Posts tagged: recycle

Studios Donate Leftover Set Material to Habitat For Humanity

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restoreHollywood studios are upping their sustainability game by donating used props and set material to Habitat for Humanity. Rather than hauling leftovers to a landfill after a movie or TV show wraps, studios have found new ways to reuse what often adds up to tons of material.

Just recently, Warner Bros. donated plywood, joists, furniture, faux brick, and other set material once The Hangover Part III wrapped. Ten truckloads unloaded at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, to be sold in Habitat’s stores in Gardena and Norwalk. The proceeds supported the organization’s mission of building and renovating homes for the needy.

“The crews take pride in what they’ve built, so if we’re able to salvage the materials and give them another use, everyone feels good about that,”  Mike Slavich, director of sustainability for Warner Bros. Entertainment tells the LA Times. The studio last month supplied Habitat’s stores with more than 30 rolls of carpet and linoleum flooring from the set of the CBS TV show “The Mentalist.” Continue reading →

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5 Simple Things You Can Do Right Now to Start Living Green

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Starting an eco-friendly lifestyle can be intimidating. There’s so much information out there and so much to accomplish, yet the good thing about going green is that every little bit counts! Turning off the lights when leaving a room – that’s green! Buying organic – that’s green too! Gold stars for everyone.

Here are a few very simple action items that can start you on your path towards a green lifestyle. Try to work these into your daily routine and before you know it, you won’t even think twice about any of them – it’ll be second nature.

1. Reusable Bags. Stock pile a collection and keep them in various places (hall closet, trunk of your car, in your garage, etc.) so you’ll never forget to bring them with you. And don’t just use them at the supermarket – take reusable bags to the farmer’s market, the book store, the hardware store – basically any place where you can save a plastic or paper bag by bringing your reusable one. And don’t forget to give your reusable bags a regular washing.

2. Recycle, Upcycle, Donate. These days, recycling goes far beyond just bottles and cans. Many cities have set up intricate recycling systems and can take most forms of plastic, paper, or glass. This includes things like the packaging your latest gadget came in, take-out containers, cereal boxes, and everything in between.

Donate things like clothes, furniture, and toys. It’ll save energy and resources – new ones won’t have to be made!

Upcycle! Upcycling involves taking old things and repurposing them as crafty new things. Like this, this, and this. Are you a lover of DIY projects? If so, upcycling is your jam. Continue reading →

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Contest: Design the International Reuse Symbol

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Did you know there is no official symbol to represent the action ‘reuse’ in the sustainability world? People often mistake the three arrows of the ‘recycle’ symbol to stand for ‘reuse, reduce, recycle.’ Those three arrows actually represent the three steps in the recycling loop, including collecting, manufacturing, and buying products made from recycled goods.

In 1969, a recycled paperboard company issued a challenge to art and design students across the U.S. to raise awareness of environmental issues. Gary Anderson, a college student at the University of Southern California, created the icon now known as the universal recycling symbol.

Earth911.com hopes to make reuse as prevalent and recognizable as recycling by hosting a competition to design a reuse symbol. The winning design will receive a $500 prize, and the symbol will be made a part of the public domain to be reused, remixed and distributed without royalties.

Potential entrants have until Aug. 22 to submit their designs. Then, a voting period will run Aug. 23 through Sept. 6 to allow the public to determine which design is best. On Sept. 13, the winner will be announced. Continue reading →

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6 Ways to Give Back on Earth Day & Every Day

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Earth Day is the day when millions of people in 172 countries all over the globe share their appreciation for our beautiful planet. What are you giving back to the earth this year?

You might believe that one person can’t do a lot. But if we take the time to change a few small behaviors, we can make a difference collectively.

Here are six ways to be part of that effort.

Precycle before you recycle.

Precycling is the art of returning a thing to the earth before it was even taken, saving our resources and creating a brighter future. What kinds of things can you precycle? How about bottled water or plastic grocery bags? You can drink water out of a reusable water bottle, and pack your groceries in a reusable cloth bag. You’ve just precycled, preventing two plastic items from ending up in the refuse stream. Less demand for these items leads to less production.

Flick a switch.

This is simple. Begin to make it a habit to turn off the lights whenever you are leaving a room. Turn off the water when brushing or even while soaping up in the shower, then turn it back on to rinse off. Turn off your car ignition when you’re waiting for someone. Every time you flick the switch, you are also flicking a switch in your brain that helps to reinforce the behavior and turn it into a good habit—the habit of conserving.

If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it.

Before upgrading to the newest iPhone or a bigger-model flat-screen TV, ask yourself if it will make your life better than if you simply kept the model you already have. Take a moment to really visualize all the earth’s resources it took to make these items. You could save some of earth’s resources by simply waiting six months or a year before replacing something old with something new. At the end of that time, assess whether the quality of your life was seriously compromised by hanging on to that older model. Continue reading →

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