Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

1.Donate and recycle old computers, monitors, printers, CD’s, floppy disks, cassettes, and other computer accessories. Today, only about 20% of these items are actually being recycled. Most end up in landfills, and the plastics in them can last up to 450 years (Mitchell, 2007). As long as these items are rotting away in the landfills, they are polluting and contaminating the environment. There are numerous facilities that accept donated computers and accessories. A few sites to help you locate these facilities include: techsoup.org, sharetechnology.org, nrc-recycle.org, and Earth911.org.

2.Use canvas shopping bags instead of paper or plastic. According to Worldwatch Institute, “…factories around the world manufactured 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags per year. Although many of these bags are recyclable, each year Americans return only 0.6 percent of the 100 billion plastic bags they use and toss the rest” (Mitchell 2007). And even though paper bags are recycled more than plastic, about 10 – 15%, they inflict enormous environmental impacts. In 1999, 14 million trees were cut to make 10 billion paper bags used by Americans (Mitchell 2007). Canvas bags are more durable, they hold more, and are better for our environment.

3.Take your used batteries to an appropriate toxic waste disposal--"Americans use an average of about eight batteries a year per person" . This toxic waste adds up and goes in our landfills, which eventually go into our food chain.