Beyond the tattered leaves and bits of bark shards littering the ground, the bad news is that everyone has been pointing fingers, trying to heap the responsibility of cutting up all of that dead wood into manageable pieces on someone other than themselves. Time is precious, after all, and who really wants to spend their valuable free time wielding a chainsaw so they can drag dead tree chunks to the curb for the sanitation department to take away?

Um, you do! Here’s your chance to become the neighborhood savior. While you gallop in on your white horse to save the day, there’s no need to broadcast the fact that you will then take the fruits of your labor — limbed tree sections — into your garage for a DIY free-for-all.

It is there, behind closed doors, that you will transform what others view as a pile of unwelcome refuse into multiple décor-enhancing items that most people would willingly shell out beaucoup bucks for. Think you need special skills to make your homemade tree branch creations come together? No way, Jose. Take a gander at the diverse possibilities below and you’ll quickly realize that with very little effort, you will be able to festoon your home with gloriously free, 100% tree-tastic, decorator-worthy specimens.

Inside the home

Granola-lovin’ tree huggers aren’t the only ones who will appreciate this thrifty yet easy-on-the-eyes jewelry organizer.

Infuse your wardrobe with earthy soul courtesy of woodsy clothing hangers (and if you’re feeling especially crafty, don’t forget to add a few handmade twig buttons).

A ho-hum mirror can be trimmed with layers of branch segments for a pleasing textural facelift.

A rustic branch bookshelf can be easily adapted to suit a living room or bedroom wall, no matter your current interior design style.

Adorn vases, wreaths, tabletops and even walls with mosaic-style circular branch slices (or more haphazard slabs for a truly rough yet esthetically pleasing look).

Fallen tree branches morph effortlessly into tabletop or floor lamp bases, requiring no more than a fresh coat of paint to make them really shine.

Your feline friends will be tickled pink when they behold the splendor of their outdoorsy yet equally refined tree branch grooming perch, and if you have children, why not make them their own playtime version?

Curtains will get a welcome dose of down-to-earth style when they are artfully suspended on reclaimed tree branch rods.

Separate rooms with a dramatic vertical branch divider.

Hang keys, purse straps and reusable shopping bags on tree branch wall hooks. Don’t forget to treat your jackets and coats right, as well.

For a family photo-displaying twist, take snapshots off the wall in favor of a new tree branch perch. This concept can also be adapted to accommodate a paper rose-adorned table centerpiece.

Create a grand décor statement by suspending massive crystal and light strand-wrapped tree branches directly above a dining area. Dial it back a few notches with a slightly more modest candelabra chandelier or a comparably tame branchy tabletop candelabra.

Outside the home

Move over brick, tile and stone garden pavers. There’s a new sliced branch kid in town.

You can frame the perimeter of your garden with a woven tree branch fence or train limbs to form a living framework.

Emulate the majestic horse sculptures of Heather Jansch or introduce a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor to your back yard with a decidedly more quirky artistic statement.

Enhance the façade of a storage shed or greenhouse with stripped branches.

Try making a decorative overhead trellis or perhaps something more functional for your container garden escapades.

Bask in the sun while reclining ever so peacefully upon a beefy, reclaimed tree bench or a two-seater with built-in back support.

Pioneer Academy (PS 307Q), a Pre-K – 4th grade school in Queens, NY, is the winner of the 2012 Green Cup Recycle Challenge, a national student-driven recycling competition for K-12 schools sponsored by the non-profit Green Schools Alliance (GSA).

Pioneer achieved ”Recycling Champion” status by earning the highest score of any school — 106 points — and correctly sorting 96% of its recycling and trash bins. The school earned 10 “Bonus Points” for additional waste reduction efforts including paperless communications, purchasing recycled paper products and reusable water bottles, and participating in “Trayless Tuesdays.”

During the four-week Challenge, which ended April 30, schools competed for points by “recycling right” — improving recycling compliance rates and decreasing contamination.

Weekly bin checks provided instant feedback on how well schools were recycling.

“We checked 20 bins each week,” says Jasmin Andujar, Pioneer Academy’s science teacher and sustainability coordinator who managed the Challenge with help from her 3rd grade Green Team. Andujar credits the children for their hard work, and a documentary about plastic pollution as the reason for her increased commitment to greening.

