Lucky for us, when we don’t know what to do with clothes or items that no longer fit (either our bodies or our style tastes), we can turn to Swapdom.com, a site dedicated to trading people’s beloved items that also specializes in the benefits of recycling!

We’ve all had what many like to call the “closet crisis.” You know, where you open your closet doors and brace yourself in fear of the rack snapping and your clothes devouring you like an angry ocean. Or the shoebox mountain that took you months to build comes down like an avalanche similar to a round in Jenga gone wrong. Some may refer to you as a hoarder (you prefer “clothing connoisseur” or just simply “collector”) because you can’t seem to let anything go. What if there was a way for you to feed your habit but also clean out your closet at the same time? That’s right, cleaning and shopping simultaneously can be done on this gem of a website called, Swapdom.

At first glance Swapdom may seem like just another e-commerce website similar to eBay or Amazon. Alas, it is like no such thing out there right now! Normally on those sorts of typical ecommerce websites, you usually have to negotiate with a seller and put bids on items (which you are then feverishly checking on the item 467 times a day, praying that no one has out-bid you). Talk about stressful shopping! It sounds just as bad as going to the mall on Black Friday …no thank you. Good thing Swapdom has taken big strides in changing the game when it comes to the benefits of recycling used and much loved items and giving them a chance at a new life while making all of the sellers and recipients super happy.

The major difference that completely sets Swapdom apart is its swapping system. Gone are the days of wanting an item, hoping the seller will like what you’re offering, resulting in what is supposed to be a successful trade that actually just ends in disappointment because the seller isn’t the least bit interested. Swapdom doesn’t allow room for letdowns. Instead, Swapdom uses a really neat method of grouping people together that are all interested in different items from each other. Basically, the whole negotiation process is eliminated. For example, Person A can give something to Person B and Person B can give something to Person C until it comes back around full circle. That means every customer is satisfied! No more disappointments, frowny faces, or feelings of despondency over a lost item! That’s something we can all celebrate.

Also, Swapdom does ALL the work for you. Seriously. All you’re required to do is request what you want, show what you have to offer, then hang back in your hammock with a nice, cold drink while Swapdom creates a group of individuals looking to swap with each other. Once that’s been done, you have 10 days to approve your swap, then pack and ship the item you’ll be trading and VOILA! Bing, bang, boom, done! How easy and effortless is that?

The best part about this whole site is that so many articles of clothing and accessories (even houseware items and kid stuff!) are saved from ending up in the trash. That’s huge. All of these once-loved pieces and items are blessed with the opportunity to be loved again in a whole new way and continue to fulfill their purposes. Easy and fun with a conscious intention, Swapdom epitomizes the benefits of recycling in the coolest, most innovative way.

Related on EcoSalon

Recycled Clothing Gains Popularity with 3 Big European Brands and Certification

8 Creative Recycled Paper Crafts: Get Crafty with Your Recycling

8 Irresistible Green and Glam Clothing Swap Websites

Image via Swapdom

The post Swapdom Exercises the Benefits of Recycling with Multi-Person Trade Site appeared first on EcoSalon.

Turn your old bras into awesome new accessories and garments with these fun and easy DIY projects.

Don’t throw away your old bras just yet – you may find that one of these 5 amazing DIY projects is the perfect solution for your faded, torn or broken bra. Whether all you can salvage are the straps, or maybe you just want to vamp a boring bra into a chic bralette, these projects are the ticket to keeping your old bra from going in the bin.

1. Upcycled Bra Strap Headband from Spincushion Those strappy headbands that look so simple but elegant can easily be made from an old bra strap, and even embellished with a fabric flower or some vintage buttons. Use plain straps for a clean and preppy look, and printed ones for a more stylish touch.

2. DIY Bralette Top from Chictopia Got an nice bra that  you don’t really wear that often but can’t bear to throw away? Or maybe one of your bras has lost its straps but you can’t really wear it without them. Well this bralette top is the perfect feminine addition to your Spring/Summer ’14 wardrobe  and can be customized for your personal style.

