Partners activate reuse and resale shop in Old Town

Bullfrog’s Treasure N Trash has opened in Northwest Portland’s Old Town neighborhood. It’s a retail store where you can find antiques along with reclaimed furniture and other goods.

But it’s not just a store. It’s an innovative Reuse Hub focused on environmental justice and workforce development. It was created through a unique partnership between local businesses and nonprofits that facilitates low-barrier job opportunities in reuse, repair, and litter collection.

The organizations that came together to create Treasure N Trash are:

• Trash for Peace, a 10-year-old community-based organization providing hands-on learning, low-barrier job opportunities, and education about sustainability in environments that are peer-led, welcoming, safe, and collaborative. 

• Ground Score Association, a peer-led initiative of Trash for Peace. It celebrated its fourth anniversary in 2022. Ground Score is an association of informal recyclers, dumpster divers and other environmental workers who create and fill low-barrier waste management jobs. Ground Score is collectively organized and seeks to be radically inclusive, prioritizing work opportunities for those facing work and housing insecurity. They aim to build a more environmentally and socially aware community, while also changing society’s perceptions of what and who is considered valuable.

• Junk It Junk Removal, a local, family-owned company that began in 2012 and specializes in residential and commercial waste hauling.

• Frog & Toad Hauling celebrated its third anniversary in 2022. They specialize in waste-conscious junk removal, creative reuse, and home repair. 

These organizations moved into the Old Town warehouse in October 2022 and use the space for many things; a co-working office space, headquarters for Ground Score's peer-led litter collection and reuse/repair program, a meeting spot with a kitchen and lounge; and short-term storage for the two junk removal companies to sort and determine if repairs are needed before moving items to the thrift store.

Reuse has been a large part of both Junk It and Frog & Toad’s business models. Donation and diversion of materials are key elements in how they work with clients to remove unwanted items from homes and businesses. The warehouse provides the companies with a space to inspect and repair items that still have a lot of useful life left in them.

The owners of Frog & Toad, Revel and Sun, shared, “Our goal with the shared retail space is the establishment of a vibrant and useful place for our neighborhood and wider community where ‘stuff,’ which may have once been discarded, can flow towards where it will be treasured, which often is where it is needed the most. We feel that being in collaboration with the other groups in the warehouse is what will make this possible and help our store to thrive!”

Michelle Barrows-Carter from Junk It Junk Removal, said, "We are proud to be a part of a new warehouse space shared with Ground Score Association, Frog & Toad Hauling, and Trash for Peace, where we can prioritize sustainability and creative reuse.”

Low-barrier job opportunities

Trash for Peace partners with local government and other agencies to implement programs for renters in supportive, multifamily affordable housing communities. Based on community interest and initiative, some pilot projects clear unwanted large household items from apartments and homes, like dressers, tables, mattresses, and other furniture. Working alongside the junk removal companies allows thousands of pounds of trash to be diverted from the landfill by utilizing reused and donated materials in other activities that the organization leads.

Ground Score’s G.L.I.T.T.E.R program provides litter collection and tent side waste collection services for members of the houseless community across the Portland Metro Region. The program name was sourced by workers and stands for Ground Score Leading Inclusively Together Through Environmental Recovery. 

“It’s incredible to witness everyone’s unique progress. The sense of accomplishment bursting out of each participant when they finish their tote bag is so powerful! We provide a different type of purpose. You are worth the time it takes to learn a new skill.” - Rachel Linden

Many of the litter collection routes are serviced by electric trikes, as part of Ground Score's goal to create carbon neutral litter collection services. As this program is peer-led, most of the litter collection team are currently or formerly houseless. 

New programs taking place in the shared space

Two programs taking place at the shared warehouse offer a glimpse into other low-barrier opportunities with room for skill building and further growth.

Rachel Linden is an artist and founder of Thuja Studios, an independent design studio dedicated to the dissemination of utilitarian sewing education to marginalized communities across Portland. Rachel has extensive sewing production and teaching experience, and with the help of Molly Mattern, has started a sewing and mending education program for Ground Score workers.

The Sewing Department offers accessible, professional machine sewing education where members of the Ground Score community can gain competency and hands-on experience in the field of production sewing. Every participant is guided through the production process of a basic tote bag where they learn about strategic fabric selection, pattern reading, marking, and cutting out components, and sewing processes. Currently, the emerging sewing team focuses on the mass production of hand-mending sewing kits made from discarded fabrics that would otherwise be sent to the landfill. After being produced and filled with relevant, second-hand mending tools, these kits are then distributed back into the Ground Score community through professional, classroom-style, hand-mending workshops offered every other week with a $30 stipend offered to participants as extra incentive to learn.

