I just heard about this fabulous program of sending used books to prisons.

Hardcover and even soft cover books are not easily recyclable as paper, but isn’t the REUSE option anyways much better then to go directly to recycling?

Here is the link to the program.

http://prisonpenpals.com/booksbehindbars.html

Terracycle has just partnered up with Staples to take back used binders for recycling and you will get a Staples Store Coupon.

Please go to Terracycle.com for more information and for a list of participating Staples.

http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/binder-recycling-program-at-sta…

If you do not know about Terracycle yet, it is a great company who is collecting materials that are commonly considered garbage and they “upcycle” them into new products.

Check out these fabulous products.

http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/product_categories/office/products.html?…

Some New Rochelle’s schools are collecting materials and are sending them, free of charge, to Terracycle and receive points for them, which can be used either as cash or as contributions to different charities.

A Eastchester school has collected over $1500.00 in Terracycle points in just one school year. A great way to make money while reducing our carbon foot print and teaching our children.

As I am getting things ready for my kids to go back to school, I am looking at these boxes of used markers.

Each year I faithfully go out and buy new markers as per school supply list. Wouldn’t want my child to be the only one that does not have all new, still in fresh boxes, school supplies, now would I?

Every year I even go through the excercise of testing which markers are still good, but what to do with the bad ones? Are the commingled recycling? Trash?

Now here is finally a way to keep those old markers out of the general waste stream.

Crayola Company in PA together with JBI is turning these markers into fuel.

http://www.crayola.com/colorcycle

Shipping is free.

New Rochelle’s citizens and parents, join me and learn about Fracking and its incredibly detrimental effects on our environment, our water and our health!

If your health and your children’s health is worth more to you then the profits of a few handful of executives in the gas industry, please take a moment and click on this link to watch the trailer of the movie.

‘Dear Governor Cuomo”

http://www.dear-governor-cuomo.com/

All of our water is at risk.

Here is some more information about Fracking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8

This is not something that “just kind of happens somewhere far away and I am really too busy to be bothered with this”, this is at the source of OUR water shed and this is REAL and RIGHT in front of each and everyone’s door.

Get involved by making just one call or write an email to Governor Cuomo (1-866-584-6799)

I have reported already numerous times on how bad Polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) trays are for our children’s health, our environment and our bottom line.

The material was classified in 2011 by the Department of Health as “reasonably anticipated human carcinogen”.

Yesterday I reported that Mr Quinn was enthusiastic when I shared with him that combined buying power makes “green” trays less expensive then Polystyrene trays. He said he will look into taping into that pricing.

Yesterday I was excited about this progress.

Today I am thinking, is the health of our children only important if it is the cheapest option? Can we really afford to feed our children on reasonably anticipated carcinogenic materials just to save a few pennies. Pennies that we could save BIG TIME if the district revamped their waste management system.

The District has received a grant of 1 million dollars to implement healthier foods for our children,. If one looks at the break down of the usage of that money, most of it goes into instruction, retirement, health benefits and travel.

This grant should go squarely into actually providing healthier foods and most of all, on healthy trays/plates.