You’ve probably heard “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” before, but the challenge is how to fit those kinds of activities in our busy day-to-day lives. While the “reduce” part of that equation may pose the greatest challenge, the “reuse” and “recycle” parts get easier with each passing year. Here are a few key online resources you can keep close to hand, to assist you in doing your part.
Reuse
If you can’t reuse something, maybe someone else can. There are lots of places to either sell your used stuff or simply give it away.
In Thurston County there are a couple of exceptional organizations that will help you to get useful items out of your hands and into the hands of someone who can put them to use.
http://www.2good2toss.com/ — all items are $200 or less.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/ — has no price limits.
http://www.freecycle.org/ — requires all items to be free.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OlyReusables/ — similar to Freecycle, this local online group requires all items donated to be free. You post an email message with an “offer” of your thng. Group members respond and you select one lucky person to receive the item. You make arranegments to hand the item off to that person and tell the group the item has now been “taken.” There are nearly 5000 subscribers to this local group.
Recycle
Got something to recycle that cannot be accepted into your curbside recycling bin? The best local online resource for addressing recycling (and, for that matter, disposal) needs is the Thurston County Department of Water & Waste Management “Where Do I Take My?” page at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/cm/wwm/index.asp There you will find links to programs and facilities that will take many of the unused and castoff stuff generated in the ordinary home. Hazardous waste, metal and styrofoam recycling, electronics and construction materials, and much more are all listed on this page.