Celebrating the 3 R's

In my book, the 3 R's are "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." (As a kid it always bugged me that they called Writing an "R.") Well, today is America Recycles Day--and as an avid recycler, I decided to share with you my favorite recycling opportunities in Rochester.

The Best of RECYCLING/REUSE in Rochester
(places to both acquire recycled items and recycle things in good shape but that you no longer need.

1. Thrift Stores - You can purchase great stuff for a fraction of what it would cost new, and your purchase supports important community services.
* Salvation Army - in their new location next to KMart. Great place for office furniture.
* Savers - in Crossroads Center. This thrift store has clothing well-organized by style, size and color - it is so easy to find what you need. Supports the Epilepsy Foundation.
* GoodWill -next to HyVee North on 37th Street N. In addition to a huge selection, Goodwill has a weekly silent auction of unusual things that are donated, such as antiques, musical instruments and collectibles. Also, (I wrote about this in my broken leg post last summer) they have a wonderful medical equipment exchange program providing walkers, wheelchairs, shower seats and other equipment to people recovering from accidents or surgery at no charge.
* Community Clothesline,814 11th Ave NE, is a great place to come across vintage clothing or dishes or jewlery, and the ladies who run the place are delightful.

2. Consignment Stores:
* Kismet - 601 N. Broadway, has great selction of women's clothing, and checkout their new store at the north end of the block that has fantastic, retro furniture,lamps and home decor.
* ReFashion - 321 S.Broaday, an upscale consignment store with both women's fashion and home decorating items.
* All in Vogue - Miracle Mile Shopping Center -- another classy consignment boutique, specializing in women's clothing.

3. Home Improvement Projects:
* Olmsted County's Product Exchange at the Household Hazardous Waste Center (Campus Drive SE). If you need a little dab of varnish or tile adhesive, or paint or weed-killer --check this place out before you purchase an entire quart or gallon. It's also a great place to get paint for theater groups and community projects!
* Unfortunately, Rochester does not currently have a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, but nearby Winona does. The ReStore sells windows, doors, cabinets, light fixtures and other building materials that have been salvaged fromm buldings being remodelled or torn down. They also get new construction materials that are off-spec or were mis-ordered.

4. Reading Materials:
* Of course, borrowing a book from the library is the best waste-reduction strategy, but if you want a book to keep, you can get a greatbook for 50 cents to a couple of bucks at the Friends of the Library Bookstore. The bookstore is in the Rochester Public Library on the corner of Civic Center Drive and 2nd Street SE. Sales support the library.
* While you are at the library, drop off the magazines you have already read and check out the free magazine exchange in the lobby, in front of the Friends' bookstore.
* All of the above-mentioned thrift stores also sell books, as well as LP records, videos and CDs.

5. Computer Printer Cartridges
* Take your used printer cartridge to Office Max in the Crossroads Center and they will give you a ream (that's 500 sheets) of recycled-content computer paper!

6. Sports and Exercise Equipment
* Play It Again Sports, 102 Elton Hills Drive sells new andd used skates, X-C skiis, exercise bikes and more.
* 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment, 2824 21st St NW, youcan get a used treadmill, exercise bike or treadmill...somebody's failed good intentions? Their loss can be your weight-loss!

7. On-Line:
* The Minnesota Materials Exchange,http://www.mnexchange.org, is a business-oriented free service where you can list or search for another business's waste that might be your resource. Successful exchanges include packing peanuts, pallets, wire, fabric, and plastic drums.
* E-Bay - sooner or later, absolutely everything shows up on E-Bay, the world's auction site! If you haven't ever tried it go to http://www.ebay.com and follow easy directions for placing a bid. I am an E-Bay beginner, but I have now completed 14 E-Bay transactions and have never had a problem with anyone mis-representing a product or not following through. Next, I am going to try recycling some of my own superfluous treasures over E-Bay!

Finally,everybody knows about curbside recycling, right? This is such a great deal--the more you recycle the less waste you generate, and if you are conscientious about it, you can probably get by with a smaller garbage container and a smaller waste hauling bill! In our community it is so easy -- you just separate your recyclables into two categories: Fiber (nespaper,office paper, cardboard) and Containers (glass jars, narrow-necked plastic containers, and cans.) If you also use a compost bin in the back yard for your organic waste, you have reduced your garbage to much less than half!

Happy America Recycles Day!