that GREEN blog

Recycling through a recession will be the focus of this year’s Oklahoma Recycling Seminar, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8 in Stillwater. The full day seminar will take place at Oklahoma State University’s ConocoPhillips Alumni Center. “Participants will be getting the latest updates on everything from recycling markets and operations to organics diversion and container deposit bills,” said Ilda Hershey, OSU ooperative Extension assistant state specialist for solid waste management programs.

The seminar is designed for city and county government officials, recycling professionals, community leaders, educators, students and Oklahoma residents interested in the business of recycling or expanding local programs.

“December’s seminar will provide plenty of opportunities for learning, sharing and networking,” Hershey said. Seminar registration includes all sessions, a buffet lunch and breaks. Cost is $25 if registering by November 23 and $35 thereafter. Students can attend for $20. Exhibitor rates are $100 for business or government and $50 for non-profit organizations. Participants can download registration forms or register online at http://recycleok.org/recyclingseminar.php or by contacting OSU Ag Conference Services at 405-744-6489.

Michael Patton of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust will begin the program with an update on current recycling markets and the economic outlook for recycling. Patton will also discuss how to set up a recycling center during a Recycling Operations Panel moderated by Fenton Rood of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. Other panel topics include Measuring Recycling Efforts and Successful Partnerships.
Al Drinkwater of Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc. will present information about the organization’s new plastics processing facility in northeastern Oklahoma and several members of the Oklahoma Recycling Association (OKRA) will present new initiatives such as the online Materials Exchange Program for business and industry.

“We also felt it important to feature an Organics Diversion Panel, given that so much of municipal waste is biodegradable,” said Hershey, who is also OKRA’s membership chair. “Representatives from the cities of Edmond, Miami and Norman involved in yard waste collection will present case studies and answer questions about their composting or mulch operations.”

The seminar will conclude with a session on container and bottle bill deposit programs, including a discussion about the current bottle bill being considered by the Oklahoma Legislature. “Jim Bologna, site-energy manager for Saint-Gobain Containers Inc., will be among the experts on hand to present the benefits of a bottle deposit program and its implications for increasing recycling, reducing waste, saving energy and generating revenue,” Hershey said.

After the seminar, there will be an optional site visit of the Stillwater Convenience Collection Center. This tour is included as part of the basic registration fee. “Recycling through a Recession” is hosted by the Oklahoma Recycling Association and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, and is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, OGE Energy Corp. and Busch Container Systems.
Up to five hours of continuing education credits will be available to members of the Solid Waste
Association of North America who attend the seminar.

Anyone seeking additional information about the Dec. 8 seminar should visit OKRA’s Web site
at http://recycleok.org or contact Hershey at 405-744-9806
###
Media Contact:
Ilda T. Hershey
Assistant State Specialist
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Solid Waste Management Programs
Oklahoma State University
536 Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-9806
Fax: 405-744-9835
ilda.hershey@okstate.edu

Responsible organizations of every type are proactively taking steps to reduce CO2 emissions that can be traced to their operations, says Mark Bassil, vice president of modular office furniture systems manufacturer MAiSPACE, based in Mt. Olive NJ. “One of the more lasting actions that an organization can take is selecting workplace furniture systems suppliers that employ green manufacturing.” He notes that the term manufacturing in this case is all encompassing and is not confined to building systems furniture components.

“From the get-go, systems furniture manufacturers should employ eco-friendly processes that address carbon footprint concerns,” Bassil says. “For example, we use recycled materials wherever possible in our steel structural elements and panels. Rather than pad panels with fiberglass – which does not break down in landfills and is a long term source of airborne glass particles – we use post-consumer PET made from ground up soda bottles. We also use Guilford of Maine fabrics for panels because of their EPA-recognized sustainability program.”

Systems furniture, unlike conventional office construction, is designed to adapt to changing business conditions. “Stackable panel and movable full-wall systems offered by MAiSPACE are designed and built to easily withstand the stresses of Moves, Adds and Changes (MACs) characteristic of today`s business environment,” Bassil points out. “Cubicles from 6 x 6 feet in size to full-walled private offices and conference rooms of any size can be constructed, revised or removed virtually overnight.”

