Are the bags that mulch and potting soil come in recyclable? I don’t see the recycle icon but I know other plastic bag items are. I hate having to just trash these!

Thanks, Jennifer

Jennifer,

With all the gardens being planted and flower beds being mulched, your question is quite timely. It also reminded me of a question from last September about water softener salt bags. Since mulch and potting soil bags fit in the same category, I’m going to refer you to my old post while I go play in my garden!

If you’re looking to get rid of the bags altogether, consider buying your soil and mulch in bulk. I’ve used Dammann’s and Greencycle and would recommend both. Both offer pick-up at their various locations or deliver right to your door (or driveway or yard) for a fee (Dammann’s starts at $50, Greencycle starts at $45). If you live outside of Indianapolis or surrounding areas, contact your local nursery to see if they offer soil and mulch in bulk.

Piece out,

Renee

Renee,

As a green conscience family, we try not to buy extra paper products. However, there are some that we just can’t live without. We buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club, and it really annoys me when I cut all that plastic wrap off of them. I have looked for a recycle symbol on the package, but have never found one. Are these plastics recyclable?

Thank you, Susan

Susan,

Your plastic also fits in the same category!

Renee

I really love reading the Ask Renee emails. I feel like I know a celebrity! In fact, the next time I see you I want your autograph! 

My question for you – do you have suggestions for facilities that would be good field trip-type destinations for classes or scout troops? Or suggestions for good projects for kids with an environmental basis? 

Thanks!
Carrie

Hi Carrie! Flattery gets you everywhere, like advanced in the queue of AR questions.

Remember the field trips we took in elementary school? (for those who are wondering, Carrie and I went to school together a few short years ago – Avon, ’93) Just the other day, I was thinking about when my class went to the Hostess factory.

Republic Services allows field trips to their 96^th Street Transfer/Material Recovery Facility.  This is a great opportunity for children and adults to find out what happens after Republic picks up recycling bins. Contact Dana Bishop at dbishop@republicservices.com.

Is there a badge about local food and the environment? Your troop could visit a local farmer’s market where the kids can meet and talk to the farmers. You could lead a discussion about how far food travels to get from farm to plate and what that does to the environment.

Trader’s Point Creamery, an organic dairy farm in Zionsville, offers private and self-guided tours and you can end with an ice cream tasting.

I’m a little torn on my final suggestion: Covanta. The South Harding Street facility is where Marion county garbage is incinerated and turned into energy. While I’m not in love with the idea of teaching youth that burning trash to create energy is a good thing, it is a fascinating tour where you’ll get to see the biggest mound of trash imaginable.

See ya at the reunion!

Renee

We have a pack of roof shingles that we would like to get rid of. Our roof was replaced with a different color, so we no longer need these to keep as spares.

Will someone take them to re-use??

Thanks.

Julie

Hi Julie,

Between your seemingly new shingles and the possible damaged shingles (and other housing materials) from recent storms, this question seemed timely.

If you have perfectly usable home goods, donate them to a Habitat ReStore. While you’re there, shop around to see if there are any home improvement treasures you need at a fraction of their retail price. Donations and purchases support Habitat for Humanity’s mission to build affordable, decent homes in your community.

Thanks to a recent Facebook post by the Johnson County Recycling District, here are some resources for damaged goods:

Shingles can go to White River Recycling, 200 S. Harding Street in Indy. 539-2024 or 1-800-531-6752;

Vinyl siding can go to Exterior Building Products, Inc. 6212 W. Stoner Dr., Greenfield, 894-5300. Drop-off bin available 24/7;

Glass windows can go to Strategic Materials, 2550 W Minnesota St, Indianapolis, IN 46241, Phone:(317) 484-2550

I’m also loving the programs offered by the Monroe County Indiana Solid Waste Management District. Check out their Materials for the Arts and The Reuse Sidewalk Exchange. Wherever you are, great things are happening – look up the Solid Waste District in your county for similar programs.

Piece out,

Renee

Catherine

Hi Catherine,

It sounds like you have a couple of antiques on your hands: golf clubs and bug spray. There are probably a lot of people that would love to get their hands on a set of 30+ year old clubs (they just don’t make ‘em like they used to), but probably fewer people who covet a vintage OFF! can.

“The recyclability of aerosol cans depends upon whether the container is empty or still has liquid in it,” according to Earth 911. It sounds like your can might still have some juice, so it needs to go to a ToxDrop. Marion County residents have four ToxDrop options. When I googled “Indiana Tox Drop” I found five other county’s on the first page.

If you need to replace the bug spray with a way less nasty alternative, you might try locally-made Green Illumination’s new Citronella candles and Herbal Art’s Bug Spray. A lot of big brands are making more natural alternatives now too.

Piece out,

Renee

Congratulations on the new job – and the opportunity to make a difference! Of course, it really depends on what you do, but my first thought is paper – I don’t know of many offices that dont use it.

Since recycling is the third of the 3 Rs, the first thing I’d do is make sure that the printer is set to print double-sided – no meeting needs a single-sided agenda. It would also be ideal to choose FSC-certified paper. I recently toured a property of The Nature Conservancy and learned that FSC-certified paper is made from trees that are responsibly harvested.

If your organization is willing to invest in recycling, there are services now that will pick up your co-mingled items. That means you don’t even need to have separate bins for paper, can, bottles, plastic, etc. – everything can be placed in one bin for recycling.

Other ways to reduce the items that need to be recycled in the office include eliminating bottled water, using real coffee mugs instead of paper or foam cups, and replace plastic flatware and paper plates with the real thing.

