Welcome to The Budget Ecoist, where we help you go green on a budget. Check out our tips for recycling and reusing everyday items, our reviews of eco-friendly products, and share your tips in our green forum.
Archives by Tag: recycling
Houston Combatting Global Warming: Green News
October 13, 2008
Back in August, we reported that Houston was lagging in the recycling effort. We admonished them, and apparently they listened. They're trying to make an effort to combat global warming instead, and although we'd like them to improve their recycling programs, this is a great start. The Houston Chronicle reports that their goal is to reduce their carbon footprint by using wind energy, buying hybrid cars, putting in eco-friendly lightbulbs, and...Pencils Made from Newspaper: Recycle This
October 8, 2008
We've found the perfect writing utensil to use with our tree-free journals -- the tree-free pencil! O'Bon calls itself the home of the "world's greenest pencil," and although we don't have the ability to examine every pencil company in the world, we're really liking their products. Instead of the bland, yellow-ish pencils, they have multi-colored pencils with different designs. The graphite itself can also come in different colors. The best...How to Recycle Paper: Green Video
October 7, 2008
If you're looking for a fun and eco-friendly project, why don't you learn how to recycle paper? It's not as hard as it sounds -- you'll need a a mortar and pestle (or another way to mash up shredded paper and water), water, a frame, a sieve, plastic sheets, and thumbtacks. You can send off your paper to be recycled in factories, but what's the fun in that? This way, you'll feel as if you're more directly contributing to the effort to save the...Irreplaceable Parts: Recycle This
October 5, 2008
Our friends at Treehugger recently presented us with a conundrum. How can you go green when your home is filled with items that cannot be repaired/cleaned/re-fashioned? This particular story centered on an outdoor gazebo bought at a big box store that was in need of a new fabric canopy. After two years of use (only two years! that’s like, only 24 backyard luau’s!) it was dead. After searching relentlessly for a solution (affordable and...Old Keys: Recycle This
September 30, 2008
Keys are metal too, but since they're so small and all, we usually overlook them. Our keys to long-demolished cars and old apartments still sit in the corners of our junk drawers, gathering dust. We're experts on recycling cans and electronics, but something as simple as a key? We're surprised we didn't think of it earlier. When, we came across Keys for Kindness while surfing the Web for new ways to recycle, an imaginary energy-saving lightbulb...Sweep Dreams Broom: Recycle This
September 26, 2008
We oftentimes try to perk up the drudgery that is housework here at TBE. Why? Because we’re too budget conscious to pay for a house cleaner and don’t like being miserable on a daily - okay weekly . . . okay bi-weekly - basis. Lucky for us there are plenty of products out there to brighten your housecleaning day. Okay, hour.Check out the Sweep Dreams Broom Sweep Dreams Broom from 3R Living, for example. The same people who brought you the All...
Domino Coasters: Green Video
September 23, 2008
We all have board games that are missing pieces. If you have an unplayable domino set, don't throw away the plastic pieces into the trash. Instead, watch this video and learn how to create a coaster out of them. All you need is scissors, a hot glue gun, the dominoes, and felt. Your tabletops will thank you, and so will the environment. Just make sure to put them out when your guests arrive so they'll ooh and ahh all over them.Bubble Calendar: Recycle This
September 19, 2008
What with this interweb thing sweeping the nation, we've been doing a lot of looking at other options for our underutilized mailroom supplies. And as we start taking in the last days of 2008 (What? You’re not panicked about the holidays holidays yet?) we’re thinking these Bubble Calendars are a genius combo of a super cool funky way of ringing in the New Year as well as a useful home for former shipping materials.The Bubble Calendar is a...
