By the time you’re ten, you have most likely heard the phrase: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But how effective is recycling?

When younger, you’re more likely to actually recycle because you have been taught that is the right thing to do. However, that quickly changes once children grow up because their apartment or house charges extra for recycling, or because recycling is too much of a hassle.

According to the Clean Air Council, “Only 30% of people in the Southern region of the United States had curbside recycling collection [recycling that is deposited by the residents outside of each house and picked up by recycling representatives] in 2008. Eighty-four percent of people in the Northeast had curbside recycling.” Especially since the percentage within the Southern region is so low, it certainly does not encourage people to recycle. “In 2008, only 23.1% of glass disposed of was recycled, and only 7.1% of plastics and 21.1% of aluminum.” Surprisingly, “the average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups every year” and “every year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.”

The startling fact is that a lot of Americans do not recycle, “Over 7 billion pounds of PVC are thrown away in the U.S. each year. Only 18 million pounds of that, about one quarter of 1 percent, is recycled.”

Recycling is a huge deal on my college campus because we are trying to “Go Green” and leave less of a carbon footprint. Sure, there are still people who do not recycle and those who use a different plastic water bottle every day, but the majority of those on campus will at least recycle.

However, many times even “recycled” plastics cannot be reused, so why are so many of our items made from plastic? If you look around the room, you would be surprised at how many plastic items you own, ranging from food containers to shelves. Looking at the statistics for water bottles alone is sickening. The Clean Air Council claims that “827,000 to 1.3 million tons of plastic PET water bottles were produced in the U.S. in 2006, requiring the energy equivalent of 50 million barrels of oil. 76.5 percent of these bottles ended up in landfills.” In addition, “26 to 41 percent of the 2.4 million tons of PET plastic discarded every year is bottled water bottles” and “because plastic water bottles are shielded from sunlight in landfills, they will not decompose for thousands of years.”

It may not be feasible to believe that plastics can be eliminated entirely from our lives, but everyone can be more conscious about their plastic usage. You can reduce your own plastic consumption in several easy ways, such as bringing your own bags to the grocery store so you do not get more paper or plastic bags. “Every year, Americans use approximately 1 billion shopping bags, creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste.” In fact, “Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled each year.” You can also buy a reusable water bottle rather than buying bottled water.

If everyone made an effort to use fewer plastics, everyone would be doing something better than recycling: they would be proactive about an issue, rather than simply throwing something away in the proper bin.

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New York, U.S.A. — In an effort to reduce vehicle air pollution, Duane Reade, in partnership with Mission Electric, is turning to New Yorkers to determine which of its stores should be served solely by electric trucks. New Yorkers can vote for locations they feel should receive 100% electric delivery via an interactive map (nyc.missionelectric.org) launched by Mission Electric, a non-profit and city government social engagement campaign focused on enhancing electric vehicle transportation.

Based on the campaign results, the two leading stores will be going electric, with five more pre-selected stores to follow in later months. Participants in the campaign will be entered in a contest to win Duane Reade ”green” gift baskets and gift cards. Combined, more than 30 stores have been identified as electric truck ready in the 4 boroughs boroughs of Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

To reduce the impact of air pollution originating from vehicle deliveries, Duane Reade has purchased 14 new Smith Electric trucks that will replace almost 25% of the company’s truck fleet. The partnership with Mission Electric will reduce Duane Reade’s total green house gas impact by about 20 percent. That is the equivalent of removing over 1,000 vehicles’ tailpipe emissions from New York’s streets. Because the new trucks do not require combustion, their operation is almost silent, reducing noise levels from overnight deliveries.

“Partnering with Mission Electric is an important component of our effort to be green,” said Michael Fowles, Fleet Manager of Duane Reade. “This exciting project is an excellent way for us to get our stores and our customers involved in the process of a cleaner future. It fosters true engagement around common urban challenges of air pollution, noise, and congestion. Through this program we can more easily work together to continue to make NYC such a wonderful place to live and visit.”