Unused panel elements can be stored for future use or sold for use by others. The noise, dirt and confusion associated with drywall construction – along with disposing of construction debris in landfills – does not apply to systems furniture. “When components have outlived their useful life they are 100% recyclable, including the steel frames, Bassil says, adding that that even the plug and play voice, power and data cabling in modular offices can be reused rather than discarded.

While not generally thought of when considering vendors, packaging and shipping practices add other opportunities for environmental stewardship and reducing carbon footprints. “In our case we offer bulk packaging and other alternatives to traditional corrugated and Styrofoam materials,” Bassil says. “These include eliminating where possible the use of cartons and the introduction of minimal packaging for truckload orders. Moreover we ask our own suppliers to adopt reusable packaging in shipping product. These steps lower the cost of cleaning up the job site, facilitate installation by cutting back on clutter and are among the reasons why installations are ready for occupancy within 4 to 6 weeks of an order.”

Doing the Same with Less

According to Bassil, changes in how people work is causing organizations to rethink their workplace floor plans and operate equally efficient but in less space. “If a certain percentage of staff is regularly telecommuting from home or on business travel there is no need to prove a workspace for everyone on the payroll,” he says. “Touch-down spaces assigned on an ad-hoc basis and fitted with plug-in data ports yield a smaller floor plan, lower HVAC and electrical requirements, lower investment in office furniture systems, lower rent and as an added benefit, reduce the organization`s carbon footprint.”

Beyond furniture systems selection, companies can reduce their carbon footprint by promoting a corporate culture aimed at reducing emissions across the board. A good example is encouraging car pooling and incentivizing public transportation. “Firms should look at life cycle impact assessments of all products purchased, purchasing recycled paper wherever possible, and question any purchase as to its necessity,” Bassil suggests. Other green-friendly practices are posting electronic forms rather than using paper, reading documents on line rather than printing them, using smaller fonts and margins and reusing paper as memo or draft paper when it is printed only on one side.

Other opportunities include establishing procedures to handle the collection and proper disposal of electronic waste and batteries, using motion sensitive light switches wherever practical and fitting rest rooms with low flow plumbing devices.

Go Green at $12 – $15 per Square Foot Installed

We always look to improve purchasing, design, production, shipping and installation activities with the aim of further reducing the carbon footprint associated with systems furniture, Bassil says. “But our environmental stewardship does not impact the cost of our products to our customers, and indeed in some instances contributes to reduced costs,” he says. “Along with our approach to designing and manufacturing modular office furniture systems it enables us to offer our products at price points average 40% below some of the best known names in the industry. This means our environmentally friendly solutions are available and ready to move in starting at $12 to $15 per square foot independent of the number of units ordered.”

Helping business owners and operators make smart choices in Systems Furniture and Office Cubicles for their offices and selecting the right Office Furniture. Systems Furniture and the Carbon Footprint.

A responsible way to reuse and recycle?
According to the EPA, Americans retired 130 million cell phones in 2005. 98% of them went straight into the trash, then landfill.

Gazell provides a practical, rewarding way for people to finally rid themselves of all those old cell phones, digital cameras, and gaming systems that they no longer use, but can’t seem to find a way to let go of.. I haven’t tried it yet, but I intend to.  They have a real time feed of what people were just paid for electronics and some of them are not that new. If they purchase your used electronic and it has no market value this is what their website claims…

What Does Gazelle Do With My Used Electronics?
Gazelle believes that electronics recycling starts with reuse. After we buy electronics and gadgets, we evaluate their condition. When we receive items that are still in working condition, we extend their lives by removing all personal data from them, and selling the electronics through a variety of retail and wholesale outlets. Items without market value are recycled responsibly.

Buy and Sell Used Electronics It’s good to Gazelle.

Giving a helping hand at educating the public with “Guides to Green” our friends are members of Coop America a great source of all things green. You’ve heard us say it over and over, we know. At this website practical tips for everyday green living are fun, easy and save you money!

They have a great list of 20 Quick Tips on How to “GREEN” Your Business and a Billion Bag Bottle and Bulb Challenge! You should read and check out. Join the fun!

Greg Wrote:

A little post election humor and a request for support for our friends at Your Guide to Green…

Can we put environmentally safe and healthy drinking bottles in the hands of more people?

…YES WE CAN !!!

