To honor its worthy mission, I would like to recommend Catalog Choice, a free service that lets you reduce unwanted mail and choose how you hear from brands. Catalog Choice was started by three environmental groups – the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation and the Ecology Center, which runs Berkeley, California’s curbside recycling program – with the goal of reducing the negative impact on our natural resources caused by the mass mailing of catalogs.

Catalog Choice contacts companies on your behalf and lets them know that you want to cut back on the frequency with which to receive catalogs or stop the mailings completely. Please keep in mind that it can take up to 12 weeks for the changes to take effect. To show that Catalog Choice has nothing against free enterprise, you can find links on its website to all the catalog merchants, which allows you to shop online after asking that your name be taken off a company’s mailing list.

So, if you have no need for paper phonebooks, want to opt out of receiving paper catalogs, stop preapproved credit offers at home or unwanted mail at the office, register with Catalog Choice now.

Denim – known round the world as a symbol of American fashion – is actually a French import. The word comes from the name of a sturdy fabric called “serge”, originally made in Nîmes, France. Originally called “serge de Nîmes”, the name was soon shortened to denim. The contemporary use of the word “jeans” comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), where the first denim trousers were made.

Denim was introduced to this country by Levi Strauss in the 1850s in the form of work pants designed for the mining industry and we’ve have had a longstanding love affair with denim ever since. Comfort, fashion and durability are all words that come to mind when we think of denim, but INSULATION? Not so much.

Since 2006, Cotton Inc. has taken 270,000 pieces of denim and using a multi-stage process recycled them into UltraTouch™ Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation for 540 Habit for Humanity houses. (FYI – it takes approximately 500 pair of jeans to insulate one average-size American house.) Cotton Inc.’s efforts have kept 200 tons of denim out of landfills and provided an essential building material at the same time. Now that’s how to recycle and reuse!

Denim insulation costs about ten percent more than standard fiberglass insulation, but it’s safer to install (non-itch, no carcinogens, formaldehyde or chemical irritants), better for the environment, more energy-efficient and acoustically it provides 30% better sound absorption than traditional fiberglass insulation. In addition, it’s one of the only insulating products that contains an active mold/mildew inhibitor.

It’s spring, so why not do a little spring cleaning, make some space in your closets and help the environment at the same time. Donate your no longer worn or loved denim jeans, skirts or jackets and join the the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® call-to-action to give old denim new life.

According to the E.P.A., electronic waste contributes 70% of the toxins found in landfills, while only contributing 1% of the volume of materials in landfills.  Electronic waste contains many toxic materials including lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphors and flame-retardants. Recycling your electronics waste decreases energy and water use, reduces pollution, and keeps hazardous chemicals out of our air and water.

A recently passed law makes it illegal for New York City residents to dispose of electronic items, starting July 1, 2010. For more information see Local Law 13 of 2008.

If you have electronics you no longer use or need, you can dispose of them responsibly by participating in an upcoming electronic waste recycling event. These events are co-sponsored by the Lower East Side Ecology Center and Earth Day NY.

What you can recycle (in working or non-working condition):

• Computers (laptops & desktops, servers, mainframes)
• Monitors
• Printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers
• Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
• Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, etc.)
• Components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.)
• TVs, VCRs, & DVD Players
• Audio-visual equipment
• Cell phones, pagers, PDAs
• Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)

PLEASE NOTE: no home appliances (microwaves or refrigerators) or electronics from businesses will be accepted.

LOCATIONS:

Brooklyn:
April 17, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Habana Outpost, South Portland Avenue and Fulton Street, Ft. Greene

April 25, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
PS 29 School Yard, Baltic Street Between Henry and Clinton Streets, Cobble Hill

Manhattan:
March 28, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Union Square, 17th Street and Broadway

April 10, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Tekserve, 119 W 23rd Street, Chelsea

April 18, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Morningside Park, Morningside Avenue between 113th and 114th Streets, Harlem

Queens:
April 11, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Travers Park, 78th Street between Northern Blvd & 34th Ave., Jackson Heights

Roosevelt Island:
April 03, 2010 > 10:00am – 4:00pm
Roosevelt Island, Good Shepherd Plaza, 543 Main Street, Roosevelt Island

For more information, please visit the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s website.

