Welcome to the season of holiday joy, packaging materials and dead batteries!

If you’ve ever wondered where to recycle these items, wonder no more.
RecycleChicken.comis a site, searchable by zip code, that will tell you where you can take anything and everything for recycling and reuse in your area.

Let’s search for how to reduce our waste this holiday season. RecycleChicken has recycling/reuse locations for the following holiday items:

• Christmas lights: You can recycle those burnt out incandescent lights. LEDs are all the rage these days.
• Scotch tape dispensers: Yes, tape dispensers!
• Snack chip bags: Recycle your Frito Lay brand snack chip bags after the holiday bowl games.
• Styrofoam: Even the molded stuff! Visit the site to find Bay Area Recycling for Charities and Kalkaska County recycling program.
• Packing materials: We’re talking foam chips, bubble wrap, etc!
• Christmas trees: Find listings for local collection programs. Often times the resulting chips are used on area recreation trails.
• Household batteries: Don’t throw them away. Find recycling locations close by.
• Small appliances: Did you get a new blender for Christmas? You can find a location to take the old one whether dead or alive.
• Cardboard: You know how this stacks up in the garage.
• Sports equipment: Miss the swaps? Take skiing, snowshoeing, skating, hockey equipment to a reuse location.
• Electronics & video games: ‘Tis the season to upgrade your electronic gear and try out the latest technology. Take your old techy toys to a local drop-off location.

Also, please remember your waste hauler when tipping or gifting this holiday season. Did you know that every year, waste handling is ranked among the Top 10 dirtiest and most dangerous jobs? We owe a bit of gratitude for these guys. We’d be in a real pile without them.

Happy Holidays from RecycleChicken!

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FREE COMMUNITY-WIDE RECYCLE & REPURPOSE EVENT FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
‘Fall Back’ into Action to Clean Up and Green Up

The Michigan Green Consortium will once again produce a free community-wide recycle, repurpose and reuse event from 10am until 3pm on Sunday,November 7, 2010 at Parking Lot B in downtown Traverse City. The event is held twice a year, the morning following the time adjustment, and serves as a reminder to residents to renew their pledge to do their part to preserve the environment.

The Daylight Savings Clean Up and Green Up Event will be hosted by the Consortium and a dozen or more local area businesses that provide recycle and reuse services. The event is comprehensive, offering residents the chance to bring recyclable items to one location and at no charge for collection.

Area businesses will be on site that day to process a realm of household goods that have reusable or recyclable value. While not all vendors are yet confirmed, past vendors have included. American Waste; Bay Area Recycling, RecycleChicken, Rifkin Steel, L & B Recycling, Cartridge World, Goodwill, GT Profile’s Shredmonster, TC eWaste, Odom Reusable Building Products, Northern Michigan Garment Restoration, Evergreen Bottle Company, Team Elmer’s and Home Depot.

Michigan Green Consortium is a trade association established in 2008 to promote and support green and sustainable businesses; to educate the business and local community on what should be done to ensure a healthy environment and provides networking opportunities for green
companies. The consortium is funded solely by member dues and public contributions.
To learn out more about the Daylight Savings: Clean Up and Green Up event, call (231) 947-1688 or visit www.mgconline.org

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Many people are starting to can their own food at home recently.  The once thought to be out of date practice is seeing a regrowth lately.  Canning is extremely beneficial and can be a very fun project as well.  Many have turned to canning as a means to save money but there are also many other health and economic benefits to canning as well.  Along with saving money canning also allows you to reuse those mason jars over and over again.  Once you have eaten all of the great pickles, jams, and sauces you made in the first batch, simply wash, sanitize and prepare to refill the jars with your newest creation.  Canning Local has written a great article on the subject and has made some great points.

Canning is a great idea because:

• Excellent quality and taste – When you use quality produce and perform the canning process correctly, you will create superior products to those for sale at the supermarket. Many recipes for home canned food are delicious and literally the quality is something that money can’t buy.
• Control over the ingredients – With home canning, you will know exactly where your food is coming from. Ideal sources of produce are your own garden and fruit trees, local organic farms, and any local farm. From any of these sources you will be able to hand select your produce at the peak of ripeness.
• Support of the local economy – By directly buying produce from local growers, you are putting money into the hands of local people. Local growers love selling from their own farms or market stands because they are not at the mercy of the big commodity buyers who set prices. This also allows local growers, especially small ones, to remain profitable, which is good for the local economy.
• Sense of accomplishment – Once you begin canning food, you will be thrilled with yourself. You will feel like you did something very meaningful to your existence because you did!  Along with that you also have the ability to reuse those jars once they are empty to cook up even more delicious canned creations.

These are all great reasons to start canning at home. Your family will love the delicious food you have cooked up and canned goods are a great gift as well. From homemade pickles to jams, and even flavored vinegars, your friends and family will be happy to unwrap a jar of something you’ve made just for them.

