What Are Those New White Bins at the Schools?

If you've noticed the new white bins at all the schools around town and are curious about what they are about, wonder no more.  They are for textile recycling as a fundraiser for the schools.  This is a great way to give a second life to textiles that can no longer be used--as long as they aren't wet, mildewed or hazardous--such as badly ripped jeans, old sheets or worn out shoes that would otherwise go in the trash.  The bins are super easy to use.  Just drop your stuff in like you are mailing a letter!   Here is the link describing the program and what items are accepted:

http://www.baystatetextiles.com/

Also here is a good article describing the program and what the textiles are used for:

http://www.baystatetextiles.com/money-in-old-clothes.htm

Don't forget there are also green and yellow Abitibi bins at the schools to collect paper recycling items.  Here's the link to what they accept:

http://paperretriever.com/default/WGITB/WGITB.pdf

These are great recycling programs to support the Wakefield Public Schools.

 By Sherri Carlson

Watch this short story-- The Story of Broke

The (short) Story of Broke, by Annie Leonard from The Story of Stuff is a must see and is perfect timing for the Occupy Movement: http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-broke/

Electronics Recycling | Waste & Recycling | MassDEP

Electronics Recycling

About Electronics Recycling

Donation & Reuse Options

Drop-Off & Mail-In Programs

Other Programs & Resources

Massachusetts Ban on Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Disposal

other great link
http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/index.htm
http://www.freecycle.org/

Kick the Disposable Battery Habit

Here is a great article from the Union of Concerned Scientists on using rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones which typically end up in landfills. I find it is no problem to buy a spare rechargeable set and keep rotating the batteries.

~Sherri Carlson

Link:
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/2009/greentips-kick-the.html


Kick the Disposable Battery Habit
Greentips: August 2009

Americans buy about three billion household batteries (about 10 per person) annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—and nearly all of them end up in landfills. The next time you need to power up your gadgets, choose rechargeable batteries instead. Unlike disposable alkaline batteries, rechargeable batteries can be reused hundreds of times, which not only saves money and resources, but also reduces global warming pollution associated with battery manufacturing and transport. An independent study conducted for battery manufacturer UNIROSS estimates that using a disposable battery to create 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity has a global warming impact equivalent to driving a car 283 miles; using a rechargeable battery is equivalent to driving 10 miles.

Rechargeable battery technology continues to evolve, but there are only a few types widely available today:

Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) is the most common rechargeable battery type. Like their nickel-cadmium predecessors (see below), NiMH batteries come in standard sizes (AAA, A, C, D, and 9V) but are considered less toxic and offer superior performance. New “low-self-drain” (or “hybrid”) NiMH batteries come fully charged, like alkaline batteries, and stay charged longer, making them good for slow-drain gadgets like remote controls.


Nickel-cadmium (NiCad or NiCd) batteries have fallen from favor in recent years because they contain cadmium, a carcinogen. However, older handheld tools may still run on NiCads, and they are still sold in stores.


Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are mostly used in high-end electronics like laptops and cell phones, as the battery’s light weight and high storage capacity help improve gadgets’ portability. They are more expensive than other rechargeable batteries, however, due to their advanced circuitry, and are currently unavailable in standard sizes.


No matter which type of rechargeable batteries you use, you can make them even greener using these strategies:

Choose an energy-efficient charger. Energy Star-rated models use 35 percent less energy than standard chargers, while solar-powered battery chargers use no electricity at all. For further energy savings, look for a “smart” charger that shuts off when the batteries are fully charged (overcharging shortens battery life). Regardless of charger type, unplug it when it is not being used as it will continue to draw electricity even when not charging.


Care for idle batteries. Do not leave batteries uncharged or unused for long periods, which can shorten their life. Remove batteries from infrequently used devices and store away from heat and moisture.


Dispose of batteries properly. Rechargeable batteries contain toxic materials and should not be thrown out with regular trash. When purchasing batteries, ask the retailer whether it takes them back for recycling; if it does not, you may be able to bring them to your municipal hazardous waste facility or a local recycling center (see the Related Resources).


Related Resources (Note: go to original link listed above to access the below resources)

Bio Intelligence Service—Ditch the Disposable Lifestyle (pdf)

California Integrated Waste Management Board—Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers

Energy Star—Battery charging systems

Earth 911—Battery Recycling Locations

Be A Trash Terminator

1.      RECYCLE MORE! Find out about the items you can recycle at 1-800-CLEANUP or www.earth911.org

2.      Choose products with minimal packaging and buy in bulk. Avoid individual-wrapped items. A jumbo box of cereal uses less packaging than several single serving-sized boxes.

3.      Choose durable, reusable products over single-use, disposable items. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. Get your coffee in a refillable mug. Use canvas bags for shopping.

4.      Reduce junk mail.  Find out how to get your name removed from unwanted mailing lists at www.junkmailstopper.com

5.      Reuse bags, containers, packaging materials and other items. Bags, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts and padded envelopes can be used many times. Be creative!

6.      Compost.  Recycle leaves, grass, food scraps, paper towels, coffee grounds and tea bags into great garden soil.  Black gold!