“New Yorkers live in the fast lane, and this partnership will help them also take the green lane,” said David Bragdon, Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. “The City’s own municipal fleet is the second-largest public sector fleet in the nation, after the Federal Government’s, but it is important for the private sector to do its part too. Duane Reade’s investment in electric vehicles will help meet our ambitious PlaNYC goal of reducing NYC’s green house gas emissions. We’re pleased to work with all the partners in the Mission Electric campaign to drive forward to a greener, cleaner city.”

“Electric transportation isn’t the future it’s the present, and we want to ensure that everyone has a say on how this new technology unfolds,” said Christina Ficicchia, Executive Director of NYC and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Cities Coalition. “NYCLHVCC is excited to be Mission Electric’s founding partner and we hope that more businesses follow the example set by Duane Reade and the City of New York to get cleaner vehicles on the streets. We encourage New Yorkers to log on, vote and steer the way towards an electric future.”

About Duane Reade

Founded in 1960, Duane Reade is the largest drug store chain in New York City. In keeping with the company’s brand vision of New York Living Made Easy, Duane Reade provides New Yorkers with prescriptions, health products and services, beauty products and services, food and convenience items for daily life in the City…everything for “How I Feel”, “How I Look”, and “What I Need Now.” The company operates 250+ stores throughout the metropolitan New York region. Duane Reade is part of the Walgreens family of companies, the nation’s largest drugstore chain with more than 7,800 stores in all 50 states, theDistrict of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

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Dallas, U.S.A. – With more than 500 exhibitors and a notable lineup of speakers, musicians and films, Earth Day Dallas ( EarthDayDallas.org ) brought more than 58,000 North Texans to Fair Park on April 21 and 22. For the second year in a row, the nonprofit organization hosted one of the nation’s largest Earth Day celebrations, inspiring individuals to be sustainable in the ways they think, work and live.

“Last year, we planted a seed in the minds of North Texans, and were thrilled to watch people latch onto the idea of every day environmentalism,” said Trammell S. Crow, founder of Earth Day Dallas, “This year, it was amazing to see the increase in participation, especially from exhibitors. In a time when other Earth Day festivals are downsizing, we were able to double the number of booths we had in 2011. From exhibitors to programming, we elevated every aspect of the event this year, making Earth Day Dallas a true Texas-sized celebration.”

To accommodate its growing presence, the festival moved from downtown Dallas to historic Fair Park, providing more than 600,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. At the core of the event, the Eco Expo included a wide range of exhibitions by corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government groups, hospitals and universities, demonstrating conservation at every level.

Additionally, the festival featured a variety of engagement and entertainment for the whole family, including:

• Former first lady, Mrs. Laura W. Bush
• A book signing and lecture by world renowned theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku
• Live music performances by Amos Lee, Ponderosa, Diego Garcia and The Honey Brothers
• Film screenings including documentary Cafeteria Man and a farm-to-school discussion panel with the film’s star, chef Tony Geraci
• Picnic for the Planet, the Nature Conservancy’s attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous global picnic
• A 5K fun run, and much more!

Earth Day Dallas would not have been possible without the significant support from its 2012 partners including Walmart, KXAS-NBC-5, DART, Live Nation, SHFT, 1SolTech and many others.

With its foot firmly planted in Fair Park, Earth Day Dallas has already begun planning for next year’s event. For more information about Earth Day Dallas 2012 and updates on the 2013 event, visit EarthDayDallas.org.

Image Courtesy of   Earth Day Dallas

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Washington, U.S.A. — As we approach Earth Day, it’s a good time to remember that energy efficiency can help “green” the planet while keeping more “green” in your wallet, says the Alliance to Save Energy.

Based on April data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Alliance has calculated that the average U.S. household will spend about $2,100 on home energy this year.

“Consumers who experienced high winter heating bills and are already contending with spiraling gasoline prices are eager to spend less on home energy this spring and summer,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “Energy efficiency not only significantly cuts home energy costs, it also increases indoor comfort.”

Top 10 [Simple Yet Effective] Home Energy Tips

To help U.S. consumers go green and save green, the Alliance offers this compilation of energy-saving tips:

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy, and national security.

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On February 22, Globeleq Generation Limited (Globeleq), the emerging markets power company, celebrated the inauguration of Honduras’ first wind farm and the largest in the Central American region. The 102 MW Cerro de Hula (CdH) facility started commercial operation in December 2011.