Personally, I’m a big fan of sending environmentally friendly e-cards, but lots of people prefer to give and receive paper greeting cards. If you’re one of them and would like a way to recycle yours, then consider donating them to the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program. St. Jude’s Ranch serves “abused, abandoned and neglected children and families, creating new chances, new choices and new hope in a safe, homelike environment.”

The children living at St. Jude’s help adult volunteers make beautiful, new, “green”, holiday and all-occasion greeting cards cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of “going green”. Proceeds from the sale of all cards benefit St. Jude’s.

Send your used holiday, Valentine’s Day, Birthday, Thank You cards now through February 28, 2010 to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

With all the wrapping paper left behind after holiday gifts have been opened, now is the perfect time to practice the three Rs of producing less waste – reduce, reuse and recycle. Instead of shoving it all into garbage bags and dumping it, here are some creative ways to reuse and recycle it and reduce your eco-footprint at the same time.

NOTE: To remove wrinkles, carefully iron the paper on the “wrong” side using LOW heat – spritz with a little water, if necessary. Remember to first remove any tape and smooth the paper out on a flat surface using your hands. Cut off any torn edges so you’re left with a square or rectangular piece.

• Crumple it up and stuff it in hats or purses to help them keep their shape.
• Wrap it around a bouquet of flowers you’re taking to someone special.
• Shred it to use as ‘fluff’ or pretty packing material in gift bags/boxes for future gifts.
• Shred and use it in place of bubble wrap or styrofoam packing peanuts.
• Cover a corkboard with it and hang it up for a festive, decorative place to leave messages and to-do lists.
• Go online and learn how to make origami shapes and animals with it!
• Cut a piece to size and slide it in the clear, front sleeve of a three-ring binder to create a decorative look.
• Cut it into small pieces and leave them by the telephone. Use the white side to write down messages.
• Measure your drawers, cabinets and closets. Cut the paper to fit and insert for simple, pretty shelf paper and draw liners.
• If it isn’t torn or too wrinkled, keep it to wrap future presents. Reuse paper taken from large gifts to wrap smaller gifts.

• Use it to decoupage pieces of furniture or flower pots or cardboard or wooden shapes to make decorations or ornaments for next year.

• Cover your kids’ textbooks – if you haven’t already – or recover if the old ones look like they’ve seen better days.
• Use it to make gift tags.
• Place a favorite piece underneath a sheet of glass on your desk, nightstand or coffee table to add color/pattern to the room.
• Mat photographs with it.
• Glue it onto a sturdy box for reusable gift packaging.
• Use small scraps to line greeting card envelopes. Trace the outside flap shape onto the paper and cut out. Leave it just short enough to clear the glue seal on the envelope flap.
• Use it for kids art projects, i.e. make paper dolls and dolls’ clothes.
• Make decorative snowflakes to hang up or to attach to blank cards to create this year’s thank you notes and next year’s holiday greetings.
• Make a collage out of various pieces and create new, unique wrapping paper.
• Frame your favorite pieces, hang them up and enjoy!
• Use it to wrap and protect your holiday decorations when storing them away for next year.
• Cover paper magazine or pencil holders with it.
• Use it for scrapbooking backgrounds.
• Use large pieces of it to cover shoeboxes and create pretty storage containers for Christmas ornaments and other items.
• Use it in paper mache projects.
• Cover small gift boxes with it.
• Make bookmarks out of it.
• Use it to make sewing patterns. Just draw the pattern pieces on the blank side and cut out.
• Add pattern and color to your office by covering a few select books on your bookshelves with it.
• Use it to line your cat’s litter box. It’s better than tossing it out!

As someone who helps people deal with too much “stuff” and not enough space for it all (FYI: it doesn’t matter how much space you have, you never have enough!), I can tell you that giving gifts that don’t clutter up the receiver’s space or life yet are creative, thoughtful and useful are the best kind you can give .

Here are some clutter-free suggestions for everyone on your holiday list. These will allow you to participate in and enjoy gift giving while at the same time relieving the burden on the recipient. Be sure not to give a well-intended gift that might be misunderstood and that ends up offending the recipient. For instance, if your sister doesn’t like or wear make-up, don’t give her a gift certificate for a make-up consultation. Ditto for other self-improvement services.