3. Scented Bra Pouch from Craftbits A simple and cute way to recycle your bras is by turning them into a little potpourri pouch for your lingerie drawer. Just choose your scent of choice and turn your old bra into a sweet, little pouch.

4. Bra to Bathing Suit DIY from Tasha Delrae Finding the perfect bikini top can sometimes become a challenge – if only you could find one that fits as perfectly as your favorite bra! This DIY tutorial will teach you how to do that in your bathing suit fabric of choice. Make a pair of bottoms to match too!

5. DIY Adjustable Bra Strap Bracelet from [a few good things] Another super cute way to upcycle your bra straps is by turning them into a simple but classy bracelet. Personalize yours with a bead or embroidery. These are a wonderful gift, and one that no one would ever guess came from a recycled undergarment!

Related on EcoSalon

11 DIY Jewelry Projects for $20 or (Way) Less

DIY 10 Things to Do with An Old T-Shirt

Smart Style For Bookworms and Sexy Librarians: On Trend

Images: Spincushion, Chictopia, Craftbits, Tasha Delrae, [a few good things]

The post 5 Awesome DIY Projects to Upcycle and Recycle Bras appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ten things you can make from old plastic bags.

Even though we always bring reusable shopping bags to the store, somehow we always find ourselves with an overflowing stash of plastic bags under the kitchen sink. Recognize that? The good news is that you can use them to make things. Here are ten of our favorite DIY projects that you can make from old plastic bags.

1. Plastic Bag Bracelets
Colorful bracelets and bangles are must-have summer accessories. Make your own using recycled plastic bags and basic supplies you already have around the house. Follow this easy tutorial by She to learn how.

image: She

2. Plarn, or Plastic Bag Yarn
Plastic yarn, plarn for short, is made by cutting plastic grocery bags into strips, which are then strung together into a single long strand. Plastic Bag Crafts has a good tutorial on how to make it. Use plarn instead of regular yarn to crochet sturdy, reusable tote bags, purses, doormats, and more.

image: Plastic Bag Crafts

3. Ruffled Lamp Shade
This cool lampshade is created from hundreds of black and white plastic bag rosettes. The bags are cut into long strips, rolled loosely into rosette shapes, then glued to the shade. For exact instructions, check out the tutorial by the 3 R’s blog.

image: the 3 R’s blog

4. Woven Plastic Basket
Instead of having those old plastic bags fill up that under-sink space to the brim, use them to make a nice woven basket, which can be used to store anything from fruit to, well, plastic bags. Grab a cutting mat, blade, ruler, some masking tape, a heavy yarn needle and crochet hook, and follow this tutorial by radmegan.

image: radmegan

5. Plastic Pendant Light
The most fulfilling DIY projects to make are those that end up looking like amazing designer pieces. This pendant light is made from a bunch of black and white plastic bags, but looks like a million bucks. Check out the 3 R’s blog’s tutorial for instructions.

image: the 3 R’s blog

6. Outdoor Pillow Case
For outdoor cushion, a waterproof case is a must. Instead of buying one, make it from old plastic bags. In My Own Style will show you how. For extra waterproofing, use more layers, and for bonus DIY points make the dishtowel covers as well.

image: In My Own Style

7. Plastic Bag Rug
Homestead Weaving Studio specializes in making rugs from recycled material. Their tutorial shows you how to make great-looking plastic rugs using a floor look. They are particularly well-suited for your kitchen, since any mess spilled on the floor can just be rinsed off.

image: Homestead Weaving Studio

8. Plastic Bag Beads
If you like making your own jewelry, why not take that one step further and actually make the beads as well? Fuse sheets of plastic together using an iron and parchment paper to give them firmness. Etsy’s New York Street Team gives you the full scoop.

image: Etsy’s New York Street Team

9. Plastic Bag Mandalas
Using only an exacto blade and tape, artist Virginia Fleck transforms plastic bags into large scale meditation mandalas that serve as a commentary of shopping and spirituality. Make your own by following this tutorial of Recylart.

image: Recylart

10. Plastic Flowers
The perfect gift for your favorite eco-warrior, recycled plastic flowers not only look cute, they never wilt. Grab the most colorful plastic bags you have in the drawer and follow this simple Instructables tutorial.

image: Instructables

Happy Crafting!