“I’m in my element.” - Beck, a Ground Score employee

"Here at Ground Score, we're making space for folks to form community. Through jobs we help them reclaim the fruits of their labor stolen by poverty and houselessness." - Toma Solano

Another Ground Score manager, Toma Solano, previously trained houseless community members to design and build structures for several of Portland's tiny home villages while also contracting for private residential clients. At Ground Score, Toma helps provide low barrier jobs to houseless individuals as apprentice carpenters. Together they use donated and salvaged wood to repair and upcycle furniture. They also build trellises, lamps, bookshelves, and flower boxes.

If you would like to get involved or donate, visit the Trash for Peace website at www.trashforpeace.org.

If you would like to visit Bullfrog’s Trash N Treasure retail store, check out the website for current information, contact information, and social media handles.

Easy ways to green your spring cleaning

Spring cleaning is here!

Did you know the average person in the U.S. uses about 40 pounds of household cleaners each year, and many of those products have harmful ingredients that can affect our health and damage our waterways?

We all want a clean home, but cleaning well doesn’t have to mean using harsh chemicals.

Make your own cleaning products

You can make your own cleaning products with common ingredients from the grocery store that are safe to use around kids and pets while being just as effective at getting rid of dirt and grime. Find out how at Oregon Metro’s Green Cleaners webpage.

Purchase safer cleaning products

Find out how to avoid harsh chemicals in store-bought cleaners by reviewing these tips from Oregon Metro.

Or shop at one of Portland’s small businesses that specialize in bulk items, including household items like laundry and cleaning supplies, and bath and body products. Read previous Resourceful PDX posts about The Realm Refillery and Mama and Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop.

5 safe cleaning tips for a healthy home

1.      Use natural ingredients that are tough on germs.

Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and soap are effective at killing bacteria and some viruses without using harsh chemicals that can harm our health.

2.      Avoid aerosol products.

Products such as hairspray or oven spray cleaners release chemicals that can make our air quality worse and cause health issues, especially affecting children.

3.      Opt for wet-dusting instead of dry-dusting.

Dust often contains harmful residues from the products we use in our homes. Wet dusting is the most effective way to remove these chemicals.

4.      Skip the air fresheners and dryer sheets.

Artificial scents contain chemicals that lower air quality and harm our health. Try using scents from essential oils, lemons, cinnamon, and herbs.

5.      Safely dispose of harmful cleaners.

Leftover cleaners shouldn’t be poured down the drain. Call 503-234-3000 or visit oregonmetro.gov to find out where you can take things that are harmful for you and your family.

Metro resources

Green cleaning – Make your own cleaners at home using safe and affordable ingredients. 
Buying safer cleaners - Learn how you can buy safer cleaners that are better for your family and the environment. 
Common hazardous products - Understand what household products are hazardous, how to handle them. 

No Space for Waste at The Realm Refillery

The Realm Refillery is a package free grocery store in Northeast Portland that provides a more sustainable way of shopping by allowing customers to buy as much or as little as needed, creating less food waste, and less packaging waste.

Owners Brit Snipes and Ryan Knowles work hard to assure the products they sell support local businesses and are sustainably and ethically produced. Ninety-five percent of their products are organic, and they look for items that are fair trade, chemical-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and use minimal packaging. They source products from over 30 small, local vendors and numerous local farms, and purchase from wholesale vendors that share the same values.

Brit said, “We need to all do our best to make sure the choices we make when consuming are focused on going straight back into our local economies as a community. Having the ability to buy local and with a small business is key to doing just that. Large corporations aren't the answers for progress.”

Shoppers are a mix of regulars and new customers who walk in to see what a package free grocery store looks like. Brit says they have an attention to cleanliness of containers, respect for food allergies with no cross contamination, and an intimate community.

Social media has been integral to an increase in young customers, especially Tik Tok which offers another way to share what the store is doing through short videos. Brit and Ryan want to build community by offering events and swaps as ways for customers to get to know each other.

There is a DIY aesthetic in the store, with Ryan taking the lead on building out the space and working with other local makers to complete the look. 