After seeing Bag It at a professional development seminar last summer, Andujar became determined to improve less than stellar recycling practices at her school. “That movie made me realize I could do my part to teach children about protecting the Earth,” she says. So, in October 2011, she started Pioneer’s Green Team, instilling practices that prepared everyone for the Recycle Challenge, and which still continue today.

Aside from ensuring that each classroom had both garbage and recycling bins, and informing staff about recycling rules, Andujar trained her small army of enforcement agents.

“Each week, the Green Team swept through the school and posted “Green Inspection Grades” on every classroom and office door,” says Andujar. “G” for green, “M” for making progress, and “P” for polluting. According to Andujar, a lot of teachers received “Ps” and were quite embarrassed. “Within two to three weeks, we saw improvement,” she says. Green Team members handed out recycling tips and signs. Andujar also met with custodial staff to see how she could help them. “The custodians said that students were mixing garbage with recycling; but now that we recycle, they’re recycling too,” she says. More importantly, Andujar says, winning the Recycle Challenge was a source of pride for the children, which showed them that the work they do every week pays off.

Another “Recycling Champion” was the Hopkins School, for grades 7 – 12, in New Haven, CT. Hopkins received 101 points and had 91% of its bins properly sorted. The school — which had just finished the Green Cup Energy Challenge in March — earned 10 “Bonus Points” for an impressive array of “extras” that included trayless dining (to save water, napkins, and reduce food waste), use of 100% recycled paper, a battery collection drive, and an aggressive recycling program that has reduced the number of trash pickups from five to three per week.

Because Hopkins already had high recycling compliance rates, the school’s Sustainability Committee (SusCom), composed of faculty and two dozen students, had to step it up a notch for the Recycle Challenge. They made announcements at school-wide assemblies, hung posters, sent mass emails and published reminders.

“We had students and three faculty members checking about 30 bins each week, close to 50% of the bins in the school,” says Priscilla Kellert, History Department Chair and SusCom faculty head. Sarah Wagner, a Hopkins Junior, is one of SusCom’s most active student leaders. “The bin checks allowed us to see if students were recycling on their own,” says Wagner. “It was nice to see that they were really participating and taking recycling seriously.”

Last year, Hopkins switched to single-stream recycling. Instead of having one bin for paper, one for glass, metal and plastic, everything is thrown into one bin, which, Wagner says, makes recycling much easier. “SusCom has increased the number of recycling bins on campus,” she says. There are bins in major gathering places, blue bins in every classroom, and six new outdoor recycling bins, purchased with PTA monies, that have been strategically placed around the campus, including on the athletic field. The group’s signage committee places signs above every recycling bin, explaining what can and can’t be recycled. Trash and recycling bins are always placed next to each other.

“The thing about recycling is, you’re trying to address peoples’ behavior, so it has to be easy and convenient until it becomes second nature,” says Kellert. “It takes a lot of gentle reminders; you need to set a good tone and be persistent.”

Wagner says that students have told her how much they appreciate SusCom’s campus greening efforts, and being a top school in the Recycle Challenge was rewarding. “Helping the environment is really important to me. It’s nice to be recognized and it makes you want to continue to do a great job,” she says.

In addition to Pioneer and Hopkins, four other schools achieved the level of “Recycling Champion” by earning 90 points or more: Hewitt School in New York (96 points); Maret School in Washington, DC (94 points); Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT (90 points); and Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY (90 points).

Many people consider plastics a nuisance. They are lightweight and it can be difficult to find a market for them. But, for Amy Shumway, owner of Re-Play, recycled plastic is a dream come true.

Shumway spent much of her career working at major corporations that designed plastic housewares and toys. She liked the work, but was frustrated by the level of toxicity in everyday items designed for children.

“Walmart carries a lot of organic food because customers have demanded it, but people haven’t really demanded a lot of innovation in toys,” Shumway says. “I realized there was a much better way to do things.”

Shumway left the corporate world and started out on her own, determined to make products that were better for kids. She had some luck making products with corn plastic and organic fibers under the name Dandelion for Baby. The company produces toys, clothing, bags and tableware.