The project was implemented by Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy (GME) which is 70% owned by Globeleq and 30% owned by Mesoamerica Power, a group of Central American investors managed by Mesoamerica. Globeleq is owned by Actis, the leading pan-emerging market private equity firm.

Hosted by GME, the leading renewable energy company in Central America, together with its locally owned entity, Energia Eolica de Honduras, S.A. (EEHSA), the event was attended by the Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, embassy officials from the UK, US, Spain, Costa Rica and Guatemala, key government officials, executive management from international and local organisations involved in the project, contractors, employees and members of the local community in the project area.

Located 24 kms south of the capital, the wind farm supplies the national utility, Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE) through a 100 MW, 20 year power purchase agreement.  CdH will produce more than 360 GWh/year – enough to supply power to 150,000 Honduran households using clean and renewable power.

Mikael Karlsson, Globeleq’s CEO noted:  “Adding clean and renewable wind energy has reduced the country’s reliance on expensive fossil fuels for electricity generation.  The environmental and economic benefits are realised immediately, continuing to reinforce Globeleq’s commitment to sustainable development and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”

CdH is in the final stages of its submission as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol which will enable it to earn carbon credits to sell into the international carbon trading markets. CdH will be the first of wind CDM project in Honduras.

The wind farm was constructed in less than one year and well within budget. “Despite significant logistical and geographical challenges, completion of CdH was due to incredible team work, dedication and commitment by all partners involved in the project,” said Jay Gallegos, Managing Director for Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy.

He added, “The successful commissioning of this project would not have been possible without the strong support and cooperation we’ve received from our contractors, the local communities, ENEE and key members of the government of Honduras.”

Being the first wind park in Honduras, the team can appreciate the pioneering spirit and ingenuity required to reach this significant milestone.  Mikael Karlsson added: “It truly has been a remarkable adventure with many obstacles and challenges overcome to reach commercial operation. Building a large infrastructure project for the first time in an area with extremely difficult terrain certainly brought out the best in the team’s resolve and dedication.”

Commenting on the inauguration, Torbjorn Caesar, Co-Head of Energy at Actis and Chairman of Globeleq said, “Actis is excited to support Globeleq’s efforts in the region and through GME, the company has unrivalled access to investment opportunities in the renewables sector. CdH is a key asset in the region, generating around six per cent of Honduras’ power.”

Using the technology and expertise of the Gamesa Wind US LLC and Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion Mexico consortium, crews erected 51 x Gamesa G87 2.0 MW turbines over a project area of 6,500 hectares.

During construction, 650 additional jobs were created and local businesses benefited from the increased activity. Going forward, the local communities and municipalities will receive a package of benefits valued at more than $20 million over the lifetime of the farm due to construction and operation permits and lease agreements with landowners.

Beyond the obvious economic and environmental benefits of the project, the Cerro de Hula wind project has also undertaken many social, environmental and health and safety procedures that have set the standard for the country’s future construction projects.

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Carol Tanzi, ASID, a.k.a. The Goddess of Garbage, is an award-winning interior designer in the San Francisco Bay Area obsessed with recycling and designing with trash. She has been at the forefront of the recycling movement for more than two decades. And, in this economy, when people can’t afford to buy new home furnishings and nice gifts, her message is coming through loud and clear, making The Goddess of Garbage the go-to expert.

She has received national recognition for using recycled materials and reuse items to create attractive and appealing home and office decor, furniture and accessories and for her dedication to teaching people, including children, how easy it is to recycle and reuse almost anything.

Carol Tanzi‘s Crafty Projects Have Green Style

With consumerism on the wane, and environmental consciousness on the rise, Carol’s eco-friendly and thrifty ideas perfectly match the green shift in our culture. Her do-it-yourself projects are attractive and useful, while encouraging scaling back and returning to a more sensible waste not, want not outlook on life.

You can see the Goddess at work at http://www.goddessofgarbage.com. Check out the stylish stools made from discarded tire rims, tables made from trashed radiators, and desk sets crafted from old cans. Her projects are easy for anyone to do, proving that you are never too young or too old to recycle.

