Upcycle Your Sweaters

I try to go through my closet at least once a month to weed out the clothes that I never wear because they are damaged or don't fit or just are not my style anymore. Normally I donate these items to Good Will or bring them to a clothes swap.

Just found a great service, Reknit, that will take your old sweaters and turn them into something else. This month they are "reknitting" sweaters into scarves for only $30.

Thanks to The Zoe Report for promoting this website!

Recycled Ornaments

It's not often you find an easy and attractive recycled idea. Check out these instructions from Martha Stewart for making an ornament or decoration made out of holiday cards past. I like this idea a lot because you are actually doing something with all the cards people send you and not just throwing them in the blue bin or collecting dust around the house. I might consider this a tradition to make a new card every year with the previous year's holiday cards.

Cut out twenty circles: For a small ball, trace around the base of a jar that's about 1 1/4 inches in diameter; for a large one, trace around the bottom of a glass.

Cut another circle the same size from cardboard; on it, draw an equilateral triangle, points touching the edge of the circle. Cut out triangle; trace it onto the inside of each of the 20 circles. Score, and fold along all the lines.

Next, use clear-drying craft glue to join one flap each from two circles -- triangles should point in the same direction. Using the same technique, attach the flaps of three more circles to these two, forming what will be the top. Make the bottom in the same way.

Glue remaining 10 circles together, this time with triangle points alternating up and down, forming a straight line. Glue the two end flaps to form a ring; this will be the middle section. Then glue top and bottom pieces to the flaps of the middle section.

Use a needle to create a small hole, and hang from thread.

Photographs by Donny Martino Jr.

Got Recycling?

Today I was reminded of the little efforts we do to recycle. The milk bottle our household just emptied was made in 2007 and the new one I bought today is from 2008.

Our favorite (featured) is Broguiere's from Montebello, CA. Plus, our market offers several brands & types of local CA bottled milks and whipping cream. A quick $1.50 refund at customer service for recycling each bottle makes it any easy choice.

This may take you back about 50 years ago when milk was delivered to your doorstep. Even if you are not trying to be nostalgic, bottled milk is a simple and cost-saving way to recycle.

Reminder: Reuse Packaging

The idea of local living is a constant struggle. Growing your own food is ideal, but of course there are types of foods and certain brands that you feel you just cannot live without - or maybe you can't get local. After a quick bike ride to Whole Foods this morning for some fair trade coffee we found one product, while not from So-Cal, inspires another aspect of local living - reusable packaging.

Check this out: Nancy's cultured cottage cheese (see below) says "I am reusing this container for" FILL IN THE BLANK.

It's a great idea to rinse out glass bottles/jars for when you make your own hot sauce or tomato sauce, but what about those pesky plastic containers? More often then not we rinse them out and recycle them; even though the plastic is perfectly fine to clean & reuse. They aren't changing the world with this, but an idea right on the packaging is progress and I like it.

Los Angeles Trash Part 2: BLUE

What can you put in the BLUE bin?

- Clean dry Paper: computer, ledger, wrapping, arts and craft paper, unwanted mail, flyers, telephone books, note cards, newspaper, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs, envelopes (with or without windows)

- Cardboard Boxes and Chipboard: cereal, tissue, dry food, frozen food, shoe, detergent, paper towel and toilet rolls

- Metal: aluminum, tin, metal and bi-metal cans (soda, juice, soup, vegetables, pet food), pie tins, clean aluminum foils, empty paint and aerosol cans (plastic caps removed) and wire hangers

- Glass: bottles and jars (soda, wine, beer, sauce, pickle jars), broken bottles

- Plastic: Plastics 1 through 7, plastic bottles (soda, juice, detergent, bleach, shampoo lotion, mouthwash, dishwashing liquid, milk jug), butter tub, yogurt, plastic planters, food packaging, plastic bags (grocery, dry cleaner), Styrofoam & Polystyrene (egg shell cartons, block  or clamshell packaging), plastic coat hangers, non-electric plastic toys' plastic swimming pools and plastic laundry baskets

Make sure all boxes are broken down or flattened.  Sometimes your recycling may not get picked up if it is spilling out of the bin and rinse all food related products, if possible.

What NOT to put in the BLUE bin:

- Contaminated Paper: all soiled papers or bags with oils and food waste (no dirty pizza boxes)

- Broken Glass: windows, mirrors, auto related, light bulbs, flourescent lights and ceramics

- Miscellaneous: electric or battery operated toys, coated milk cartons, electrical cords, cloth/fabric, appliances, mini blinds, kitchen utensils, lawn furniture, garden hoses, rubber tires, construction materials including asphalt or concrete, wood and wood products

To dispose of these materials, call: 1800 98 TOXIC

- Hazadarous materials: partially filled aerosol cans, containers for fluids (automotive, cleaning, pool or garden related), batteries of any kind, pesticides, oil based paint

If any of these BAD items are placed in the blue container you can run the risk of contaminating other clean items.  I am definitely guilty of this, you may be putting the wrong things in the blue bin unknowingly too.

If you DON'T have a blue bin, contact the LA Bureau of Sanitation at 800 773 2489.  I was able to get an extra blue bin for our building.  It came within a week!

Review this list before you put out your recycling OR download this comprehensive sign and keep it handy.

Los Angeles Trash Part 1: GREEN

I've put together a 3 part post that will help you figure out what trash items you can put in each of your 3 Los Angeles bins: black, blue and green.  If you do not have a home composting system yet or want to know more about where to throw out your trash, here are some answers.  And the more we know about what we can recycle or compost, the less waste will clog up our landfills.  

What can you put in the GREEN bin?

- Food scraps: fruits, veggies and grains 

Basically the bin is vegan - so no scraps that contain animal products, even milk, cheese or eggs.

- Grass, leaves, old flowers, weeds, palm frawns/tree branches, clean wood

Make sure that these items do not contain metal like nails in wood or wire wrapped around the flowers.

And it's interesting to note that compostable food containers, bags and silverware cannot go in the green bin.  These items should go in the black bin, unless of course you do have a composting system at home.  The LA Department of Public Works tells the LA Times that the city is looking to change that in the future.

Now if you live in Santa Monica (or have a friend there) it's a different story.  The green bins act as a composting bin, so feel free to throw in all your food scraps (even the non-vegan ones) and compostable food containers & silverware.  I think you can even throw pizza boxes in the green bin, but you might want to talk to the city and confirm that one first.