Recently I was in an office in New York that had a Reusable Bag Station [photo included]– cloth bags on hooks for employees to use for errands. Love this! Keri, I challenge you and all AR readers to find clever opportunities like this to make your office more green!

Piece out,

Renee

Thanks!  Cara

Cara,

Like a good spring outfit, your question has a lot of layers. Let’s start with this fact: Cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world’s cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world’s insecticides that end up in the ground, air, water, and food supply – not to mention our clothes, towels, and other textiles. (Source: Organic Trade Association)

You can learn more about conventional cotton and clothing in these articles that link back to a Greenpeace report: The Business of Fashion Op-Ed | Toxic Chemicals in Clothing Make All of Us Fashion Victims; Grist: Do your clothes contain toxic chemicals?; and Huffington Post: Chemicals in Fast Fashion Revealed…

So, to answer your question (and then some)…choosing organic clothing helps create a demand for organic cotton and other sustainable fibers. Plus it won’t have nasty chemicals that can absorb into your skin. On the second hand, some sources say that used clothing has been washed enough that most of the pesticide residue has been removed.

My best advice: keep on thrift shopping! Buying used reduces the demand for new clothing production and reuses a valuable resource – the first two rules of the green living hierarchy. Besides, I bet you look incredible in my granddad’s clothes!

And when you need to buy something new, seek out organic options. I’d be crazy not to mention the unmentionables. A few years ago, I was searching for cute and comfy organic underwear. I tried several brands before I found PACT. One year ago this month I was ordering a few pair of drawers for my underwear drawer when I randomly filled out an application for a job. Now I work for PACT and have the joy of introducing organic undies, socks and clothing to the masses. You can find a listing of stores that sell PACT on the online store locator.

Piece out,

Renee

Thanks for your informative posts, Gail

Sent from my iPhone

Hi Gail,

It’s no secret that I love RecycleForce. They provide such an impactful service to our community that I really can’t sing their praises enough.

To answer your question, the only thing that has a fee associated with it is a television or CRT monitor. RecycleForce requests a $10 donation to cover the expense of properly disposing of lead tubes from old box TVs and monitors. All other recycling services are at no cost. As a matter of fact, since RecycleForce is a nonprofit, some of your e-waste may qualify as a tax-deductible donation.

For those that may not understand what all RecycleForce does…in addition to recycling old electronics, cardboard, paper, glass, metal (the list goes on…), in many ways they also recycle people. RecycleForce helps formerly incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives by providing gainful employment and comprehensive social services. RecycleForce has helped more than 400 individuals secure full-time employment with a recidivism rate of 25%, which is well below the Marion County average of 56% and national average of 70%. (Little known fact: the majority of individuals who return to prison are because of technical rule violations and not new crimes.)

So, if you’re so inclined, you’re always welcome to make a donation to RecycleForce, either when dropping off your recyclables or just cuz.

Piece out,

Renee

Sent from my heart <3

In general, which is better for water and energy conservation, using a dishwasher or washing dishes by hand? 

I love your column!  I have been learning a lot and passing information on to my friends and family. 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Kim

Hi Kim,

Thanks loads for your kind words and for sharing the info with your peeps. Speaking of loads, it is more energy- and water-efficient to clean a fully loaded dishwasher than to wash dishes by hand.

A study in EatingWell magazine last year reported that washing a load of dishes (12 place settings) by hand uses on average 27 gallons of water and 2.5 kWh of energy, whereas an energy-efficient dishwasher uses about four gallons of water and 1kWh of energy per load. Research also shows that dishwashers clean better because the water can reach a higher temperature.

Between the treehugger (that’s me) and the appliance repair guru (that’s my husband, Vogel Appliance, our household has a few dishwasher tips and tricks. Fave dishwasher detergents: locally-made Earth Mama and Citra Dish. Tips: use a dishwasher cleaner every 3-6 months (that’s right, the insides of your dishwasher needs to be washed even though it seems like it’s being washed regularly) and place a cup of white vinegar on the top rack during the wash cycle periodically (it helps maintain cleanliness and prevent white spots).

Piece out,

Renee

Thanks, Charlotte

Charlotte,

There are 17,000+ members of Freecycle Indianapolis. Are you one of them?

Like craigslist.com (another great resource for finding stuff you need), Freecycle is a brilliant idea, but it only works if people use it. I’m guilty of not logging in very often, but just managed to spend 30 minutes scrolling through all the Offers and Wanteds just now. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any pallets, but it’s a place to start!

A quick Google search for “pallet recycling Indianapolis” resulted in a few companies that specialize in repairing and recycling pallets. Depending on what you need them for, you may try contacting them.

FYI – there are also Freecycle groups for other parts of Indiana, including Bloomington, Lafayette and Muncie. It’s the perfect time of year for virtual garage sale-ing!

Piece out,

Renee

I have several cloth grocery bags that are starting to get holes.  I plan on using them until they no longer hold anything.  When the time comes to get rid of them, what do I do with them?

Tossing them in the trash seems to defeat their purpose but they don’t seem like they’re recyclable.

Thanks,
Nikki

Hi Nikki,

Approximately 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per U.S. resident. And only 1-2% of plastic bags are recycled. Americans use 10 billion paper bags every year.

Don’t for a second think that using a reusable bag that will eventually need to be disposed of defeats the purpose! Even if you only use that bag 10 times (and I’m guessing you use it more than that), you’ve saved a minimum of 10 bags, but most definitely more considering that cloth bags often hold more items than paper or plastic and most stores have a tendency to double bag just about everything.

So, consider this. If you use two cloth grocery bags once a week for a year, you are single-handedly reducing the number of disposable bags used to 379,999,999,896 per year. Keep up the good work

Piece out,

Renee