The problem? The raw materials are expensive, so the finished products are really only accessible to a certain percentage of the population.

What Shumway really wanted was a product that would be affordable to almost anyone. She started experimenting with plastics and discovered that using recycled materials could make her products less expensive.

Three years later, Re-Play was born.

The line, which includes sippy cups, plates, bowls and cutlery in four colors, is made from high-density polyethylene, also known as HDPE or plastic #2. Recycled milk jugs from community curbside programs are the main source of raw material. Items are dishwasher-safe, and they’re free of BPA, phthalates and PVC, so they’re food safe, too (although Shumway cautions that food should never be microwaved in any plastic container).

To keep costs down, Shumway has the products manufactured at the Habilitation Center, a nonprofit organization in Boca Raton, FL, that helps adults with special needs learn job skills. Re-Play products run $3 to $7 per package, making them relatively affordable — especially since they are designed to last. Shumway once ran over some bowls with her car to see what would happen. They got pretty dirty, but they didn’t break.

“We hear from people that they’re throwing away their other stuff and replacing it with this because it’s more durable,” Shumway says.

Both the packaging (which is made from cardboard) and the product are made from recycled and recyclable material. When you’re done with both they can be put in a curbside recycling bin or taken to a local recycling center.

Re-Play products are available at many Walmart stores and on the company’s website. Shumway encourages customers to visit the company’s Facebook page and post comments about the product line.

David Mizejewski, Naturalist, National Wildlife Federation

A naturalist at the National Wildlife Federation, David Mizejewski’s passion for nature began seemingly at birth. Referring to himself as a “lifelong nature geek,” Mizejewski developed a passion for animals and nature growing up in New Jersey. After studying ecology in school, Mizejewski made the jump to the NWF in 2000.

As NWF celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, its focus remains intact as “America’s conservation organization.” Naturally, as the world has evolved, the NWF has grown and centered on climate change, protecting wildlife and its habitats and connecting people with nature. That last point is especially near and dear to Mizejewski.

“A naturalist is somebody that knows a lot about nature,” Mizejewski explains. “My job is to go on TV, go on radio, blog, write books, write for magazines — if there is a media outlet, I try and target it to get in there with our messages about our programs and initiatives, but also about the beauty and wonder of nature.”

Listen to David Mizejewski’s segment here.

Lisa Fimiani, Executive Director, Friends of Ballona Wetlands

The Friends of Ballona Wetlands started as a grassroots concept in a living room and has blossomed into a 33-year-old nonprofit still fighting for wetland health and preservation in Playa del Ray, CA. Lisa Fimiani got her start at the organization 25 years ago as a volunteer, and now acts as the nonprofit’s Executive Director.

The area of coastal greater Los Angeles has been at risk for decades now, fueled by 20th century commercial and residential growth. Though developments such as Palisades del Ray and Marina del Ray threatened to ruin these very fragile wetlands, the 70,000-plus volunteers over the years have ensured that they survive and thrive. To date, more than 600 acres are protected with new tidegates to prevent flooding and improve water flow.

“You don’t preserve wildlife and habitat by standing on the fringe and constantly complaining,” Fimiani says. “We will always do what is best for the wetlands.”

Listen to Lisa Fimiani’s segment here.

Podcast: Play In New Window | Download (33.3MB)

It’s a funny little word, huh? For all intents and purposes, it refers to a thriving subculture of anticonsumerists who are deeply opposed to the widespread waste in our society. In response, these individuals make a habit of frequenting dumpsters located outside of restaurants and assorted businesses in search of discarded items that can be easily retrieved, repurposed or otherwise utilized.

Yes, most of us are familiar with this practice by its more common term, dumpster diving. While the very notion of plunging head first into a massive garbage container probably gives the majority of the population a bad case of the heebie-jeebies, it turns out that far too much of what today’s businesses dispose of is actually perfectly usable.

Between what the commercial sector gives the heave-ho to and what households across the nation contribute, overall trash accumulation has risen to massive proportions. On average, Americans collectively discard 250 million tons of solid waste annually — almost double the volume of other nations — which is the equivalent of roughly 5 pounds per U.S. citizen every single day.

