It’s Not Too Late to Treecycle

Filed under: Earth911, Press Releases - January 4, 2010

Scottsdale, AZ—Earth911.com, owner and operator of the nation’s largest local recycling and proper disposal directory, recently completed one of its most expansive efforts to reliably list Christmas tree recycling programs across the country.

“There’s nothing in our system that we haven’t covered personally via phone or email this year for our treecycling update,” said Corey Lambrecht, president of Earth911. “We only have about three weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas to update our information for almost 1,200 cities, so it’s an incredible effort to get this extensive number of resources confirmed in time.”

According to this year’s research, the cities with the highest number of treecycling resources include:

1. New York City, N.Y. – 81
2. Los Angeles, Calif. – 26
3. Chicago, Ill. – 23
4. Las Vegas, N.V. – 22
5. Phoenix, Ariz. – 18
5. Gainesville, Fla. – 18
7. San Diego, Calif. – 17
8. Miami, Fla. – 13
8. San Francisco, Calif. – 13
10. Indianapolis, Ind. – 12

Earth911’s staff worked with officials in more than 40 states to compile the information, reaching a significant portion of the U.S. population.

Last year, the most popular day for treecycling was Jan. 3, with more than one-third of the searches on Earth911.com’s directory focused on Christmas tree recycling resources. Out of the more than 240 materials available for recycling on the directory, the demand for treecycling information is significant.

Between 30 and 35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year, and approximately 93 percent of those trees are currently being recycled through more than 4,000 available recycling programs.

Real Christmas trees can be recycled in a variety of ways. They are commonly turned into mulch and used in landscaping and gardening or chipped and used for playground material, hiking trails, paths and walkways.

And treecycling pays for all involved: In cities such as New York and Denver, Christmas trees are mulched, and the remaining material is made available to the public free of charge.

Be sure to check your local listings for varying times, availability and how to prepare your tree for recycling.

If your city, municipality or organization runs a recycling program and would like to be listed in Earth911’s free directory for treecycling or other products, please visit Earth911.com to learn more.

About Earth911

Earth911.com is an environmental services company that addresses product end-of-life solutions for businesses and consumers. Through its innovative Local Recycling and Proper Disposal Database, Earth911.com hosts recycling and disposal information for hundreds of products in over 110,000 listings across the country. Additionally, daily news, exclusive features and weekly emails provide more ways to inform and help people connect with the sustainability issues related to the products they buy. Earth911 also provides the platform and tools needed to support recycling and proper disposal for various products once their purpose is served, giving the people who buy them a number of ways to participate in companies’ sustainability initiatives.

Contact Information
Jennifer Berry
Public & Strategic Relations Manager
Earth911.com
480-889-2650
jberry@earth911.com
http://earth911.com

Middletown Journal: How to Cut the Cost of Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution

Filed under: Earth911 - January 4, 2010

By Jessica Heffner

This New Year, get more bang for your resolution buck.

The weak economy has had a ripple effect on several industries, making 2010 the year to start easily cutting costs on infamous New Year’s resolutions like losing weight, eating healthier, quitting smoking, going green or saving more money.

1. Lose weight

Gym memberships can end up being a money pit if you don’t use them, but if you’re serious about losing weight, there are some serious deals to be had.

According to a survey by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, 49 percent of gyms and fitness centers are reporting year-to-date decreases in membership dues.

Those numbers correlate with a new survey by the American Heart Association that showed 25 percent of respondents with gym memberships have canceled them to save money.

The month of January tends to be the best time of year to sign-up for a membership, according to industry analysts, as most centers offer specials. To get the best deal, analysts suggest checking online message boards to see what rates people are reporting and the quality of the gym. Also, check with employers and schools for any discounts. Visit some clubs, get their rates and compare. Armed with that data, negotiate with gyms to get the best price.

Local YMCAs are waiving the joiner’s fee ($125 for families, $75 for individuals) to draw in clients.

Both the Atrium YMCA and Downtown Middletown YMCA will be running a citywide competition, Choose to Lose, to assist residents with their New Year’s weight loss goals, said Grace McIntosh, membership coordinator.

From Jan. 10 through March 20, residents can get the help they need with weigh-ins and health and wellness seminars. Each participant will receive a T-shirt. The person to lose the most weight at the end of the program will receive a two-month membership to the YMCA and a $50 gift card to Walmart. Second-place receives a one-month membership and a $20 gift card. The cost of the program is $10 for YMCA members and $20 for nonmembers, McIntosh said.

“We are trying to make it a little easier and give a little incentive to start. It’s a great program,” she said.

In the pursuit to lose weight, consider these no-cost options:

2. Eat healthier

According a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, food costs have been rising an average of 5 percent per year. Low-calorie food options also have increased about 19.5 cents per year, according to a report by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

An easy way to eat healthy and keep grocery costs down is to focus on vegetables and fruits, said Robert Murray, a faculty member at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Buying frozen or canned food can save money. These items are often on sale at the local grocery, and coupons can make them even cheaper. Find coupons in the Sunday newspaper, on Web sites and even on your cell phone.