The post DIY: 10 Things To Make From Plastic Bags appeared first on EcoSalon.

To highlight the positive style and environmental potentials of reusing, Christina Dean, Founder of Redress, swore to wear nothing but discarded clothes for an entire year.

Over the past ten years, our consumption of fashion has increased by about 60 percent. This has resulted in increased environmental pollution and landfills full of textile waste that could easily have been reused or recycled. In the UK, more than 1000 tons of clothes are dumped in landfills every day. Seems like a waste (pun intended), no?

The environmental impact of landfilled clothes is detrimental, since not all clothes are biodegradable. This adds pressure to landfills and results in the emission of a climate-change-inducing cocktail of chemicals. Photo by Luke Casey

The 365 Challenge, which began on January 1st of this year, was designed by sustainable fashion NGO Redress to promote its ‘Redress it, don’t bin it’ concept. Founder Christina Dean is now five months into the challenge, and has chronicled her entire journey on Instagram.

The outfits were put together with 100 percent dumped, discarded or donated secondhand clothes, sourced with support from Friends of the Earth (HK). All were styled in collaboration with leading fashion personalities, who each got a month to rummage around used clothing bins with Dean.

Day 1. January 1, 2013 – styled by TaniaReinert of A Boy Named Sue

Day 4. January 4, 2013 – styled by TaniaReinert of A Boy Named Sue

Day 28. January 28, 2013 – styled by TaniaReinert of A Boy Named Sue

“I’m shocked at what we’ve salvaged from the clothing bins so far,” says Dean. “From bags to bras, we’ve found that the public are chucking out amazing branded, quality clothes, some still with their price tags on. With our fashion stylists’ creativity, we’re turning other people’s trash, from swimming costumes to ski-gear, into my stylish wearable wardrobe. With today’s fashion production and consumption spiraling out of control, we must educate and inspire the public to rethink the way we consume, wear and discard our valuable clothes.”

Day 51. February 20, 2013 – styled by Julie Shah

Day 57. February 26, 2013 – quality stitched and lined Armani trousers with Valentino linen jacket, styled by Julie Shah

Day 66. March 7, 2013 – Dean in black skirt swapped with Shanghai fashion designer Helen Lee

Day 71. March 12, 2013 – outfit with swapped tee, styled by Anupreet Bhui

D

ay 82. March 23, 2013 – trousers swapped with Lucy Shea of Swishing, styled by Anupreet Bhui

Day 88. March 29, 2013 – styled by Anupreet Bhui

Tania Reinert, co-founder of online eco-boutique A Boy Named Sue, kicked off the year with January’s ‘Finding Your Wardrobe Essentials’ subject. February explored durability, styled by Redress’ Creative Director Julie Shah. In March, Anupreet Bhui focused on the idea of clothes swapping, enlisting help from people like Lucy Shea of Swishing. For April, DIY queen Geneva Vanderzeil, author of the blog a pair and a spare and the recently released book DIY Fashionista, took over with a (you guessed it) DIY theme.

Day 99. April 9, 2013 – DIY remade jacket, styled by Geneva Vanderzeil

Day 104. April 14, 2013 –  DIY remade blouse, styled by Geneva Vanderzeil of a pair and a spare

Day 113. April 23, 2013 –  blazer remade into vest, styled by Geneva Vanderzeil

Day 124. May 4, 2013 – “floral chic” for a sunny day in Brussels, styled by Elle.com.hk

Day 135. May 15, 2013 – monotone outfit set against secondhand jean mosaic wall at Taipei’s Amba hotel

Redress wants people to join the campaign by sharing pictures of themselves wearing restyled, reconstructed, repaired or recycled clothing on Instagram, and tagging them with @GetRedressed and #the365challenge.