The good news is that practically 65 million tons of what we threw away in 2010 was actually recycled along with an additional 49 million tons (whether composted or ultimately incinerated for energy recovery). In other words, 136 million tons of municipal solid waste was actually landfilled across our country. But let’s be honest: That’s still a sizable amount.

Don’t worry. No one is suggesting that you personally join the ranks of the recycling bold who make meals out of food that is purportedly past its prime. Nevertheless, what’s so bad about rethinking the non-edible objects that you’re prone to depositing in your garbage can? With a different mind frame, you too will soon discover that what once might have seemed perfectly trash worthy is in fact ripe for repurposing. Think outside of the bin and you’ll be rewarded with a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind creations that will help you to feather your nest in enviable, eco-enlightened style.

Oh, the possibilities

A broken lamp and an old picture frame transformed into… a DIY mood board.

Window shutters transformed into… a wall-mounted jewelry organizer.

Glass windows transformed into… a garden cold frame.

Shredded scrap paper, dryer lint and paper egg cartons transformed into… homemade firestarters for your barbeque grill, fire pit or fireplace.

Pet fur transformed into… spun yarn, cat play toys and yes, even handbags.

A computer monitor can be transformed into… a cozy hamster pad, a trash bin or a homemade video projector.

Old denim jean pockets transformed into… potholders, a utility apron or a placemat (with built-in silverware pouch).

A computer tower transformed into… a wall-mounted storage unit, mailbox or a mini greenhouse.

2-liter soda bottles transformed into… a fringed light shade or a complete herb garden.

A porcelain toilet tank transformed into… a garden planter resurfaced with a wonderfully colorful mosaic design.

Your child’s beat-up skateboards transformed into… a sturdy outdoor bench.

Expired calendar pages transformed into… hand-folded envelopes.

Spaghetti sauce jars transformed into… jewel-toned, bedecked Moroccan lanterns.

Oodles of old suitcases transformed into… a massive wall storage solution (or a single case transformed into… a padded hallway stool.

An old drawer transformed into… a practical side table.

A metal mint tin transformed into… a petite portable candle, furry monster, succulent garden or a multi-tiered organizational valet.

Bottle caps transformed into… ring pincushions.

A spoon transformed into… a necklace pendant, a fork transformed into… an eggcup, or a little of both transformed into… a jewelry tree or flatware wall clock.

A typewriter transformed into… a waffle iron or an artist’s paintbrush holder.

Old T-shirts transformed into… crocheted/knitted dishcloths, a braided belt or perpetually blooming blossoms.

A beat-up garden hose transformed into… a wonderfully insulating birdhouse.

A picture frame transformed into… a vertical succulent garden.

An old door, storm windows, fence boards, table legs and door knobs transformed into… a garden plant potting station.

Grand Rapids’ (pop. 188,040) recycling program is on the way up, in more ways than one. Introducing single-stream recycling in 2010 is only a step up on the ladder toward a more sustainable future for western Michigan’s largest city. The city’s green goals include a 30% waste diversion rate by June 30, 2013; 5% reduced mileage on refuse and recycling routes by June 30, 2015; and mobile phone reporting of illegal waste dumps via the GR311 app for iPhone and Android operating systems.

Grand Rapids residents can actually choose the size of their recycling bin to best suit their waste needs — sizes range from 35, 64 or 96 gallons. The carts are also fairly unique looking — two-tone with yellow lids and blue bases, they are made of 40% recycled plastic. Not bad!

Materials recycled

Paper
Including newspapers (inserts accepted); typing, writing, and computer paper; junk mail, envelopes, fliers; magazines and catalogs; telephone books, brown paper bags; shoe boxes, cracker boxes and cereal boxes (paperboard); corrugated cardboard and shredded paper. Shredded paper must be placed in brown paper bags. All cardboard must be broken down to no larger than 2×2 size. All paper must fit in the bin. No staples, wrapping, strapping or plastic liners of any kind accepted.

