Shoe fly, dont bother me!

I was in a sporting good store looking at tennis shoes and I noticed a big , blue bin. When I peeked inside it I knew I was going home with a brand, new, shiny pair of shoes and leaving mine behind to be RECYCLED! I was so excited to know that the shoes in the recycle bin were put into a container and shipped overseas to .......and that was all the guy knew. Some store clerks only know about new shoes and could care less about the old ones.

I would like to think they are going to less fortunate people, and as I see it, they could just cross state lines and there they would be.
"What about the old shoes that don't make to the container for the needy?", I asked. He told me that they are recycled for playgrounds. Isn't it great to know that our kids can be a part of the recycled fun with fewer broken bones, too!
http://www.diamond-safety.com/Playground%20Product%20Listing.html

Lazy Americans

Currently, I am reading from a deck of cards called "The EcoQuiz Deck".
Here is the question:
Americans recycle half of their garbage. True or False
No need for you to tell your answer if you are a little lazy. The fact is that we recycle less than a third. OUCH!
Most cities give away recycling bins, so that you too can join the fun. Just call your city and have one delivered! I live in Spartanburg, SC and it is rumored that they will give more than one bin if I ask. (I'll keep you posted) Now that I am recycling I have far less garbage than before!...I hope you will too!

Go to Hell, Junk Mail

Not only do your credit card companies sell your information in order for you receive tons of junk mail, but if you are a small business owner, you too, will get more mail than you bargained for.
At one time, I was taking my black Sharpie marker and writing in big, bold print, "RETURN TO SENDER." I have asked our postman to stop delivering anything that falls into the "junk" category. Unfortunately, he could lose his job, and he has to deliver anything addressed to the office....I had a "RETURN TO SENDER" stamp made as well as called the credit card company to request they not send anymore junk mail.
At home, I simply use my junk mail for a fire starter, so I use it to burn the wood Kevin gives us!
In the summer, we take it to the recycling center.
Below is a website with more information:
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm

plastic bags; alive and well and living in Spartanburg...

One day I looked at all the plastic bags I had collected from the local grocery store and thought, what can I do with these? Already they were under the sink, in drawers and most recently stuffed into a make shift bag holder that was originally a container for decorative lights. Tubular in shape, I discovered I could hold over 30 bags in it! The obvious and simplest solution for these old, wrinkled bags was to take them back to the store and let them recycle them. But do they really or do they throw them away?? This thought created trust issues, and so I decided to recycle them myself. This is my first attempt to going green.
At work we use bags for purchases made by our patients, so instead of spending a few bucks a package of 50 or so bags, I decided to take my tubular container to the office and reuse them there.
At first I was embarrassed to use the faded, old wrinkled bag for brand new products. So, with every purchase I would pull out the old, plastic bag and cheerfully say, "Now I recycle bags", and to my surprise, the response is always positive. My friend Melinda has given me some of her recycled, paper bags to use as well.
If you know me personally and you are reading this please note I am not asking for more bags to recycle. If your urge is overwhelmingly undeniable please keep in mind that I prefer paper over plastic!
Happy Recycling!