Dumpster Diving, Yard Sales, and a Space Only a Hoarder Could Love

Carol is energetic and enthusiastic, and a dumpster-diver who can’t resist a yard sale, thrift shop or pile of curbside trash. Her storage space and office, crammed with finds for projects, would scare a neatnick, but The Goddess of Garbage is on a mission. Her goal is to educate, inform and show the world a new way to recycle and reuse. She wants to change the way people think about trash, one dumpster at a time.

“I don’t create anything I wouldn’t want to have in my own office or home. I get huge satisfaction from rescuing castoffs that would otherwise end up in a landfill,” Carol says.

Carol is dedicated to teaching children about recycling. Her dream is that the younger generation will make green living a way of life.

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The U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced the recipients of the 2012 ‘GRO1000’ Gardens and Green Spaces Grant Awards Program. The grants, which focus on improving our nation’s cities through the development of community gardens and green spaces, were announced at The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 80th Winter Meeting in Washington, DC.

This year’s winning cities are:

• Baltimore – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
• Columbia, SC – Mayor Steven Benjamin
• Cleveland – Mayor Frank Jackson
• Corpus Christi, Texas – Mayor Joe Adame
• San Francisco – Mayor Edwin Lee

“Over the last several years, The Conference has pushed for cities to develop community gardens to enhance the health and quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Conference President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “This new Grant Awards Program shines an important spotlight on mayoral efforts to support innovative gardens and green spaces.”

Through a new partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and ScottsMiracle-Gro, more cities across the nation will be able to enjoy the benefits of gardens and green spaces. The partnership awards grants to cities for the creation of innovative public gardens and green spaces and recognizes mayoral stewardship in the development of urban greenscapes.

“The importance that a garden can have in a community is irrefutable,” said ScottsMiracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn. “We were inspired by the innovative ways that mayors across America are using gardens and green spaces to improve their cities. From fostering urban revitalization to developing edible gardens for its citizens, the winners of these grants truly demonstrate the power that gardens can have in a community.

“We are proud to provide support for these efforts and look forward to helping each of these cities bring their projects to life.”

The winning cities were selected by a panel of former mayors and national garden experts from a pool of more than 80 applicants. Grants, in the amount of $25,000 from ScottsMiracle-Gro, were awarded to five cities.

“Mayors understand that gardens and green spaces are important to the quality of life for their residents, and the Conference of Mayors, in partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro, is pleased to be able to provide grants to help them expand green spaces in their cities,” said Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director.

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While shared-ride transportation is inherently eco-friendly, many members of The GO Group, the world’s largest airport shuttle provider, are going one step further.

GO companies serving San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Milwaukee’s GeneralMitchell International, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Puerto Rico’s Luis Munoz Marin International are converting all or part of their fleets to alternative fuels – either compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane.

While GO companies in Los Angeles (serving all southern California airports) and Chicago (serving Midway and O’Hare) also are in the process of doing so. CNG is a fossil fuel, while propane is a by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining.  Both burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel fuels, although CNG is considered the cleaner of the two.

Companies that convert to alternative fuels can earn a 50 cents-per-gallon tax credit as well other incentives from local government and the airports. GO Shuttle Express in Seattle, which has 43 propane-fueled vehicles, began the conversion process last January and has 20 more systems to install.

According to J. R. Rowley, president of GO Shuttle Express, the fuel saving has been around $2 per gallon.  Maintenance costs, however, have been slightly higher due to the learning curve. In San Francisco, GO Lorries has adapted 16 vans to CNG, with another 28 to be retrofitted for CNG by May. ”The conversions are expensive,” says Julio Bonilla, president, “but the fuel savings mitigate the cost.”

As of December, GO Riteway Transportation Group in Milwaukee has moved 21 of its 500-vehicle fleet to propane, experiencing a $7,000 fuel savings since October. According to Jason Ebert, fleet and facilities coordinator, the maintenance costs are lower as oil changes can now be performed every 7,000 rather than every 5,000 miles as in the past.

Ebert reports one reason GO Riteway opted for propane is that it is 90 percent as efficient as gasoline, which allows for a greater vehicle range than CNG, which is only 31 percent efficient.  Also, the cost of a propane conversion is one third less than the cost of a CNG conversion.

