Recycling & Being

Recycling - the Sault Way - Part 2

This week we are back at Sault Sainte Maria with Jim and Charla my gurus of Recycling.

Question: What do you mean when you say "Think beyond the Recycling Center for recycling and the office".

Jim: So many people now are recycling regularly at the curbside with the help of their municipality or trash collection service. Every little bit helps but sometimes, you can "repurpose" things.

Charla: Often we start by thinking about taking things to Goodwill, Savers or Salvation Army. This is a great way to get usable clothing and household goods to others. (Plus, if you get a reciept you may take a tax deduction-Linda).
Here are some of the creative ways we keep things out of both the trash AND recycle bin.
Charla's Favorites:

When we sort through our mail we share all our mail flyers, unused return envelopes and postcards with staff at the Cooperative Nursery School so that they can use them when the children play as mail carriers.

If you receive promotional calendars, note cards, or note pads share them with your local senior citizens center so they can give them to their elders who cannot afford them.

Use old 3-ring binders to keep projects organized, or last year's receipts. There is no need to go buy a new one for each new project. Same goes for file folders - most can be reused multiple times.

Toner cartridges from copiers are often collected by non-profit groups to raise revenue. Start a collection box and find a recipient. In our area the local hospice accepts them.

Jim's favorites are uses that go beyond the office and then some.

Old newspapers can be used for mulching in your garden beds. They work better at retaining water, suppressing weeds and breaking down; landscape fabric that you purchase never breaks down. Caution: This process take a long time because of all the news articles you did not read the first time!

Old bowling balls, vases, chipped tea pots, other treasured but odd office heirlooms can be used for art in the garden. If you don't believe us, check out Linda's garden - that orb covered with shiny pennies is Pop Pop's old bowling ball!

Old clothing can be stripped out and have all the buttons and zippers removed to be sold to painters or auto mechanics for rags or given to artists who make old time rag rugs. Do you have old wool sweaters? Other artists boil them and make mittens!

Shredded paper may be used by pet owners for bedding for their iguana, hamster, or even in the dairy barn. Then after it is used that second time it can be composted. What a great use for old legal documents!

Rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, and hogs, are composters' best friends. These animals are a great step between your kitchen sink and the compost pile.

Composting at work is similar to doing it at home: it has to be easy, you need a container that is cleaned out often and does not smell. It takes a dedicated employee to keep it going. One place I know has a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and it is emptied nightly. Details on management of your urban compost pile can be found under "backyard composting", again from your favorite search engine. It is important to have a balance of food scraps and shredded paper to keep the smell down. Compost is like a good wine, the older it gets, the better it is for your plants.

We are exploring the idea of under the sink worm culture at work. Google "worms eat my garbage" for details.
If you would like to share your favorite recycling program, please send me an email and we will post them on the website - linda@changinglanes.biz.

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
What's working in your Business?
Changing Lanes LLC
http://www.changinglanes.biz/


Who are you BEING?

Have you noticed your state of BEING lately? Are you happy, healthy, financially free, and peaceful, or are you sad, depressed, financially strapped and angry? Have you even noticed your state of being?

Most people are so busy with the "doing" of their life that they don't even give their state of BEING a second thought. When you consciously choose your BEING, you give your life purpose and direction.

Choosing your BEING is just like incorporating a value into your life.
First, consciously choose the state of BEING you desire. For example, let's say you choose to be prosperous, abundant, successful or financially free; describe it in the way that feels right to you.

Second, determine why this is important to you. If you lived the rest of your life in the state of BEING prosperous what would that mean to you? Is there something about being financially free that you believe is significant to the quality of your life? If you don't have a compelling reason for your choice of BEING, it will be difficult for you consistently act upon your choice.

Which brings me to the third component of this process - consciously making choices based upon the state of BEING you've chosen. For example, if you want to be financially free, you might have to give up instant gratification spending decisions.

When you've chosen a state of BEING, you are motivated to take new and different actions from an entirely different state and you most likely won't even miss those impulse purchases. Before you know it, your new actions will be incorporated into your life in a way that will be so important to you that you won't be willing to give them up.

Spend some time consciously incorporating the state of BEING you desire and you'll find your life will unfold exactly as you desire.

Copyright 2010 Pat Altvater
Transforming Bodies and Minds
http://www.outsmartweight.com/
http://www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com/