Frugal Yoga: Props for Free!

With all that crazy yoga equipment out there, it must cost a fortune to have everything you need, right?  WRONG.  Using items found around the typical house, I found there are free alternatives to just about all the yoga "stuff" they've thought up.  See for yourself!

Yoga Mat:

Store Bought:	Alternative: Used, Shelf Liner, Towel and Tablecloth
$7-30	$4 used, or $5 Shelf Liner (20”x6'x1/2”) or Free w/reuse of towel and vinyl tablecloth material

The mat serves 2 purposes – light padding and anti-slippage, so just make sure your flooring/mat/homemade collection of materials do that for you. If you are JUST STARTING yoga, I recommend you take a few large towels stacked up or a smooth blanket (not the one with denim pockets) and fold it so it is 5-6' long and shoulder width (about 2'). If you find slipping to be an issue on this, grab a 'sticky' vinyl tablecloth to overlay, or roll a wide length of shelf liner over top.

I did buy a mat new, 5 years ago, and I do recommend you get a commercial mat AFTER you tried yoga at a class or performed to some videos so you know you want to continue. I bought my mat on sale for $7 new (from Target, approx 1/4” thick), and it has held up well to light-moderate use. You may find them used in various condition at thrift stores, but often they want almost as much for them used as new (note: for 2^nd hand mats, make sure to unroll it to and look for undue wear before buying.) For these commercial mats, there is a good article on how to naturally clean them here. You should clean them once every couple of sessions, and make sure to store them out of direct sunlight. Alternatives to the commercial mats exist. Some people simply use a roll of really thick shelf liner, like Duck 20" x 6' Select Easy Liner, which costs about $4.74. For harder floors, place a towel under the mat if you can't find shelf liner thick enough.

Yoga Bag (for Yoga Mat)

Store Bought New:	Alternative: Camping Chair Bag or Pant Leg Case
$10-40	Free w/reuse of item on hand or Free w/reuse of worn out pants (plus sewing) or $1-2 for a pair of pants to sew up

Carrying around a rolled up piece of foam is awkward, so having something with a strap to throw it over your shoulder is convenient when traveling to yoga practice. We have camping fold-up chairs permanently set up on our little patio stoop, so I just stole the cheap draw-string bag that one of them came in. It's a bit longer than my mat, but that means I can shove in belts, clothes, or other items from a workout. Feeling craftier? A fun basic tutorial for using a pants leg to make the bag. 

Yoga Blocks:

Store Bought New:	Alternative: Woodblock, Paperback Block, Books
$12.00	$3 in wood plus woodworking or $1.30, with 5/$1 paperbacks, plus .30 cents in duct tape or Free w/reuse of books

These chunks of foam aren't needed, but they come in handy for the beginner. They help you hold poses longer, conserving strength so you can go longer. They help set proper alignment and modify poses to make them a little easier (such as bringing the ground up to you so you don't have to stretch so far) and they can prevent injury by preventing movement, like your knees/hips rotating too far. Making your own is simple enough, as you can sand a piece of wood in 6”x9”x4” proportions. For those without woodworking materials or inclination, or those needing a lighter block, I recommend the paperback block. Trade paper back books of ill-repute (romance novels) that are approx 6x9 or the standard paperback of 4-1/4″ x 7″ should be collected/found. Pile 6x9 books 4” tall (or just 3” high for those with smaller hands,) and any 4-1/4”x7” standard paperbacks to 9” tall stacks. These you can wrap together permanently with duct tape, or if you want to read them again, have them cinch-belted together. Or, you can use any appropriate sized book on its own (just make sure if you have a 'block' under each hand, they are the same height to promote even alignment.) No crappy novels on hand? If you come across some large chunks of styrofoam, these can be cut to the same magic sizes and covered with duct tape. Otherwise, cut cardboard rectangles 6"x 9" until your pile is about 3-4” tall. Glue them together, then wrap in duct tape. Warning: cats see these as scratching posts in gift wrap, so keep them out of sight when not in use if you have feline company.