The post The 365 Challenge: A Year of Stylish Reused Clothing appeared first on EcoSalon.

Seven creative and inexpensive ways to improve your garden.

Whether you dapple with a few indoor plants, garden on the patio with containers or have a full-fledged backyard mini-farm, you’re probably looking for creative ways to save money, time and resources. Luckily for you, incorporating recycled and reused materials can actually make your gardening projects cheaper, easier and less time consuming – not to mention far less wasteful! Last year, we gave you seven reused items to boost your garden. This year, we rounded up seven more.

Reuse Germination

If you’re starting plants from seeds this year, don’t waste your hard-earned cash on tiny planters from the garden center. Save a few bucks – and get a little more use out of your throw-aways – by making your own seed-starters from recycled materials!

To make your own biodegradable mini-planter (that’s right, no transplanting!), you will need scissors and a toilet paper or paper towel roll.

How to make it:

1. Using scissors, cut six to eight small slits in the end of your toilet paper roll (if using a paper towel roll, cut the roll into three pieces before beginning this step).

2. Fold the strips down so they overlap.

3. Fill carefully with wet soil, and set in a baking sheet.

4. Plant one seed per roll. After germination, just plant the whole thing in your garden!

If you don’t mind transplanting your seedlings, you can use all kinds of recyclables for germination: Takeout containers, plastic cups, soda bottles and shoe boxes – just to name a few.

Unfortunately, most takeout containers – including mixed-material takeout cups and foam clam shells – are notoriously difficult to recycle. So, if you have a few boxes, cups and clam shells left over from eating out, why not reuse them as planters to boost your gardening projects?

Take Out Container Planters

Just wash out the container, fill with wet soil and plant your seedling as usual.

For best results, stick with plants that require little root space, such as single herb plants or succulents like cacti and aloe.

Not sure how planting in takeout boxes will match your garden decor? Think creatively and opt for decorative containers, such as Chinese takeout boxes and colorful to-go cups, to add a whimsical touch to your garden display – whether it’s in your backyard or your living room.

Popsicle Stick Garden Markers

If the kids are starting to chow down on ice pops for the summer, why not save those sticks for reuse in your garden?

To use your throw-aways to make customized markers for your garden or seedlings, you’ll need Popsicle sticks, a permanent marker and a reusable cloth.
How to make it:
1. Apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol or a solution of warm water and sea salt to the ends of your ice pop sticks. Use the reusable cloth to rub off any remaining stickiness.

2. Let the sticks dry in the sun for at least an hour.

3. Label your sticks with permanent marker, and use them to mark crops in your herb garden or veggie plot.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also make your own customized garden markers from old milk jugs using this simple tutorial from TLC.

Plastic Bottle Irrigation

Remembering to water your container veggies and potted flowers can be tough. But you could save loads of time and water by setting up a self-irrigation system in your container plants.

Sounds tricky, right? It actually couldn’t be simpler. All you’ll need is scissors, a plastic bottle, a hand shovel and about five minutes to get the job done.

How to make it:
1. Using scissors, carefully cut the bottom out of your plastic bottle. Remove bottle cap and set aside for recycling.

2. Use a hand shovel to dig a 6-inch-deep hole in the potted plant of your choice, as far away from the plant as possible to avoid damaging roots.

3. Place your plastic bottle in the hole, bottleneck end down. Use your hands to pack soil around the bottle so it stands upright.

4. Fill the bottle with water as needed, and watch it slowly seep into the soil – saving you time and nurturing your thirsty plants.

For a more advanced self-watering container, check out this tutorial from the University of Maryland Extension.

Light Bulb Terrariums

Not sure what to do with all those old incandescent light bulbs? Sure, you can recycle them. But why not find a clever way to reuse them first?

Once the electrical components are removed, light bulbs make perfect homes for air plants and water-saving succulents.

If you’re a seasoned crafter and have hollowed out a light bulb before, this project will be a walk in the park. But if you’ve never tinkered with a light bulb, consult a tutorial, like these from Instructables and Apartment Therapy, before getting started.

