Kindercycle!

A couple weekends ago I had the joy of experiencing my first Kindercycle! It was awesome! I WISH I had brought my camera (next time). It was so much fun watching parents eagerly sorting through used items and finding treasures that only moments ago were somebody else's "don't needs". I came with a huge bag of clothes that Serafin has now grown out of--since we are awaiting the arrival of our little boy in October I figured I would see what I could find there. I'm not kidding when I say I found all the clothes I (hope) I'm going to need for at least the first six months of our newborns life. Cute stuff too!

Why spend loads of money on new clothes when your babe is only going to fit into them for a couple of months at a time? A friend came with me and she found a baby bouncy chair that looked practically new. The deal works like this; entry costs you five bucks if you have something to trade ($10 if you don't) and you leave with what ever you want. The event runs for a few hours and as new people arrive new items get added to the tables. I believe the event runs a few times a year. If you're interested in participating in the next swap, check out the website, maybe I will see you there!

www.kindercycle.org/

E-Cyling Bonanza!

So Gary and I have been trying to de-clutter our house (a long and slow process!). We finally managed to gather our e-waste together for our first trip to the Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC). Wooo whoo! The ACCRC is an organization that recycles most e-waste, if it can be plugged in, then there is a good chance that they will take it. Their fees are minimal, and they pride themselves on recycling all of the material locally. If they can't fix it, they take it apart and send bits and pieces to local refineries or recycling centers. They even take care to recycle any precious metals such as copper, which is sent to a copper smelter. So cool!

It's so exciting when you find a place that will take your "junk" and not just throw it in the landfill, but instead, find a way to re-use it! I had been looking for a place that recycled more than just computers and TVs, we had stuff like speakers, phones, wires, a fax machine, and computer printer. There is still more, but this was a start! It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years.




When I got there, there were two men sitting in a cluttered shipping crate, which seemed to be a make-shift office. They appeared to be hard at work, when one man got up and came to help me unload.



As he took things out of my car he began to put sort them into piles.



Items are then further sorted and placed on pallets to be taken elsewhere. Check out all the TVs and Printers waiting to go, . . . and NOT to be dumped in our landfills!




So for all of that, I payed a total of $11, that's really not a lot, and I really hope people see the worth in this type of thing. In my research, I did not find one place that recycled for free, which is unfortunate, because I'm sure this would be a deterrent for some--"Why spend spend time and money to take my trash somewhere when I can just throw it in my garbage for free?" To all those that feel that way, and probably none of you are reading my blog, it IS worth the time and money! We need to do what we can to help sustain our world instead of deplete it! Do it for your grandchildren! Ok, sorry, rant over!

To learn more about the ACCRC check out their website at www.accrc.org/

Peace, . .