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Issue Directory
Becoming better stewards of the environment is a priority at the Tax Collector’s Office. We included tips for living a greener lifestyle in the 2009 Tax Planner & Services Guide. As a component of our “Green Initiative” we would like to share additional tips provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
As the winter season comes to an end and Floridians begin to think about spring cleaning, DEP encourages residents to apply the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle –and discover ways to recycle items that may not normally be considered recycle-friendly.
Tips and resources for practicing the 3 R’s while de-cluttering your home or office:
- Athletic shoes- Local running clubs often collect athletic shoes for charitable causes such as homeless shelters and women’s refuge houses. One World Running club will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in locations such as Africa, Latin America and Haiti (http://www.oneworldrunning.com). Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes of all kinds and donates them to those in need (www.soles4souls.org). Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring (http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/).
- Sports equipment - Resell or trade used sports equipment. Look up “used sporting equipment” in the yellow pages or online.
- Dry cleaning hangers and plastic bags- Some dry cleaners will accept wire hangers and reuse them. They may also recycle plastic bags or you may be able to put them in your regular recycling bin. To be even more eco-friendly, you can also research (Google: environmentally friendly dry cleaners) whether dry cleaners in your area use environmentally friendly solvents that are biodegradable in water and in soil. Another option is to avoid buying clothes labeled “dry clean only”.
- Techno-trash - As you upgrade your technology, many outdated items can be reprocessed, such as VHS tapes, game cartridges, digital cameras, MP3 players, cords, cables, cassette tapes, VCRs and computer monitors. GreenDisk will take these items and reprocess them in an eco-friendly way. Call 1-800-305-DISK or visit www.greendisk.com to learn how you can pay a small amount for shipping to relieve your conscience and your clutter. In addition, www.flipswap.com can provide you with a number of local businesses that recycle used cell phones.
- Mattresses - Although in most places you cannot recycle mattresses and most charities will not take them, you may be able to find a good home for a mattress in usable condition through the Freecycle Network. This Internet service helps people offer up items that other people will happily take (www.freecycle.org). Also, you can offer things for free to people in your area on an online bulletin board.
- Toothbrushes and Razors - Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Preserve and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Preserve toothbrushes and razors are made from used Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cups (www.preserveproducts.com).
- Clothes - Wearable clothes can be donated to charity organizations or local shelters. Women's business clothing can be donated to Dress for Success, which offers them to disadvantaged women looking for employment (www.dressforsuccess.org). Un-wearable clothes may be donated to pet shelters for bedding.
- Eyeglasses - Local Lions Clubs recycle glasses and provide usable eyeglasses to children and adults throughout the world (www.lionsclubs.org). Local eye care chains may also collect them, such as LensCrafters, Target Optical, or other participating stores and doctors’ offices, which will send them to www.onesight.org. Metal frames can be recycled in scrap-metal recycling bins.
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