More on Recycling

We all have some amount of clutter lying about the house — unless of course, you have been watching our videos on how to organize your life with Jill Pollack and, as a result, now have a clutter-free home.

For me, it has always been a hassle trying to determine where I can dispose of something versus recycle it versus reuse an item for some other handy use.

However, more businesses are now coming to the rescue by allowing us to bring our unwanted stuff to them and recycling for us. Aveda collects water, soda, detergent, and shampoo plastic bottle caps in its stores and recycles them to make more Aveda bottles. Electronic retail giant Best Buy will receive your cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink jet cartridges at all of its U.S. stores. Home Depot has a recycling program for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), cell phones and rechargeable batteries. Ikea accepts plastic bags, CFLs and batteries at its 35 U.S. stores. Office Depot will refund cash in exchange for your ink or toner cartridges, as well as many other items. If you see me around the Tonic office with an expanding jumper you know why!

The UPS Store and MailBoxes Etc. will take all those small bean-like styrofoam pieces that stick all over you and end up everywhere. Is it just me, or do more of you find them weeks (and months) after you have received a present from a long-lost relative over the holiday season? Even Walmart accepts plastic bags, used car batteries, motor oil and oil filters. Now, I have a pet peeve about plastic bags — with both recycling them and not using them, period. Who needs a bag that will last longer than I will on this earth in order to carry a pint of milk home?

So come on, check out Earth 911 to find all your local recycling options. Lots of companies are now getting on board with recycling, so all we need to do is take advantage of their help.