Recycle 2 Save

Meet Rhonda..  She is a recycled puppy (sponsored by CRI) and we would love to help her find her forever home filled with love and snuggles. She is a current (long time) resident of Berks County Animal Rescue League. She is part of a great event to help her get adopted - The 12 Strays of Christmas - where the standard adoption fees are covered by an area business (so the adopter(s) can get her for free - before Christmas).  Go visit her.. online and in person.. I don't think you'll regret it! Update on Rhonda .. things happen quickly!! Rhonda has been pulled by a rescue (which now gives her a foster home to be spoiled in while she awaits her forever home). We will soon be updating with our new Stray of Christmas. Now we'd like you to meet "our" new Recycled Pup Cooper. He's adorable and is ready for his forever home. Stop by Berks County Animal Rescue League TODAY to meet Cooper or one of the other residents. You can change a pups life t...

There is nothing  not a lot that is better (okay if you told me I won the lottery it might be better) than receiving a reader question. It provides proof that people are reading and interested in what we have to say. So, thank you Ben! Let's get right to it. "I have read everywhere.. including your site and facebook page.. that plastic grocery bags are recyclable but my local drop off center will not accept them. My friend suggested that they just slip them in the bag with the rest of the plastic bottles (no one checks) but I'm not sure if we should be doing that. If they are recyclable why is the local collection center adamant that they don't want to take them and where can someone take them if they are in the same boat. I'm in PA, not far from Harrisburg. Thanks in advance for you help. Ben" So Ben, this is where recycling gets tricky. Plastic bags are without a doubt completely recyclable. To add an even more positive fact about plastic ba...

New Year resolutions often leave us reflecting and making new goals (ie: lose 15 pounds, save more, spend less). Real execution of our resolutions often takes self discipline and dedication and some resolutions are a lot easier to keep then others.All of your personal goals (for family & future) will mean nothing without a healthy, thriving planet (we only have one). Now is the time to make a few (start small) commitments to living a greener, healthier lifestyle. I have a few suggestions of where to start or maybe a few areas to branch into if you have already started (yay you). 1. Say so long to the disposable lifestyle. If you use it once and throw it away .. try eliminating it from your day to day routine. Items like paper towels, plastic snack and sandwich bags,plastic shopping bags, toilet paper (a joke,unfortunately at this time I have no suggestions for eliminating TP). If you are certain that you will recycle the items and you know that where you take recyclables is a...

I recently read a blog post (which CRI shared on Facebook) about the "secret" confessions of someone who tries to be green but struggles with not so eco moments. The blog really spoke to me. I make a large effort to keep it green. I do really well most times but there are still areas that I could use some real improvement. I have a paper towel addiction. I've tried to opt for sponges and reusable towels but nothing has quite done the trick for me as well as paper towels (especially in a pinch with many'o spills with small children). Reusable towels created more laundry and I could never get them to look clean again after cleaning up something like grape juice or strawberries. I'd pull them out in front of company and be convinced that they were judging us as someone who "forgot" to do the wash. I feel guilt as I pull a towel off the roll - the good news is that when you compost.. it's not so bad (yes, now I'm justifying). The nice thing about...

When I hear "yard sale" this time of year (as a skier) I think of a total wipe out. Not just a fall but a wipe out so severe that it looks like a yard sale because you have lost all your gear at various spots on the hill. At the first sign of trouble you dropped a pole the second falling shortly thereafter. The next item to go was the gloves; how?, not even sure. You lose a ski, then two and before you know it the goggles and hat are also no longer on your person (most times the yard sale happens so quickly and unexpectedly that you don't even know what you're missing until you have found yourself face down in the snow). You stand up (if you can) and survey the damage. Yeah, I'm not talking about that kind of yard sale (what I'm talking about is much more fun for the person participating versus those lucky enough to have caught a glimpse from on the lift).  I am talking about a good old fashioned yard sale.The idea of selling at a yard sale; where you ge...