Wrist Supports / Wedges:

Store Bought	Alternative: Tennis Ball, Rolled Edge, Sanded Baseboard
$15.00	$0.33 Tennis ball or Free if you just roll your mat or $3.00/ft or less baseboard trim plus woodworking

The wedge’s curve or incline lessens the degree your wrist will need to bend; it brings the floor closer to your hands in the pose. A yoga wedge is approx. 20” long, 1-2” tall and 6.5” wide, and wrist wedges are the same, only approx 5-6” long each (and you use 2 at a time.) A yoga wedge can be made out of wood or firm, scratch-resistant foam. Smooth a piece of molding that approximates the wedge dimensions, and finish it. Those with weak wrists but no woodworking skills should try a tennis ball cut in half, which can have the same effect. Here's a good video for using wrist wedges. In the video, she also suggests rolling the edge of the yoga mat to achieve the same support/reminder as from wedges.  Super simple, and free.

Yoga Straps:

Store Bought:	Alternative: Ties/belts, Obi, Bathrobe Belt
$7-15	$0.50-$4 used ties/belts plus sewing or $2 used judo gi obi or Free w/reuse of bathrobe belt

A yoga strap is used to force alignment, assist in holding limbs in place, and allow poses where maybe you can't quite touch your hands behind your back. This is a nice overview on using straps here.  Now, a typical strap is 1.5" wide and 6', 8', or 10' wide. Judo gi belts (as in, black belt, or green belt) are called obi, and are made of tough cotton with stitching run through them. You may find them in random colors at thrift stores. They will range in length from barely 5' (kids obi) to 8' or more, depending on the size of person who originally got it (the obi is made to wrap around the waist twice, plus 95cm to make a knot). If Judo isn't big in your area, find 2 men's ties and sew together for one long piece of material, or find some canvas/soft belts with the D buckles and sew them together. Wait for a thrift store half of sale, and it shouldn't set you back more than $4. Rummage sale for ugly ties, and it shouldn't set you back more than $0.50. If you really don't want to spend anything, just steal the belt of your (or your S.O.'s) bathrobe. Replace it before they catch you, though. :)

Yoga Bolster:

Store Bought:	Alternative: Sewn Bolster w/Stuffing, Blankets, Towels, Lg Throw Pillows
$30-80	Free w/reuse of old blanket or $3-12 cloth material plus sewing and $3-12 in used blankets or $2-6 stiff/firm used decorative pillows

A yoga bolster is firm padding that is meant to be supportive and firm but soft, to aid you in various poses. A bought bolster – say that 5 times fast!- will set you back anywhere from $30-80 bucks. It is essentially padding, and they found in a variety of size, shapes, and 'firmness'. Finding a soft, thick- material blanket (like the old wool ones) is all you need to make a bolster for yourself – just fold it into quarters, fold that in half and roll up, and take a second blanket folded into quarters and fold around it in 'business tri-fold of paper' fashion. Or just roll it up to whatever dimensions you need. Towels can be used the same way. Want something more permanent? Roll up some not-so-great thrift store blankets and stuff them in this 'bolster' pillow case – instructions here. Another not-so standard item I require now for yoga is a pillow, for my knees. You can use a blanket for that, too, or a larger decorative throw pillow. The really well packed ones can still be found in thrift stores for a couple of bucks, and a few of those can be used together as bolster fill-ins for some positions, too.

Eye Masks:

Store Bought:	Alternative: Sewn Rice Mask, Rice Baggie in a Tie, Rice Sock
$4-15	$1 in material scraps, plus sewing and $0.05 rice or $1 scrap tie, $0.05 baggie and $0.05 rice or Free w/reuse of sock, and $0.05 rice

I hadn't even heard about these until writing this article, but it makes sense. Eye masks are used as a sort of 'sensory deprivation/focus' tool when lying stretched out to relax (called savasana=corpse pose.) They block light and allow pressure gently around the eyes/brow/sinus region. There a lot of people with 'make your own' tutorials online, usually involving some scrap soft cloth and rice sewn into an figure 8 shape or rectangle. I think I will try putting rice in a gallon Ziploc bag, rolling it thin and shoving it inside a soft cotton men's tie. Otherwise, just grab a tall sock without holes, fill it with a small amount of rice, and tie one end shut. 

