Dell is also offering NextLife refurbished ink cartridges for many popular printer models that print up to 20% more pages than new, reduce waste in our landfills, and reduce resources used to produce new.  EPA estimates in 2003 said we dump 400 million cartridges into landfills each year.  If even 1% of that number was refurbished, it would be the equivalent in CO2 reduction of planting 15,000 trees.  That makes NextLife Ink cartridges a economically AND environmentally good choice!  Go to the Dell site and type in NextLife into the site search.

http://www.realtor.org/rmohome_and_design/articles/2009/0902_househome_greener

 We have become a nation of consumers. We all have so much STUFF we don’t really need, and we are not very aware of the ultimate cost of these habits.  The more STUFF we buy, the more materials are mined, harvested, or otherwise extracted, and the more waste we have to dispose of.   That’s a problem with serious environmental costs on both ends of a process called the Materials Economy, which involves extraction (use of finite natural resources), production (producing pollutants, using energy), distribution (more pollutants, more energy use), consumption (that’s us, and ok, the fun part), and disposal.  You KNOW that last one is a problem…

 Our enthusiastic (and not very well thought out purchasing) strains finite natural resources of water, minerals, oil, forests, animals; contributes billions of tons of unnecessary pollution, and goes quickly (only 1% of what we buy is still in use in six months!) into landfills that pollute water and soil.  We all know the toll that buying all this STUFF on credit has on our financial health, too.

 There is a wonderful, entertaining little video called “The Story of Stuff” that delightfully illustrates this whole idea, and you might even find it appropriate for children to help them understand how it helps the planet to resist the siren call of “more stuff!”

It’s high time we become more conscious in our buying decisions.  We need to reclaim thrift as a value, and be wise about the whole cycle of purchasing.  The next time an ad tempts you to be happier, healthier, sexier, or smarter by buying “whatever”; think twice.  Consider whether this purchase will REALLY deliver on that promise.  Maybe you could: Buy used/refurbished, borrow it from a friend, rent it, repair the one you have, trade or share. 

We have to work to change the paradigm we currently operate in, which has been humorously identified as “The one with the most toys when they die wins”.  Maybe instead of buying YET another pair of shoes to feel better, we call a friend. Or volunteer to clean up a local park.  We can learn to be involved with other people in ways that don’t involve getting in the car and going to the mall and buying things we don’t really need because we saw them on TV.  It can be so satisfying to grow things yourself, make it from scratch, repair, and otherwise be a wise and conservative steward of  dwindling resources.

 If buying is really the only good solution, compare carefully.  Consider the entire life cycle.  Buy products produced as intelligently as possible; minimal packaging, produced as locally as possible.  Consider the extraction part of the cycle.  Fair trade? Animal friendly?  Renewable resources? Read labels for toxic chemicals in the products.  A good one for cosmetics is the Cosmetics Safety Database. Is the same product available without coloring or additives?  Is it sturdy; will it last?  Many products now are intended to be disposable for convenience, but consider the wastefulness of that with each purchase.  Maybe a real razor with refills over plastic disposables.  Buy larger sizes to cut down on wasteful packaging.  Buy in bulk.  Also shop locally, and carry your own bag.  Stanberry has sturdy, reusable tote bags available for the asking!  

Tune in to Stanberry Sustainable Living Seven (3) for the next step in the process, disposing of waste in the best ways possible.

Protecting and preserving our resources is everybody’s job, and it relies on these R’s…reducing consumption, reusing what we can and recycling what is beyond reuse.

Learning the basics of the new three R’s is simple once you understand the benefits and follow some basic guidelines:

Properly dispose of your recyclable items to insure that they end up in the right place to be recycled, saving the energy and cost required to create a new can, bottle or paper cup. Simple fact: up to 75% of America’s trash can be recycled but current statistics indicate that only 25% is.

When we acquire and consume less, we reduce waste, helping us to become more environmentally conscious as consumers and citizens.

By reusing and recycling we reduce the impact upon our landfills. Which in turn helps to keep our planet safer and cleaner. Simple fact: toxins from garbage in landfills can leak and contaminate our ground water.

Recycling made Simple

      •  No need to remove stickers and labels from bottles, cans,
          jugs and jars
      •  Yes remove tops, metal lids, plastic lids, and caps
      •  No need to wash items clean
      •  Yes empty containers of food waste and no mold

Glass: all types

Metal: most cans, tins and aluminum foil

Paper: envelopes, boxes, magazines, newspapers, copy paper

Plastic: detergent containers, water bottles, milk jugs, food containers, most yogurt containers. For #3-#7 plastic types, check with your local facility.

Simplify by Reducing

Grocery Bags: Whether you chose paper or plastic in the past is not a concern. If you have either around still, reuse them. And for the future say no to both choices. Invest in reusable bags: canvas, mesh, cloth or even homemade bags are all environmentally friendly choices, not to mention more fashionable too.  Any Stanberry agent can give you a FREE reusable tote…

Water Containers: Just say no to disposable! It is recommended we drink 4-16oz bottles of water a day, that adds up to close to 120 disposable bottles per month. Quench your thirst and waste by investing in 3-4 refillable plastic bottles.

Reusable Coffee Mugs: No more double-cup plus a sleeve for the daily grind. Make it personal; purchase a reusable stainless or ceramic option to enjoy your cup-o-joe on the go.

And Lastly, Simply Reuse

Remember that great old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? We’ll it certainly still applies today; if you can’t find a place to recycle it, you can always donate it.

For further questions on recycling, the cans and cant’s or to donate specific items, try these sources:

      •  earth911.org
      •  obviously.com/recycle
      •  freecycle.org
      •  craigslist.org

Every act of conservation and caring matters. We hope the three R’s will become second nature in your everyday life.