TerraCycle at Port Authority

I never thought I'd consider Port Authority a shopping destination, but things are about to change: TerraCycle has opened a popup store in Port Authority. This is so many kinds of awesome. First of all, it's an actual retail location where you can browse a bunch of TerraCycle products all in one place. Second, they'll give you discounts if you bring in materials to upcycle. Third, this may motivate some of us to be not just barely-in-the-nick-of-time, but early for our buses just so that we'll have some time to browse!


Good find, Julie!


-Kaitlen

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

Metropolis Mention

And the mentions of our 4th Bin logo win continue....

The November issue of Metropolis contains an article, written by 4th Bin competition judge Susan S. Szenasy about the worrisome issue of e-waste. It's an upsetting problem, but e-cycling initiatives like the 4th Bin and many others around the world are definite steps in the right direction.

-Kaitlen

The 4th Bin Logo Winner

Remember when we mentioned that 4th Bin competition? Well, good news: we won. Yep, your trusty Two Twelve Green Team designed the winning logo, which will be used on the clever new bin, as well as supplemental materials such as advertising, communications, possibly products, etc.

The blogosphere has taken note, too. Here's a roundup of blogs that mentioned our win:

BusinessWire
Core77
Dexigner
Earth911
The Graffik
Reuters
SEGD Blog
TreeHugger

Pretty awesome, huh?

-Kaitlen

The Blue Fence Project

A new definition for recycling and innovation has been established through The Blue Fence Project by Studio Superniche. Such playful ingenuity is a breath of fresh air. Thanks Nick for this link!

Stop Recyling. Start Repairing

Recycling is a good thing, it has become such an ubiquitous act that many of us do it automatically whether at home or at work. But if we think back to the past before the concept of recycling, and when the ease of replacing an everyday used item by buying a new one existed, a culture of 'repair' was very much part of our daily lives.

There is much to be said about our personal relationships with the things we own and use everyday. The above is an image designed for the group Platform 21, a collective whose manifesto reflects on the merits and lost beauty of a time when our possessions stayed with us for many years. The group is out with workshops, lectures and an exhibition as a means to get their message across.

-Andy

In the Dumps

Good news, everyone! (Yes, you're supposed to read that in Professor Farnsworth's voice. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch some Futurama immediately!) Today's New York Times contains an article about that most pressing of dilemmas—how to safely dispose of unwanted electronics.

Sounds like the time is indeed ripe for that 4th bin, huh?

-Kaitlen