Eco-Friendly Resources For You!

Here are some ways for you to find local recycling centers:

• At earth911.org/, you can enter the items you want to recycle and your zip code to find out local centers where you can either drop recyclables off or get them picked up. They’ll also direct you to companies that collect and process recyclables.
• Staples stores will recycle used computers, monitors, laptops, and desktop printers, faxes and all–in–ones, ink and toner cartridges, cellular phones, PDAs, pagers, digital cameras, and chargers, for free. They charge $10 for larger items.
• We heart Staples. Check out Do Something 101 to find out why.

Thinking Big? Here are some awesome eco-resources from our partners:

• Back Porch Energy Initiatives was formed to take the abstract concepts of "going green" and "eco-friendly" out of politics, media and academia and bring them to our back porches, AND schools. Back Porch's mission is to advance community responses to local environmental issues.
• Want to get a head start on IYG? Back Porch has a Summer Campaign School for people age 16-21. Increase Your Green training will be one of the workshops at this year's School's! For more info visit www.backporchenergy.org or e-mail gina@backporchei.org.
• BioTour will be shouting out Increase Your Green and recruiting schools at all their stops! BioTour is a journey that aims to enliven the Sustainability Movement while exploring the depths of America—the people, land, and cultures. BioTour addresses the vital issues of climate change, environmental degradation, and peak oil while presenting pathways toward sustainability in renewable energy, and active democracy.
• Increase Your Green schools along the fall bus route have a chance to be visited by the veggie-powered bus itself! Winning schools will be eligible for a biotour event at their school during the spring '09 tour!
• Check out Grist for ALL kinds of great green stuff. Find out how green your presidential candidate is, read up on the latest environmental news, and download environmental podcasts!
• The Sierra Club has been working to protect the environment and promote energy solutions since 1892. They have all kinds of resources including a magazine, an eco-blog, books, and so much more.

In the National Grid Coverage Area (Not Sure? Click Here for a Zipcode List) and ready to recycle?:

Massachusetts, check out:

• MassRecycle, the Massachusetts Recycling Coalition, assists in setting up recycling programs. They also have locations for cell phone drop offs on the website: http://www.massrecycle.org/index.html
• The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. They also have a list of facilities and collection centers for recycling, including managing hazardous wastes and composting: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reducere.htm
• A list of contacts for the municipal recycling and regional solid waste in your district: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/munirc.pdf
• There are also people you can contact within the Massachusetts Department of Education with questions about specific types of items: http://www.mass.gov/dep/about/organization/wastecon.htm

New Yorkers, visit:

• The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website has some local information on how to recycle different items: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/294.html
• They also have a list of composting facilities here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/compweb.pdf
• You can find a list of contacts for recycling coordinators and solid waste here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8511.html or here for a print-friendly version: http://www.getenergysmart.org/Files/StayCool/recyclingcontractors.pdf

Here are some other organizations that you might want to check out and/or contact for resources and ideas.

Both Massachusetts and New York:

• The North East Recycling Council: http://www.nerc.org/

Massachusetts:

• Regional Environmental Councils of Central Massachusetts: http://www.recworcester.org/
• WasteCap of Massachusetts: http://www.wastecap.org/index.htm
• Regional Recycling Associations: for example, the Souch Central Recycling Association of Massachusetts: http://www.scramweb.org/

New York:

• New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling: http://www.nysar3.org/
• They also have information specifically for schools: http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/