It makes perfect sense that Germans are superior recyclers. No other country is as neat, orderly, and generally legalistic as Germany, so it isn't a surprise that Deutschland has been an innovative leader in recycling. Their Green Dot Program is a non-profit organization that collects and processes recyclable products purchased by consumers.
Under the European "Packaging and Packaging Waste" Directive, companies are required to recover and recycle their own packaging. So the Green Dot program collects it for them in exchange for a fee. Each paying member has the right to print a special Green Dot label on manufactured goods and receives a user-friendly collection service in return.
Hundreds of yellow collection bins are placed throughout the country and householders use a yellow bin for Green Dot products on trash day. While a touch monopolistic, the Green Dot System more than doubled the rate of recycling from 1990 to 2004 while inspiring 21 other European countries to do the same.
Household recycling in the U.S. isn't quite as universally accesible, but with a bit of research you can participate with very little effort. Make it a point to know your local collection options and help encourage reuse of our waste.
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When I retired at the end of 2009, I then began a recycling project/venture known as "Waste Not Creations", that describes my gathering up discarded household furnishings, cleaning products/foods containers, construction materials, etc. to clean them up and refinish them as necessary to then make Second Life or Re-purposed Products out of them. I currently have 20 or so products that I am now beginning to produce, to then sell at the giant Londonderry Flea Market and craft shows/events. .....One of my "Waste-Not Creations" products is a power-outage emergency/accent lamp that I make using the top part of a particular garden solar lamp, that I put into the top of an empty olive oil bottle; to make the emergen-cy/accent lamp. I use a lot of olive oil at home , so I have lots of empty bottles, that have an olive vine etching on them, that I then paint the vine etching indifferent colors and on some of them; I have them filled with different colors of sand, to weight them down. I remain in contact with some of my former Autistic clients, from when I was a case-worker, and one of them is very artisitc, being very good with sand-art creations that he does for me in some of the olive oil bottles. On sunny days the power outage/accent lamps are kept out in the sun to charge the batteries, as with all solar lamps and when not needed inside for power outage indoor lighting, they can be used out on the porch/patio/ deck or inside for simple accent lighting. When used as indoor accent lamps, it reduces the need for turning lights on and using electricity. The solar lamps, if fully charged, most often stay on until sunrise. .....Another example of my "Waste-Not Creations" is I again, use the empty olive oil bottles, painting the olive vine etching in bright colors, to then use that finished bottle as a "Baster Holder" (as with the turkey baster). The olive oil bottle is the perfect heighth to hold the baster, so that the tip of the baster just touches the bottom of the bottle so the baster can drain into the bottle and not all over the counter or stove top. .....And one more example of my "Waste-Not Creations" is that I collect old 4 panel double-hung windows from window replacemement contractors, to turn them into 4 section photo frames for 8X10 or 9X12 photos in each glass panel. If the windows need repairs, they're simple to do, then paint them in different colors, to be ready for mounting photos in them; to be finished with a mounting and backing board. It is my goal and objective to try to create enough business activity with "Waste-Not Creations", so that I can have a helper (then maybe two helpers later on), but the helper would have to be a Disabled Veteran from the Iraq or Afghanistan Wars, because much of the clean-up and rework of the discarded items, can be done while sitting down (known as bench-work), for a Vet unable to walk or stand for long periods of time. I hope to also be able to create enough activity, to be able to turn this project over to a Disabled Veterans Organization to sponsor and continue with. I think this information could motivate other people to look at what they throw away so often. When I look at many things, I ask myself, what can it be turned into, to make it useful again. There are many more folks around the country now, with strong interests in making Second-Life or Re-purposed Products instead of just throwing things away. I am working on a joint venture project, hopefully with Hannaford Super Markets or Walmart, to have some of their stores become mini-recycling drop-off centers for items such as empty Swifter Refill Pads trays that can be re-made into seed-starter trays, as long as the clear plastic covers are not damaged.
Posted May 12, 2011 by Jerry G