Plastics
Including milk jugs; water, detergent and shampoo bottles; butter tubs; yogurt cups; microwave food trays; plant flats & flower pots; peanut butter jars and other plastic containers that are stamped number 1 through 7 (must be rinsed; no lids or plastic rings). Plastic bags labeled #2 or #4 accepted as well (must be clean and free of any items inside). No Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Including tin, aluminum or steel food and beverage containers; aluminum foil; and empty aerosol cans (all must be rinsed and without paper labels).

Glass
Clear and colored food and beverage glass containers (rinsed; no lids or plastic rings)

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a biweekly basis, day of the week depending on location (a map and schedule is available online.) Bins must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on day of pick-up.

Other programs

Kent County, which includes Grand Rapids, operates four locations for weekday drop-off of household hazardous waste by appointment. Periodically, drop-off is available on designated Saturdays without an appointment (schedule available here). One county location is in Grand Rapids proper at 1500 Scribner Ave. NW. The others are located in nearby Kentwood, Rockford and Wyoming. The HHW program accepts automotive products, cleaning products, indoor pesticides, lawn and garden products, workshop/painting supplies, flammable products and other miscellaneous items. A full list of accepted items can be found online.

Yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, brush, twigs less than 2 inches in diameter and garden plants, is collected from the first Monday in April and runs until the second Friday in December every year. Grand Rapids residents can purchase a 96-gallon yard waste cart for $27.50. A supplementary cart tag ($5.25) is needed each time the cart is to be collected. Tagged yard waste carts must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the same day as refuse pick-up. Alternatively, residents can use the city yard waste paper bag ($7.50 for a package of five). Bags also must be tagged ($1.50) each time they are to be picked up.

More information

Visit the City of Grand Rapids Recycling and Refuse website for more recycling program info.

• favor a plant-based diet;
• tool around town on a bicycle just ‘cause it’s fun;
• protect your tabletop with old newspapers whenever you engage in a painting or craft project;
• make a conscious effort to support local businesses and farmers markets;
• rock a vintage wardrobe or embrace the fine art of upcycled fashion;
• spend more time in your garden than on your couch (or in front of the computer, for that matter); and/or
• think that handcrafted items are far superior to newly minted big-box merchandise.

As you can clearly see, treading a bit lighter on the planet is actually pretty easy, and in so many cases it facilitates a better quality of life, too.

Unfortunately, the word “green” conjures up an array of negative stereotypes, some of which are so off-putting to the typical consumer that they’ll do anything to distance themselves. Treehugging? No thanks. I’ll take a chainsaw, instead. Dreadlocks and granola? Not if my buzz cut and big bowl o’beef have anything to do with it. Living more sustainably, however, shouldn’t be about the cool factor or lack thereof. Really, it should be about slightly revamping daily habits so that they contribute to the larger good.

Reusable grocery bag toting, organic cotton T-shirt wearing and kitchen scrap composting efforts aside, there is another way to green your lifestyle with minimal effort for maximum impact: Create a portable reusable food and beverage kit! Whenever you’re on the go, eliminate solid waste by placing the following infinitely washable items inside a durable tote bag that can be stored inside your car:

• assorted food storage containers for leftovers
• two glass, stainless steel or BPA-free plastic travel mugs and/or water bottles
• two sets of bamboo or stainless steel flatware
• two fabric napkins
• two sets of plates and bowls

Now that you have your kit primed and ready to go, order a cappuccino or a bite to eat during your next shopping excursion with none of the eco-guilt — just ask that your reusable container or cup be used instead of a disposable version.

Hesitant to make this a regular habit? This is one case where it’s not wise to judge a book by its cover. Eliminating the waste associated with to-go food and beverage orders while concurrently protecting your health — since one-time-use packaging is often treated with potentially dangerous chemical coatings that persist in the body long after you’ve taken your last sip or nibble — is actually tres-cool.

There is nothing nerdy about being an eco-trendsetter, and even if others don’t follow your lead, at least you’ll be able to hold your head up high, prideful in the knowledge that your drop in the bucket will really add up over time.

Trash Art Show sign created by John Freethy completely from discarded materials.

A small town on the north Oregon Coast puts its creative and earth-friendly minds together to produce one of the most inspiring art shows you’ll see, the 14th annual Trash Art Show in Manzanita, from July 5 to 8, 2012.

