Eco-Organize in Honor of Earth Day
...All Year Round!

Consider things you can do to help make our planet a safer and healthier place to live year-round. You may be surprised how one simple change to your daily routine can make a big impact. Here are some ways to Eco-Organize — organizing with environmental consciousness.  

þ    Don’t need it? Give it away. Don’t automatically throw things you no longer need in the garbage. Donate them to a charity instead. Many local organizations will pick up from your home and others have drop-off centers. Remember, you can write off your charitable donations on your tax return. Another way to minimize landfill waste is to sign up for a free local online recycling network like Freecycle (www.freecycle.org).

þ    Is it hazardous? If you’re cleaning out your basement or garage, chances are you will run across some nasty chemicals that must be disposed of in a special waste collection. Some items to look for are household cleaners, batteries, and medicine — prescription or over-the-counter. Look for special hazardous waste collection events in your area or bring your items to DuPage County’s permanent collection site in Naperville (630-420-4190).

þ    What about electronics? Electronics (a.k.a. E-waste) must also be properly recycled to prevent chemicals such as cadmium, lead and mercury from contaminating our soil, water and air. Examples of E-waste are: phones, computers and accessories, speakers, TVs, stereos, VCRs, DVD players, cameras, game systems. Make sure the place you recycle your E-Waste is "14,001 Certified" - which assures that proper dismantling procedures are followed.  One such place is United Recycling Industries in West Chicago, (630-231-6060).

þ    Set up a Recycling Center in your home. Convenience is key. By creating an easily accessible place to put your recyclables, you’ll be more likely to recycle. Most towns offer free curbside collection of plastics (#1-5 & #7), glass bottles/jars, aluminum cans/foil, paper (including junk mail, newspapers, magazines, paper grocery bags), and cardboard. Be sure to recycle plastic grocery bags at your local grocery store.

For more earth-friendly organizing ideas, contact Linette at (630) 276-8600 or organizeme@getorganizedbygeorge.com.

2008 Earth Month Charitable Donation

SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education) has been a great resource for Get Organized by George, Inc. anytime we need to know how to properly dispose of or recycle unwanted items from client's homes and offices. As our way of saying "Thank You" to SCARCE for the tireless assistance and information they provide, we donated 10% of all client fees to SCARCE during the month of April.
For more information on SCARCE, visit their website at www.bookrescue.org.
 

2008 DuPage County Recycling Events: Responsibly discard your outdated electronics, bikes, books, latex paint and more!
(information courtesy of SCARCE)

Naperville ReUse & Recycling Extravaganza
Save Natural Resources - RECYCLE!!!   Naperville North High School 899 Mill St   Saturday, June 7 9 am - 3 pm	ACCEPTED: Bikes & Bike Parts, Books, Cell Phones, ELECTRONICS, Eyeglasses, Flags, Hearing Aids, InkJet Cartridges, Keys, Scrap Metal NOT ACCEPTED: Air Conditioners, Console Televisions, Construction Material, HHW, Lawnmowers or Tires, Animal Carriers, Crates, Leashes, Towels, Sheets or Gym Shoes FREE Event - For more information, call Dept of Public Works 630.420.4190.

Save $ and Energy, Use CFLs

Every Bulb Makes a Difference! A recent blurb in the Chicago Tribune re-emphasized switching out incandescent light bulbs for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs which use about ¼ the energy of their counterparts. To RECYCLE your CFLS in DuPage County, call your local ACE Hardware or Whole Foods Store. To find other recycling centers, log onto www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/if/univwast/lamps/liv e.htm EPA

2008 Latex Paint Recycling Program
	June 2nd will kick off DuPage County's 8th free summer latex paint recycling program at the Woodridge Wastewater Treatment Facility, 7900 S. Rte. 53. Latex paint can be dropped off M-F from 8am-2pm and a few Saturdays.

Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign
April 28 to July 28	Save Natural Resources - RECYCLE!!! NEED with the US Dept of Energy & ENERGY STAR are partnering to educate students & their parents about energy efficiency and to make a difference by recycling an old refrigerator or freezer. For more information, visit www.RecycleMyOldFridge.com. Recycle My Old Fridge

 
If these DuPage County sites are not convenient, please check with your local county government to see what special recycling services are being offered this month:

Northern Cook County: http://www.swancc.org/

West Cook County: http://www.westcook.org/wccswa/recycling.asp

Kane County: http://www.co.kane.il.us/Environment/recycle/

Lake County: http://www.co.lake.il.us/swalco/

Will County: http://www.willcountylanduse.com/WasteServ/news.html