Once your bulb is cleaned out, all you’ll need is some succulent potting soil and small potting pebbles (and your plants, of course!).

How to make it:
1. Add a layer of potting pebbles to your light bulb as a foundation.

2. Add a layer of succulent potting soil, along with decorative moss if desired.

3. Gently place your succulent inside the bulb. Succulents don’t need much water. For best results, allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering.

Bucket Gardening

If you live in an apartment or don’t have a yard,container gardening is a great small-space solution for growing your own produce at home.

Garden retailers offer vast displays of jumbo terra cotta pots, plastic planters and wooden boxes – often priced at $50 or more. But why spend more when a recycled option could actually yield better results?

Five gallons of soil is optimal for most container veggies, including large plants like tomatoes, eggplant and squash. Larger containers tend to require more water, while smaller containers won’t provide enough root space.

Since they’re the perfect size, why not break out all those old 5-gallon buckets from pet food and potting soil and reuse them as planters for your container garden?

Just remember to wash each container well before filling with soil. Also, since you want to grow healthy food, avoid choosing containers that were used to hold toxic substances – even after they have been washed.

For best results, cut at least four 1/4-inch holes at the bottom of your buckets for draining excess water.

Wine Bottle Edging

Looking to add a touch of pizzazz to your garden or backyard landscaping? Rescue a few wine and beer bottles from your recycling bin to assemble a playful border that’s sure to turn heads.

Use this handy tutorial from ReadyMade or this video how-to from A Gardener’s Notebook to transform your recyclable glass into a piece of reuse art that’s perfect for the garden.

In the interest of full disclosure, you’ll need more than a few bottles for this.

So, if you don’t think your drinking habits can keep up, ask local restaurants, taverns and wineries if you can pick up some of their leftover bottles on a weekly basis until you’ve gathered enough to complete the project. Most will be happy to oblige.

-By Mary Mazzoni

More from Earth911:

PHOTOS: Rad Reused Planter Ideas

8 Things You Probably Aren’t Doing in Your Garden

PHOTOS: Stylish Recycled Decor for the Backyard

Images: girlingearstudio, MeganEHansen, jstuppy, sa_ku_ra, iEEEj, rfarmer, Tobyotter

The post 7 Items You Can Reuse to Improve Your Garden appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Boomer generation isn’t used to being inconvenienced after all these years.

There’s a curious thing that you sometimes see in certain parts of America – signs at gas stations advertising their fuel as “100% GASOLINE! NO ETHANOL!” If you’re wondering exactly what kind of seal-clubbing, earth-befouling hillbillies these signs are meant to attract, I’d like to introduce you to my parents.

They drive giant SUVs any time they have to travel farther than two driveways away. Everything they buy is either single-serving or disposable, to assure maximum trash. They print their emails, double–bag their groceries in plastic, and run the A/C with the windows open. And, they believe that ethanol is bad for their cars because someone once forwarded them an email saying so.

I, their tomato-canning, bus-riding, cloth-napkin-using pinko commie daughter, am a constant source of mild puzzlement to them, and whenever I visit, I always try to drop a few hints.  Judgmental, yes, but I can’t help it. “You know,” I say, “you guys go through so many soda cans, it’s a shame you don’t recycle.” I even point out that their town offers free unlimited curbside pickup as well as free bins. But to them, it’s just not worth the hassle. I once asked my dad if he’d ever consider switching to grass-fed beef, explaining all the problems with factory farming. “But Allison,” he said between bites of steak, “That’s what makes it so tasty.”

We recently had a conversation in which he claimed new research is proving that oil doesn’t really come from dinosaurs, and is actually a renewable resource. I am not making this up. He was totally convinced that once the data came in, the world could forget about all this wind and solar stuff and just drill baby, drill. (I actually looked into this theory, and it’s a fairly popular topic on World Net Daily, on the home page between birther conspiracies and ads for Goldline.)