There are many resources on the internet that can instruct you on canning as well as thousands of recipes available.  Canning can be a little overwhelming at first but once you have done a few canning projects you should get the hang of it and it becomes quite easy.

Below is a list of resources to help you get started.

• http://www.freshpreserving.com/
• Pick Your Own
• Mountain Breeze Canning and Preserving
• Canning Pantry
• Country Home Canning

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Cardboard tubes from various packaging and paper rolls can be transformed into a trendy art gallery in just a few steps according to Apartment Therapy.

Here’s how to do it:

• Clean the rolls by removing any labels or leftover paper.
• Mark the rolls by using a ruler and pencil to mark the width of each ring will help you keep the cuts straight and level. Make different sizes to add interest and dimension.
• Cut the tubes into rings using an X-acto knife and/or scissors.
• Trace circles around the ring to mark a circle on the photo you want to frame. Cut out the circle using scissors. The circle should be just a bit wider than the outside of the ring.
• Glue photos to rings by drawing a thin bead of glue on the rim of the cardboard ring. Glue the photo circle in place. Consider gluing the photo to the front of the ring so it stands out from the wall, or to the back of the ring so you can peer in at it.
• When all the rings are done and dry, use a little white glue on the side of the rings to glue them together.
• Hang the rings on the wall by putting up a few pushpins or small nails and slipping the rings over them.

Thanks so much for the great idea Apartment Therapy.

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Fobots are the work of Raleigh, North Carolina artist Amy Flynn.  Amy started making robots to fill the time between illustration jobs. Now, it’s her passion, as it combines two of her favorite pastimes; making things and shopping. She scours flea markets, basements, internet auctions, and scrapyards for cool old junk. Amy then solders and bolts the pieces together to create sturdy, one-of-a-kind sculptures, never to be duplicated.

Each Fobot is numbered, with a copper plate on its back bearing the word “FOBOT” and its individual number. They call them butt tags.

Amy Flyn would also like to issue a Warning: Fobots are not toys, they are not functional, and they will not go on a rampage while you sleep. May contain lead solder, so don’t eat them.

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Rebirth is a green company that rebuilds and reconstructs old bike frames into new street fixed gear frames with track bike geometry. They design their bikes with hand crafted BMX style reinforcements and rear horizontal drop outs. All of their frames are one of a kind with custom paint or powder coat. Rebirth also does frame and fork repair, rear drop out conversion from road to track, as well as custom design. 

Rebrth is located at 15601 Producer Lane unit O Huntington Beach Ca 92649. They also provide parts, (new and used) wheel sets, and bicycle maintenance service.

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Tired Ol’ Belts, LLC is the brainchild of the hand crafter himself, Matthew Meyer. Tired of his pants falling down while he biked around the city, and even more tired of the boring old belts in his drawer he decided to take matters into his own hands, literally. He’d seen a few belts on the Internet that were similar, but not anything he was looking for. So, after much toiling around in the garage Tired Ol’ Belts was born. All belts are unique and hand crafted. They are made from 100% recycled (and sometimes irregular)bicycle parts, and are 100% vegan. You can also send Tired Ol’ Belts  a favorite tire and they can make it into your new favorite belt.

The only question you have left to ask yourself is, “What’s holding up your pants?”

Tired Ol’ Belts wll also trade you a belt for your metal, or even pay you.

Here is a list of parts they are looking for:

• cranksets that have removable allen-wrench style chainring bolts
• allen-wrench style chainring bolts by themselves
• discarded chain (can be greasy but not rusty)
• discarded cassettes and/or 11t-15t individual cogs and discarded spokes.

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The beginning of the school year is a fun time to think about recycling and reuse. Maybe one of the most fun things about this time of year, is resale shopping.

Don’t dismiss resale as a great option for back to school.  There are some very nice resale shops throughout northern Michigan, some specializing in children’s clothing and some even specializing in teen wear.  Check out Top Drawer Exchange for great teen clothing options in Traverse City. My own teen daughter loves this store. They carry a fresh and stylish selection of teen clothing, shoes and other accessories. Also a great spot for hip teen fashions, check out Zany Consignment in Traverse City and R3 Clothing Exchange Co. in Petoskey. For the smaller ones, any of the family resale and thrift stores are now stocking their racks with back-to-school bargains.  Try Children’s Orchard in Traverse City, New Hope’s new location on Garfield Ave. in Traverse City and Those Bloomin Kids and Grown Ups in Petoskey. Happy bargain hunting! Who doesn’t like to save some money?!

When I was in school, and being the creative type, one of my favorite activities for the beginning of the school year, was to make book covers for all of my text books. There are many materials you can use for book covers, from old wallpaper samples to fabric. But, my all-time-favorite was the brown paper bag version. This allowed me to decorate the cover. The paper bag covers are also surprisingly rugged.

