Let's dispose of disposable packing.

One thing that we need to accomplish is making recycling mandatory for multi-family living complexes across the country. Where I live recycling is available by mandate to all residential homes but only suggested to apt complexes and such. I don't know of any around here that make recycling available. I am working on trying to get mine involve. It is a free service. All they have to do is want it and ask for it.

What about Styrofoam-type building materials? Are they OK as they are very energy efficient and do last a long time. Are the recyclers using the recycled raw materials to produce building products?

good! iam glad to see you!

Climate change, global warming and pollution may seem like huge and remote problems that have little bearing on our lives. But there are many little things, from recycling to car sharing, you can do which will help the planet in a big way. 1. Think about how you can change your life
2. Recycle
Where do you think all our rubbish goes? It certainly doesn’t vanish into thin air. Much of it goes to landfill in the UK and our small island is running out of places to put it. You can help by recycling your refuse at home, not only by re-using instead of throwing away but also by sorting out your own rubbish for the council to collect.

3. Have a compost heap
One third of our domestic waste could be used as compost rather than landfill (where it will not biodegrade due to lack of oxygen). Compost has many benefits including slow-releasing nutrients for plants, helping sandy soils retain water, suppressing weeds and plant diseases, insulating soils and protecting plants from frost.

4. Buy minimally packaged goods
The best way to get to the manufacturer of goods that are covered in plastic wrapping or boxes is to simply not buy their products - they’ll listen if they begin to fall out of favour. Over-packaging is unnecessary and wasteful.

Starbucks also sells their own commuter coffee mugs - and you can take your Starbucks mug into any Starbucks and have them refill it.

We do have the technology to use corn. Hot air popcorn makes great packing material for small and lg. items.

sanitary napkins do not need to be individuay wrapped Persona Products Co os Skilman ,NJ 08550 had a stayfree product STAYfree cassic that they discontinued. In its pace they reccommend an individually wrapped prroduct which is smaler and unsatisfactory,

And when you are buying your own supplies and paper, I think you tend to use less and waste less.

yup - styrofoam is THE most easily reduced plastic fertilizer. and as is so often the case, because it is SOO easy to recycle - it gets ignored and piles up horribly - instead of being fed to like, th AbloDongo Wells or, th Recycler...

so instead packagers pound th jute, and process th nicotiene out of tobacco, etc for a wider availability of organic packaging :)

but no, styrofoam makes a ROTTEN building material. it is NOT LEGAL ANYWHERE for use in building -0- because it is extremely TOXIC when burned, pollutes the aquifer as it decays, and causes buildings to fall over - if for example, used to insulate foundations...

much better to make fertilizer form it :)

Let's dispose disposable packing.

Mary Kay cosmetics just switched all their packaging materials to corn/potato starch based "bio-peanuts" that you can wet and they disolve to rinse down the drain, re-use or compost. this is not the only company I have seen making a difference. One is making coreless printer paper to cut down on weight and plastic in landfill waste and production. Wal-Mart turns out the lights on all vending machines in the back room to conserve energy and is changing lights to CFLs as well as why the lights go in and out with the skylights to conserve energy. More and more companies are stepping up. And where one goes the other follows...competion is always there one way or another...

I work at a coffee shop that uses biodegradable, recycled cups. and we give a huge discount for people who use there own mugs. we even keep coustumers' personal mugs in the store, and wash them and we make sure they can use them every time. all i can say is there are eco-friendly places out there... u just have to look for them and not settle for every starbucks.

Considering that we HAVE the technology to create packing peanuts out of corn or potato starch, why can't we instead embrace that choice?

sanitary napkins do not need to be individuay wrapped Personal Products Co of Skillman ,NJ 08550 had a stayfree product STAYfree cassic that they discontinued. In its place they reccommend an individually wrapped prroduct which is smaller and unsatisfactory,

Whatever happened to the practise of 50 cent refills if you bring your own coffee cup to refill. No one does it anymore. A discount price on drinks for refilling your own container was a great idea. What about a discount price on food for bringing your own reusable container to fast food stores or gas stations. I miss that cheap refill price and I liked using my own mug. It didn't leak all over my clothes.I still do it but when I bring my own mug most places won't even use it to refill and they give me a funny look like I'm nuts or something. It seems to me that most things that save money also save on the ecology. It's cool to be cheap and thrifty!