Memberships to:

* museums
* zoos
* botanical gardens
* aquariums
* historical societies
* theatre clubs
* state parks, county parks, etc.
* health clubs/gyms
* humane society
* nature conservancy
* AAA (Automobile Club of America)
* Zipcar (Cars parked around a city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles)

Gift Certificates for:

* massage
* facial
* their favorite hair salon
* manicure/pedicure
* health club
* exercise class
* spa
* local greenhouse, nursery or garden center
* bulb or seed catalog
* fun workshop or mini-course
* iTunes music download
* home improvement store to help with the cost of home maintenance
* computer software
* Blockbuster or Netflix
* Starbucks
* car washes
* trip in a helicopter or hot air balloon

Gifts of Service – Create your own voucher good for:

* babysitting
* breakfast in bed
* house cleaning or yard work or snow plowing/shoveling provided by you or someone you hire
* automobile maintenance (oil change, etc.)
* dishwashing for a day, a week, etc.
* running errands for a day, a week, etc.
* helping them with their next spring cleaning
* painting or hiring someone to paint that room they’ve been meaning to get to
* getting something of theirs that is broken repaired
* helping them plant their garden next spring
* helping them organize their photos

* teaching them a skill you have

Consumable Gifts:

* theatre, ballet, concert or symphony tickets
* tickets to an art exhibition or sporting event
* home cooked frozen meals
* homemade cookies, brownies, etc.
* an invitation to their favorite restaurant where you also give them the gift of your love and attention
* their favorite chocolates, wines or cheeses, etc.
* a selection of their favorite, hard-to-find, childhood candies or cookies
* a fruit of the month basket
* a voucher good for homemade meals for a day, a week, etc.
* a selection of organic teas and fair trade coffees or dried fruits and nuts
* dinner cooked by a personal chef
* tickets to a wine tasting or vineyard tour
* their favorite flowers sent to them regularly
* movie passes
* prepaid phone cards
* postage stamps
* frequent flyer miles
* airline tickets to visit you
* a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast
* a trip to someplace they have never been
* candles
* handmade soap
* already stamped and addressed cards for various occasions (birthday, anniversary, holiday) that can be sent out to friends and family by the elderly or disabled in your life who can’t get out to buy cards or whose handwriting might be too shaky to read
* a voucher good for a walk together, a picnic together, a back-rub/foot-rub, a day of skiing or anything else you know they would like
* a voucher good for some of the perennials in your garden that are getting crowded and need dividing

One nice thing about consumables is that, if you’ve done your homework properly, the recipients consume them – which means you get to buy the same gift next year or even year after year!

Financial, Charitable and Unusual Gifts:

* make a charitable donation in their name (Think about causes and organizations that would be meaningful to them — then you take the tax deduction!)
* donate a book(s) to a library in their name
* pay their phone or cable bill for a month (or more)
* give them a share(s) of stock
* stocks, bonds, CDs, or contributions to a child’s college education fund
* name a star in the cosmos after them

* have a tree planted in their name

Gifts of Classes in:

* music
* dance
* Yoga
* Pilates
* self-defense
* foreign language
* computer
* magic
* continuing education
* art
* pottery
* photography
* jewelry making
* flower arranging
* knitting
* quilting
* sewing
* acting
* cooking
* stand-up comedy
* horseback riding

NYC wants to be cleaner and greener and, in an effort to accomplish that mission – at least where trash is concerned – it’s testing hybrid sanitation trucks in residential areas of Queens. The Big Apple’s current garbage trucks are incredible gas guzzlers, getting only about three miles per gallon. The hybrid trucks should get 25% to 30% better mileage – which isn’t saying much -  but it is a step in the right direction and every little bit helps.

And, speaking of trash, the researchers at MIT’s SENSEable City Lab have come up with a new project called Trash Track whose goals are to raise awareness of how trash impacts the environment and get people thinking about all the stuff they toss out. TrashTrack uses hundreds of small electronic, smart, location aware tags. These tags are attached to different types of trash and those items are tracked through NYC’s waste management system, revealing the final journey of everyday objects in a series of real time visualizations. So, if you knew exactly where your trash was going and how much energy it took to make it all disappear, would it make you think twice about buying bottled water or “disposable” anything else?

Speaking of trash, if you’re working on separating out your trash from your treasures and need to get rid of what you don’t want, these local companies will remove almost anything – from old furniture and appliances to yard waste and renovation debris – including many things that your local garbage company won’t typically accept. Plus, they do all the loading and clean-up.

• 1-800-got-junk?

• The Junk Pros