Although my parents’ tendency to throw garbage from moving cars probably puts them slightly further on the spectrum of environmental disdain than the average American, there are sadly, millions of people like them. People who will only accept green living when it becomes cheaper, easier, and more convenient than the way they live now.

It’s not that they haven’t noticed what’s happened over the past 30 years – it’s that their generation, aside from that tiny vanguard who gave us the first Earth Day, doesn’t want to be put out. They care, just not enough to do anything about it.

This difference in philosophy isn’t about Democrat versus Republican, science versus religion, or coastal versus heartland. It’s a generational thing. My parents and everyone before them grew up believing that the environment and all its bounty were simply theirs for the taking. They came of age in a time when land was plentiful, oil was cheap, America was the greatest country on earth, and God put the fish and the trees there for us to consume.

To them, slow food, reusable bags, and riding bicycles is undoing decades of technology and innovation that made life easier and more convenient. When they play golf in Las Vegas, they don’t look at lush, green desert fairways and see an abomination, they see a triumphant example of man’s ability to harness nature.

The problem isn’t just convincing people like my parents to acknowledge scientific facts or making green technology affordable and available. The problem is convincing them to endure a little inconvenience. It’s convincing them to eat a little less beef, hitch a ride to work, and leave some cake for the rest of us. It’s also convincing them of the scariest thing of all – that much of that magical progress they and their generation made wasn’t really progress at all.

I don’t know what the solution is, besides waiting for them all to die out (doesn’t that seem like the answer to all Boomer-related problems?). For now, I try to nudge my parents in the right direction when I can. They’ll never install solar panels or think about food miles, but I’ve already convinced my mom to start buying vegetables at the wonderful farm stands that populate the Midwest during the summer and fall. That’s a start. The next step, when she gets home with a dozen ears of sweet country corn, will be getting her to recycle the damn bag.

Image: Dominic’s Pics

The post A Generation Used To Convenience appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tips to celebrate Earth Day every day.

Happy Earth Day. If your community is hosting one of many Earth Day events this weekend, have fun – and we hope the weather is nice. But Earth Day is just one day, and there are many things you can do all year around to live a more conscious, eco-friendly life. Here are some actions you can take anytime.

Changes at Home

• Make sure your home is in good repair. Leaky faucets and loose window seals waste energy. Exchange outdated appliances for energy efficient models. Use fluorescent bulbs in lamps and dimmers to conserve electricity, and turn down the thermostat. Have your furnace checked out before winter to ensure it’s in good working condition.
• Small changes around the house can reduce energy consumption, waste and toxins. Unplug devices when they aren’t in use, even chargers left plugged in and devices on standby use power. Turn down your water heater by a few degrees. Wash only full loads in the washer and dishwasher. Instead of using paper towels, use cloth dish towels instead. Carry your beverages in refillable stainless steel containers. Make sure your home is properly ventilated to discourage mold growth and guard against hazardous conditions when using gas stoves, kerosene or burning wood.
• Cut down on clutter. Unsubscribe from databases to eliminate junk mail. Scan documents and store photos electronically. Pay your bills and file your taxes online. Read news online instead of receiving print magazines.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

• Recycle all materials you can. Call 1-800-RECYCLE or visit Earth911 to find recycling centers near your home.
• Donate electronic devices that are still in working order to schools and charities. Those that no longer work should be recycled correctly.
• Streamline your belongings. Donate everything that you don’t use frequently.

Shop Responsibly

• Buy only when necessary. Check Craigslist and eBay for quality used items. Borrow things that you don’t need to use often instead of buying. When you do buy, purchase a few high quality items made with recycled content.
• Support local businesses and buy local products. It helps the economy and reduces distribution costs. Support green businesses and eco-friendly products. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets.
• Carry your own reusable bags to stores. Buy in bulk and reduce packaging. Use refillable containers.
• Buy eco-friendly products. Use green cleaning products (here is a good list), and buy personal hygiene and cosmetic products that have environmentally friendly ingredients and no added perfumes. Buy and wear as little as possible.
• Buy quality clothing. Aim for classic styles that can be worn for a long time. Avoid replacing your wardrobe frequently.
• Climate Counts ranks companies on their eco-friendiness. If you need to buy a product, it’s worth checking their score and there is an iPhone app available on iTunes.