Local artists spend months working with reclaimed, repurposed and recycled materials to create fabulous works of art that amaze the mind. Last year’s art show included 84 area artists, utilizing a wide array of art mediums.

CARTM, a recycling provider based in Manzanita, has been inspiring creative reuse of materials with its annual Trash Art Show. Beginning in 1997, the event has outgrown two venues. This year, CARTM is partnering with a local arts nonprofit, the Hoffman Center, to co-produce the exhibition.

The Trash Art Show not only fulfills CARTM’s mission of creative reuse of materials, but has also produced a group of highly adept trash artists who make art from discards. These ingeniously creative pieces have become sought after by a growing group of collectors who often arrive at the show before opening time to have first pick of the work.

With the new partnership, CARTM and the Hoffman Center are adding a pre-opening event on July 5 to the show’s three-day run. This event will be by ticketed admission, and only 100 tickets will be sold. The public opening and reception for the artists is free, and record attendance is expected because of the show’s holiday weekend date.

Prayer flags created by Judy Sorrel from discarded clothing and keys.

CARTM

CARTM began to offer small-scale recycling services in 1990 with just a single trailer in a vacant lot in Manzanita. By 1997, CARTM had received its 501(c)3 status and successfully received the franchise to operate the local transfer station. Twenty-two years later, CARTM is fully engaged in its mission: “Leading our community to zero waste.”

What our mission means to us: Our staff and board of directors all love what we do at CARTM and believe deeply in our mission. Our customers and community love to visit and utilize CARTM’s services. Everyone enjoys seeing the thriving vibrancy of this vital organization. We’re providing an inspiring service, as out-of-town visitors regularly ask us how they can have a CARTM in their community. Who knew that CARTM would become a local tourist attraction and destination by weekend visitors.

We remind ourselves every day that our number one job is to support our community’s efforts to recognize and recover value in normally discarded materials and inspire creative reuse of those materials whenever possible.

CARTM receives donations of all kinds for its resale store. Each year, the best of the best of those donations are offered at a silent auction. CARTM recycles more than 40 different items — more than most facilities in the country. CARTM operates a transfer station, a recycling center and a resale store. Check cartm.org for hours of operation and more.

Cheese trays created by Skip Rognlien from flattened wine bottles.

The Hoffman Center

The Hoffman Center is an Oregon 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports and encourages artistic, cultural and educational activities in north Tillamook County by providing facilities, funding, promotion and other assistance. Lloyd and Myrtle Hoffman were longtime beloved residents of Manzanita. Upon their passing, their trust directed that their home and assets be used to start a community center for the arts and education.

Founded in 2004, the Hoffman Center is the still-developing fulfillment of their dream — a place to nurture artistic endeavors — creating, performing and appreciating. More information about the Hoffman Center and its many offerings is available at hoffmanblog.org.

About the author

Lorraine Ortiz

Lorraine Ortiz, cultural cowgirl, has been making art and music, writing about art and music and assisting nonprofit organizations that are all about art and music since 1985. Along with Susan Walsh, Ortiz is the co-founder of the Trash Art Show. She lives at the Art Ranch in Nehalem, OR.

 If You Go

Dates for the 2012 14th annual Trash Art Show:
Thursday, July 5, 2012: ticketed opening, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday, July 6, 2012: public opening and reception for the artists, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 7, 2012: show open, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, July 8, 2012: show open, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The show will be held at the Hoffman Center, 594 Laneda Ave., in downtown Manzanita. For more information, please visit hoffmanblog.org.

For updates on the Trash Art Show, “Like” its Facebook page.

For many, the annoying side effect of this very green activity is all the plastic pots left over at the end of the process. Nursery pots are typically made with #5, #6 or #7 plastics, which are difficult or sometimes impossible to recycle.

A Seattle-area company is doing what it can to change that. The McConkey Company, which manufactures and distributes products for plant nurseries, recently released the rEarth line of flowerpots, which are made entirely from recycled water bottles.

Most plastic water bottles are made with #1 plastic, known as PET or PETE, which is quite recyclable. But the remanufacturing process required to turn PETE back into new products is typically done overseas.

