Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....Upcycle

Some call it a hot new green innovation others brush it off as a hipster moniker for recycle, but whatever you call it “upcycle” is something that deserves attention.

Upcycle is a term coined by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart in their book on ecologically intelligent design, Cradle to Cradle. In the simplest terms, upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.
What makes upcycling standout from recycling is that it takes a bit of ingenuity. Recycling basically takes trash and completely changes it into something new. When we reuse we take the original item and give it a different purpose, like using a glass milk bottle as a vase. Upcycling repurposes materials that are not easily recycled into something useful or art.

But upcycling isn’t anything new. Marcel Duchamp took ordinary objects and turned them into what he called “found art” in the early 20th Century. Now as we find ourselves painfully aware of the amount of waste we generate it is somewhat soothing to think of new ways to use waste. Sure it’s better not to generate the waste in the first place, but unfortunately there is already so much.





TerraCycle is one of several companies striving to make a profit while helping mother earth and her inhabitants. Founded in 2001 by a Princeton University Freshman, Tom Szaky, TerraCycle upcycles otherwise non-recyclable materials to make useful items such as bags, wrapping materials and even shower curtains.


Etsy, the place for all things handmade, ran a crafty contest earlier this year to encourage upcycling.

To get your upcyle inspiration and experience some of Denver's most creative upcycle artists visit the Green with Envy:ReCycle, ReInvent, RePurpose exhibit opening this weekend at the Tactile Textile Arts Center in Tamarac Square.



images: Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp, TerraCyle bag made from cookie packaging, newspaper beads by Etsy artist janicemae, light made from soda bottles by Upcycle Art.

How to Opt Out of Phone Books

I came home last Friday to find an unwanted visitor at my front door. I chose not to acknowledge the visitor and left it at the doorstep. Later, I went out of the house and again ignored the visitor. My husband came home and walked right passed the visitor. He later went out without notice to the visitor. My son came home and stepped right passed the visitor. My youngest came in and gleefully picked it up and set it on the kitchen table with pride. Who or what was this unwanted arrival? The phone book, of course.

I guess once upon a time ago the phone book was a welcomed arrival. Today it's a waste of paper, energy and space in my house. Is there a way to put a stop to this madness?? Maybe.

Earlier this month Idearc Media LLC (Pink Sheets:IDARQ), creator Superpages.com, the Verizon Yellow Pages and SuperpagesDirect announced that Opt-Out language indicating a web address and phone number would appear on the cover of all of their publications. Well, maybe they haven't gotten around to clarifying that text in time for September distributions. I looked at my Verizon Super Yellowpages and found this phrase: Order any directory anytime by calling 1-800-888-8448. I couldn't find any specific directions for opt-out, so I called the number.

Once you dial the number choose selection #2-Question regarding the delivery of your directory.

After holding for several minutes I finally was helped. The customer service rep kindly administered my request with basic information. Of course she did her job by trying to explain the benefits of the book and suggesting other products, but was not pushy.

Another opt-out list has been created by a grassroots organization called YellowPagesGoesGreen.org.

...an organization working to educate consumers and promote the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books. This site is aimed at starting a national movement to solicit the White/Yellow Pages industry to proactively stop the delivery of books or to begin moving legislation to mandate the stoppage of this activity.

There is no real guarantee that these efforts will eliminate unwanted phone books. More curbside recycling services are accepting phone books. You can also check for recycling options at called www.earth911.org/. In the meantime my daughter has found use for our old phone books to add texture to her artwork.

Do It Yourself Swimming Pool

For around $1,000 you can have your own swimming pool. Actually the cost could be quite a lot less if you get the dumpster donated. That's right dumpster. Give new life to an old dumpster and you'll be recycling while you keep cool. I'm only sorry that I didn't hear about this earlier in the summer.

Take note of the lap pool in the background of this picture from NPR.

Dig in the trash to decorate for the holidays

photo by baldheretic

Last Christmas I couldn't wait to take down the tree and all the other tacky Christmas decorations around my house. I wasn't feeling creative or festive when I put them up which was boldly obvious from the lame way I put up our outside lights. And now that the season is creeping up once again. And oh my I am surprised by how many of neighbors have already had their trees and outside lights turned on for over a week. Isn't there some sort of law that you can't do that until the day after Thanksgiving? Or am I just being a bit too Bah-Humbug? Maybe they've caught the spirit of the season early---good for them. I hope it rubs off on me.

But dragging out the ancient boxes of ornaments and artificial garland and lights and lights and lights is bringing me down more than anything. So instead I keep thinking how can we do it different? Honestly I think it was more festive before we gathered all that stuff. Our tree was decorated with popcorn and cranberry garland and gingerbread cookies. But over the years we've accumulated so much stuff.

I have however been inspired, probably for the first time, by a shopping mall. Belmar Center's marketing team must have shared my feelings when they were planning their holiday decorating. They opened their boxes, sighed and thought "what a bunch of junk". But instead of chucking it all away or dumping it at the Goodwill donation center and running away they got creative.

