Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
We hear the mantra everywhere, but how does it apply to us? Recycling not only helps to preserve the environment, it is actually more cost efficient for manufacturing companies to use recycled stock.
 As consumers, we can continue to do our part by purchasing and using more items that have been recycled.
When you consider that these items could have ended up in the trash, it's really amazing what can be made from recycled products.
Just look at what happens when "this" becomes "that" after recycling.
1.
Plastic Bags into Lumber - Easily recycled at most local supermarkets, plastic bags are commonly turned into trash can liners, lumber supplies, and other plastic bags.
 2.
Plastic Soda Bottles into T-Shirts - Most plastic soda bottles are made from PolyEthylene Teraphthalate, or PET.
These are can be picked up by curbside recyclers or taken to a recycling facility.
They are commonly remade into plastic composite decking material for porches and patios.
It can even be spun into fibers to make clothing, and makes an eco-friendly alternative to wool.
School supplies such as rulers are also made from recycled bottles.
3.
Juice Pouches into Purses - These are unrecyclable by normal means, yet they can still be reused to create consumer goods such as purses, tote bags, backpacks, and school supplies.
Schools often use juice box recycling to raise money, and over 20,000 schools in the United States participate in recycling drives for them.
4.
Denim Jeans into Insulation - Denim can be reused as arts and crafts, or recycled at a local denim recycling drive sponsored by From Blue To Green.
This group turns denim into insulation which is used by Habitat For Humanity houses.
5.
Candy Wrappers into School Supplies - Similar to juice boxes, candy wrappers can be repurposed to create purses, handbags, and school supplies.
Websites such as http://www.
ecoist.
com and http://www.
terracycle.
net have excellent examples of items created from candy wrappers.
6.
Advertising Billboards into Messenger Bags - Ads by their very nature are temporary, made to be discarded.
Great for marketing but not so great for the planet.
However, several enterprising ecoprenuers have started upcycling the massive vinyl sheets used in the ads to create messenger bags.
7.
Cardboard Packing Boxes into Furniture -Â OK, it's actually very rare but it does happen.
Artist and home stagers use cardboard boxes to create temporary furnishings.
Corrugated cardboard boxes are used worldwide for packaging.
85% of the products used in the United States are packed in cardboard, making it the single largest component recycled.
It also saves nine cubic yards of landfill space every time we recycle one ton of cardboard.
We hear the mantra everywhere, but how does it apply to us? Recycling not only helps to preserve the environment, it is actually more cost efficient for manufacturing companies to use recycled stock.
 As consumers, we can continue to do our part by purchasing and using more items that have been recycled.
When you consider that these items could have ended up in the trash, it's really amazing what can be made from recycled products.
Just look at what happens when "this" becomes "that" after recycling.
1.
Plastic Bags into Lumber - Easily recycled at most local supermarkets, plastic bags are commonly turned into trash can liners, lumber supplies, and other plastic bags.
 2.
Plastic Soda Bottles into T-Shirts - Most plastic soda bottles are made from PolyEthylene Teraphthalate, or PET.
These are can be picked up by curbside recyclers or taken to a recycling facility.
They are commonly remade into plastic composite decking material for porches and patios.
It can even be spun into fibers to make clothing, and makes an eco-friendly alternative to wool.
School supplies such as rulers are also made from recycled bottles.
3.
Juice Pouches into Purses - These are unrecyclable by normal means, yet they can still be reused to create consumer goods such as purses, tote bags, backpacks, and school supplies.
Schools often use juice box recycling to raise money, and over 20,000 schools in the United States participate in recycling drives for them.
4.
Denim Jeans into Insulation - Denim can be reused as arts and crafts, or recycled at a local denim recycling drive sponsored by From Blue To Green.
This group turns denim into insulation which is used by Habitat For Humanity houses.
5.
Candy Wrappers into School Supplies - Similar to juice boxes, candy wrappers can be repurposed to create purses, handbags, and school supplies.
Websites such as http://www.
ecoist.
com and http://www.
terracycle.
net have excellent examples of items created from candy wrappers.
6.
Advertising Billboards into Messenger Bags - Ads by their very nature are temporary, made to be discarded.
Great for marketing but not so great for the planet.
However, several enterprising ecoprenuers have started upcycling the massive vinyl sheets used in the ads to create messenger bags.
7.
Cardboard Packing Boxes into Furniture -Â OK, it's actually very rare but it does happen.
Artist and home stagers use cardboard boxes to create temporary furnishings.
Corrugated cardboard boxes are used worldwide for packaging.
85% of the products used in the United States are packed in cardboard, making it the single largest component recycled.
It also saves nine cubic yards of landfill space every time we recycle one ton of cardboard.