McConkey's rEarth recycled plastic flower pots

“We have these water bottles that Americans recycle, but then they’re put on an ocean container to China, where they turn it into consumer products,” Stina McConkey, McConkey Company’s COO, said in a press release. “So we asked ourselves, can we keep this valuable material at home — and keep jobs in the US by turning them into flower pots? After working with local recyclers, it turns out we could.”

The company also hopes its product will spur awareness about the wastefulness of single-use plastic bottles and encourage conversations about recycling. Fifty-four percent of Americans drink bottled water regularly, according to McConkey, but only about one-quarter of those bottles are recycled. An estimated 60 million water bottles are thrown away every single day.

rEarth pots are easy to recycle; once you’re through with them you can chuck them in your curbside bin (or, if your municipality does not accept #1 plastic, you can take them to a recycling center with all your other plastics). During the first year of manufacturing, the company diverted 72 million plastic water bottles.

The pots come in eight different sizes, including the six-packs that are popular for vegetables starts and small flowering plants. rEarth has been successful enough that the McConkey Company is planning to add additional sizes to the line later this year.

Consumers will find rEarth pots holding plants from growers such as Colorama, SummerWinds Nursery and Do Right’s Plant Growers in California. They are available for sale (in bulk quantities only) on the company’s website. Want to see them in your area? Encourage your favorite nursery to check them out.

Conventional examples of beauty, while easy on the eyes, can simultaneously be pedestrian. Exercising a keen observational sense, on the other hand, enables us to detect and appreciate secret treasures lurking unassumingly in our midst.

Hannah Streefkerk understands this philosophy all too well. While so many of today’s creative-minded individuals strive to channel some semblance of conventional beauty through their paintbrush, pencil or camera, the Dutch-born eco-artist makes a concerted effort to embrace the inherent flaws of the natural world in various unique ways.

Observing the craggy bark, knots and random splits marring the trunks of 30 trees in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, she set out to accent them with lovingly applied embroidery. Armed with a drill, upholstery needle, red yarn and camera, Streefkerk ran a series of stitches along the length of select arboreal imperfections, symbolically repairing them while also adorning them with artistic panache.

One might say that her embroidery style summons visions of Frankenstein hunched over his motley creation, or at the very least, a kindergarten-style craft project, but then again, you try exercising artistic mastery while sewing through thick wood. It can’t be easy.

The works of Hannah Streefkerk

In a world where Photoshopping, airbrushing and concealer are all commonplace, it makes perfect sense that Streefkerk would wield chunky stitches on her equally down-to-earth subjects. Acknowledging and celebrating their cosmetic imperfections, she has transformed weatherworn trees and tufts of grass into textural eco-tapestries that, rather than summoning Frankenstein’s monster, metaphorically strut the catwalk with a cookie-cutter-free sense of pride.

Similarly, she exercises her unique brand of eco-modification on two-dimensional photographic studies of mountains, rocks and seascapes. Each print boasts a defining assortment of stitches that serve to highlight the simple beauty of crevices, shadows, ridges and grooves. Normally, one might take for granted how light and shadows make a windswept beach far more than just an ideal surface for sunbathing. The Dutch artist takes all the guesswork out of the equation by making it readily apparent, in the process helping the casual observer to gain a newfound appreciation for the master artist, Mother Nature.

Those on the outside continue deciphering the true motivations behind the works of writers, poets, musicians and artists, perhaps because it gives them a basic sense of comprehension and quite possibly even a direct line to the creative muse within.

As is the case with so many of her contemporaries, critics offer multiple unique perspectives on how and why Streefkerk’s installation art is categorized as “environmental” rather than simply just quirky. Amid all of the countering viewpoints, they do agree on one common thing, however: that her anti-perfection stance proves that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and precisely what makes the natural world so awe-inspiring.

Mike Brander, Vice President of Sales, Verizon Wireless, and Jack Roberts, CEO and President, Consert

The union between telephone and data giant Verizon Wireless and Consert, a smart-grid technology company, is a meeting of high-end technology and green energy conservation. The two companies have created a model partnership that is changing the way we utilize electronics.

