Carbon Footprint

A Nutt asked:


With the rising concern about our fragile planet, more people are looking for ways to lead environmentally friendly lives. This includes implementing measures to save energy, recycle, and protect our natural resources. Recycling has become a method that everyone can put into practice. When moving to a new home or apartment, people can use recycled boxes to help protect the environment and save money.

There are many reasons why people choose to recycled boxes when moving, including:

• Using recycled boxes cuts down on waste because boxes are used more than once.

• It is environmentally friendly. Up to 65% less energy is required to make new paper from recycled paper than from virgin wood. (U.S. Department of Energy) Every ton of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees and millions of gallons of water.

• Recycled boxes are the same quality and strength as new boxes.

• There are many economical advantages to using recycled boxes

• Box manufacturers have improved boxes and now make stronger boxes using less material.

• There is a growing demand for old corrugated containers which can economically benefit communities who recycle these containers.

Moving companies that provide recycled boxes choose their boxes from factory surplus boxes, boxes that contain a minor defect such as size, type, or misprint, boxes bought from homeowners who have recently moved, as well as used boxes purchased from other suppliers such as self storage companies and national moving companies.

It is very easy to obtain environmentally friendly packaging. You can use your own recycled newspapers or ask your friends to start saving their papers. For delicate items, you can use recycled paper and grocery bags which are heavier. There are biodegradable pellets that are made from recycled diapers or corn starch. Environmentally friendly packaging also includes recycled plastic wrap, recycled bubble wrap, recycled paper towel, and towels. There are now packing peanuts that are made from recycled material as well as bio degradable materials. Wood pallets are often used when moving or shipping items, however, there are now plastic pallets that are made of recycled products. This not only saves trees but saves you money because you can reuse the pallets.

There are a number of economical advantages to using recycled boxes when moving that include:

Buyback Guarantee: Some moving companies will offer clients a Buyback guarantee for their moving boxes. They will buy the moving boxes back after the customer has finished moving. The price can vary from full purchase price or a percentage of what the customer paid for the boxes.

Take a Box, Leave a Box: Some moving companies will provide a box drop-off location for companies and individuals so that new customers will be able to take the boxes for their own moving needs.

Moving Box Rentals: Use rentals if possible. Some companies will rent boxes and supplies to their customers. The boxes are usually a heavy plastic. Renting boxes eliminates waste.

There are other ways one can obtain recycled moving boxes. Check with supermarkets and other store managers to see if they have extra boxes. If you are unable to obtain used boxes, purchasing new boxes made from 100% recycled materials is a good choice. Boxes made from 100% recycled materials are just as strong as new boxes.

Everyday more people are doing their part to protect the environment. With millions of people moving each year, choosing recycled moving boxes has become a positive way to help protect the planet. It is good for the environment, community, and your wallet.

Vera Pappas asked:


Today, being Green is a necessity. It’s not just for hippies and tree huggers any more. Actually being a tree hugger is a good thing, but that’s another article. We are in a time that if we continue our bad habits, the children of our not too distant future will not have one.

The 20th Century brought technological growth and change for the masses, however, it was not always for the good of the environment. Now we are suffering from the effects of change. We need to get back to basics and lead less extravagant lives. We all have lots of stuff. Generally everything we buy is new, and that takes a toll on our environment. What we manufacture takes energy, causes a certain amount of pollution, and uses precious natural resources.

We need to reduce our waste, reuse what we can and recycle just about everything. Just recycling our cans and bottles is not enough anymore. (Lots of us don’t even do that!)

We can reduce waste, just by not purchasing so much stuff. Every time we buy something, we throw away the packaging, bags are used to put our stuff in and paper is used to print receipts. Not to mention the energy it takes to power the store we bought the item in and the energy we used driving our vehicles to get there. If you need something try to condense your shopping trips or order it over the Internet.

Reuse what you can. By reusing items or re-purposing them, we can save money, energy, and keep our stuff from unnecessarily being sent to the land fill. Use old broken dishes for the bottom of you flower pots for drainage. Use old socks or t-shirts as dust rags or to wash the car. I know it seems small and simple, however if everyone did it we could make a significant change for the better.

