Eco Friendly

Safe recycling

If you've ever thrown away batteries, kept old paint cans in your garage or kicked that old computer to the curb this is news you can really use. All these things and more are recyclable if disposed of properly.

Paint

There is hardly a home in America that doesn't have a can of paint or two stored away in its garage, attic or basement covered in an inch of dust. Instead of hiding old paint away for the next homeowner to find, track down your nearest paint recycling facility. Most paint can be remixed and reused or if the paint is fairly new and has been properly stored it can be donated to your community or a local charity.

Batteries

It may seem harmless to simply throw away dead batteries, especially the 1-time use ones. Unfortunately batteries have a tendency to leak environmentally hazardous elements when not disposed of properly. With so many different types of batteries required to run our automobiles, cell phones, laptops and watches all of these batteries can't simply be thrown away without environmental consequences. Some disposal facilities only accept certain types of batteries so do your homework before heading out.

Computers

Advances in technology move fast. Even if you purchased the latest in computer technology it seems that in the time it takes you to get it out of the box a better computer is already out on the market. So what happens to all those unused computers? Some follow the old-paint scenario while others wind up in landfills. If your computer is still usable, remove all of your personal information and donate it to charity. If not, most major computer retailers have recycling programs in their "about us" sections on their home page.

For additional information on the proper disposal of these items and more visit www.earth911.org. There you'll find details specific to drop-off centers in your area as well as information on how you can help protect our environment.