7.      Donate unwanted items to charities or have a yard sale.

8.      Choose items with a recycled-content label.  This saves precious resources and is the key to making recycling work!!

9.      Keep toxic home and garden products out of the trash.  Learn about non-toxic alternatives at www.turi.org/community

10.     Reduce your use of paper.  Use e-mail, get bank statements and newsletters on-line and use the library.

Home Composting

A Guide to Composting Yard & Food Waste

Printer-Friendly Version: PDF 479 KB
What is composting? 

Composting is a controlled process of decomposition of organic material. Naturally occurring soil organisms recycle nitrogen, potash, phosphorus, and other plant nutrients as they convert the material into humus.
Benefits of composting

Composting is a convenient, beneficial and inexpensive way to handle your organic waste and help the environment. Composting:

• reduces the volume of garbage requiring disposal;
• saves money for you and your community in reduced soil purchases and reduced local disposal costs; and
• enriches the soil. Using compost adds essential nutrients, improves soil structure, which allows better root growth, and increases moisture and nutrient retention in the soil. Plants love compost!

What you should compost?

Yard wastes such as leaves, grass clippings and weeds make excellent compost. Fruit and vegetable scraps, plus food wastes such as coffee grounds, tea bags, and eggs shells, can be composted. To keep animals and odors out of your pile, do not add meat, bones, fatty food wastes (such as cheese, grease and oils), dog and cat litter, and diseased plants. Do not add invasive weeds and weeds that have gone to seed to the pile. Elements of a good compost pile With these principles in mind, you can convert your organic wastes into resources by turning your spoils to soil.
The Biodegraders

Nature has provided an army of workers who specialize in decomposing organic material. These "critters" - bacteria, fungi, molds, earthworms, insects and other soil organisms - eat all types of organic material and in the process convert nutrients into a form plants can utilize. Without those compost critters, we would be surrounded by mountains of leaves and the soil would be barren. The process of composting is simply a matter of providing the soil organisms with food, water and oxygen. They do the rest.
Organic Material

Organic material contains varying amounts of carbon and nitrogen which nourish the organisms naturally present in your compost pile. (Billions of bacteria inhabit the surface of every leaf and blade of grass in your yard.) The critters need both carbon and nitrogen. An easy way to provide both of these is to remember that brown, woody materials, such as autumn leaves, are high in carbon while green, moist materials, such as grass clippings, are high in nitrogen (refer to "How to Make a Compost Pile" below).
Use approximately three parts "brown" material to one part "green" material to optimize the composting process and prevent odors from developing. This recipe will yield finished composting in three to eight months. Leaves alone break down in six to 15 months. Grass clippings or food scraps composted alone result in unpleasant odors because they contain more nitrogen than the compost organisms can use. Mix leaves, straw or shredded newspaper with green material, or let it dry until it turns brown before composting it alone.
Air

The compost critters need oxygen, just as we do. Lack of oxygen will slow down the composting process and cause odors. Turn your pile, fluff it with a hoe or compost turning tool, or build air passages into the pile with cornstalks to provide oxygen to the organisms.
Moisture

Compost organisms need a moist environment. The pile should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge, but not dripping wet. Make sure leaves are damp when you add them to the compost pile because they will not break down if they are dry. Since moisture evaporates as the pile heats up (a sign of active composting), let rain and snow replace it, or add water during dry spells. A cover helps retain moisture in hot weather.

How to Make a Compost Pile

There are as many different ways to make compost as there are people who do it. The following guidelines will get you started, but soon your own experience will help you tailor a method that best fits your needs.

• Build or purchase a compost bin. Check to see if your community has a composting bin distribution program, or order from a garden catalogue, nursery or hardware store. Enclosed compost piles keep out pests, hold heat and moisture in, and have a neat appearance. Or, bins can be simply made of wire, wood, pallets, concrete blocks, even garbage cans with drainage holes drilled in them. In urban areas, rodent-resistant compost bins - having a secure cover and floor and openings no wider than one-half inch - must be used.
• Set up the bin in a convenient, shady area with good drainage. A pile that is about three feet square and three feet high will help maintain the heat generated by the composting organisms throughout the winter. Although a smaller pile may not retain heat, it will compost.
• Start the pile with a layer of coarse material such as corn stalks to build in air passages. Add alternating layers of "brown" and "green" materials with a shovelful of soil on top of each layer. Shredding leaves or running over them with a lawn mower will shorten the composting time. Be sure to bury food scraps in the center of the pile.

High Nitrogen "Green" Ingredients	High Carbon "Brown" Ingredients
grass clippings	autumn leaves
weeds	straw
food wastes: fruit & vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells	paper towels, napkins, bags, plates, coffee filters, tissue and newspaper
manure (cow, horse, chicken, rabbit)	cornstalks
seaweed	wood chips
alfalfa hay/meal	saw dust
blood meal	pine needles

• Add water as you build the pile if the materials are dry.
• As time goes on, keep oxygen available to the compost critters by fluffing the pile with a hoe or compost turning tool each time you add material. A complete turning of the pile - so the top becomes the bottom - in spring and fall should result in finished compost within a year. More frequent turning will shorten the composting time.