The GO Group LLC is a one-stop source for airport shuttles, which transport some 13 million passengers to and from airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe.

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From Saturday, September 24, 2011, eastern Europe should consider itself cleaner as a result of one of the largest voluntary movements in Romania. “Let’s Do It Romania!” or what should become “The National Cleaning-up Day,” motivated 250,000 people to become actively involved in cleaning up their country.

Launched as a response to a successful Estonian idea, “Let’s Do It 2008!”, “Let’s Do It, Romania!” had its first event last year, when 200,000 people participated. The aim was to collect as much garbage from natural areas as possible in only one day with the help of volunteers.

Long before the chosen date, a whole organizational system was build from central, regional, and departmental teams to the involvement of shareholders, the mapping of garbage and the establishment of communication networks.

In addition to the clean-up effort, “Let’s Bike It, Romania!,” an event from earlier this year, people took their bikes and went for a bit of adventure and pleasure while mapping garbage spots on GPS references system. The 250,000 volunteers marked their presence on Saturday.

Early in the morning, the teams went to their assigned spots, supplied with gloves and bags. Until 3 p.m., forests, barbecue places, and valleys – all were cleaned-up.  The national campaign resulted in 350,000 garbage bags at a first count with final statistics to be given this week.

In the year of volunteering, “Let’s Do It, Romania!” brought together individuals, students and professors, employers and employees, non-profit organizations and private companies, under the same message: “Ff there’s something that bothers you, take action, be the change you want to see around!” as stated on the official web-site “Let’s Do It, Romania!”

“They explained that it is extremely difficult to mobilize Romanians. That they are not like Estonians. That the country is huge. That Romanians don’t like volunteer work. That the Romanian team has had many meetings, but results are not much. That they are kind of stuck. That was an honest discussion.

Frankly, I could see it was not easy for them. They had worked hard for a dream. We tried to figure what to do. I urged them to go mapping at least few spots and go from there. To keep trying,” remembers Rainer Nõlvak, one of the organizers of “Let’s Do It, 2008!” on the Let’s Do It, World! website, about one of the first meeting with the Romanian initiators.

Hanks to their determination, a quarter of million people at the second country clean-up proved their active support and registered another success of the campaign, nationally. The project is already catching on in different countries farther than Romania and Europe.

In 2008, different countries subscribed to the “Let’s Do It, World!” campaign:

Estonia (2008 – 50,000 volunteers),
Latvia (2008- 50,000; 2009- 110,000; 2010- 150,000),
Lithuania (2008 – 6,000; 2009 – 100,000; 2010 – 200,000),
Portugal (2010 – 110,000),
Slovenia (2010 – 275,000),
New Delhi, India (2010 – 50,000),
Kerala, India (2010 – 4,100),
Moldova (2011 – 113,000).

Further action is expected for Bangladesh, Ukraine, Brazil, Finland, Netherlands, France, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Russia, Thailand, Austria, Italy, and California. “Let’s Do It, World!” could become one of the greatest citizens’ initiatives in the world, where each of us could have a say in the cleaning-up of our environment.

However, strongly recommended would be a secondary project of “Let’s Keep it Clean!” which would very probably add sustainability to the project and double the results. Until then, let’s just hope the goal of this civic movement will be soon achieved: a world free of waste!

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/d-i-a/

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Do you sometimes wish that you could do more for the environment but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve taken that first step by starting to recycle but with a hectic schedule you don’t think you have time to do anything else.

Luckily, there are several things you can do that are simple and don’t require a big investment of time and energy on the way to becoming green. Here’s a list of down-to-earth ways for you to reduce, reuse, and recycle your way to a more eco-conscience self:

1. Stop buying bottled water

Buying bottled water is both expensive and wasteful. Giving bottled water the boot will save money and help the environment. Bottled water creates 1.5 million tons of garbage yearly and although water bottles are recyclable, nearly 80 percent of these bottles aren’t recycled. If more people stop buying bottled water then fewer bottles will end up in landfills.

Two of the most popular bottled waters, Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani, are sold along side soda in vending machines and cost about $1.00 per bottle. Both brands are sold in 24-ounce bottles and their websites state that their products are filtered and purified, municipally supplied water.

