It ain't easy being green.

Well, as bad as it sounds to me...as I get older I realize that we produce a ton of waste. Eventually there will me little tech heads running around the "Digital Den" (new members to the party search the blog archive) and I like to make sure I don't leave the world worse of then when I got here. I'm not gonna go all "Al Gore" on you and preach about global warming or anything like that but I would like to offer a few options for how to handle those items that don't go in the recycle bin. The recycle bin...you do have one of those right? That little blue or green plastic container you put out on the curb once a week where you put plastic, aluminum, paper and the like? Has this symbol on the side.
Yeah, that one. Well there's a number of things you can't put in there and shouldn't go in your trash. Here's what to do with some of them.

Clothing: Come on ladies, you know there's stuff in those closets that you're never gonna wear again. And for the love of god don't give me the "its gonna come back in style" excuse. Neon, tie-dye and those clothes that are 2 sizes too small now aren't doing anyone any good in your closet. If you have women's professional clothing you can donate them to "www.dressforsuccess.com" which is a non-profit that helps disadvantaged women look for jobs. Then there's always the Salvation Army. They'll take anything you want to cast off: clothing, furniture, dishes or whatever. Go to "www.salvationarmy.org" to find your local drop off. Oh yeah, don't forget to get a receipt because you can claim those donations on your taxes.

Eyeglasses: If you wear them you probably have 2 or 3 old pairs stuck in a drawer somewhere. You can drop them off at your local Lion's Club or Lenscrafters and they will go to people who can't afford eyewear. Check out the Gift of Sight program at "www.givethegiftofsight.com".

Chemicals: Don't dump out the last of your cleaners in the toilet and recycle or throw away the bottle, visit "www.freecycle.org" and they'll drop by to cart away your spray bottles and cans.

Medications: Did you know that in a recent study more than 80% of our rivers contained chemicals from antibiotics, birth control pills and anti-depressants mostly because people just flush 'em? The Starfish Project "www.starfishproject.com" redistributes certain medications to countries in Africa. For expired meds, call your local drug store and see if they can incinerate them for you.

Cellphones: (see eyeglasses) Yup, in upgrading to that iPhone you got at least one old one in a drawer. Don't throw them in the trash; you can take old cell phones to Verizon and/or T-Mobile stores to be recycled or donate them to Collective Good "www.collectivegood.com" where your donation can be turned into cash for your favorite charity.

It’s not be easy being green but its getting there. And now for my moment of Zen……