Less Food Waste: Plan Ahead, Buy What You Need

Food waste is a big topic of late.  39% of Americans felt the most green-guilt about wasting food, versus 27% for wasting water or 21% for not recycling*.  Perhaps it is because of the media coverage and awareness of the 1.1 billion starving people in the world.  Perhaps it is because they get mad at the food and so themselves.  Whatever the reason, fighting food waste as a cause is gaining support, its banner being picked up by companies, coalitions, communities, and consumers.  There are many places between farm and table where food becomes wasted, but I want to talk about how someone can prevent food waste from the consumer point-of-view.  
*Per Shelton Group survey; I want to know why 21% of people weren't recycling!

I plan to share tips, ideas, and methods of how consumers can prevent food waste in their daily lives.  I will also be discussing technology, innovations, markets, and community actions that can help you prevent throwing away food-shaped money.  To start, I want to go over this Consumer's Guide to Preventing Food Waste.

Preventing Food Waste:  The Consumer's Guide

Now, I'm going to go over all the steps in this nifty chart for what you, as a consumer, need to be considering.  Mostly, I want to give a layout on how I operate (though I still have food fall through the cracks!), and offer ideas to help you modify your routine into a workable, sustainable fight against food waste.

Today, I will go over "Planning Ahead" and "Buying What You Need."  Bear with me any of you warehouse or couponing people, because this is the account of one person in a small townhome, so I physically can't stock 4 boxes of Wheat Thins.

Plan Ahead:
"What's for dinner?"
"Ummm...."
Unless you have a hotdish called "Ummm", chances are you aren't planning meals.  This is a serious mistake if you want to save money, prevent food waste, or have time to relax.  Meal planning is never a 'one style fits all' activity, and you will need to find the methods that work for you.  Squawk Fox has some nice images and comments on meal planning here.

Some tips based on how I've developed meal planning:

• Consider planning your meals on the same day of each week.  Schedule it like a doctor's appointment, so it gets done.  Mine is Tuesday (the same night Supernatural is on TV.)
• Consider making your 'meal plan' day the same as when you receive stores' sales flyers (I get mine, surprise, on Tuesdays).  This lets you cash in on the stores' loss leaders for the week, without feeling obliged to stock excessive amounts of sale foods when you are in the store. (because you know you'll be planning meals off next week's sales, anyway.) 
• Consider making a 'rotation' chart to help plan 'what' meals.  See an example of this method here.
• Have a recipe box, binder, or document that contains your family's favorites that you can make easy-peasy.  Standby recipes are less stressful, and having them all in one place helps write grocery lists.  Do try new dishes, but don't make the entire week a culinary adventure or you will get tired.
• If you want to really get the freshest foods and best values, plan your meals according to what foods are in season.  Check out Kitchn's list of resources on this.
• With the meals chosen, make a list of the ingredients from the recipes.
• Go through ALL of your food storage areas to see what you already have, so you only shop for what you need.
• Write your meal plans down and put them somewhere VISIBLE for the entire household to see.  Then everyone knows what to expect, and if someone is old enough to complain, they are old enough to plan their own meal for that day (even 5 year olds can make a sandwich.)
• Prepare what you can ahead of time, secure that it will be used on Day X.  Make sure to follow the same rules as with other foods, properly storing what you make and making sure it gets used in time.

Buy What You Need:

When a is a deal not a deal?  Saving money on groceries isn't always just how cheap you can buy ingredients.  I would say Americans lose money by buying foods 'on sale' and then having them languish, stored improperly or so well hidden they are forgotten- until the smell reminds you, or you see the Wheaties box with the winning Minnesota Twins on it.  So, to reiterate from the Planning Ahead:

• With the meals chosen, make a list off of the ingredients from the recipes.  Go through ALL of your food storage areas to see what you already have, so you only shop for what you need.

So, now you have to go out and get the food:

• Taking my grocery list of things I need, I pencil in the approx regular price of each item, or the sale price and what store has it.  (If you have a price book, take it out now to keep it updated with sale price info.) Total this up.
• I then take out cash for this amount plus $10-15 for 'stock-up' sale purchases to be used in later weeks (I will take out more if a basic meat or expensive item is on super sale.)  Cash keeps you faithful to your list and prevents overspending.
• I keep my grocery list in my wallet (though will be trying some phone apps soon.)  As the list is written per recipe, I won't run to a store for their sales if I know I don't need to until Friday. Some people do better getting groceries all at once (especially if they get one day without kids,) but with my schedule, I'm usually on the road each day, anyway, so I stop in when its convenient for me and on the way home.
• Eat before you shop.  Bring a water bottle from home.  If you are notorious for your sweet tooth (guilty!) then keep homemade cookies or snacks on you and have one before going into the store.  You want to feel already satisfied and happy while you are shopping, so the displays and sweets won't tempt you. 