Terri Mauro shows you how to do it:

1. Cut open a brown paper shopping bag. Remove the flap formed by the bottom of the bag so that you have one   large  sheet of brown paper.
2. Place the book in the center of the paper.
3. Wrap the paper up across the bottom of the book and make a crease along the bottom cover.
4. Repeat Step 3 for the top of the book.
5. Remove the book from the paper.
6. Fold the paper up at the bottom crease and down at the top crease. You should have a strip of paper big enough to cover the book from top to bottom.
7. Place the book back in the center of the paper. Wrap the paper across the front of the book from left to right and adjust the book position until the two ends of the paper are even.
8. Fold the overlap around the front cover of the book and make a crease. Then insert the front cover of the book into the slot created by the paper folded over at the top and the bottom. Slide the paper down over the book until you hit the crease.
9. Repeat Step 8 for the back cover of the book.
10. If the cover fits snugly, you can stop at this point. If it seems a little loose or the top and bottom folds are not lying flat, you can use small pieces of tape to pull the front and the inside flap together a little more securely.

Also, here are a couple important tips:

1. Do not tape the paper cover to the actual cover of the book; the paper cover will move a little when the book opens, and you could damage the book cover.
2. If your child likes and the teacher allows, decorate the cover with drawings or stickers.

If blank journals are on your back-to-school supply list, consider making your own. Cereal boxes make fun and interesting covers and you can fill them with your choice of paper type. Try maybe blank pages, lined or grid paper.  Even if you don’t use one for school, you can make small versions for yourself to keep in your purse. This first pic below displays some journals crafted by Crafterella.  Following that, you can visit the long thread blog for a detailed how-to on making box cover journals.

With books covered and journals crafted, you’ll need a good book bag. For that, check out PriorLIFE bags made from reclaimed billboard materials. These are locally made in northern Michigan and come in a variety of bright beautiful styles from totes to laptop sleeves to zippered pencil pouches.  www.priorlife.com

Then, let’s look at reducing our waste once school is started. One great way is of course to pack your own lunch. When packing lunch, consider the packaging. Try the stylin’ reusable lunch wraps Eco Lunch Gear. Eco Lunch gear is a company started by a northern Michigan mom. Her designs are fun and undeniably usable. My kids think they’re cool and vy for who gets to use the few pieces that we have on hand.

If you’re sorting out old crayons and making room for new, you can send your old ones to Crazy Crayons to be recycled into new fun molded crayon shapes. Crazy Crayons is an at-home-mom business out of Wisconsin. www.crazycrayons.com

If you’re looking for a fundraiser for your school this year, check out one of these two ideas. The first is TerraCycle.net, a program where your school can earn money by collecting common items such as juice boxes, snack bar and cookie wrappers for recycling. The school earns a few cents for each item collected. Check out the website. There is an easy sign-up process.

Then, your school may have fun hosting a recycled art fair/auction during the school year. This really gets the creative juices flowing and could be combined with curriculum units focusing on natural resources and waste reduction.

Good Luck putting these ideas to good use.

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If you’re constantly fighting with all of those computer and ipod cords that are always falling behind your desk and wrapping around your feet RecycleChicken has your solution.

Just take a few of the numerous black clips you have lying around your office and clip them to the back of your desk.  You can not thread each one of those cords hanging around through that metal loops used to pinch the clip open and you have a handy cord keeper.  The best thing is that it is easy to remove the cords and the wires slide easily back and forth when you need to plug your ipod in.

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Make A Bow

A bow made out of film negatives? What a great way to top off a gift for any photographer, scrapbook fanatic or lover of photographs.  It can also be added to a simple clip to create a great hair accessory for girls. It is simple to take old negatives and recycle them into a bow. This is an especially good way to use negatives that have been scanned into digital files, are damaged or are not high enough quality to print from. You can even use undeveloped 35 mm film that has long since expired by removing it from its packaging.

1. Find film negatives that you are no longer in need of. If you aren’t sure what images are on the film make sure to hold them to the light before you use them in this craft.
2. Use one strip of negatives as the base. Make sure it is at least five frames long. You will have an opportunity to use up shorter strips later.
3. Next take another strip and loop it in half, placing one end on top of the other. Place a small piece of tape on the end to hold it together. You will remove this tape after stapling several loops together. Make another loop the same length as this one.
4. 
   Make bow loops.

   You will need to make two loops now that are shorter than the first two loops. Cut the film negatives to a size that is one frame shorter, and repeat step 3.

5. Make one final loop from the film negatives; place it right in the center of the other loops and staple firmly through all layers of film. Remove any loose tape.
6. Your bow is complete! Secure on top of a package using double-sided tape or clear cellophane tape.

Create a Great Purse or Clutch

We found these great purses and clutches made from sewing film negatives together.  Simply sew lengths of film together through the holes on either side of the film to create a fabric.  After that the possibilities are endless.  The photo below shows some ways that the film “fabric” can be fashioned into a purse or clutch but feel free to create your own patterns and unique designs.

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