Wreath Recycling in Phoenix

Recently seen in Phoenix City Hall - lots of junk:

The Public Works Department put together a great display of wreaths made from recycled materials.  The wreath above is made from magazine or book pages cut in the shape of leaves and glued to a cardboard round form.  This one is the most interesting:

It's a wire wreath form that goes through each of these plastic water bottles.  The bottles are filled with little bits of colored paper or items and then the caps are corked with recycled corks.  Isn't that clever?

When I first saw this one, I thought it was recycled bows and ribbons.  I still think that would be a great way to recycle, especially after Christmas.  But it's not ribbons and bows.

These are aluminum cans cut into strips and curled.  See the Diet Coke, Coke and Seven Up cans?  I was so impressed with the creativity expressed in these displays, but what was more important was that it opened up lots of ideas about reusing items we normally think of as trash.

Full Disclosure Here - I am watching "Hoarders Buried Alive" while I'm writing this, so I don't want to suggest that anyone collect trash in an effort to find some use for it in the future.

This was the prettiest wreath I saw and is a great way to recycle after Christmas.  They used white tissue paper dipped in a little blue paint, blue cardstock cut into stars and balled up aluminum foil for the star centers.  Around the edges are cut up plastic water bottles.

Again, I wouldn't suggest that anyone pile up stuff just to find a way to reuse it (I'm still watching "Hoarders"), but we could keep so much out of a landfill with just a little effort and creativity.  Isn't this what bloggers are good at anyway?

cindy

Happy Earth Day!

It's Earth Day!  Get out and enjoy the day!  Check this post from Girl Scout Thinking Day for practical tips you can do with your kids to be more "green" and sustainable, especially with my favorite media - water!

cindy

Thinking Day

Girl Scout Thinking Day.  It's a day when girls around the world focus on an issue of global importance and think about ways they can make a difference.  This year was global sustainability, or environmental stewardship.

The girls in our troop made cards from recycled materials (paper, tin foil, fabrics, felt and yarn).  The purpose of the cards was to inform their parents of ways they could create better sustainability in their families and communities.

With "The Lorax" being such a popular movie for kids (and adults), it's likely your kids will be thinking about how to keep the world unpolluted (sustainable) for future generations.  As Girls Scouts, we thought of some very practical ways to help (reduce/reuse/recycle).  These also make adults very happy because they are money savers!

• Turn off water while you wash hands or brush teeth.
• Take showers, not baths (baths use a lot of water) and make those showers shorter.
• Don't wash your car in the driveway.  Car washes actually recycle the water so they use far less.
• Install low flow toliets, dishwashers, front loading washing machines and instant hot water devices.  Each saves a lot of water.  You may also be surprised to find your community or utility gives you a rebate for installing these items.
• Run washing machines and dishwaters only when they are full.  We also encouraged the girls to think about whether they need to wash every item of clothing they touch :)
• Drive less.  Plan trips so you can go several places at once.  Take the bus (I LOVE doing this for part of my commute).
• Don't use leaf blowers!  These things are horrible for air quality, especially when used on dirt, or hard surfaces (driveways, patios & sidewalks)
• Recycle - paper, glass plastic and anything else your community takes.  Please make sure materials are free from food or other debris or they get trashed.  
• Upcycling has been a trendy option for sustainability.  Reuse clothes by handing them down or donating.  Also, if you sew or craft, consider cutting clothing for fabric scraps and felting on wool items. (I'm dying to try this!)
• Turn off the lights! Unplug appliances (TV, DVR, DVD, computer & printer) when you leave for a day or more.
• Don't use plastic water bottles!  They are expensive and a huge burden on landfills (that much plastic doesn't get recycled)

After our Brownie meeting I heard back from several parents that their girls were full of great information.  They were also genuinely interested in sustaining our environment.  Let's hope they do.

cindy