Origins Takes on Recycling!

Did you know:
• Everyday consumer product packaging accounts for approximately 1/3 of all landfill waste.
• Most community recyclers only take items made from materials that are easily recognized - such as soda and water bottles.
• Cosmetic and toiletry bottles, tubes, caps and jars are among those items not easily recognized and therefore not often recycled.

Now you can bring your empty cosmetic tubes, bottles and jars, etc. - regardless of brand - to your nearest Origins retail store or department store counter nationwide. All returned packaging will be sent back to a central location where products will be recycled or used for energy recovery.

In an industry first, Origins will accept packaging from any cosmetic company regardless of the manufacturer.

Bravo! - Anna

How to Declutter on the Go

Per Anna's last post, there's yet another way to discard your unwanted stuff, which may be particularly convenient for you cool kids with your iPhones. It's an app called Yoink that you can download for free from the iTunes store, and it allows you to either list your goodies or see who in your area has stuff that they want to get rid of. Be the first to click on what you want and it's yours. You're put in contact with the...not seller...downsizer?, arrange to pick up the items, et voilà! You have a new couch. Or some dude has your old toaster. You get the picture. If you don't have an iPhone (excuse me, but some of us are quite attached to our Droids), there's also a web-based version of Yoink, though that somewhat decreases its appeal, e.g., its portability.


So far it looks fairly sparse, but is getting great reviews on iTunes. Hopefully more items will be posted as increasing numbers of people download the app. Start (continue?) decluttering, people!


-Kaitlen

Too Much Stuff

If you are looking to get rid of some of that stuff piling up in your apartment, you can donate, sell, or "free-cycle" it on either of these useful links: NYC Stuff Exchange or Freecycle Network They even have options for getting things for free if you somehow have extra room.


- Anna

Green Products (for Fewer Greenbacks)

Not sure how she found it, but Angela discovered this green supplies site, which is currently having a 50% off sale (code: 50off) until December 31. In addition to all the usual stuff (CFLs, composting systems), they sell an assortment of Green Samplers and Green Home Starter Kits, any of which would make great (read: thoughtful/useful) gifts.


At the risk of sounding like a used-car (used-planet?) salesman, act fast while the sale's still going! At half off, you can get 96 rolls of recycled toilet paper for about $34, plus shipping. Now that's cost- and eco-conscious.


-Kaitlen

Grey is Great

Now this is a stylish, sensible, space-saving solution. This toilet/sink combo by Roca reuses the greywater from the sink in the toilet, but without all sorts of clunky pipes connecting two separate fixtures.

Incidentally, if you're interested in reusing greywater but can't shell out for a brand-spanking-new toilet/sink combo, there are ways to retrofit your current setup.

Via Cribcandy.

-Kaitlen

Kitting Out the Kitchen—Responsibly

Perfect timing! I need some new pots and pans, and Slate just published an article about how to choose the greenest cookware. (I already knew I wanted a cast-iron skillet, but the rest is pretty helpful.)

-Kaitlen

Green and Clean

So it's a little late for spring cleaning, but whatever. Here's a super-helpful roundup of editors' and readers' picks for green cleaning products and tactics. I can personally recommend Method's Le Scrub (which smells so fabulous I actually enjoy cleaning the tub!), newspaper on sink handles and other metal, and plain ol' vinegar and water on glass and mirrors. (Via Re-Nest.)

-Kaitlen