Monday, October 02, 2006

Throw It AWAY?


Out of sight is out of mind, but it turns out there’s really no such place as “away.”
Before you consign an ill-conceived gift or other item to a landfill or incinerator, offer it directly to charities or others who may want it.
The Benefits
Starve a landfill. Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of 4 lbs/day/person—a total of 210 million tons/yr.
Reusing eliminates the need for new items whose production requires the extraction of natural resources from our land, plus water, energy and/or chemicals to turn them into new products.
Your donations support the good work of charities and non-profits. Common usable items include books for libraries and schools, old towels for local animal shelters, and computers and office equipment for all kinds of organizations.
ThrowPlace – the Internet’s landfill alternative, encouraging users to “take what you need, and throw what you don’t.”
Freecycle Network – Freecyclers in 3,259 communities “gifted” more than 100 million pounds of stuff in 2005.
Craigslist – every month, more than 10 million people use these free local forums to exchange stuff, find jobs and advertise goods and services.
Reuse Development Organization – resources to help local communities start up new reuse centers and programs.

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