are opened, although if you know the recipient won't return your present (if you buy your child a toy, for example) you may want to open the package up before you wrap it to save the recipient the hassle later on.

Whether or not you can recycle clamshell packaging depends on where you live and what type of plastic it's made of. Given that the ubiquitous packaging is typically made from PVC (#3) or polypropylene (#5) and that most curbside recycling programs only accept polyethylene (#1) or high density polyethylene (#2), you probably can't recycle it.

"If your recycling program does take all kinds of plastics, it's important to note which kind of plastic your container is made of and to verify if it's accepted, says Berry. "I hate to say it, but when it doubt, try to find a way to reuse it or throw it out."

Wrapping paper

This is another post-holiday concern, but good to think about, especially when you are wrapping gifts. Try to choose paper that is made from recycled paper or that can be recycled. Better yet, get creative, and save money on store-bought paper.

Grandma had the right idea about saving any paper in good condition and keeping ribbon and bows to use again. But sometimes that is just not possible.

Whether you can recycle wrapping paper depends on what it's made of (metallic and foil aren't a good bet for the recycling bin) and where you live. Most traditional wrapping paper isn't recyclable, but some municipalities do recycle it. Be sure to remove all tape, ribbons, and bows beforehand. If you're not sure, you should throw it out.

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Everything you know about going green is wrong

Dan Shapley — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:39:13 PST

(Photo: Peter Dazeley / Getty Images)

What if that brand new Prius is worse for the environment than a 1995 Chevy Suburban, despite getting 38 more miles to the gallon?

What if that sirloin, shipped to the steakhouse from a newly deforested pasture in the Amazon, means less to the global climate than a hill of individually wrapped jellybeans?

What if using that old avocado-green clothes washer turned out to be better for the environment than the brand new Energy Star model?

These are the types of thoughts one thinks after reading two recent reports by Joshuah Stolaroff, who could do far more to turn "going green" on its head than your average faceless bureaucrat.

Stolaroff was at a low enough level at the Environmental Protection Agency when he wrote Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Materials and Land Management Practices that he can't even "speak for the agency" when discussing it. The Product Policy Institute, which published is next paper, Products, Packaging and Greenhouse Gas Emissions encouraged him to talk, but the only reporters who sat in on his recent press call were writing for publications serving readers in the solid waste industry. (The second paper was like the first, but included a key addition: Consideration of the greenhouse gas emissions embodied in imported goods, not just domestically produced items.)

The reports have the same conclusion: The stuff we buy and the packaging that comes with the stuff we buy represents our biggest contribution to global warming -- far more so than the amount of electricity our stuff uses or the amount of fuel our stuff burns on the highway.

As a nation, the products we buy, and the plastic and paper those products are packaged in, account for 44% of our greenhouse gas emissions -- dwarfing all other sources of pollution. It's all about stuff. Good stuff, bad stuff, fuel-efficient stuff, organic stuff: The problem is too much stuff.

Powering every AC unit, boiler, and hot water heater in the United States adds up to less than half the impact of our stuff -- just 21%. Driving our cars, or -- why not? -- Hummers, as the case may be, accounts for just 13%, and food just 12%.

Even all our guilt-ridden, globe-trotting vacations and every one of those celebrity private jet trips -- "non-local passenger transport" in the parlance of these reports -- accounts for just 9% of all global warming pollution produced by the United States.

And, in a note that makes you want to gouge out both eyes with an electric fork, the electricity used to run all our appliances amounts to just 7% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

The papers are written for policy wonks, encouraging such practices as lifecycling responsibility for manufacturers, so that the cell phone you buy today is dismantled and remade by the same company that manufactured it. "There's enough evidence here that we should institute policies around products or materials to control greenhouse gas emissions," Stolaroff said.

Good advice. But what about us?

Even as an expert on the topic, Stolaroff was surprised by the way the report affected him. "In the process of the report I became convinced that recycling is much more important than I thought it really was," he said. "Particularly appliances, cars, electronics, and construction and demolition debris -- those turn out to be pretty important. I never really thought about that. We hear a lot about recycling containers, but we're much less advanced in terms of recycling durable goods, like building debris and furniture. There's lots of potential to prevent greenhouse gas emissions."

Which isn't to say that energy efficiency doesn't matter (or that other studies don't contradict some of these findings) ... but Stolaroff's studies suggest that the types of products we buy and how much stuff we buy in the first place matter most.

Choosing to buy products made from recycled materials, that can be repaired or recycled -- or choosing to rent what we don't need to buy ... these amount to some of the most important choices we make for the environment.

