No More Recycling Excuses!

It's Earth Day ... how green are you?

Several years ago when my husband and I bought our house, we had to replace all the carpet. (It had been a rental for nearly a decade, and the last resident was a smoker with a big dog. 'Nuff said!)

We were delighted to find carpet made from recycled water bottles, and even more excited to discover a local company that would pick up the old carpet for recycling into other products. Win-win!

I've also made a point of recycling my old computers and electronics, thanks to the great program offered by Staples. In fact, they actually give you rewards points for bringing items in to recycle! (See a complete list of what they accept by clicking the link below.)

But lately I've been feeling like there's more I could be doing. So I began researching how to recycle all kinds of "odd" items. And now I want to share the resources I found with you!

Cosmetics

You can't put makeup containers in your curbside recycling. But that doesn't mean they belong in the trash either!

This video explains how the process works. And while the narrator mentions "when you send us your shipment," know that you may not have to do that –?there are places where you can drop items off! (See link below the video.)

In addition to the TerraCycle options, Sephora now accepts empty containers for recycling. (Although you'll need to clean those out before dropping them off at your local Sephora store.)

Contact Lenses + Packaging

If you wear monthly or daily disposable contact lenses, that generates a lot of waste! With each lens packaged inside a blister pack, those really add up.

Bausch + Lomb has also partnered with TerraCycle to collect both the lenses and blister packs. You can search for a drop-off location near you – although you might want to call to double-check. (My eye doctor was on the list, but they told me they are not a drop-off location.)

Other Hard-to-Recycle Items

Your local curbside recycling probably accepts paper, plastic and aluminum. And if you're lucky, there are places to recycle glass (like the big purple bins located all over my hometown of Kansas City).

But what about light bulbs, automotive items, hazardous waste, and more? Here's a great resource to bookmark! Simply pop in your zip code to see what options are near you.

What Else Can You Do?

Now that you've located ways to recycle all those items you may have simply tossed in the trash before, it's time to have a little fun!

Check out these ideas for fun ways to celebrate Earth Day any day you choose!

And of course while you're on the One Tree Planted website, consider planting a few trees to help reforest the globe! You can even gift trees in someone's honor, or sign up for monthly giving.

Together we can celebrate Earth Day every day!