What stores to go to:

• Avoid stores that put number requirements on their super sales - I like the store Albertson's, but when they require me to buy 4 lbs of butter or strawberries to get the sale price, I can't justify it unless I have the time and space to dehydrate/freeze that week. 
• Avoid BOGO (Buy One Get One) sales unless it is something you can use in 1 week or is very easily stored.  It seems like you are missing out on the great price, but if everyone stops being lured by BOGO (or number requirements), the stores will have to go back to just putting the single items on sale, again.
• Avoid warehouse stores, as they often rely on selling large bulk amounts.  If you know you can eat the affordable 3 pack of something before it goes bad, then do it, but don't buy 4 lbs of cheap pretzels and 'hope' to get through them.
• If you shop liquidation / discount stores for food, pay attention to expiration dates and have a very clear idea of what items you can stock up on and what you already have in stock, as super cheap items tend to lull us into a, "Oh, I"ll just get it" mentality, where 'it' usually ends up stale/expired/thrown away in a month. 
• If you shop farmer's markets, or try get everything organic, know that many of these foods won't keep like their waxed/treated/preservative ladden counter-parts.  Buy your amounts accordingly.  You can barter for a smaller pack for less     

Regarding coupons: 

• I personal only browse coupons after my list is written.    
• If you coupon, don't open that coupon book until AFTER you have a list.  Coupons are used to get you to buy more of things you didn't need.  
• If you are a regular super-coupon user, do what you do, as you should be able to avoid the 'but I have a coupon' unnecessary purchasing and you (hopefully) have a system for storage.  I am infrequent in my coupon use because I usually buy my foods cheaper in bulk/off brand, anyway.

Update 1/20/2014 --I just attended an Extreme Couponing demonstration, and these guys are getting organized!  I can see how the 'extreme' couponers pull it off now, though I can't make it work in my lifestyle right now.  If you can physically store up to 3 months of an items' use and can keep track of rotating inventory/watching expiration dates, then you might want to check them out.  Read more here... 

Another Pet Adopted (and my first video post).

At the family farm in Minnesota, my mom noticed a kitten in the barn that was very young for it being October.  Kittens born late in the year often don't survive the cold winters, even in the protection of the barn.  Mom had mentioned this to a gal at her work, who said they were looking at getting a kitten.  So, mom grabbed the little ball of fluff and delivered it to its new home.  The family loved the kitten, the kitten loved the family, and it was a happy ending all the way around.  It goes to show that sometimes we save things a whole lot more precious than money.

It is interesting to note that this particular kitten is the offspring of a rescued cat that was found living under an empty trailer house, and a stray male that wandered onto the farm and just, well, stayed.  I think it is important to make sure that people wanting pets find them in the places where there are too many, first.  Also, spaying and neutering have become essential to maintain a healthy and managed population, so make sure to factor that in. Contact your local vet and/or humane society if you can't afford the spay/neuter, as often there are set days set or drives held where this is performed for a small fee only.  And keep the boys (blue) and the girls (pink) from making any purple until it's done.

Mystery Stuff: Useless Contraptions #1

Welcome to a new series:  Mystery Stuff!

I've always been fascinated by the variety of ways humans find to do things, and I've always been amused by some of the weirder, more inventive, clever, or more pointless ones.  Tools, toys, or tchotchkes, I've seen an impressive array of 'stuff' that did stuff. Whether 100 year old antiques or modern "Seen On TV" items, I started taking pictures of them.  Now, I'm going through photos to test your knowledge of what 'stuff' is or what it was used for.