Ryan shared, “The DIY music scene and the ethos that comes with it was very impactful on my life from a pretty young age. Naturally, we wanted to do as much as ourselves, not only to reduce cost and waste, but so we could see out our vision to its fullest. We had never done anything to this level before and thanks to close friends and YouTube, we were able to get it all done ourselves. It's an amazing feeling to walk into the store every day and see our hard work come to life.”

Weigh, tap, tare

The Realm Refillery offers many products, including snacks, spices, baking ingredients, granola, olive oil, laundry and cleaning supplies, bath, and body products – even local, seasonal produce.

For bulk items, all jars have an initial deposit of $2. Once the jar is returned, the deposit rolls over to your new container each time you shop.

The staff are there to answer questions and assist with fast checkout with their weigh, tap, tare process. “We use a system called Filljoy in the store, which allows us to save the weights of all containers we use in the shop so we can easily deduct the tare for the customers. We even have all our paper bags weighed out, so customers won't ever pay for anything except exactly the amount of product that they intended to purchase.”

Brit and Ryan continue to make changes, with a free loyalty program as a recent addition. For every $1 you spend, you receive one point. When you get to 100 points, you receive a voucher to use in the store.

The monthly membership is like a co-op. Members don’t pay the deposit on containers and can take advantage of 20% off rotating items that are marked with a decal. You can also get more bulk items with discounts.

Future changes to bring your own containers

Customers often ask if they can bring their own container, but this is not currently allowed under Oregon Law. As part of the broader reusable container conversation, Brit and Ryan are involved with the Surfrider Foundation on a petition and possible legislation to change this law for the state of Oregon and approve bring your own containers.

You can sign the petition to help change the law.

Learn more about The Realm Refillery at their website, including frequently asked questions, and by following them on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

Get your food to go, without the waste, with GO Box

Portland has been fortunate to have GO Box, a women-owned and led reusable take-out food container system, for 11 years. To date, GO Box has prevented over 750,000 single-use items from being disposed.

Like many small, local businesses in Portland, GO Box both survived and thrived during the pandemic. CEO Jocelyn Gaudi Quarrell shared that the company pivoted and recovered from the first year of Covid impacts, then transitioned from operating in a small commissary kitchen to a 1,000 sq ft space, and then into an 8,000 sq ft warehouse in July 2021. They also expanded to 10 staff members.

People passing by their Central Eastside location can look through large windows and watch the step-by-step process of how the reusable containers are collected and cleaned with automated commercial dishwashing equipment.

New space allows expansion and more partners

GO Box’s new, larger space has created opportunities to partner with like-minded businesses, such as Utility Zero Waste and Legwork Local Delivery. In total, GO Box has 100 partner vendors, including food carts, brick and mortar restaurants, and regional grocery stores. Jocelyn said she wants to support small local businesses and larger companies transition away from single-use packaging towards durable, reusable systems.

GO Box containers can now be found at the deli counter and in the bulk sections of every New Seasons Market location, from Fisher’s Landing in Vancouver to Happy Valley and Hillsboro.

And GO Box partners with Imperfect Foods to clean gel packs from the grocery delivery business so they can be reused repeatedly by Imperfect.

A new venture called Loop hired GO Box to manage logistics for their first U.S. pilot program of reusable packaging for consumer goods including everything from ice cream to shampoo. Through the pilot, you can buy products in Loop reusable packaging and return the empty containers at any of these 25 local Fred Meyer locations.

Heather Watkins, GO Box’s new Chief Revenue Officer, said, “We’ve seen a tremendous amount of interest to partner with businesses across the region. Companies are really interested to implement reusable packaging and reduce their waste. This is a big win for us all in the community.”

How it works

GO Box makes zero waste takeout easy. With a subscription to GO Box, you can order takeout food and drinks in reusable containers at 100+ restaurants, food carts, cafes, and grocery stores across Portland.

There are various subscription options so customers can borrow what they need when they need it, through the GO Box app:

1. Select the subscription term and credit level which best fits your reuse needs, starting at $3.95 a month.

2. Check out reusables from any partner vendor and return reusables to any drop site using the GO Box app.

Find a GO Box vendor, get your questions answered, and dig into why reuse matters.

Upgrade your coffee with Okapi Reusables

A new cup exchange program makes ditching the disposable easy

OKAPI Reusables is a cup borrowing service designed to make it easy to skip the single-use cup when you get coffee to-go. 