Belmar gave old decorations and some other "junk" a new life as recycled holiday trimmings with a very Colorado feel. Actually the team at Belmar has been at the recycled decoration bit for 4 years now. This year they're really on a roll and have taken creative recycling to a new level. It started in 2004 when they used old artificial Christmas trees to make new wreaths and other "greenery". This year they took the idea a step further to create seven, 20-foot in diameter wreaths made from recycled Colorado Avalanche hockey sticks and pucks, empty wine and beer bottles, past issues of 5280 magazine, Belmar shopping bags, Chipotle cups, skis and rope. The Avalanche and others were of course happy to indulge and unload their used stuff. Hey, wouldn't you love it if someone asked for your trash?

Seeing what they've done makes me all warm inside and I think I'm ready to pull out those boxes and take a new look at my old junk. Oh but then there is that tree thing...I'll tackle that another day.

Getting Inked

I'm not sure what's up with Lexmark, but it seems like they hate the environment. Until a few weeks ago I had a Lexmark wonder printer. It was the kind of wanna be super home office equipment that can print, copy, fax and make bad coffee. One day while installing a new ink cartridge I messed up and had to take it out to reinstall. The thing sputtered gurgled and spat a message at me that said, "The installed cartridge is not a Lexmark original. You have violated your warranty, sucker." Then every time I attempted to print I got another nasty message warning me of the dangers of not using original Lexmark cartridges. Of course I ignored them and printed along merrily, but jeeze it was an original Lexmark cartridge. What if by some crazy notion I used a recycled cartridge? What then Lexmark? Whatta ya gone do then, huh?



Hold on. Wait one minute. Why wasn't I using a recycled cartridge? What is wrong with me!?



Recycling ink cartridge is super easy, but for savvy people like Donna Freedman over at MSN Money it had been more than a green alternative. Donna and others like her had been getting more than ink from Office Depot, Office Max and Staples. It seems that these companies give store credit for returned cartridges. The policies regarding how the credit is given has changed. Recently Office Depot joined the other two stores in giving cartridge refunds in the form of quarter store value cards. You can read all about this change at Ms. Freedman's post from last week.



The credit-for-cartridges programs are good, but you can go one better for the environment by not buying new cartridges at all. What town in the country doesn't have a Walgreen's on every corner? Walgreen's will refill your ink cartridges, usually while you wait, for much less than you'd buy new--$10 for black, $15 for color. Not every location has this capability and there are certain model limitations, but check it out. Cartridge World has been rapidly adding locations. They carry more than 150 different premium inks and toners.



As for my Lexmark wonder machine it found it's way to recycling. It wasn't the nasty message that met it's untimely demise it was all the paper that it gobbled up and ripped to shreds. Now my HP's ink is getting low. But this time I'll be going down the street for a refill.

photo by 摩根

Recycle technology items for free on America Recycles Day

I have an old computer that's been sitting in our basement for about 2-3 years. Partly because we forget about it, partly because we always think we resurrect it and partly because it's such a pain to get rid of. In the past we've gotten rid of them by donating, but not many places will take old computers anymore. Our recycling center takes them for a small fee, but I'm cheap and lazy and always believe that we could make better use out of the old beast. Honestly, though, no one in our household is savvy enough to make it useful again.

So imagine my excitement when I learned about Staples participation in America Recycles Day. Staples is offering to take old desktop computers, laptops, monitors, printers and fax machines this Saturday (11/15) for America Recycles Day. To sweeten the deal for each item you recycle the store will also give you a $30 off coupon to use in their store or online.

Staples is also running their Mountains of Technology program which donates $5 per recycled item to local high schools. The only stores participating in the Mountains of Technology are Littleton and Boulder. They'll divide their donations between three high schools in each area.

So don't forget America Recycles Day-Saturday, Nov. 15. Even if you don't have an old computer to take to Staples you can step up your recycling efforts.

Sell Your Electronics

There's a new website that's on a mission to change the world– one cell phone, one laptop, one iPod at a time. It's called Gazelle. And here's how they describe themselves:

It is our purpose – and our promise – to provide 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.

Too often when people think of recycling, they rush straight to smashing things into bits for parts. We believe that reuse should always come first. If your GPS unit still works, why not keep it in circulation AND get paid for it? If reusing isn’t in the cards, then let us recycle that vintage camcorder. We think of it as reCommerce.

What you do is enter whatever device you want to get rid of then Gazelle tells you how much they will pay you for it. They also let you know future value. Then you decide if you want to sell it to them. If you do they give you a prepaid shipping label to print and use.

Items that are reusable will have all personal data removed and sold. Unusable items will be properly recycled.

Gazelle is brand new. They just launched last month. But already it appears that the idea is catching on. They just announced this week that they received 2 3G iPhones. Yep, technology moves at the speed of light. So remember electronics become outdated rather quick. My 2-yr-old GPS unit isn't worth much now.

Gazelle will take bulk items from schools, businesses and other organizations too. And if the cash is less important to you than getting rid of stuff you can donate your cash to charity.

This Gazelle seems like great idea. Let's hope it keeps building.