I am starting with what I like to call the "Useless Contraptions".  These are things that people could buy or have bought that ended up not being the hip thing they thought.  Often, these items have the original packaging and are found for sale in thrift stores or liquidation shops.  If you would like to play Mystery Stuff!, just give your guess in the comments, stating what you think the item is/was used for, and include a guess about how much they were charging for it at the time I took the photo.

Today's mystery:

This is a  __________________?
Current Price: ______________?

Leave your guesses in the comments!  I may even put together a prize for the first right answer, but let's see how many guessers I can get first...

Curbside Recycle "No-no" List: HVAC Filters

Curbside Recycle "No-no" List: 

In trying to reduce waste, I buy and use less if I can.  I try find durable or reusable options.  But when I can't do either of those, I try to make sure what I buy can be recycled.  I noticed in reviewing my curbside recycling program that they didn't accept many things that I thought for sure were advertised as recyclable somewhere.  So, I am going through their 'no-no' list and writing up ways to keep those items from the landfill with just a bit of effort on the consumer's part.  The motto?  Do without, reduce, reuse, or recycle.

Today's "no-no" list item:  Air-conditioning and furnace filters 
It would seem nobody accepts these to recycle in my area, which is sad, as each household uses between 2 and 12 of them every year.  So, I started to rack my brain on what could be done to prevent this landfill filler.

Do without:
Not an option.  Though while saving on anything the easiest way is to go without, the air filter is required for the proper function of the HVAC unit - the filter prevents larger and medium particles from reaching the inner workings of the machine, where they could clog and damage moving parts, and clogged filters can overheat or freeze HVAC equipment.  So, no going without one and no leaving in the original.

Reduce: 
Many manufacturers recommend changing the filter every 30 days.  This number was reached, in my opinion, by the manufacturers finding the worst case scenario and preventing it from affecting their machine.  Worst case scenario for an HVAC filter is a home with lots of furry pets, smokers, cooking, interior construction or dust-creating hobbies, constant carpets/vacuuming, and dirty ducts or higher-than-normal operation of the HVAC machines themselves.  These factors all effect how fast particles in the air accumulate on the filter.  Too many particles holding onto the filter and the filter starts to restrict the air flow the machines need to continue working well.

So, to avoid the recommended changing of every 30 days, and perhaps stretch the 90 day requirement, you should avoid the worst case scenarios.  These tips will also improve your indoor air quality, as well as save you in other ways:

• Don't allow smoking inside (and quit if you really want to save something).  
• Consider less-furry breeds of pets , and consider shaving (when temperature appropriate) the furry pets you have.  
• Brush your animals outside regularly.  
• Turn on the hood fan when cooking over the stove.  
• Vacuum often to capture particles and remove them (and consider getting a HEPA filter vacuum if you have allergies, as vacuuming does put more dust up in the air for short periods of time).  
• Perform dust-creating activities in an open air environment
• Use dust-catching sheets and tarps during construction
• Have ducts cleaned regularly 
• Ensure you install the filter correctly, and it fits properly
• Have an efficiency expert look at your furnace and A/C units, and have regular maintenance done on machinery to prevent over-working.
• Keep your house colder in cold weather and warmer in warm to run machinery less.   

There is always the debate on whether 'blowing' out an air filter allows it to function longer.  I would say that if you have animals or a high amount of dust, taking a filter outside and blowing air through it from a good distance away and from the opposite direction as airflow would only help it function better, even if it doesn't make it last longer.  Slight dust build up actually helps some filters, as the dust makes the holes smaller for the air to go through.  Too much dust/hair, though, and the holes plug, starving the machinery for air.  Too hard of compressed air being blown on a filter can widen and damage the size of the holes, preventing their ability to trap dust.  So, even if the filter still needs replacing every 90 days, a light and gentle 'blow out' can help its performance along.

Mind you, the really, really expensive filters that say they can trap .3 micron particles also clog up faster than the regular filters, so need replacing more often.  It has been argued, and I think well, that thinking of your furnace as an air-purifying system is a silly notion.  First, the HVAC doesn't run all the time, so you are still breathing in particles the other 75% to 90% of the time inside.  Second, the air intake vents with filters are rarely located where the worst polluted air is (kitchen, baths and animal areas).  Third, the filter is designed to prevent the worst of the thick dust/particles from reaching the machine, but the machine has other openings and small gaps that are sucking up particles and sending them down the ductwork (unless you found that efficiency expert to fix that problem).  So, cleaning the ducts regularly would do more for helping air quality than just a filter could hope for.  Unless you really feel the need for them or need all the air quality help you can get (they do trap what they catch, which can be a lot), expensive filters aren't the most effective way to improve air quality in your home.