3. Quit smoking

Puffing on a cigarette can have negative effects on your health and your wallet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking costs more than $193 billion annually and second-hand smoke adds more than $10 billion in health care expenditures.

Free resources are available. Right now at Walmart, receive a free sample of Nicorette gum on their Web site. For free tips and counseling about how to quit, visit SmokeFree.gov.

4. Financial strength

According to the U.S. Treasury, consumers today have a whopping $2.5 trillion of debt, and the average household in 2009 carried nearly $5,100 in credit card debt alone.

Patrick Harris, spokesman of the Ohio Credit Union League, said a first step to building financial strength in 2010 can be taking control of credit card debt by paying the card with the highest interest rate first. Once paid off, keeping the account open will improve your credit score.

Also, create a budget to know where your money is going.

“Tracking your spending identifies unnecessary expenses such as excessive cell phone usage, eating out, movies and other forms of entertainment. After tracking a month’s expenses, most people are shocked by where there money is going,” he said.

For a free resource on tips for saving money and avoiding debt, visit www.moneyandstuff.info.

5. Go green

Balancing a budget and going green really goes hand-in- hand. In fact, simple tricks like buying in bulk, using less paper towels and installing a programmable thermostat can save $762.30 a year, according to Earth 911.

For more ways to save the environment and money, visit www.earth911.com.

Article available at: http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/how-to-cut-the-cost-of-keeping-your-new-years-resolution-474645.html

Austin-American Statesman: Out With the Old, Sans Pollution

Filed under: Earth911 - January 3, 2010

By Peter Mongillo

Despite an ailing economy, words like flat-panel, Blu-ray, smartphone and Kindle were heard quite a bit during the holiday season. If you need to get rid of aging electronics to make room for upgrades, keep in mind that many items can be hazardous to the environment. For example, about 20 percent of the typical cathode-ray tube television is composed of lead, according to environmental group Earth911.com.

If you aren’t able to sell your old electronics and other items, there are some options for safe disposal in the Austin area.

Computers: Goodwill Industries of Central Texas’ Project Reconnect, a partnership with Dell Inc., accepts computers and computer accessories such as keyboards and printers for recycling. Drop off items at Goodwill Computer Works, 1015 Norwood Park Blvd. Many other Goodwill locations also accept donations, including television sets. Visit reconnectpartnership.com to find a drop-off spot near you.

In addition, computer manufacturers in Texas are required to offer free recycling of their equipment. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality maintains a directory of links to each manufacturer’s recycling information at www.texasrecyclescomputers.org. The TCEQ also maintains a directory of other recycling businesses at www.recycletexasonline.org.

Other electronics: Another resource for electronics disposal is Round 2 Technologies, 6301 E. Stassney Lane, Building 6, Suite 400. The recycling company charges a fee, but will accept a variety of electronics and other appliances, including televisions ($15 for a table-top, $20 for a console), old computer equipment ($5-$10 for old monitors, printers, etc., no charge for desktop and laptop computers), microwaves ($10) and other miscellaneous equipment (15 cents per pound). Drop-off hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Call 342-8855 with questions about disposal of specific items.

Phones: If you received an iPhone, Droid or Blackberry in your stocking, don’t throw the old flip-top model in the trash. SafePlace, 1515 Grove Blvd., accepts both working and non-working phones from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Visit www.safeplace.org for a list of other accepted items.

Other organizations accepting cell phones include the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, 5555 Airport Blvd., and Cell Phones for Soldiers, which uses money from recycled phones to buy calling cards for troops overseas. Visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com to find one of several Austin-area drop-off locations.

Eyeglasses: Donate old eyeglasses to the Lion’s Club by placing them in a protective donation box, available at various locations throughout town, including Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth St.; Senior Activity Center, 2874 Shoal Crest Ave.; and all LensCrafters locations. For a complete list and information on how to get a box, visit www.austindowntownlions.org/eyeglasses_recycling.

Books: Need to make some space on the shelf for that new stack of books? Austin Public Library’s Recycled Reads store, 5335 Burnet Road, resells used books and donates unusable books to Books Beyond Borders, which converts them into building material for use in developing countries. Donations are accepted at all Austin Public Library locations and at the Recycled Reads store.

Greeting cards: Finally, if your coffee table is overflowing with holiday greeting cards that you’d like to put to good use, the St. Jude’s Ranch Recycled Card Program is accepting used all-occasion cards through Feb. 28. Mail donations to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude’s Street, Boulder City, NV 89005. Visit www.stjudesranch.org for more information and to purchase cards.

Article available at: http://www.statesman.com/life/out-with-the-old-sans-pollution-160684.html