April 22, 2010 is the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. No matter where you may stand on the environment, global warming, recycling, and all the other green causes — Most would agree that we all love our Earth. When you love something you want to protect it, nurture it and ultimately preserve it.
If you are a regular visitor of this site, you know that I am dedicated to and love to craft with recycled materials. Not only is it fun and frugal, it is one small thing that helps our planet. By reusing, recycling, and repurposing materials — It is one positive and useful step in the right direction.
So on this Earth Day 2010, take a moment to consider our wonderful Mother Earth. Challenge yourself to make one small change. Remember every little bit helps.
Wishing everyone a wonderful and green Earth Day!
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What do you do with your old cell phones? Do you recycle them? Each year nearly two hundred fifty million phones cell phones are discarded and many get thrown away and end up in our trash and landfills. Cell phones contain toxic chemicals and hazardous materials such as copper, lead, arsenic and zinc products just to name a few of the concerning materials.
And we all know what happens to stuff in landfills — It ends up leeching into our Earth, contaminating our water aquifers, poisoning our animals and thus harming all of us.
Recycle Mobile Phones in the UK is a company that is promoting the safe recycling of cell phones. The company provides useful information on suppliers who are paying cash for old cell phones. Through the process of phone recycling you can get your old cell phones disposed of correctly, into responsible hands. These companies know exactly what to do with the old models and how to recycle them efficiently and responsibly. Consequently, fix the phones (if need be) and put them to good and practical use again, as the phones were initially intended. For example, there are mobile phone recycling companies who repair old broken cell phones or use the parts to repair other recycled phones.
Additionally some recycled cell phones are made available to under-developed countries, the military, and nations suffering from natural disasters, such as the recent major earthquake in Haiti, in which thousands of cell phones were sent to that impoverished nation.
It is so easy to simply compare the best price you can get for your handsets that are just lying around and send it to a phone recycling company. Some mobile phone recycling programs will even prepay your delivery cost to help you out. So please check out Mobile Phone Recycling sites like recyclemobilephones.co.uk, to recycle your old phone and as they say in their slogan Get the most for your old mobile and do your bit for the planet!
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Teresa and Jennifer over at FortePromo.com just shipped me a box of items from their new line of eco-friendly promotional products for me to test out and review. I am always delighted to see and use cool green eco products so I was excited to see what goodies they sent to me.
I received this handy Eco lunch tote made from 100% post-consumer recycled material such as discarded plastic water bottles and food containers. It’s a wonderful lunch bag with a velcro closure and folds flat when empty. I used it today to carry my lunch to work and it works well as a reusable lunch bag.
One of my favorite items I received was the Bamboo USB flash drive. It is made from renewable bamboo material and features a handy magnetic cap which keeps the cap securely on the flash drive.
Several ballpoint pens were sent to me. My favorite one is the Maize twist pen that is made of corn and 72% biodegradable. This eco pen is a cool-looking green color and features a soft grip. It writes nicely and has a comfortable feel to it when writing.
Next was a recycled cardboard journal notebook which is found here. The cover is made from 100% recycled cardboard and the paper inside the journal includes 100 sheets of lined recycled paper with a recycling symbol printed on each page. As with all these promotional products, you can have the cover of this journal embossed with your company name and logo. My husband really liked this item and took it to work to use for his daily notes.
Overall I found all the products that I received from FortePromo to be very useful and a good value. If you are looking to purchase any eco-friendly promotional items for your company or business, I would recommend you check out their new line of environmentally friendly promotional products they offer. They have exciting recycled, biodegradable and organic products, as well as solar and water-powered items. You’ll find all kinds of environmentally friendly promotional products that will help you promote your company and make the earth a little greener in the process!
In support of Bloggers Unite Day, I am putting aside my crochet hook and my recycled bags to blog about an important cause. On November 10th, thousands of bloggers from around the world will unite to raise their voices on behalf of more than 40 million voiceless refugees. We blog to bring attention to this crisis and to join hearts and minds to help bring forward information, understanding and action.
Refugees United is a non-profit organization that helps refugees relocate family and friends through the use of the internet.
Refugees United provides refugees with an anonymous forum to reconnect with missing family. By registering with nick-names, scars, former locations and other markers only identifiable to family and close friends, everyone can remain ‘invisible’ to all but relatives.
* All refugees are welcome, regardless of conflict, place or time.
* Refugees United is an independent, non-political, non-religious NGO.
* No third party is involved. No official papers need to be filled in.
* The service is free of charge, easy and safe.
The Refugees United search engine is the first of it’s kind. Visit Refugees United to see how it works and to learn more about the work that Refugees United is doing.
So get the word out and lets spread the news in support of Bloggers Unite Day. More information on participating can be found at BlogCatalog. We can all make a difference and unite today!
I recently received this cool tote bag from Robert over at Real Deal Brazil . The Real Deal Brazil have been making hats in Brazil that are crafted from recycled tarps of Brazilian cargo trucks in an attempt to cut down on the wasting of resources.