How to use compost


When the composted materials look like rich, brown soil, it is ready to use. Apply one-half to three inches of finished compost and mix it in with the top four inches of soil about one month before planting. Compost can be applied as a top dressing in the garden throughout the summer. Compost is excellent for reseeding lawns, and it can be spread one-quarter inch deep over the entire lawn to rejuvenate the turf. To make potting soil, mix equal parts compost, sand and loam. You may put the compost through a sieve to remove large particles - these can go back into the pile. 

Mulching

Grass clippings, leaves and woody yard wastes can be used as mulch in gardens and around shrubs to keep the soil moist, control weed growth and add nutrients. Woody materials should be chipped or shredded. Use a mulch of pine needles around acid-loving plants. Leaves will work first as mulch, then as a soil enricher as they decompose. Grass clippings should be dried before using as mulch. Do not mulch with grass clippings which have been treated with herbicides; composting them first, however, will break down the herbicides.


Composting without a yard

Composting can be done indoors using an earthworm farm. Not only can you recycle your food scraps, you can also have a steady supply of fishing bait! See MassDEP's vermicomposting page. 
Printer-Friendly Version: PDF 479 KB

http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/composti.htm

Stop Junk Mail

www.junkmailstopper.com

1-888-567-8688 or 1-888-5OPTOUT. This will remove you from junk mail sent by Trans Union, Equifax, innovis, Experian and. The individual contact information is:

Go green, donate an old car

Cars4Charities is a truly unique, not-for-profit, car donation center. When you donate car, truck, van or SUV to our car donation center, we'll send the entire net proceeds to the charity you select from our extensive list.

read more @

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wakefield/archive/x1772955511/Go-green-donate-an-old-car

Cell phone recycling program at Galvin Middle School

he Galvin Middle School PTO is collecting cell phones in a recycling effort to raise money for the school. They are working with the Race to Recycle Program by Motorola. This is a simple program that works on a couple of levels. First, community members can get rid of all the old cell phones they have. Second, cell phones contain mercury, lead and cadmium, and must be disposed of properly. Community residents can drop off cell phones in the collection boxes at the Galvin Middle School office or at Town Hall. Third, the school will be rewarded every time someone donates an intact cell phone that is sent to Motorola.

The Galvin PTO is funded primarily through dues and the magazine drive, as well as the paper recycling effort. The PTO consists of parents and faculty who volunteer their time to plan social events for each grade, end of year activities, the student-faculty basketball game and faculty welcome back breakfast. The PTO also supports the school by funding advisors for clubs, organizing volunteers, granting funds for technology, contributing to the parent lecture series, and providing mini grants to faculty for special projects.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wakefield/archive/x1621247196/Cell-phone-recycling-program-at-Galvin-Middle-School

Help the DPW increase recycling

WAKEFIELD DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

For information contact:

Wakefield Department of Public Works

(781) 246-6301

If every resident Wakefield recycled one can, bottle, newspaper and plastic container each day, the Department of Public Works (DPW) would save thousands of dollars in trash disposal fees in one year. That means extra money for town programs and services for Wakefield residents.

read more

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wakefield/archive/x1817178438

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycle empty cartridges and cell phones today

We pay schools and other nonprofit organizations to recycle their inkjet and laser cartridges as well as cell phones and PDA devices. We provide prepaid shipping materials and all other marketing materials free of charge. 

Wakefield Climate Action Project is now registered

Wakefield CAP Calendar

This Calendar has all Wakefield Recycling Dates:

Blue & Red Recycling weeks

The Nahant Street Yard Waste opening hours

Curside collection of yardwaste

CRT / TV Drop-Off Dates

Mercury Collection Dates

Household Hazardous Waste days

Recycling Drop of points

View Larger Map

Mercury Recycling

Covanta Energy Mercury Facility/Haverhill

IMPORTANT! 

All fluorescent bulbs contain at least a small amount of mercury. They are safe to use, but must be disposed of properly. 

For Wakefield Residents: Covanta Haverhill, Inc. sponsors FREE mercury recycling drop-offs at the Nahant Pit. All Recycle data are on the WakefieldCAP Google calendar

This Calendar has all Wakefield Recycling Dates:

Blue & Red Recycling weeks

The Nahant Street Yard Waste opening hours

Curside collection of yardwaste

CRT / TV Drop-Off Dates

Mercury Collection Dates

Household Hazardous Waste days

Freecycle.org

Freecycle.org's mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community. Just go to the main site to find and sign up with a local group. You post items you'd like to give away or search for items you need. It's all free! The closest group for Wakefield residents is:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freecycle_WoburnMA/

Battery Recycling

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)

Through their national program, Call2Recycle™, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) can help you recycle your used portable rechargeable batteries and old cell phones. Click HERE to find local merchants who accept rechargeable batteries for recycling.  Hint, use the zip code and "within miles" search option.  For Wakefield residents:  Hart's Hardware in Wakefield, Radio Shack in Stoneham, and Home Depot all accept rechargeable batteries.