How I Recycle

Thanks to Aurelio Delacruz

Several years ago I watched an episode of “Oprah” and she was focusing on plastic bags. The show told viewers how bags stay in the ocean and build up in our natural resources. It definitely inspired me to switch to green bags and to start recycling my old paper and plastic containers.

I am happy to keep the bags out of the oceans and landfills. However I have discovered how much I love my green bags and now I get so angry when I forget to bring them into the store with me. They are so convenient and can put so much more into them. I am able to bring all of my groceries into the house with only one or two loads instead of taking four or five.

The neighborhood where I live focuses on green living. Our home was built to be energy efficient and we have a recycling truck that comes to pick up our plastic and paper products. Our area has made recycling much easier. I feel better because I'm helping to contribute to the health of our planet and I expect to see home energy savings through new green technologies. Our heating bill is much lower in our new home than it was in our old one and my new washing machine is saving us money on our water bill with the help of JUSTENERGY rates .

Leonardo DiCaprio Lives "GREEN"

Two very recognizable symbols are the ones for recycling and composting. But what is the difference between the 2 processes? The composting process refers only to what can be "composted" which is the bio-degradation of organic matter, such as yard waste and food. This process, usually done by a garden composter is performed by micro-organisms, mostly bacteria, but also yeasts and fungi. There are many contributors to the different phases of decomposition including earthworms and fruit flies. Composting is usually not considered as recycling.

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste, reduce pollution (both air and water) and to reduce the need for conventional waste disposal. Recyclable materials include glass, paper, metal, textiles and electronics. For the processing of some materials either garden composters or recycling bins are used. The materials are either brought to a collection center or picked up curbside and sorted and reprocessed into new materials.

How does Leonardo DiCaprio figure into all of this? He has been an avid supporter of the "green movement" and the environment for many years and practices what he preaches. He recently moved into a $9M environmentally correct apartment in New York City. His apartment has rotating solar panels that provide 10% of his power. Leonardo says that he lives in the "green manner" and has released a feature length documentary "11th Hour" which focuses on the problems facing the planet's life systems. This film was done with the help of over 50 of the most prominent thinkers and activists including Mikhail Gorbachev and physicist Stephen Hawking. Global warming, deforestation, species extinction and depletion of ocean habitats are addressed. The feature offers hope and solutions. The "11th Hour" calls for a healthier future and this includes recycling and composting.

Be Eco-Friendly: Conserve

Water is something that's been taken for granted ever since the time of the first man. We all assumed it would be there whenever we wanted. Not True. We should all have a rain water barrel as this is the easiest way to conserve water. In a post I did on 5/17/09. I addressed the issue of the shrinking rain forests. They used to cover 14% of the earth's surface and now only cover 6%. This is a scary fact as information like this has only been tracked for the last few decades. Many aspects of our lives are dependant of the activity of the rain forests.

I've also addressed the issue of composting in posts I did on 8/27/09 and 10/21/09. Again, this is one of the easiest ways to help the environment. It used to be a very messy and smelly process years ago. Today, there are pieces of equipment that can be purchased very inexpensively to assist in having a more sanitary composting process. In one of the composting posts, I mentioned Leonardo DiCaprio's commitment to the "go green" movement and how he included living green in as many phases of life that he can. I'm sure that he incorporates the use of a rain barrel as part of his involvement. A 8/6/09 post was on eco-friendly packaging materials. A good percentage of the materials were made from recycled materials.

I remember visiting my grandparents when I was little. They made use of rain barrels decades ago. Part of the reason they saved water was due the hard economic times they grew up in and part was due to the fact that clothes washed in rain water kept them very soft. My grandmother also used the rain water to wash her hair. It always smelled good and was very soft to the touch. Her barrel was very different from the ones that are out today. She had the old wooden barrel with the metal staves. It was very tall and always covered to keep debris out.