Don't eat the yellow snow! I just read an article in Waste and Recycling News about a ski resort in Arizona using sewage effluent as their primary water source to make snow. I am obviously all about recycling, reusing, compost, natural fertilization (I guess) and skiing. I'm just not sure that I want to take a big spill on this mountain, especially the kind of spill that involves snow going everywhere (inclusive of your mouth). When the resort first fired up it's new "recycled water" machines the snow came out yellow. The representative from the resort stated the source of the yellow snow was really from some residual rust in the pipes and not the recycled water. I just wanted to throw a blanket warning out there .. no matter where you are.. no matter what you are doing.. don't eat the yellow snow!

So often motivation is based on a reward, or the potential for one. My dog will sit when asked because generally treats are given. People comment on a blog or face book post because they are told a winner will be selected. Unfortunately sometimes life's rewards aren't immediate, you don't always get your treat for doing the deed. In the long run I'm convinced they'll usually pay off; but we aren't always wise enough to link the deed and the "pay off", we tend to be to short sited and forget. The nice thing about recycling is that there is always a positive result. Our goal (which is often met and exceeded) is to make the payoff as immediate as possible. You recycle a ton of corrugated boxes and you are paid and you saved 17 trees. The monetary payment is a great reward for the company but doesn't typically motivate the staff to participate.  Some companies incentivize their staff by making a reward for them; they publish their recycling r...

  Ever thought that you were on the right road only to discover that you should have take the exit a few miles back? Unfortunately using it as a metaphor the road that a business owner, parent, heck human being should choose isn't always clear or marked, and is almost never absolute. Sometimes the joys in life are discovered by taking the "wrong" road or the "long cut" (as we've so loving described my fathers sometimes disastrous shortcuts). As a business owner you often don't have time or the available funds for an exploratory journey; you really just need a quick, short path.   Waste reduction and recycling is unfortunately a path that is unique to each business. There is no exact plan written that will work for every location or material they generate. It is also so important that someone with first hand knowledge can direct and guide decision makers about things they aren't supposed to know in depth. The knowledge required to run each...

CRI is so very proud to be recognized as a 2012 Waste Watcher Award Recipient.

It was a gorgeous, blue skied day; the perfect day for a walk. We'd get to take in the picturesque beach scenes while completing a mission – gather some food for the week’s vacation. Granted, the perfection of the day required some time at the pool, ocean, or at least the protection of the shade to cool you and keep you from melting. So we set out on the ½ mile hike down to the local grocery store, kids in tow and plans in mind, eager to get back. We enjoyed a nice walk there and were happy to kill off a little of the extra vacation energy the children had built up. Everyone knows that family beach vacations tend to require a good deal of snacks, food, and drink.   Generally it is one of the first missions, especially on those that include a plane ride and no option for packing them. There were a lot of "needs" so we came armed with a list. We navigated the aisles and loaded the cart making our way to the register. As t...

Another post started with a song.. here's to hoping that it will stick in your mind all day long. You can thank me later. Friday morning I finally had the pleasure of having lasik completed on both my eyes. I had been wanting to do it for years but with my two children coming fairly close together and the requirements involved I had to wait. I was excited and couldn't wait for the day I would be free of glasses and contacts but I was oh so nervous. I doubted my ability to stay still and the pain I imagined was immense. I had family and friends go before and all raved about the results but I still had worries of my own. I had witnessed the results and heard the testimony but I still worried what if things didn't go right? Obviously the idea of losing sight is significantly scarier than the idea I'll be tying this into (recycling/composting/being kind to our planet). "New" environmental programs do not have quite the repercussions ...

Thanks for the comment Lisa, by request: I was involved in recycling well before it became the craze. It was second nature in our household and as a child I assumed it was the same everywhere else. I just did it because that's what I knew. The missing link in recycling is education. We've done better recently but what we really need is to instill it at a young age. Many schools are hoping on board but some aren't picking it up quite as quickly as they should. As always, Mom and Dad are the first step and below are a few ways to introduce it in your home. 1. Look at your garbage: It is helpful to "stage" a garbage can filled with recyclables and real garbage (you can control the amount of recyclables versus waste that they'll find). If you compost include those materials too. It is fun and also shows the true impact of pulling items out of the garbage. They will see the amount of landfill bound garbage diminish and the bin empty. I know it'll be a bit m...