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Finally! A recycling plant for dirty diapers

Megan Treacy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:10:00 PST

As a new mom and an EcoGeek, I know that choosing a diapering method is a huge issue. Disposable diapers clog landfills for hundreds of years. There are alternatives to disposables, of course, but they have their drawbacks. Cloth diapers require extra water and electricity for laundering and the couple of biodegradable options don't quite perform as well and are hard to find at local supermarkets. This leads to an overwhelming majority of parents choosing disposables and approximately 27.4 billion diapers making their way to American landfills every year.

Enter one of the more exciting stories I've come across in a while. Companies Versus Energy and Knowaste are partnering up to build a diaper recycling plant in the UK. Not only will the diapers collected stay out of landfills, but the plant will actually run on the organic matter contained in them.

The diapers will be shredded, washed, sanitized, and separated into organic material and reusable paper pulp and plastic that may find new life as roof tiles, shoe insoles, wallpaper, industrial thickeners, or many other potential uses. The water used in the process will be treated and reused.

The plant will open in May 2010 in Birmingham and is the first of five planned for the UK. The diapers will be collected from nurseries, nursing homes, and hospitals. My fingers are crossed that the U.S. will follow soon.

via Triple Pundit

20 money-saving ways to reuse old pantyhose

Jeff Yeager — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:59 PDT

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, don't throw that away!]

I was a bank robber, the first Halloween I can remember. That involved carrying a burlap bag filled with stacks of newsprint "loot" over my shoulder, wearing a black turtleneck sweater like Illya Kuryakin wore in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and -- most memorably -- sliding one of my grandmother's worn out silk stockings over my head.

That memory (the last part, in particular) is etched upon my mind. And, my therapist says, no amount of counseling is ever likely to erase it.

Silk stockings are of course as long gone as my dear grandmother; truly sad to say, in both cases. But here are 20 creative ways to repurpose today's worn-out nylon pantyhose, even if you're not planning to rob a bank:

Gift wrap storage: Keep rolls of gift paper neat and tatter-free by storing them in old pantyhose -- one roll per leg -- and hanging them in the closet.
Green Cheapskate soap on a rope: Put bath soap slivers in the foot of a pair of pantyhose to get every last bit of suds out of them in the shower. Rub-a-dub-dub, there's a cheapskate in my tub. (See more "Recycling Oddities.")
Plant ties: Use lengths of pantyhose to stake up tomatoes and other plants in the garden; because of its elasticity, it's easier on tender plants than string.
Mold and mildew stoppers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter and place in shoes, luggage, closets, dressers, etc., to absorb moisture and reduce mold and mildew.
Panty-pantry storage: Store onions, potatoes, and garlic in pantyhose and hang them in the pantry to promote good air circulation and keep them from rotting.
Sweet smelling sachets: Fill lengths of pantyhose with potpourri, tie off at both ends, and use to keep closets and dressers smelling sweet. They also work well when filled with cedar shavings or moth-repelling herbs to prevent damage to clothing in storage.
Pillow stuffing: Cut pantyhose into strips and use to stuff throw pillows or toys.
Repair torn pair in a pinch: If she has a run in the left leg and a matching pair with a run in the right, my wife sometimes cuts off her bad legs (so to speak) and doubles up, wearing two layers of panties with a good leg attached to each. (God I love that frugal woman.)
Packing peanut storage: Store menacing foam packing peanuts in a pair of pantyhose to keep them from invading the house until you're ready to reuse them. Cut a hole in the toe and tie it off with a twisty seal for easy peanut dispensing.
Homemade Bungee cords: The elasticity of pantyhose make them perfect all-purpose tie down straps, or tie a metal "S" hook from the hardware store on each end for a homemade Bungee cord.
Lint mitt: Use like a mitten to remove lint and pet hair from clothing and upholstery rather than a lint brush. The mitt will also remove deodorant residue from clothing.
Scratch-less scrubbers: Try pantyhose to scrub tile and other surfaces where you're afraid of scratches. Also good for applying polishes to silver, brass, gold and other easily scratched metals.
Protect prized veggies: Put pantyhose over vegetables like squash and melons while they're still growing in the garden to protect against pest damage without using chemical pesticides. Is that a zucchini in your pantyhose, or are you just happy to see me?
Flower bulb storage: Store seasonal bulbs in pantyhose and hang them up in a dry place to promote good air circulation.
Shoe shine buffer: Old pantyhose are perfect for putting the spit-shine on shoes.
Wear them outdoors: Guys, don't be shy about sporting a pair of worn out pantyhose next time you go camping or work in the yard. Real outdoorsmen (and outdoorswomen) have known for years that they prevent chigger and other insect bites and minimize foot blister.
Draft dodgers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter to seal off cold drafts from under doors and windows.
Fishing trick: When I wasn't wearing my Granny's worn out stockings over my head, my Gramps was using them to catch catfish. He'd wrap a piece of chicken liver bait in a section of nylon stocking to keep it on the hook; the fish would still bite, and he'd still have his bait.
Paint/stain/plaster applicator: Use pantyhose to add interesting texture and designs when applying and/or finishing paint and plaster.
Special photo effects: Stretch pantyhose over your camera lens to give photos a muted or starburst effect. (Note: It's best to have her take them off before you try this.)

Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

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Which batteries to recycle, which to trash

TDG Community — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PDT

Stephen O'Shea asks: My high school has been collecting a large quantity of used household batteries with the intention of having them recycled. But when I contacted the local recycling agencies, they said these types of batteries are just considered trash. Before I dump them in the trash, do you know anymore about this?

Manna Jo Greene replies:

Rechargeables need to be recycled: Nickel-cadmium and ni-metal hydride batteries are made with heavy metals.

In early 90s, I served on the New York State Battery Task Force and we (collectively those working on battery issues) got the industry to stop using mercury in alkaline, single-use AAA, AA, A, C, and D batteries as an antioxidant (Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996).

So these batteries are not toxic per se, but do contain a metal (steel) casing and can technically be recycled with scrap metal if you have a metal can full of them, but make sure they are fully discharged. Also, do not close the storage container tightly as they can give off some hydrogen. Most people just put these safely into the trash.

It's lead, NiCd, NiMH, and lithium batteries that are toxic. Mercuric oxide, rare specialty batteries are not used by general public, but must be recycled. Zinc air and silver oxide are substitutes.

Silver oxide batteries contain silver, a precious metal, and should be recycled and can be easily.

Lead acid batteries (for autos) must be recycled, and there is a rebate in N.Y. when you trade them in.

Lithium batteries are highly reactive and should be recycled.

In summary, rechargeables and button cells can and should be recycled, single-use can be tossed.

More info on battery recycling.

Manna Jo Greene is the environmental director of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

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How to make handmade paper ... from trash

Adina Levin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:17:11 PDT

Adina Levin, co-founder of Collab, an ambitious new project aimed at re-localizing the economy by enabling artists, artisans, and inventors to collaborate in the same space with a variety of efficient green machine tools. It's based in Manhattan.

In her spare time, Adina is a crafter extraordinaire, and The Daily Green recently asked her to show us how to make beautiful handmade paper -- a great gift -- from the trash in your paper recycling bin.

The instructions are straightforward, the video shows you how. Just add your own trash and some creativity, and your homemade paper-making days have begun.

Supplies

Frame or old window screen
Screen (silk screen fabric, old stockings, or window screen)
Duct tape or staple gun
Plastic bin or cookie sheet (larger than the screen and deep enough to hold enough water to cover screen with water)
Blender (food processor or a handheld blender)
Paper (junk mail, bills, old catalogs, memos from the boss, magazines, etc.)
Sponge
Old rags or a very absorbent towel
Draining board or something to lay wet screen on

Make your screen

Use the frame to make your mold. Take the screen fabric, and stretch it over the frame.
Staple or adhere the screen fabric so that it becomes the bottom of your mold. It is important to make sure that the screen is stretched tightly and that no water can escape through the edges of the screen.
After your first side is tacked down, make sure your next area to tack will be the opposite side.
Once your screen is made, set it aside. You can continue to use this mold and change out the fabric as often as you like. Different textures will create various effects. It is fun to experiment with different kinds of materials to use as your mold.

