12/24/11

Can padded envelopes with plastic cushioning embedded inside be recycled? Yes! The next time something fragile is mailed to you in a padded mailer, feel free to toss it into any recycling bin that accepts mixed paper like magazines, junk mail and office paper. It can be recycled at the paper recycling facility where the plastic parts will be separated and the paper part will be pulped and made into new paper products.

12/23/11

The average American household spends about $41 on disposable holiday gift wrap and bows each season. Save some money and cut down on wasteful, hard-to-recycle paper and bows by using things you already have. Wrap gifts in newsprint or flattened kraft paper from paper shopping bags. Rip open an old VHS tape and use the shiny black tape for ribbon. And fill boxes with shredded scrap paper that you've run through a paper shredder.

12/22/11

If you must use disposable paper plates, go with that are the most boring, uncoated, unprinted kinds. Party plates that come in bright colors with shiny coatings are not compostable, nonrecyclable and can be expensive to buy. Generic white paper plates or durable classic white Chinet plates get the job done and can be safely tossed into the compost bin at home to break down and become beneficial mulch.