Owners Deb Gray and Emily Chueh started working on reusable cups two years ago and launched OKAPI in four cafes in Portland this January. Over the past three months, the OKAPI network has grown to 11 locations where you can get your drink to-go in an OKAPI cup, then return the used cup and lid to any location within two weeks. The most recent addition is Rohst Coffee Co. in Milwaukie. 

Deb shared that they have sought out independent, walkable coffee shops. OKAPI provides a cup display, signs, and posters to cafes to help catch your eye as you’re ordering. But it’s the enthusiastic baristas – presenting the reusable option to regular customers – that’s been the key to success. 

“We started OKAPI in part because we both struggle with cutting waste on a daily basis. First, there’s so much plastic packaging in groceries, then there’s all that takeout waste. We wanted an easy way to skip single-use packaging – something we’d use. Given that Portland is such a hub of specialty coffee, it made sense to bring together great coffee with a convenient way to skip the disposable cup.” 

Barista-approved cups 

Baristas here in town helped choose the cups OKAPI uses. The cups are double-walled, stainless steel with silicone lids. They are stackable, washable, and come in 12- and 16-ounce sizes.  

And they’re well insulated, so they keep hot drinks hot longer, and cold drinks colder. And it’s not limited to coffee. Deb said, “Locations like Happy Day Juice Co. serve smoothies and juices in our cups.” 

How OKAPI works for coffee shops 

There is no upfront cost to cafe owners to establish OKAPI at their shops. It’s pay-as-you go at costs comparable to disposable cups. Deb and Emily want to help owners get started with reusables and believe this service helps to change behavior. Each time someone gets a drink to-go in an OKAPI cup, others see it, and it helps make reuse the new norm. 

OKAPI piloted their service at two locations in November 2021: Clinton Street Coffeehouse and Bastion. Both cafes continue to offer OKAPI post-pilot, and Clinton took the extra step of instituting a $0.25 surcharge for disposable cups. Their volume of drinks served in reusables (bring-your-own cups and OKAPI) increased from 10 to 19% in a month. There are 125 OKAPI members today. 

OKAPI is seeking partnerships to increase visibility around town. Moreland Farmers Market is one example. Fetch Coffee Roasters will be serving cold brew in OKAPI cups at the market this season. Fetch offers coffee to-go in OKAPI cups today at their Sellwood cafe. 

Deb shared that clear cups for cold drinks, like bubble tea and smoothies, are being tested too. 

How OKAPI works for customers 

You check out and return the cups using a simple app. Borrow, scan and show, and return. 

There is a membership fee that helps OKAPI expand the network to more cafes, with more convenient drop-off locations, which ultimately means a larger impact on single-use trash. The cost for a one-time membership is $10, then it’s just a quarter each time you borrow a cup. 

The program works if the cups stay in circulation, so just drop the cup back at the cafe where you got it, or at any participating cafe. 

Find a cafe and follow them on Instagram or Facebook. 

Portland’s circular economy: A needs assessment

What does Portland’s circular economy need to survive and thrive? 

In 2021, reuse, repair, and share organizations were invited to participate in a needs assessment project as part of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) sustainable consumption and production work. This process included interviews, small group discussions, and surveys asking leading reuse organizations in Portland to evaluate the needs and current state of Portland’s circular economy.   

Top needs 

Five areas of support were raised by reuse organizations throughout the discussions and survey responses:  

1. Space, location, and storage 

2. Equity, diversity, and inclusion; accessibility; and climate justice  

3. Communications and marketing 

4. Capacity building and staffing support 

5. Funding and grants 

Next steps 

Seven reuse, repair, and share organizations have formed a group – the Reuse Collective – and are meeting regularly to address the needs raised in the assessment. 

To address the need of affordable spaces in convenient locations, BPS is exploring the creation of shared reuse, repair, and share spaces throughout Portland. These spaces would act as community hubs, offering more borrowing and sharing opportunities within neighborhoods. One current place is the Leaven Community in Northeast Portland. This is where many community organizations have space, including the Northeast Portland Tool Library and Kitchen Commons, and could be a model for future hubs.

BPS is also committed to continuing to use Resourceful PDX to share and promote community resources and events, elevate the upstream conversation of thoughtful consumption, and invest in community-led opportunities to rent, share, fix, and reuse goods.  

Read the full report 

2021 Needs Assessment of Portland-based Reuse, Repair, and Share organizations: 

• Download PDF file Executive Summary (947.74 Kb) 

• Download PDF file Overview (1028.08 Kb) 

Learn more about sustainable consumption and production through local circular economy case studies.  