Make your pulp and paper

Gather the junk mail or whatever material you would like to use for your pulp. You can mix different kinds of paper and experiment to produce different colors, textures, and styles.
Fill the container you are using as a tub with water. Make sure that you use enough water to submerge your screen. If you do not have a plastic container, you can also use duct tape to cover the kitchen sink drain.
Rip up the paper into smaller sheets, use your judgment based on the kind of equipment you are blending with. If you have a hand blender, you can blend your paper into pulp right inside the plastic container. If you are using a blender or food processor, throw your ripped sheets of junk mail or whatever you are recycling in the blender and fill it with water.
Blend. You can experiment with different consistencies of the pulp by using different speeds on the blender.
You can add color to your pulp in this step or wait until later. Depending on what you are using as the base for your pulp, you may find that your pulp turns a color because of the ink used on the substrate you are blending.
Once you are satisfied with your pulp mixture, place the screen in the water and pour the mixture on top of the screen to catch the pulp.
Move your fingers around a bit on top of the screen so that the pulp covers the middle of the screen in a paper-like shape, without a lot of holes.
Once you are satisfied with the placement of the pulp, lift up the mold from the water and hold it still as the water drains from the screen.
Once the draining slows, place the screen on your draining area and gently use a sponge or towel to pick up any excess water. You can squeeze excess water back into the pulp mixture, or add more pulp to fill holes.
Place the absorbent towel over the wet paper pulp and press it down so that it creates a bond with the sheet you are making. Use your judgment as to when the sheet is ready to lift of the screen.
Turn the screen over and scratch the opposite side of the screen so that the paper begins to separate from the screen and falls off on the transfer fabric you are using
Take your sheet and dry it in the sun or leave it by a window. You can hang dry it or set it flat to dry. Depending on the thickness of the sheet drying times will vary.
You can add different elements of color and texture to your paper at any time during paper-making process. Use all of your pulp and if you have left over scraps recycle them for your next project ...

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10 creative ways to reuse packing peanuts

Jeff Yeager — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:31:48 PDT

(Getty Images)

I've always hated those foam packing peanuts that fly out of the box and end up everywhere whenever you open a mail-order package. They seem to be a product designed more to annoy the recipient than to protect the recipient's cargo.

In fairness to the packing peanut industry, they have made some strides over the years to at least make some packing peanuts more eco-friendly, if no less annoying.

There are even new, environmentally friendly packing peanuts on the market that are made out of corn starch, wheat, and other natural materials, so they biodegrade quickly and some even dissolve in water. Shippers will usually put a slip in with your shipment letting you know if they use biodegradable peanuts, in which case you can just add them to your compost pile.

Traditional packing peanuts are made out of polystyrene and are now color coded to indicate the origin of the material they contain. Polystyrene takes hundreds of years to decompose in nature, so recycling it is key. Green-colored packing peanuts are made from at least 70% recycled material, while white and pink colored peanuts are composed of at least 70% raw (i.e., non-recycled) materials.

Here are my prescriptions for creatively reusing foam packing peanuts so you'll save money and save the planet:

Reuse: Shipping services like Mailboxes, Etc. will often accept peanut donations, as will many stores and businesses that do a lot of shipping. If nothing else, list them on the Freecycle Network, since someone in your area is bound to be moving or shipping something.

Or reuse them yourself. Store packing peanuts in an old pair of pantyhose to keep them from over taking your house until you're ready to ship them off to someone else. Cut a hole in the toe -- if there's not already one there -- and tie it off with a twisty-seal for easy peanut dispensing.

Recycle: More and more recycling programs are accepting packing peanuts, but make sure you put them in a bag or box so that they don't escape and invade the neighborhood.

Refuse: If you detest packing peanuts as much as I do, ask mail-order companies if they use them before you agree to place an order, and encourage them to use the new biodegradable variety.

Sometimes companies, particularly smaller outfits, will agree to ship your order with shredded newspaper or some other more eco-friendly substitute instead.

Make ice last longer: Put packing peanuts in a sealable plastic bag and place on top of the ice in your ice chest. The ice will last longer and everything will stay colder.

Potted plant drainage: Substituting packing peanuts (the non-biodegradable variety) for gravel in the base of potted plants not only provides good drainage, but it makes the containers much lighter and easier to move.

(Photo: Lenore M. Edman /
www.evilmadscientist.com)

Stuff a costume: Whether it's Santa's belly at Christmastime, a goblin for the front yard for Halloween, or a scarecrow for the summer garden, think packing peanuts whenever you need some lightweight costume stuffing.

Floating key chain: Thread a few packing peanuts on your key chain if you're going boating or to the beach. They'll keep your keys from sinking to the bottom of the deep blue sea.

Perfect pet pillows: Use packing peanuts to stuff a pillow for your pooch or a cushion for your kitty.

Deck the halls: String up multicolored packing peanuts instead of old-fashioned popcorn and cranberries for some festive yuletide decorations. Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like repurposing would-be throwaways.

Home Insulation? No, but maybe an entire home: Unlike foam insulating materials used in home construction, packing peanuts have not been treated to make them flame retardant, so they shouldn't be used as insulation.

But that didn't keep this 12-year old genius from building an inexpensive, modular home for disaster victims out of them. Check out the video:

Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

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