What does that mean exactly? Essentially, when you buy a bottle of water, you’re paying about $0.05 per ounce for filtered city water.

A better way to do water on-the-go is to buy a filtered water pitcher and each person in your home a reusable, dishwasher-safe water bottle. The Brita Bottle makes ditching bottled water easy: this reusable water bottle from Brita has a built in filter which allows you to filter water anywhere.

2. Switch to reusable cloth towels and napkins

Skipping paper towels and napkins in favor if a cloth alternative reduces garbage that would end up in landfills and saves natural resources. Stock up on cloth towels and napkins and store them in a drawer in your kitchen then pull them out when needed.

An easy way to determine the amount of cloth napkins you’ll need for your family and reduce your laundry pile is to assign each member of the family a different color napkin or a different color napkin ring and then wash their napkin only when it truly needs it or at the end of the week. Something Different Linen offers one-dozen, 20-inch square, cotton dinner napkins for $23.00 for sale at Amazon.com.

The retailer also sells smaller, 6-inch square napkins that would perfect for tucking inside of a child’s school lunchbox.

3. Start using reusable shopping bags

Cities across the globe are passing bans on plastic shopping bags. With tens of billions of plastic shopping bags ending up in landfills each year it’s no wonder. Even though these bags are recyclable only a very small percentage ever ends up being recycled.

The key to using reusable shopping bags is remembering them when going shopping. Stash reusable shopping bags in your car, your purse, jacket pockets or any place where you’re likely to look before heading into the store.

You’ll often be able to find reusable shopping bags for sale in your neighborhood grocery store however many stylish, inexpensive bags are available. Envirosax offer designer prints, have been tested for strength and safety, and are available different styles. The company’s Greengrocer Series bags will fit in the palm of your hand when rolled up and just under $9.00.

4. Reduce the amount of mail you receive

Let’s face it – not everything we get in the mail is important. More than one billion pieces of junk mail are delivered each year and in the United Statesalone the catalogs, sales flyers and credit card offers that clog mail boxes account for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world.

You can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by contacting the biggest offenders directly or by visiting DMAChoice.org or Catalogchoice.org. Both companies add your name and address to junk mail and catalog “do not mail” lists.

Every year inAmerica, more than 350 million magazines are published and nearly 50 percent of those purchased end up not being recycled. An easy way to ease to minimize to lessen the burden on the environment is to contact magazines publishers and request that your subscription be converted to a digital format.

5. Reduce water consumption

A running water faucet uses about two to three gallons of water per minute and a running shower uses about five gallons of water per minute. Why is this important? Knowing how much water you’re using when you turn on the tap or step into the shower helps when trying to conserve water.

Conserving water allows more water to stay in reservoirs which helps to maintain ecosystems and preserve water for future use. You can start to lower your water usage by taking shorter showers. The average person showers for eight minutes, using approximately 40 gallons of water.

Cutting your shower time to five minutes or less will save at least 15 gallons of water which can add up to thousands of gallons per year for just one person.

Also consider turning off water faucets while you brush your teeth and shave. It takes practice to remember to turn the faucet on and off, but soon it will become second nature.

6. Clean out closets and donate unused items to charity

We live in a world that thrives on consumerism and it would be safe to assume that you, like many others, have items in your home that you no longer use. Are your closets bursting with unworn clothing? What about that set of golf clubs in your garage that you no longer use or all of the board games collecting dust in your hall closet?

Donating your unused items to charity gives them new life and placing clothing, games and other gently used items into the hands of someone else promotes reuse. It doesn’t make sense to throw away something that somebody else might be able to use.

Two charities that accept donations and help those in need are Goodwill Industries International, Inc. and The Salvation Army. Goods donated to be sold at Salvation Army Family Stores benefit the charity’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers which the organization’s website explains assists people with issues of “substance misuse, legal problems, relational conflicts, homelessness, unemployment, and, most importantly, a need for spiritual awakening and restoration.”

Donations sold in one of Goodwill International’s stores are put to use by offering, “job training, employment placement and other services to people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.” Last year, Goodwill helped more than 2 million people train for careers.

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