No matter what, check the filter every 30 days to ensure it is not accumulating an odd amount of gunk, as is the case during sandstorms or visiting dogs.  Be ready to change normal filters at the least every 90 days of normal operation unless you know the system well and are sure it is functioning at its best even with longer filter use.  See HowStuffWorks or this Global News article for great details on HVAC operation and further filter considerations.

Reuse- 

The alternate to using less is to find reusable options for things.  In the world of air conditioning filters, there are permanent 'washable' filters.  One style I found is made of plastic polymer mesh that can be cleaned, dried and reseated into a hard plastic 'cage' that fits the filter opening.  Another style has metal webbing sheets set in a metal frame that are washed regularly in a similar fashion.  These filters should be cleaned once ever 1-3 months, fully dried before replacement (meaning part of a day without the HVAC on unless you buy two) and last purportedly 3-5 years.  If you have a permanent filter, vacuum off the dusty side before rinsing, and run the water from the back to push the dirt off the mesh.  For the metal ones, some companies recommend treating with 'ZAP', an oil/dust cleaner that rinses off with water.  Permanent filters are often electrostatic, though you have to confer with our machine's manual to see if electrostatic filters are advised or not.  One should make sure the filter mesh, especially if you size it yourself, has a tight fit inside the cage, and that the cage has a tight fit in the filter opening area to prevent air from whooshing past it.  Permanent electrostatic washable filters, which I saw online from $25-50 dollars depending on size and material, state to have a higher impact on trapping particles than the really cheap/flimsy disposable filters you can get for a few dollars.  I wonder why there isn't more information on these, as re-usable filters don't seem to take much more effort than changing filters, anyway.

Recycle:

People say that companies have take back programs, but I couldn't locate any online information from the big manufactures of filter about any recycling program or efforts.  I buzzed the internet, and found that only one company seems to make it easy for the consumer to have the old filter recycled.  This would be the Fresh Air Club, who sell filters by mail to you on a schedule, accept the return your old filter and recycle it, and supposedly plant a tree for every returned/recycled filter they receive.  Their pricing doesn't seem too expensive for the service, when you figure they are selling the higher-efficiency filters, which are more when bought in the store, anyway.  With an 'every-90-day' scheduled purchase of a single filter costing you $19.95 (additional filters $15.95 each), it is shipped free, where you then have a pre-paid shipping label and the box to send back your old filter for recycling.  So, $80 a year in filters, but you know none of them are going in the landfill, and you help plant 4 trees.  Not a super affordable option compared to the reusable filters, but if you can't do reusable (like me, where my lease specifies my filter changing) this is a nice, convenient and earth-friendly route.

So, now that you read all that, what are you going to do when it is time to change your filter?

Keeping Up On Recycling: Why More Stuff is Recyclable

Caution::  I am going to get on my Recycling Soap Box.

Local Recycling and Working around "No-No Lists":

Recycling in many cities is simple, with a blue bin given to each house and a list available of what to put in it.  But what about the thousands of items that aren't allowed in the blue bin?  Many of these items on the city's recycling 'no-no list' could be recycled, but are just not accepted by the municipality's recycling center.  The reasons for this vary, often a case of cost, demand, or volume issues.  The truth is, though, waste management is becoming more than one companies' business, and those 'no-no lists' are being tackled by corporations, manufacturers, and consumers to allow for more and more recycling and less landfill.  Here is a brief review of why things are becoming 'yes-yes' recyclable and how to help keep the recycling movement going.

Producers Learning To Produce Less Waste:
Due to the growing awareness of waste and its effects on the environment, many alternatives for handling waste are being implemented by those that make the items to begin with.  The concept of Product Take Back, where businesses that profit from the items sold are held responsible for those items' eventual disposal, is gaining acceptance by both consumers and producers.