Recycle everything. We can recycle leaves, grass clippings and food scraps into a composter and it will turn into beautiful rich organic compost that is good for the earth. (Some countries in Europe have made this a requirement.) Recycle your cans, bottles, paper, clothing, old household items, furniture etc. Habitat for Humanity will accept old cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, furniture etc. The Veteran’s Association will come pick up clothes and small household items right at your door. Good Will has drop off locations where you can take your unwanted clothing and household items. Share your children’s clothes they so quickly outgrow with family or friends. It is amazing how much money you can save by sharing. Vintage and slightly used clothing stores are popping up as cool chain stores for teenagers and young adults. Plato’s closet is a nationwide chain that sells gently used brand name clothes for the young adult. You can take in your unwanted brand name clothes, (in good condition)and they will pay you for them, then you can shop and get fantastic deals on the latest fashions. There is even a shoe company that makes their shoes from recycled materials, and when you are done with them, you can send them back to the company and they will recycle them back into new shoes. (Oka-B Shoes)

The products to live greener are out there, and becoming more readily available. By reducing our household waste we can reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions coming from our already overtaxed landfills. By Reusing and recycling our unwanted stuff we can cut down on production, which also saves the environment’s resources and reduces pollution. By purchasing less and purchasing only environmentally friendly products, it will also force the manufacturing companies to adopt cleaner, greener processes.

The general consensus has been that to live green one must sacrifice and perform tasks that are difficult and unpleasant. Living Green is simple. You may have to plan a little more or take a few more steps to the recycling buckets, but it is simple and necessary.

Many people are resistant to change. But change is good! By simplifying our lives, our lives become simpler, easier and more peaceful. We are always busy running here or there, keeping tight schedules, have to go pick up this or that. Take it easy…stay home and relax. Life is only as complicated as we make it. Getting back to a simpler life is not only good for the health of our environment, it is also good for our personal health as well. Being relaxed and taking things a bit easier creates a balance in our minds and bodies. Stress is the number one contributing factor of disease. Take the word DISEASE and break it down… DIS EASE. That says it all.

If we all make these small changes in our lives, the effects would be huge! We can collectively make a difference in our lives today and drastically change our future for the better. Your children will thank you for it.

Beverly Saltonstall asked:


Recycling is not so hard, yet it is one of the best ways you can do something positive for the environment. Your home is one place where you can find plenty of items to recycle.

If you have the room, you can even set out labeled containers and use them to sort recyclable items. Plastic garbage cans are perfect for this project.

The easiest items to sort are plastic, glass and cardboard. If you drink soda pop from aluminum cans, there should be a container especially for those cans. While you are at it, check with your local schools and churches to see if they collect the pop tops from these cans. Another use for the pop tops is to make household items. A Google search can give you ideas on what can be made with aluminum pop tops. Novica, a division of National Geographic sells beautifully crafted purses from aluminum pop tops.

Most towns have recycling centers. Find out where the one in your community is located so you can dispose of your recycled material properly. Towns often have a day set aside for hazardous waste disposal. Check to see what items they take and have a container especially for those items. Extreme care should be taken in storing hazardous wastes.

Towns that don’t have a recycling center may have large containers in a designated area where you can bring recyclables. These containers are emptied on a regular schedule.

Since you know why recycling is important, if your town doesn’t have recycling containers, or a recycling center, you need to find out why. Contact your government officials, either in person or by writing them a letter, to voice your concerns over the fact that recycling is not available for the citizens. If containers are not readily available, people will not be motivated to recycle.

Once you have your recycling program at home working, consider expanding your recycling efforts to your workplace and your schools. If you have children, they should be taught at an early age to recycle. After all, recycling is important for their future. Schools must have recycling programs in place to set a good example. Creative recycling programs are very exciting for children, and this excitement is often brought to the home. Parents are then encouraged by the children to recycle.

Offices and health care facilities are one of the largest consumers of our natural resources, yet many of these facilities do not have an active recycling program.

People need to be educated on why recycling is important and the benefits it has for our environment. The same items that are recycled at home can easily be recycled in the work place. Encouraging employees to avoid the use of paper cups and plastic water bottles (unless they are refilled at home), and to recycle computer paper and aluminum cans.

In order to complete the cycle of reduce, recycle, and reuse, purchasing products that have been made from recycled products is a must. Buying paper products, such as greeting cards, napkins, and computer paper that are made from recycled paper is essential to complete the cycle. Your use of these products shows your support for the recycling effort.

Another simple way to help the environment is by using “green” bags instead of plastic bags when you are grocery shopping. Every bit of plastic that has ever been manufactured is still in existence. Plastic takes hundreds of years to degrade. A reusable grocery bag helps keep those plastic bags out of the landfills.

Everyone is beginning to realize why recycling is important, but many people can’t be bothered to recycle. Education and readily available recycling centers is essential if we are to save this environment.