Keep America Beautiful has declared November 15 America Recycles Day – and fortunately, there are a lot of easy ways for us to recycle stuff that we no longer need or want.

Here are a few of our recommendations on where to recycle/unload items that may be of no value to you anymore:

• Earth911.org - comprehensive info, by zip code.
• Moving? Use Recycled Boxes.
• Here’s how to recycle clothes.
• Gazelle.com will buy or help you sell your unwanted or outdated gadgets – I love this site.
• swaptree and freecycle – trade or give away stuff
• Apple Computer – take-back & recycling program for US and Canada.
• Dell Computer – partners with Staples or Goodwill for recycling old computers.
• Recycles.org – an exchange network; find someone who may need a used computer or other electronics.
• Oregon – where recycling efforts run deep.
• NRDC’s – extensive recycling support for NYC.
• Want to recycle your food scraps?  Get a composter – many are made of recycled material now.
• Another option to consider regarding your e-waste. Computers, cell phones, batteries, television and other electronic devices are made with harmful materials. Most of those items that you’re getting rid of can probably be repaired or used by someone else – when you upgrade your phone or computer or television it’s probably not broken beyond repair. If you’re not sure where to take your e-waste, check out E-cycling Central and find a location.

And for me friends across the pond:

• Cell phones, like golf clubs, cars and skis, will always be a product that is outdated by the time you learn how to use it.  contact  recyclemobilephones.co.uk/

Once you’ve surrendered all of your “don’t need anymore stuff,” you’ll have more room…room to stretch on that yoga mat and enjoy that feeling of having lightened your load responsibly:)

A few e-tailers who offer goods made of recycled and upcycled materials:

• terracycle.net – the premiere showcase for upcycling waste and creating all sorts of useful items.
• More and more companies and individuals are ecofashioning useful products and clothing from rPET (recycled plastic) – find cute umbrellas, undies, tee shirts, beach towels, totes and more @ aLotToSay.com
• BuyGreen.com has many items made from recycled material – from luggage, pens, hangers and clocks to pet and kids’ toys.  If you buy any item, and type recycled at checkout, you’ll receive 10% off, offer expires November 30.

Here are some astounding recycling-related facts provided by BuyGreen.com:

• A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose — and even longer if it’s in a landfill.
• Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups a year.  100 acres of Rain Forests get cut down every minute.
• Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour; most of them are thrown away, only 20% of them get recycled.
• A single quart of motor oil can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water, (so don’t pour that unused oil into storm drains).

And hey, don’t forget the value of antique and second hand shops, auctions and flea markets.  If you need a headboard, dresser, chairs, clothing or jewelry, snoop in your local vintage shops and poke around a weekend flea market for fabulous finds – save money and keep useful stuff in the mainstream rather than the waste stream.  Happy hunting.  (Check out Hell’s Kitchen flea market – Open every weekend from 10am to 6pm)

Related:  previously on altCon
Garbage Island: a sea of floating toxicity