Many companies are stepping up and providing a redemption/recycling options at their physical store locations. Batteries and light bulbs are taken at Batteries&Bulbs stores.  Electronics are taken at Best Buy.  Shopping bags are taken at many store fronts, and, well, the list goes on.  Consumer websites like 1800recycling.com and earth911.com are resources developed to help connect consumers to these types of programs.

Other companies are striving to create products that have less demand for resources throughout their life cycle, including their eventual disposal.  For example, credit cards and gift cards are now ubiquitous with 'christmas' and 'birthday', but their one-time-use makes their original hard plastic material (unfriendly PVC) problematic.  In response, recycling methods developed, such as Retailer Gift Card Return Programs, initiatives that encourage consumers and retailers to send back zero-value gift cards for recycling into earth-friendly, reusable sheet material.  Simple recycling of PVC like this, though, is a stop gap method (as the PVC is turned into more PVC products that are then landfilled) and has gotten more difficult to do as others companies forged ahead with materials that can't be mixed with PVC.  Target, Apple and others have started making their gift cards from bio-plastics, plastics derived from plants designed to degrade/compost after use.  These are supposedly using less resources and energy in their manufacture, as well.  Still other companies look at the simple 'look' of the card, making gift cards that become ornaments, or are thinner, or smaller shapes with hollowed interiors.  Even more to the point, many companies, like Apple, are promoting e-gift cards, where the card info is sent to a valid email and no plastic is required.

Another aspect of design that is improving is engineers 'closing the loop' for their products.  When a product reaches its "End of life", it is considered no longer useful, be it something like one-use dixie cups, packaging, or software/hardware which is no longer marketed, sold, or sustained (RIP Windows XP - *sniff*.)  Design can be used to make the end-of-life of a product a planned event.  An item is kept in play by being designed to be either compostable/recyclable, repairable/upgrade-able, or by being durable enough to simply continue working.  Consider take-out food containers, which don't need to survive longer than the ride home.  Items like this, with short use, should be designed to be easily recycled or biodegrade quickly and harmlessly.  They compost and become soil, or cease to take up space in the land fill.  Other things, like furniture, cars, or jackets, should be built to last a lifetime - that 1950's formica-topped metal table is still around, but what about the desk you bought at Walmart?  Didn't survive college, did it?  By playing with materials, design, and construction, more and more engineers and designers are working to create 'real good' goods, not ones 'designed for the dump' with short life spans and heavy resource demands.  Technology is a growing problem, because it lies somewhere in the middle of these two 'required life spans'.  As tech is always improving, old tech becomes obsolete with impressive speed.  These issues engineers are handling by trying to create upgradable and more easily repairable items, or at the least coming up with accessible designs, which assist in removing usable parts from an old machine for reuse.  Programs are developing to rate their success, such as EPEAT, and greener electronics that don't use the chemicals or hazardous materials are being demanded by different consumer groups.

Still other companies are working to infiltrate the waste stream on its way out.  In many places in Europe, a system called 'Green Dot' operates within the waste stream, sifting out and ensuring the recycling of products that producers have pre-paid to have handled as such.  Due to EU law, even those not participating in Green Dot have to have some similar structure that redistributes the cost of disposal/recycling back to producers of such packaging.  Italy has a packaging recovery scheme called CONAI, in Denmark and Hungary a packaging tax is applied, Finland uses the symbol (PYR) to designate compliance, and Switzerland has special systems for each type of material.  I find it sad there isn't more activity like this in the US.

Product Take Back, End-of-Life design and redesign, and required financing of product disposal are just some of the ways that coalitions, governments and companies are stepping up to do better for consumers and the environment.  These are all steps in the right direction, but in the end, it is still up to us, the consumers, to be hyper-aware of what issues need to be fixed and actively support further steps to be taken.  It is up to us to utilize the systems of recycle or reclamation that are developed while encouriging more.  Most importantly, it is up to us to keep the pressure on others, be it family or senators, and educate and empower everyone to work together and do better for our future.

Thank you for reading, I will get off my soap box now.  Next Recycling Soap Box discussion: How Consumers Can

Old Magazines: Reuse and Recycling

After getting so many free magazine subscriptions, I realized they had to go somewhere when I was done reading them for their content.  Over the years, I've developed lots of ways to play with, create from, and recycle magazines, and here is an overview of some of those ways.

