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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Top 10 Things We Didn’t Know We Can Recycle

Mar 31, 2021 05:07PM ● By Gina Saks

Recycling goes beyond newspapers and plastic bottles—there are many municipal recycling programs and eco-conscious businesses that can recycle just about any household item. Check out these 10 things one may not have known can be recycled. 

  • CDs. The mighty CD had its day, but the vast majority of new cars and electronic devices do not even have CD-playing capability. Fortunately, they are recyclable. Mail them to a company like GreenDisk.com so they can be melted down and reused in the building and automotive industries.
  • Cellphones. The average person uses their cell phone for only two to three years. When upgrading, instead of throwing the old phone away, users can do a trade-in program with their mobile carrier, sell to secondhand stores like GadgetGone.com or drop them off at their local Staples or Best Buy for recycling. 
  • Refrigerators. There are a lot of materials in a refrigerator that can be salvaged. Local waste management companies may have a program for large appliance recycling or find a local scrap-metal yard that will happily accept old fridges. If the appliance still works, donate it to the Salvation Army. 
  • Wine Corks. If not using wine corks for a home decor project, consumers can recycle their corks at a Cork Forest Conservation Alliance dropbox (located in some Whole Foods Market locations) or mail them for free to ReCORK.com. 
  • Crayons. Believe it or not, all those cracked, unwanted crayons have a future. CrazyCrayons.com has a recycling program that melts down old crayons and recycles them into new ones. 
  • Yoga Mats. Unfortunately, many budget yoga mats are made from PVCs, a very difficult plastic to recycle. However, some recycling facilities or hazardous material centers will accept them (sometimes for a small fee), so call to find out the options. Also, gently used mats can be donated to local community centers.  
  • Old Towels. All those old towels, 
  • even the ripped ones, can provide much needed comfort to rescue animals at local shelters. 
  • Eyeglasses. For those extra eyeglasses one no longer uses or needs, like from changing an eyesight prescription, there are nonprofits like Lion’s Club, OneSight.org and VSPGlobal.com that will recycle them by matching one’s prescription to low-income individuals. 
  • Sneakers. Old athletic shoes can be recycled through Terracycle.com or Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program, which recycles shoes into actual running surfaces like tracks and courts.
  • Diapers. Yup, even used diapers can be recycled thanks to a company called Knowaste that recycles them into sanitized paper pulp and plastic components. 

While these items can’t be thrown right into the recycle bin, there are quick and easy steps one can take to keep them and many more out of the landfills to be recycled or reused.

Gina Saka is a freelance writer for Natural Awakenings magazine editions around the country. To connect, email her at [email protected].

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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