Upcycling Ideas

1. Recycling Kitchen Knives - don't you hate to throw them away? Consider contacting one of the metal recycling places below - some of them even pay based on the metal content of the knives:

Aluminum Can/Metal Buy-Back Centers:
Custom Industries . . . 5400 W Old Bingham Hwy . . 801-280-3502
Metro Group . . . . . .401 W 900 S. . . . . . . . . 801-328-2051
Redwood Recycling . . . 6235 S Redwood Rd. . . . . 801-266-7298
Rocky Mtn. Recycling . . 3110 S 900 W. . . . . . . 801-972-5360
Utah Metal Works . . . . 805 W Everett Ave (1450 N)801-364-5679
Wasatch Metal . . . . . .205 W 3300 S . . . . . . .801-484-3511
Western Metals . . . . . 4221 W 700 S . . . . . . .801-975-9669
SIMS/Metal Mangmt . . . .3260 W 500 S . . . . . . .801-954-8888

2. Paper drinking straws are making a comeback:

http://www.aardvarkstraws.com/

(I had never heard of paper drinking straws before)

3. ReStore - Habitat for Humanity

ReStore is a Habitat for Humanity home improvement thrift store, where proceeds go toward building homes for low-income families. The store is at 1276 S. 500 West, Salt Lake City, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. To learn more or how to donate call 801-263-0136 or go to http://www.habitatsaltlake.com.

The store accepts all kinds of new and gently used items, such as appliances, doors, cabinets, electrical pieces, hardware, lawn and garden supplies, furniture, lumber, roofing materials, tools and windows, among many other things.

The store will even retrieve items from the homes of those who wish to donate.


4. Cork Board Craft Idea:

http://www.hgtv.ca/default - "Cork” Board
By: Wendy Russell, Host of She's Crafty

Materials:
• approximately 100 corks (plastic and real cork both work!), varying lengths
• 12” X 12” X 1 ¼ “ (30.48 cm X 30.48 cm X 3.18 cm) picture frame
• 12” X 12” (30.48 X 30.48 cm) hardboard
• strong white glue
• 8 framing points (aka glazier’s points)
• picture hanging kit
• flathead screwdriver, scissors, sanding block

Directions:

1. Glue two smaller sized corks vertically and parallel to one another onto the centre of the hardboard.

2. Glue two corks of the same size horizontally and centered, one across the tops and one across the bottoms, of the first two corks.

3. Glue another two corks vertically, with their ends together, and centered on either side of the first four corks. This will create an even square formation out of all of the corks. At this point, start alternating the plastic and real corks to create an even effect. Longer corks can be incorporated as well to help ensure a snug fit. HOT TIP: Any jagged ends of a cork can be cut off with scissors or sanded smooth with a sanding block.

4. Glue another two corks horizontally, with their ends together, and centered both above and below the square formation to create a rectangle formation.

5. Glue three corks vertically, with their ends together, and centered on either side of the rectangle formation to create an even square formation.

6. Continue in the above-listed manner until the hardboard is completely covered by one large square formation of corks.

7. Place the hardboard facedown into the picture frame. Secure into place with framing points. Use a flathead screwdriver to push two or three framing points into each side of the picture frame, just above the hardboard.

8. Attach a picture hanging kit to the back of the frame.

Salt Lake Valley Recycling Locations

http://www.recycle.slco.org/pdf/recyclingGuide.pdf

See above link for a list of recycling locations and items they will accept.

May Campaign Status - What is Upcycling?

How are you doing with remembering to keep cork and bottle stoppers, batteries, denim, prescription glasses, ink cartridges and toner cartridges without return labels? I have only had one person bring me a unique item so far this week, a toner cartridge. Thanks, Karen!

Thanks also to Maxine for her idea that our Divisions purchase rechargeable batteries and battery chargers; and to Van for the idea of using a mulching mower blade on our lawns(http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-mowing-mowers/should-i-bag-or-mulch-the-clippings.php; http://www.springcreekforest.com/mulching_versus_bagging.htm), and composting (http://www.composting101.com/; http://greenliving.about.com/od/thegreenyard/tp/compost.htm).

Have you thought about any items you can make with recyclables for our May campaign? This website might give you some ideas - Look at what the company Terracycle has done with upcycling everyday trash into cool products: http://www.terracycle.net/. (The video explains upcycling). Will you want to participate in any brigades for Terracycle, collecting specific items of trash for certain products: http://www.terracycle.net/brigades/joining? Do any of you know other companies who are successful in making new products from recyclable trash? Let me know your thoughts.

May Campaign - Recycling the Unique

For our May campaign, we will expand on our prior success with recycling. You might recall, we are already recycling paper, plastics and cardboard. We are collecting soda can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House and Coke bottle lids (Cook Rewards) for a charity of our choice. See http://www.mycokerewards.com/home.do for a list of charities we can pick from at the end of 2010.


This month, rather than throwing out the following items that you use at home, I would like you to bring them to the office: batteries, eye glasses, denim, cork or other bottle stoppers, PC ink cartridges, and PC toners (those that do not come with a return label). I can be the repository for these items; I will have a big box for them in my office - just contact me and let me know you are coming by. I will then take these items to those who have already agreed to help me deliver them to the appropriate recycling centers - thank you Maxine, Michele, Elaine, and Mia! The cork and bottle stoppers will actually be used for craft projects; the eye glasses will be donated to charity.


Drawing - Here is how you can qualify for this month's drawing:
1. Bring to me the above listed items throughout the month.
2. Send me your ideas of unique items that we can recycle. Please note, we do not want to collect any hazardous materials or anything that would take up a lot of room here at work.
3. Bring me crafts that you made with any recycled items. (You don't need to leave them with me; I will take a picture and let you have it back).

So start thinking. This could be really fun! Do you need a place to start? Look to these sites:

http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/10/proper-waste-disposal-pho_n_491672.html