Have an idea about ways to create a more circular economy in Portland, or support an existing reuse effort? Contact Resourceful PDX to share your ideas. 

Not-so-scary solutions for old electronics

Monster in Your Closet?  You’re in Good Company. 

After all this time at home, are you feeling a little cramped? Feeling like there’s too much stuff and not enough space? 

If your excess stuff includes electronics that you no longer use, you’re in good company.   

Over two-thirds of households in Oregon report that they have old, unused electronics taking up space in their home. And many share the concern that they want to dispose of them safely, to keep our state free from the hazardous materials they may contain such as lead and mercury that can harm people and wildlife. 

It’s free and easy to recycle your old electronics 

In Oregon, you can safely recycle old electronics through a no-cost statewide program known as Oregon E-Cycles. The program accepts: 

• Desktop computers 

• Laptops 

• Printers 

• TVs/Monitors 

• Tablets 

• Keyboards 

• Mice 

There are over 200 drop-off sites around Oregon and finding your nearest location is as simple as calling 888-532-9253 or visiting EcycleOregon.org. 

All these drop-off sites are members of the Oregon E-Cycles program which requires that they follow the program’s strict Environmental Management standards that protect our health, environment and open spaces by properly disposing of the equipment they receive and ensuring that harmful materials like lead and mercury are kept out of our air, soil, and water. 

After using the e-Cycles program, “I realized it was very easy. You just pull up, tell them that you want to recycle some electronic goods. They bring out a little wheeler basket, you just put your stuff in there …  and then you’re on your way,” one Oregon resident said. 

Worried about protecting your private information before recycling?  

Find out how to erase data from your computer before recycling it at the Oregon E-Cycles locations, or at these quick guides for PCs and Macs.  

To learn more, visit EcycleOregon.org or call 888-532-9253. 

#MonsterInYourCloset #OREcycles 

Refill and Save at Mama & Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop

Mama & Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop opened in Southeast Portland in May 2021. Since then, word of mouth has fueled the refill shop, with more Portlanders learning about it every day. A second location is already in the works for North Mississippi Avenue, with plans to open in December.  

Mama & Hapa’s joins other refill stores and pop-up shops around Portland, meeting a demand from consumers who want less packaging waste in their lives. Most packaging, especially plastic, cannot be recycled. And even when there are recycling options, single-use items use more energy and resources than reusable items that can be used over and over again. 

At Mama & Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop, reuse takes center stage, with household and body care products available in reusable and refillable containers.  

Ross Ching, co-owner with his wife, Nadia Takla, said he would like “less emphasis on recycling” and more focus on reuse. This extends to how they’ve built their shop: Their tables, dishwasher, and many other shop items were purchased second-hand.  

They also purchase local products: The store’s body care products come from manufacturers in Portland and around Oregon, while other items in the store come from Washington. Ross would like to make zero waste shopping convenient enough for the average person to change their habits. 

“Going zero waste isn’t going to save the world, but what it really does is change the way people think about the life of an inanimate object. How much energy is put into making something, transporting it, and disposing of it. Those are the kinds of things that need to be at the top of consumers’ minds when they shop because what is bought is a vote for wanting more of it — gasoline or batteries, paper or plastic, compost or trash.” 

The shop’s name represents its owners: Nadia is the Mama, and Ross is Hapa, a Hawaiian term that reflects Ross’s Chinese and white heritage. Ross embraced the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) small business ethic; he used online research and tutorials to learn to code, and designed the refillable electronic dispenser system himself, with inspiration from a fill-your-own brewery in Southern California. 

Ross highlighted three aspects of Mama & Hapa’s that make it stand out: 

1. Offer free jars 

The shop provides customers with reusable and refillable glass jars at no charge. You can also bring in your own clean containers, or donate excess jars from home. Jars are washed onsite in the dishwasher.

2. No weighing necessary 

The store’s electronic system measures the amount of product you’ve dispensed by volume rather than weight. This eliminates the need to weigh your jars, makes it easier and faster to fill containers, and even shows the price of the amount dispensed as you go. 

3. Keep it affordable 

Prices are kept as low as possible by purchasing products in 55-gallon barrels, which are approximately 500 pounds each. Buying in bulk allows the store to sell at lower prices and offer a “store brand”. 

Ready to get started? Check out the website for a full product list.

