Green Train Project: 9 Creative Items to Recycle Now!

Online, October 22, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Thousands of important items are trashed instead of recycled each day-mostly because people don't know their options. According to the Toxic Substances Control Program in California, "Americans throw away about 35 billion aluminum cans every year." RAYS, also known as Recycle and You Save, states, "A recycled six-pack of aluminum cans could save enough energy to drive a car five miles."

Glass also can be recycled, despite minimum advertising, "Most bottles and jars contain at least 25 percent recycled glass. Glass never wears out and it can be recycled forever" (The Recycler's Handbook). Steel is another item that's hardly mentioned when discussing recycling. "Americans use 100 million steel cans a day. We throw away enough steel every year to build all the new cars made in America" (50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle). So what other type of items can be recycled besides paper, water bottles, cans, and plastic? Here is a list of nine creative items to recycle:

• Wrapping paper - Use as a packing tool, as animal bedding for small pets, scrapbooking material, or spitballs.

• Eyeglasses - Maybe that Lasik has worked and you no longer need those glasses. Why not give them to organizations that help the needy. Contact (800)-CLEANUP to find a list of drop-off stations.

• Old Jeans - Have some free time on your hands and a creative itch? Use your old fabrics to make quilts, pocket books and backpacks, dress up scarecrow, book covers, and whatever else you can think of.

• Bottle caps - How often have you recycled a plastic bottle but tossed the lid? Aveda has a program called Recycle Caps with Aveda, which encourages schools to get their students involved in the program. It's a great educational tool.

• Carpet - Sure, there may be pet stains and all kinds of odors, but your old carpet is someone else's steal! Take old carpet to a local charity or used building materials recycling center. It could as floor mats in the car or laundry room.

• Aerosol cans - take the cap off and make sure the can is empty, then place them on the curbside alone with the other recycling items.

• Computers - Every two to four years Americans upgrade to a faster, better computer. The leftovers can be cleaned up, erasing the hard drive, and donated to local organization and charities.

• Cellphones - This month it's the iPhone. Next it's the Storm. We go through phone so quickly, because just like computers, we want the most up-to-date software. If you've got phones making paperweights, try donating them to organizations that recycle them. Or, if it's in usable condition, try reselling it online.

• VHS - Have you even heard of this? Guaranteed there is someone out there who has a VHS machine collecting dust. Free up the clutter and place them in the mail to Alternative Community Training, a nonprofit company that provides jobs to people with disabilities.

ABOUT THE GREEN TRAIN PROJECT AND BOB WOLF
The four-year vision of Bob Wolf, The Green Train Project, started in 2005, will educate the public and enlist global support to help reverse the continued waste and destruction of our planet. Scheduled to depart from Portland in April 2010, The Green Train, a solar-powered, biodiesel machine, will pass through every geographic region in the USA during a 10-week, 28-state whistle stop tour finishing in Washington, D.C. The Green Train is planning a trek in Europe in 2011 and a simultaneous train ride on each continent of the world each year after that. As The Green Train holds informational festivals and whistle stops throughout the nation, the public can meet the train in small town America, as well as the larger cities, to learn more and become involved. The messages on which Wolf's project focuses are:

• Everyone can make a positive difference to the future of the earth
• Being green is simple and saves money.
For more information, visit us at www.greentrainglobal.org