::CUT UP USES FOR MAGAZINES::

Magazines often are printed on a high grade paper with shiny ink.  This is what makes them bad for the environment, as the chemicals and energy used in the processing of paper and making of inks can wreak havoc on an environmental footprint.  These same qualities make them ideal for a variety of visual and artistic uses.

::On the Walls::

1.  Simplest reuse is to take images and articles fit for framing and do just that.  If you see pages you like, whether ads or images from articles, cut out the page, and frame it in vamped up picture frames.

2.  Or, just find images you like and tape them up in a pleasing collage on a barren wall.  Short on ideas? Just google "magazine collage ideas" and look at image results.

3.  Use those images and cut into 6x6 squares.  Using the Japanese Mat folding technique, fold, cut and glue into position for one-of-a-kind wall art.

::In the Craft Bin::

1.  Use larger images as papers in any of your paper craft items- scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc.

2.  Pages of a certain color can be cut into triangles and rolled into beads.

3.  Cut out the images and use in place of stickers - alarm clocks, cute dogs, sea shells, all can be given a second life in cards and layouts.

4.  Use the wonderful fonts used as headings and in ads for titles to embolden a scrapbook page, or go 'ransom note' and collect letters of different fonts and put them together for titles. (Consider plastic baggies or a bead box to store them in, depending on what size you collect.)

5.  Use large sheets cut to a template to create colorful envelopes.

::As Toys::

1.  Home magazines with all kinds of furniture and house items can be used to make a 'paper house' in a notebook.  Cut out 'dolls' for the house from fashion magazines, along with the new doll's wardrobe.  Get creative - make paper pockets to look like wardrobe doors and store the cutout clothes, and cut out cabinet doors to hold paper pots and pans.

2.  Use larger images cut into squares for origami art - the writing on the backside can add a fun layer to the finished folded work.

3.  Glue a large image to a piece of cereal box cardboard and then glue over top to seal.  Cut out the image into shapes or puzzle pieces and create a puzzle for a little one.

4.  You can modge podge images you like onto toys, lunchboxes, notebooks or other items to personalize them at no cost beyond contact paper, glue, or packing tape. 

::As Creative Expressions::

1.  Use the images taken from magazines to complete posters for various causes.  I found cigarette ads and health journal images to create a collage image for anti-smoking, mixing the glamorous pictures with those of cancer cells.  

2.  Create color wheels of images cut out and placed together based on color.

3.  Start an 'emotion' journal, with images that express to the artist a different emotion on each page.

4.  Complete 'Shapes', 'Colors', 'Numbers' or any other concept book using cut out items.

5.  Create stories out of the items cut from magazines.  My sister was a pro at this, creating entertaining image stories on blank pages, with dogs tracking bones, ducks wading through bubbles, and more.

::As Words In the World::

1.  Use packing tape to back a phrase or image from a magazine, and then cover the front with packing tape, leaving 1/2"-1" overlap of sticky.  Stick this on like a bumper sticker.  

2.  Post it in reality.  There are a lot of articles that I've found interesting over the years, and sometimes I cut them out just to hand to a friend.  If I feel it is appropriate, I will post it on the message board at work for others to read while waiting for a ride or the bus.

::SECOND CHANCES FOR MAGAZINES::

If you aren't cutting the magazine up, consider the following:
1. Bring your more current editions to a store like Bookman's, which will give you store credit (or a measly amount of cash) for the popular titles.

2.  Sell your mags at a rummage sale.

3.  Donate your mags to the library if they have a Friend's of the Library set up that sells culled books and old magazines.

4.  Donate old mags to a local good will shop, hopefully one that helps with a cause you agree with.

5.  See if a local non-profit company could do with some reading material in their waiting room.  If they can't accept your copies, let them in on the secrets of how to get them for free.

::END OF THE LINE::

Once you've read, cut and/or mangled your magazines, make sure the remnants get recycled:
1.  Place in a paper recycle bin for your local municipal recycling center.

2.  Drop off to a "Paper Retriever" bin at the school or operation of your choice - they get paid by the pound for the paper they can collect in the bins.

3.  See if your library has a recycle bin for them, as they, too, often recycle broken books and old papers and get paid by the pound.