Going Out

• Use public transportation and carpool when possible. Choose the most fuel-efficient car that fits your needs. Here are some ways you can save at the pump.
• When eating out, choose restaurants that use local produce and meat.
• Leave no trace behind when camping or hiking. Report any environmental damage to authorities.

Action

• Join environmental organizations and learn about current environmental issues. Communicate your point of view to local and state government, and encourage action. If you are involved in the education system, find a way to incorporate environmental studies into the curriculum.
• If your company hasn’t already started, suggest they develop a CSR strategy. Share what you’ve learned with friends and family. If more people make even a few small changes, it can all add up to a big difference.

Image: Sarah Ackerman

The post Earth Day – All Year Round appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnIf you can read this sentence without corrective lenses, you are pre-disposed to eco-activism.

Let me make one thing clear: I am not old. Although, to be perfectly honest, I am not exactly young, either. On the continuum of age, I happen to fall at the precise numeric midpoint between Miley Cyrus and Betty White – a piece of pop culture trivia which somehow strikes me as deeply significant. If I had to guess, I would say that I am also somewhere between those two women when it comes to my wardrobe, my taste in music, and my bong habits. But when it comes to recycling, I feel like I belong firmly in the ranks of the elderly.

Recycling, much like computer skills, comes organically to those in their 20s and younger. Being planet-friendly is natural to them, since they have never known a world where newspapers could be carelessly thrown out, along with banana peels and tuna fish cans. For young people, recycling is easy and automatic – it is embedded in their DNA, along with Facebook and an endless fascination with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But the biggest eco advantage for young people is that they can easily read the teeny tiny numbers inside the teeny tiny triangles on the bottom of plastic recyclable goods. Whereas I – squinting, in full daylight, and holding the item as far away from me as my arms will allow – cannot.

Those numbers tell you what a particular item is made of: a number 1 means the container is polyethylene terephthalate, and a 3 signifies the presence of polyvinyl chloride. Items with a number 1 or 2 are the most likely to be recycled, but for anyone over the age of 40 these numerals – especially when imprinted on clear plastic – are almost impossible to read. My friend, Pat, solves this problem by waiting until her kids come home from school before disposing of anything plastic. My own solution is to be constantly surrounded by a ginormous collection of reading glasses.

I used to think of glasses as fashion accessories –  like an extremely functional pair of earrings. When I was young, and didn’t really need glasses to see, I enjoyed the “smart girl/sexy librarian” vibe I thought they lent me. If I liked a pair of frames, I would buy the glasses and wait for my eyes to deteriorate into them. Then came a near catastrophe, when misreading the directions on a medicine bottle almost caused me to give my daughter an overdose of Robitussin. At that point, glasses were no longer an accessory, but a necessity. Today they have become something of a fetish. I have glasses that I keep upstairs and some that stay downstairs; there is always one pair in my car, one in my office, and another in my purse. This past week alone I discovered forgotten glasses in my junk drawer, the pocket of an old winter coat, and under the dog’s bed. And there is one massively strong pair I keep around just for texting.

But the numbers on the bottom of jars and bottles are so ridiculously small that even plentiful access to reading glasses doesn’t necessarily help.  This strikes me a galling example of ageism. The Boomers invented ecology – we are, after all, the generation that dreamed up Earth Day. We should not be carelessly shoved aside by a youth oriented eco culture.  Recycling information should be printed in a font size that even mature adults are able to see. It’s bad enough that people my age can’t wear skinny jeans or two-piece bathing suits anymore – at least let us recycle our Activia containers.

Editor’s Note: Susan Goldberg is a slightly lapsed treehugger. Although known to overuse paper products, she has the best of intentions – and a really small SUV. Catch her column, The Goldberg Variations, each week here at EcoSalon.