Can we stop filling our landfills with harmful plastic which will not decompose in our lifetime?

…YES WE CAN !!!

Can we reach out and make these bottles more accessible to all who want them?

…YES WE CAN !!!

In Tandem with the latest “economic stimulus plan” and for a limited time only, the retail price of their best selling stainless steel water bottles has been slashed to an unheard of $14.99 for TWO.  They also have a wide variety of other great green lifestyle products at incredible prices for your holiday gift giving.

Greg Peterson’s personal mission is to

“Inspire people into their own greenness” with the work that I do with the Urban Farm and YourGuideToGreen.com.”

This is what he says you can do to help.

Please take this opportunity to patronize Your Guide To Green’s store for your holiday gift giving or visit with me at our annual sidewalk sale this Friday.  By shopping with us you will be supporting our local business and the great green work that we do in the world.  And as an added bonus for you we have crafted some extraordinary deals on our products plus we are offering local pickup and affordable shipping rates.  As always I really appreciate your support.

So go buy some great GREEN stuff from this great GREEN store already!

Keep the kids busy when they are home from school for the Thanksgiving holiday with these eco-friendly projects.  They will enjoy getting creative with you while also gaining a deeper appreciation for Mother Earth.  As an added bonus, your earth-friendly holiday gift wrapping paper, cards and gift tags will be ready in plenty of time.

Gift Wrapping Paper
Brown grocery bags make appealing gift wrapping when creatively decorated.  Simply cut the bags into squares and tape together as needed to wrap the present.  The kids can get imaginative with different ways to embellish the paper.  Here are some ideas to get them started:

-Crayons
-Stickers
-Glitter
-Pictures from old magazines, catalogs and cards.
-Pressed Leaf or Flower Stamps
-Sponge Stamps (Cut sponges into shapes.)
-Potato Stamps (Cut a potato in half and carve a simple shape or use a
metal cookie cutter and then cut away the potato surrounding the shape.)

Ornament Gift Toppers
These shiny little ornaments are the perfect finishing touch to that special present and the children will have a blast making them.  Even better, they can be altered and made into pins or magnets.

Supplies
½ cup salt
1 cup flour
½ cup water
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Toothpick
Miniature holiday cookie cutters
Acrylic paints
Glitter glue or glitter paint
Ribbon

Instructions:
1)  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2)  Mix together, salt, flour, and water until dough is formed.
3)  Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and
smooth.  Add more flour if the dough is too
sticky.  Do not add too much flour or the dough may dry out and crack
before you bake it.
4)  Roll out the dough to about ¼” thick with a rolling pin that has been
dusted with flour.
5)  Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
6)  Use a toothpick or small straw to make 1 or 2 holes at the top of the
shape, depending on size.
7)  Place all shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and place into the
preheated oven for 2 hours.
8)  Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely before painting.
9)   When the paint is dry, use glitter glue or glitter paint to put a
sparkling cover coat on your ornaments.
10)  When dry, thread ribbon through hole and tie in a knot in the back.

Recycled Paper for Cards & Tags
Your little ones will learn about the importance of recycling with this craft and see how easy it is to make beautiful recycled paper.  They can use the paper to create holiday cards or gift tags to go along with the wrapping.

Supplies:
Used paper
Blender
Glitter
Food Coloring
Pressed leaves and/or flowers
Wire mesh screen
Rolling pin
Cornstarch

Instructions:
1)  Cut paper into small shreds.
2)  Soak shredded paper in warm water for about 2 hours.
3)  Put soaked paper into blender.
4)  Add glitter and a few drops of food coloring.
5)  Blend until mush.
6)  Pour into a bowl and add small quantities of pressed leaves and/or
flowers.
7)  Spread it out on a flat, fine-holed, wire-mesh screen and use a
rolling pin to flatten it.
8)  Smear a tablespoon of cornstarch over the paper to increase its
strength.
9)  Allow to dry – in the sun if possible.

Michele Dupper is Mom to her almost 2 year old son and the owner of Truly Organic Beauty (http://www.trulyorganicbeauty.com).  She lives in sunny FL and has been transitioning to a green lifestyle since starting a family. Michele enjoys educating others about living a more natural lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of our bodies as well as our planet.

Making your Holidays Green