They shipped this sample recycled tote bag for my review. They wanted my opinion on the product as they are apparently going to start making them from the old tarps along with the hats. Because they graciously sent me their product without charge, I agreed to provide a complimentary review of their new recycled product.
Upon inspection, I found the bag measures 12-1/2″ wide by 12″ long and a side depth of 4″ with 24″ straps. The bag has been nicely constructed with the outer portion from old recycled tarps. Pieces of tarp have been cleverly added to the front to embellish it along with a 9″ by 7″ outer pocket. The inside is especially attractive with a pretty bronze fabric lining that nicely compliments the bag. A roomy 6″ by 6″ zippered pocket along with a handy cell phone pouch are included inside the bag. A magnetic closure secures the tote bag closed.
My only concern when I first received the bag was that the tarp material had a bit of an old tarp odor to it. Real Deal Brazil said they would check into eliminating the smell. I must say though after several weeks that this bag has been sitting in my house, there is no odor or smell remaining at all.
Inside picture showing zipper pocket, cell phone holder, and magnetic closure.
Clickable
You can read more about this endeavor at the Real Deal Brazil blog site
Thank you again for the wonderful recycled tote bag and I wish the folks at Real Deal Brazil the best as they continue on the great cause of green, recycled crafting!
Today is a very special day in which Bloggers everyone unite in acts of kindness.
BlogCatalog challenged it’s members and bloggers everywhere to do something good offline ‘an act of kindness’ and then post about it, using words, pictures, and/or videos to tell the story on December 17.
I had the privilege to crochet some recycled wheelchair and walker totes for my local VA hospital recently. It was an honor to create my own pattern for a recycled plastic tote bag that could be used on a wheelchair or walker.
Click on pictures to view full-sized
Then I was compelled to create a patriotic pattern which I did using scraps of red, white and blue yarn.
Several of these totes bags were crocheted and given to our well deserving Veteran’s at the VA hospital. I also share the patterns here freely to anyone who would like to pass along an act of kindness to a family member, friend, or someone who may need one of these handy bags. It’s a wonderful feeling to do something nice for someone! So go and do it!
My blog buddy Nannybird has a fantastic recycled craft contest going on at her blog site. Quoting Nannybird from her site “She wants you to enter the Recycled Craft Contest! It doesn’t have to be a big craft, it doesn’t have to be a newly made one either, it can be something you made out of scraps of new materials too, so come on folks lets get creative and share what we made using ‘found’ material!!
Check out the link above for all the details and the prizes. So hurry and get those recycled projects entered.
Send your entries to her email address:
nannybirdcrafts (at) yahoo (dot) com. Type in the subject line Contest Entry.
On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind. In 2007 the issue is the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
I hope you will join me in blogging for our environment today. I blog about the subject that is near and dear to my heart. Crafting and more specifically — crafting with recycled materials. Please consider using plastic bags, bread bags, vhs video tape, cassette tapes, old denim, and other recycled fabric to craft with. You can create some exciting projects by using recycled materials. I have many free patterns here for your use. Click here to see the full list of all the free craft patterns available.
By reusing these otherwise trash materials, you will be helping our environment as well as creating a wonderful recycled product. Recycled totes, purses, and grocery bags make excellent gifts. Please consider crocheting, knitting, weaving, or sewing with recycled materials today!
Today I blog not about crafts or recycled projects which is the normal topic here at My Recycled Bags but rather to stop abuse. I want to feature a local organization called Family Crisis Network who shortly will be known as Pend Oreille Crime Victim Services. This organization proudly works in the area the Newport, Washington area to prevent and advocate in matters of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and homelessness. They provide services for victims of all crimes in Pend Oreille County. Their web site is presented as an educational resource by the Family Crisis Center. If you are seeking help for yourself or someone you care about, call their 24 Hour Crisis line at (509) 447-5483 or 1-800-548-3133. If you live outside Pend Oreille County, Washington and are in crisis, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Mission
Mission is to provide services to all persons who have been abused and to promote a safe environment from domestic violence, sexual assault, and for the homeless.
Company Profile
Trained volunteers and staff are on call 24 hours a day, every day, to assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Medical and Legal Advocacy is available if the victim of a sexual assault so desires.
FCN MEMBERSHIPS Includes:
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Washington Low Income Housing Network
Washington State Coalition for the Homeless
Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates
Spokane County Domestic Violence Consortium
National Organization for Women
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence MOTTO—-(“Every Home A Safe Home”)
Today I blog against abuse in hope of helping others and providing useful information. To break the cycle of violence, we must break the cycle of silence.
So please join me and 1,000s of other bloggers around the world in BlogCatalog’s Blogging for a Great Cause Challenge; Blogging to stop the abuse — one blog at a time.
Blog Against Abuse logo graphics are thanks to Kamal911 & Nine of BlogCatalog
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