Image: e-magic

The post The Goldberg Variations: Recycling for Baby Boomers appeared first on EcoSalon.

Another Christmas, another disappointment. For the gazillionth year in a row, my husband didn’t give me the one gift I’ve been hoping for – a dumpster.

Dumpsters are not generally admired by environmentalists – the ease with which they allow you to dispose of stuff discourages a careful sorting-out of recyclables. Still, green or not, I love the wholesale housecleaning a dumpster makes possible. I have been coveting a dumpster for ages now, ever since we had one during a long-ago construction project (a girl never really gets over her first bulk-waste disposal unit). I have spent many years pathetically trying to recreate the giddy high I got from that dumpster – the incomparable rush that comes from making decades worth of household junk quickly disappear.

Just thinking about this makes me smile dreamily to myself. I imagine floating from room to room, systematically throwing out the accumulated debris of family life. McDonald’s happy meal toys? Gone! That sad pile of semi-deflated soccer balls? Out! In my head I am humming a happy little song as lanyards and flash cards and countless broken swim goggles are hoisted into the pit, followed by the instruction booklet for a coffeemaker I no longer own.

The way I see it, a dumpster is suburban shorthand for a brand-new start. It signals to the world that some lucky woman is getting a second chance to live a sleek, uncluttered life. Why shouldn’t it be me?

There is a remote and wildly optimistic part of my brain that still thinks it’s possible for me to live a life of austere and Zen-like simplicity. I imagine this existence playing out in serene white rooms with crisp, linear furniture and long stretches of empty counter space. There are no precarious piles of junk mail, no gnarly tufts of dog hair wafting by. I have somehow convinced myself that living in a stark and streamlined place will sweep all the gunk and folderol out of my head, leaving my thoughts as pure and sparkling as my surroundings.  Which is why I keep trying – even without my own private garbage bin – to purge my house on a semi-regular basis.

This, I can assure you, does not make me popular at home, where my family suspects (although they can’t yet prove) that I throw out their stuff when they aren’t looking. To their faces I profess an earnest, if begrudging, respect for their possessions, but once they leave the house, I rub my hands together and cackle in demented, witch-like glee as I dispose of their long-forgotten treasures.

Of course “treasure” is a very subjective word, and one that my family throws around way too liberally for my taste. My husband thought his 1983 Atari video game system was a priceless artifact of his past, but to me it was merely trash; I tossed it out, along with some Barbie coloring books and a musty assortment of soccer cleats.

When my family asks where their stuff has gone, I shrug my shoulders while trying to look innocent and ever-so-slightly distracted. This is a multi-purpose expression I have perfected over time; it is equally effective when my daughter asks what has happened to her Halloween candy.

This does not reflect well on me, I know – clearly I have issues with honesty, not to mention respecting other people’s property. But I am powerless to stop – throwing things out has become a hobby, a vocation, and quite possibly, a mild addiction. And having a dumpster would elevate this pastime into something of an art form. It would certainly make it a hell of a lot easier.

It’s too bad my husband didn’t come through for Christmas. Luckily, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

Editor’s Note: Susan Goldberg is a slightly lapsed treehugger. Although known to overuse paper products, she has the best of intentions – and a really small SUV. Catch her column, The Goldberg Variations, each week here at EcoSalon.

Image: shedboy

The post The Goldberg Variations: Getting Dumped for Christmas appeared first on EcoSalon.

Here are two clever ways to incorporate upcycled wine bottles into your home. The Wine Sphere Chandelier from Wildflower Organics is a delicate glass globe dangling from heavy gauge wire. The Antiqued Mercury Demijohn Wine Bottles from Mothology add a bit of gleam and glamor to any space.

Looking for an excuse to imbibe a ridiculous amount of spirits? Enjoy the pleasure of at least twenty bottles of wine, add handfuls of taper candles, and you have everything you need for a sultry and flickering centerpiece. It isn’t often that preparing for a gathering is as amusing as the dinner itself. Cheers!

(These last images are by Tom Mannion for Elle Decoration – as seen on This Is Glamorous).

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