A earthly sigh of relief

Who knew that a big pile of electronic junk would bring such a big smile to my face? Well, that's what it did. What? Take a look --

But wait, that's just a little bit of it. Pan out ...



Further ...

How about another view?



Oh, and yes, that is my adorable granddaughter, the lovely little Lady Laura, standing in front of this massive collection of computers, monitors, televisions, curling irons, printers, telephones, etc., etc., etc. This is her hippie look, which I found most appropriate for our visit to Recycle Rama on Saturday.

The amount of electronics alone took my breath away. Thanks to the good people at JVS Environmental of Rockwood who hauled it all away for free.

Look at the pictures again. This is just a small sampling of the electronic junk so many of us have in our homes. Electronic junk that often ends up in the landfill, leeching toxins into the ground and water. Yuck. 

While I was happy to see so many environmentally-conscious people in the community, I was also saddened by how disposable our society has become. We no longer fix things, we just toss them. Wow.

I was happy, I was sad and I was inspired. So much so, that my daugher, Jess, (that's her in the photo) and I decided we wouldn't just go to Recycle Rama next spring ... we'd be part of it. I can't wait!

And we're talking about organizing our own event for late summer ... a much smaller version, of course.

While we were there, we dropped off some things of our own: phone books, batteries, a car battery, telephones, a hair dryer and curling iron, and eyeglasses. It was well worth the trip.

I applaud Danelle Jameson, the event coordinator, and all of the hard-working volunteers. This was an amazing event and if you listened really hard, you could hear the earth let out a sigh of relief.

Keeping it green,

Hana

Green Company of the Week

Once again, I passed used electronics sitting curbside waiting to be crushed and carried away by the garbage men to further pollute our landfills. My understanding of why people do this is, for the most part, simple ignorance.

1.  They don't know any better.
2.  They don't realize the toxic results of tossing that TV/computer screen/microwave into the trash.
3.  They just don't know what else to do.

That's why I'm addressing this issue yet again.

Your first step is to contact your local Best Buy and check to see if they'll take any of the electronics you no longer want. If they do not take them, there are other options you can explore:

1.  http://www.mygreenelectronics.org/   Just enter your zip code to see if there's a program in your area.
2.  http://www.eiae.org/   Click on your state on the Ecycling Central website.
3.  http://www.1800recycling.com/ or call 1-800-RECYCLING

Best Buy also has a trade-in program where they will take gently used electronics in exchange for a Best Buy gift card. So if you're an electronic junkie who upgrades every year or so, this could be the perfect solution for you! Visit www.bestbuy.com/tradein for details.

Speaking of Best Buy gift cards, did you know you can deposit them in the kiosk in the front of the store for recycling once you've used up their worth? In addition to recycling rechargable batteries, cell phones, etc., you can also recycle your CDs and DVDs once they become scratched or damaged or you're simply tired of them. Ashamedly, I must admit, I've always just tossed them in the trash. No more. I'm thrilled that Best Buy offers so many green solutions -- which is why I'm awarding them the Green Company of the Week award. Visit their website for more information on how this company is going green!

Keeping it green,

Hana