Green Tweets

Since I have joined Twitter (follow me @kjbead), I have seen so many cool sustainable happenings that I am on overload. I am going to try to be good about posting them to this blog.

While Twitter has been wonderful, within 5 minutes a sweet tweet can fly out into cyberspace off my home page and then it becomes somewhat lost to me. When I have the opportunity to be on Twitter and if I see one of these tweets, uploading them to my blog will be a good way for me to remember them and provide you with some of the latest green happenings.

To get started here are some fun ones that I have run into recently:

ReMakes: Old Billboards Reborn: Check out this article with information on what they are doing with old billboards now--making placemats! Maybe not the most useful, but it's better than nothing. To be linked with more cool ideas like this one, follow @GOOD on Twitter.

Urban Gardening Meets Wall Art: Watch this video about Urbio. If you are on Twitter, follow J. McIntire-Strasburg @sustainablog for more great posts like this one.

That's all for now.

Plastics Recycling Opportunities in Minnesota

Ever wonder about whether or not you can recycle a plastic container?

Typically if there is a #1 or #2 on the bottom of the plastic container it is acceptable to be recycled by the local trash and recycling company.

But what about the #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7 plastic containers?

Unfortunately they are usually tossed into the regular garbage. However, right now the Eastside Food co-op of NE Minneapolis is doing a pilot-study program that is collecting #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 plastic containers.

On Thursdays from 3 – 7 pm and Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm people can rinse, sort and bring these plastics to the parking lot located at 2551 Central Ave NE, Mpls., MN. If you have questions about this opportunity, please call 612-788-0950.

To find more specific information about what you can bring and the program, please visit the Eastside Food Co-op's website.

Want to do more? Want to involve your community? Set up your own collection of #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7 on your block or at your workplace and every week or two when in the Northeast area drop off your community's recycling at the Eastside Food Co-op. This way of participating and getting people involved is really easy. For example, a friendly church member has offered to collect our congregation's plastic recyclables and volunteered to bring them to Eastside weekly.

If you are a friend who sees me on occassion, feel free to bring me your unwanted plastics and I will make sure they arrive to Eastside Food co-op. I will also be grateful to help the cause.

If a resident of the Twin cities, for more details about plastics recycling check out the following resources.
* Plastics recycling information for St. Paul, Minnesota
* Separating recyclables city of Minneapolis webpage

If not a resident of the Twin cities, please look to your own city or town's rules and regulations on their city website or call your local trash/recycling provider.

Recycle your gift cards

Did you know gift cards can be recycled?

I am currently on a HUGE de-cluttering kick in my house and its weird the little things that can accumulate over time. Every Christmas my dad loves to give out gift cards and over the past 10 years you can imagine the piles that are generated. Besides the idea of re-loading a gift card which is a good way to re-use, I found a place you can send your cards to and they recycle them. Its called Earthworks.

Go to their website and subscribe and they will give you the address.

Recycle your gift cards today!

Build your own compost

Finally took the composting plunge today! After lots of talking about it, Jay and I decided to "make our own" composter and save ourselves a good $150-200. Since we are renting but have a backyard we are still doing an outdoor composter, however to make it easier we bought a big garbage container (with a lid) and drilled some holes in it. Easier than pie :)

I've reviewed the city's ordinances on composting and have a list of all of the goodies we can compost. We plan to talk to our neighbors and encourage them to use it. Did you know that 25% of waste can be composted? That's a lot! I hope you decide to begin your own compost. As you just read, it is soooooo easy to do and is so good for the Earth!

Clothing Swaps

Green Tip for today:
Recycling goes beyond cans. Take recycling to a-whole-nother level, be creative. Host a clothing swap for your friends (and yourself)!

Tonight I attended an amazing event. I went to my first clothing swap! It is as simple as its name... basically you bring items you don't wear anymore and then you trade them for new stuff! The quote one person's trash is another person's treasure couldn't apply more here. In fact it could even be extended to sharing your treasure you can't use anymore with somebody you also adore. My friend Kate hosted the clothing swap at her place. There were great snacks and drink and there were 6 people total to attend the event. At first we were nervous on the low attendance, but it turned out for the better. Everybody brought clothes they loved but could not wear anymore...too short, too long, too tight, etc. All clothes, accessories, etc. were laid out and hung up on hangers. Mirrors were put up around the room, and we all went shopping!! We tried on the clothes, modeled them for each another and then gathered our newfound loves into piles. It was like Christmas. Once everyone was satisfied with their piles, we each had to go through each item we choose and we had to show it to the entire room of shoppers. If anybody had any objections they were able to do so then, and the two parties would have to model the item to see which person deserved it more. Luckily with the number of girls and the kinds of girls there (different body types and styles) we were all able to find items that we all really loved and nobody was tug-o-war-ing with one another. There was plenty to go around and the rest of the items leftover are being donated.

I had an absolute blast, because not only was it completely free and wonderful to get "new" things for the fall season, but it was also good for the environment because there was no buying/consuming of new things, just the sharing of resources. I had so much fun I am already going through my closets and searching for items to donate to the next clothing swap.

Here are some pictures of the great grabs I got most of which came straight from the hostess's closet.







Also, I can't not mention the fact that today I helped with my family garage sale and also had the chance to check out our neighbor's sale and scored a bundt/angel food cake carrier as well as a pie/smaller cake carrier, along with a set of 6 wine glasses for a total of $5. Garage sales are another great way to conserve and share what is already out there!



Now I think it's time to bake!