Keep it fresh: Stretch your food dollars with these storage tips

Have you ever opened a bag of moldy bread? Or found something funky at the back of your fridge? Avoid another stinky surprise and stretch your food dollars by following these storage best practices.

A) The freezer is your friend

Tired of leftovers? Freeze them for lunch next week. Bread going bad before the loaf’s end? Store it in the freezer, and pop frozen slices right in the toaster. You can even freeze butter to keep it fresh for up to 9 months.

Consider buying frozen instead of fresh: Frozen vegetables are nutritious, easy to cook with, and they don’t mind if you forget about them for a bit (fresh broccoli lasts a week, frozen lasts a year). Plus, a full freezer uses less energy than an
empty one.

B) Know your fridge

Crisper drawers keep carrots crunchy and celery snappy; they’re the best place for fruits and vegetables. Use the high-humidity drawer for produce that wilts and the low-humidity for fruit and veggies that get moldy. The door is the warmest spot in the fridge, so use it for condiments but not milk or other perishable items.

C) Cool cupboards

Heat, light and humidity are the enemy of preserving flavor and freshness in herbs and spices, dried beans and grains and cooking oils. Store these items in a cool, dry, dark cupboard or drawer. The same goes for potatoes, onions and garlic.

D) Countertop tips

Leave tomatoes and avocados on the counter to ripen, then move to the fridge to keep them from going bad.

Top storage tools to try

Painter’s tape & permanent marker: Label and date like a pro. (It’s how restaurants keep track.)

Air-tight containers: Clear, air-tight jars, containers and bags keep food fresh and easy to see.

Phone camera: Snap a shelfie of your fridge, freezer, cupboard or spice drawer before heading to the store, so you don’t double-buy.

Lists: Keep lists on the fridge to make notes as you run out of things. An “Eat Me Soon” list is also helpful to avoid forgotten fruit and hidden leftovers.

Find more food saving tips

Find more storage tips that are good for your wallet and good for the planet at Eat Smart Waste Less. And while you're there, check out their tips for food shopping and cooking. (The site is also available in Spanish: www.eatsmartwasteless.com/acepteelreto)

This article appeared in the Winter 2020 Curbsider publication.

Getting more delivered to your door?

The holiday shopping season has begun. With an increase of online ordering and shopping due to COVID-19, major retailers are offering sales now and into December.

Actually, data shows that 57 % of consumers plan to shop online more this year and spend about $80 more overall (online and offline) than in 2019. According to the survey, 45 % of consumers say they do more than half of their current shopping online – nearly three times pre-pandemic. (Source: Digital Commerce 360)

Shop Local

Support Portland’s small business community by shopping at local places to help keep money in the community. PDX SOS (Save Our Shops), Chinook Book and Zero Waste City Guide to Portland are resources to find brick-and-mortar shops, online offers and alternatives gift ideas.

An increase of deliveries brings an increase of packaging. Here's a cheat-sheet for what goes where.

Plastic-padded mailers: Garbage

Any padded envelope that’s lined with plastic bubble wrap should go in the garbage, never in recycling. Even if it’s paper on the outside, or labeled “recyclable” or “biodegradable,” it’s still trash.

Packing peanuts & plastic air packs: Garbage

No matter what they’re made of or how they’re labeled, all packing peanuts and air packs should go in the trash, never in recycling or compost.

Styrofoam: Garbage

All Styrofoam™ should go in the trash. (Or look for drop-off recycling locations.)

Paper or cardboard envelopes: Recycling

If it's made entirely of paper or cardboard it should go in your recycling bin. Tape, labels, or a plastic address window are OK. (But if it's lined or coated with plastic, it goes in the trash.)

More boxes than you can fit in your bin?

To save space, break down and flatten boxes before putting them in your recycling bin.

Still too many to fit? Tape flattened boxes together in one bundle, and lean them next to your blue recycling bin.

Bundles should be no larger than 3 feet in any direction, so the recycling truck driver can safely and easily lift them.

Save packaging for reuse

Padded envelopes, packing peanuts and air packs can be reused to protect fragile items, like holiday decorations, framed photos or art. Plastic padded envelopes can even be used as make-shift waterproof laptop protectors. 

Cardboard boxes can be flattened and tucked away for the next time you need to mail or store something. Or offer them to neighbors for a move: Consider listing them on Nextdoor, Buy Nothing Group, or Craigslist.

And, don’t forget about Buy Nothing Day! The day after Thanksgiving can also be an intentional time to hit pause on purchasing.