San Antonio Sewage: Go Green
September 17, 2008
The good people of San Antonio are showing up their friends in Houston yet again with their new plan to utilize their citizen’s poop for cash and environmental gain. According to CNN, The San Antonio Water System is already sells some of the “biosolids” from the plant to use in compost in yards and gardens as well as making some money from their treated water. But they’re taking it one step further as they set up a system to capture the methane...Pantyhose & Stockings: Recycle This
September 16, 2008
We know all about recycling our plastic bottles, metal cans, batteries, CDs, and much more, but there are more synthetic products where those came from! Pantyhose, made out of not-so-natural nylon, rips and wears down easily, and most of us toss them in the trash and buy more cheap ones. The most eco-conscious among us have been guilty of this, and we'll admit it. Good thing greenlivingtips.com has come up with ways to re-use them around the...Recycled Bike Clock: Go Green
September 15, 2008
In this digital age, regular old circular clocks have all but disappeared from American homes. Just like with handmade envelopes, Etsy has helped resurrect the past. This handmade, upcycled clock seems to have come from an industrial age, what with its hard metallic edges. It seems mean and spunky, but it's actually made from a bicycle chain ring, a hanger, and a textile sample. This clock doesn't have numbers, making knowing the time not as...Your Old CDs: Recycle This
September 5, 2008
The CDs we accumulated all through the 90s are now gathering dust in the basement. We loved reading the lyrics while listening on our bulky old Walkmans, but with the advent of the MP3 player, the era of the CD has passed. Bands like Spice Girls and New Kids on the Block have returned (much to our surprise) but what to do with albums from one-hit wonders and lesser-known boy bands? The CD Recycling Center of America has come to the rescue.Reuse Two-Liter Bottles: Green Video
September 4, 2008
We've already shown you how to save water and money by leaving a plastic bottle in your toilet tank, but check out seven other ways to re-use your two-liter soda bottle. Don't throw the empty bottles from that Labor Day party you had into the recycling bin just yet -- most of these projects are for the outdoors, so get started before the weather gets cold. Combine your arts and crafts skills with your desire to recycle. The projects are easy and...Recycled, Handmade Envelopes: Go Green
September 3, 2008
We mourn the loss of the handwritten letter when when we open our mailbox eagerly every day, only to see bills and advertisements. That's why we cooed over these recycled envelopes ($10) when we came across them on Etsy. These clever creations come in handy when you're sending out a thank you note, a greeting card, or a short letter. Alternatively, you can purchase them as a gift for a stationery-lover. The packet comes with 24 handmade...Go Green with Throwplace.com
August 28, 2008
Throwplace.com touts itself as the Internet's landfill alternative, which is a big claim. We think they're qualified to make it though -- this free service allows you to donate your old appliances, furniture, computers, clothes, shoes, magazines and lots more. Based on the preference of the donor, the goods are divided into four categories: U.S. charities, international charities, business, and up for grabs. Instead of leaving them in the...Bartering: Recycle This
August 22, 2008
Like the days of yore, people are jumping on the bartering bandwagon to save money, resources and ultimately our fine planet. Whether you’re going big or looking to unload your iPod speakers in lieu of recycling them (and hoping to pick up a pair of Wolf Parade tickets in the process) Craigslist is the way to go. Just want to find a happy home for your IKEA shelves? There’s a Freecycle near you.On a much larger scale, Green Apple Barter...
Yafa Pens: Recycle This
August 15, 2008
Sometimes the little things get overlooked in your daily recycling sort. Plastic bottles? Check. Coffee lids? Eh, maybe. While we would all love to be uber-green and create our own textile piles from unraveled sweater threads, the reality is some things get left behind. Like say, your used up Bic. And while you can take your plastic ballpoint pens apart and recycle every last bit (here’s how), you may want to preemptively buy pens that are Continue reading
Plastics Numbering System Demystified: Go Green
August 13, 2008
Ever look at the base of your plastic water bottle and wonder what that little number means? You'd be smart to know those numbers since some of them can be detrimental to your health. Look for the number enclosed in the recycle symbol (arrows that form a triangle) at the bottom of your plastic container.
#1 Polyethylene Terephthalate:Used for most clear beverage bottles, this is the number you'll likely see at the bottom of your plastic water...