Verizon Wireless’ Vice President of Sales, Mike Brander, and Consert’s CEO and President, Jack Roberts, speak on this strategic pairing. For Verizon Wireless, launching its 4G LTE wireless system is transforming the company into the next generation of technological greatness, at a cost of $6 billion per year. Consert joins Verizon Wireless to make going green a bit easier and more cost effective.

“The problem with the electric utility is that it is the only utility that has to function without storage,” Roberts says. “There is no mass storage of electricity. [Consert offers] the ability to give energy conservation many of the attributes of generation.”

“[Verizon Wireless and Consert together] are able to offer a solution to the utility sector as well as consumers that can help manage their energy usage and provide demand response,” Brander explains. In short: by using less energy, Verizon Wireless customers will end up saving money.

Listen to Mike Brander and Jack Roberts’ segment here.

Paige Pederson, Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, LifeLock

Paige Pederson manages the identity theft educational programs at Tempe, AZ-based LifeLock. Pederson joined the company back when it was a start-up in 2006, and it has since blossomed into one of the biggest identity theft protection companies in the U.S. That is significant, since identity theft is the fastest rising crime in America.

The average identity theft victim spends approximately 30 hours tending to their case. LifeLock’s protection helps to minimize your risk level, and proactively resolves any issues that do occur.

“There are many points of contact throughout the day, the month and the year that you give your personal information into the hands of a potential bad guy,” Pederson says. “We’re trying to put safeguards in place to help you not be a victim in the first place.”

Listen to Paige Pederson’s segment here.

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The nation’s capital (pop. 617,996) is always on the front page of the newspaper and the top of the news broadcast, so it’s only fitting that “The District” has a topnotch recycling program for other U.S. cities to model after. Washington’s residential recycling collection offers curbside pickup of an extensive selection of recyclables, including many hard-to-recycle items that other cities simply cannot pick up.

Washington’s Department of Public Works offers free single-stream residential recycling pickup in 32-gallon cans for all single-family dwellings in the district, as well as small residential buildings with up to three units.

Materials recycled

Paper
Including books (paperbacks, textbooks and hardbacks), brown paper bags (Kraft), cardboard and paperboard boxes (including cereal boxes without liners), computer printouts, corrugated cardboard boxes, junk mail, magazines and catalogs, milk and juice cartons, newspapers (all inserts accepted), nonmetallic wrapping paper, office paper (including typing, fax, copy, letterhead and NCR) and envelopes.

Plastics
Including narrow-neck plastic containers (other than those used for motor oil) that carry plastic resin identification codes 1 through 7, plastic bags (placed into one plastic bag then placed in your recycling container; more than one bag full of bags OK),  plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, plastic toys, empty plastic garbage and recycling bins, wide-mouth containers (label removed) and over-the-counter medicine bottles. (lids and caps OK). No Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Including aerosol cans, aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans, aluminum food and beverage containers, ferrous and bimetal food and beverage containers.

Glass
Glass containers such as jars and bottles

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, day of the week depending on location (an address look-up is available online.)

Other programs

The district offers household hazardous waste, e-waste and shredded document drop-off at the Fort Trodden Transfer Station (4900 John F. McCormack Rd. NE). Hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month and 1 to 5 p.m. on the first Thursday preceding the first Saturday of the month.

Household hazardous waste items accepted: acids, aerosols, antifreeze, asbestos tile, batteries, cleaning chemicals, drain openers, fluorescent light bulbs, furniture stripper, stains, varnish, fertilizer, lighter fluid, mercury thermometers and mercury-containing devices, moth balls, motor oil, paint, pesticides and poisons, roofing tar, solvents/thinners, transmission fluids, windshield wiper and brake fluids and wood preservatives.

Electronics that are recyclable at Fort Trodden include: audio/visual equipment, audio cassettes, camcorders, CD-ROM drives, CDs and DVDs, cell phones, computers and monitors, connectors/cords/wires, copy machines, fax machines, floppy drives and hard drives, memory chips, network cards, video cards, sound cards, pagers, power supplies, printers, scrap computer plastic, scrap computer metal, tape drives, TVs, VCRs, VCR tapes and video games and software.

More information

Visit the District of Columbia Department of Public Works website for more recycling program info.