As the classic carol says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Beyond the twinkle lights, garland galore, hot cocoa, and holiday cheer, there is one more way to make this holiday season even more wonderful: recycling! During a time when it feels like all we do is consume (mainly Christmas cookies), we want to equip you with some fun new DIY ideas for Christmas decorations. Here is a list of some easy decorations and crafts that you can make at home:
Cork Wreath
If you are wine lover, don’t throw those corks away! Put them to good use and create a beautiful holiday wreath for your door. All you need is a Styrofoam wreath, hot glue gun, and of course, corks! Use the Styrofoam as a base, glue the corks close to each other around the circle, tie a ribbon to the top, and hang your new creation to your door. Your guests will immediately feel your holiday cheer as they walk up onto your front porch!
Lightbulb Ornaments
When the lights go out, you can still make your tree shine! Take your burnt-out lightbulbs, cover them with glitter or spray paint, tie a cute red or green ribbon on top, and hang your new ornaments on your tree to add a little extra sparkle to those twinkle lights! This craft is really simple and can be adjusted to whatever supplies you already have at your house.
Coffee Christmas Tree
Coffee doesn’t just add a pep in your step – it can also add an extra touch to your holiday decorations! All you need for this craft is coffee filters, a foam cone (or something else to use as the tree base), and a sturdy base. Start stacking those filters on top of each other around the foam cone, and watch your coffee Christmas tree grow right before your eyes! If you are feeling extra jolly, glue buttons to the outside for ornaments.
Paper Snowflakes
This magical snowflake requires white paper plates, scissors, glue sticks, ribbon, and crayons. All you need to do is stack and then fold two paper plates in half and cut through both plates to create a unique snowflake design. Leave an uncut area in the middle at the fold for the face of the snowflake. Carefully unfold the paper plates and watch your snowflake form! Use crayons and glitter to add a little chill to your flakes, and glue the snowflakes back to back. Once dry, glue a pretty ribbon to the top and lace your window with a homemade winter wonderland.
Paper Plate Angel Topper
Still have paper plates left over from the snowflakes? It’s time to make a Christmas tree topper! Begin by tracing your angel on the bottom side of the paper plate. Once traced, begin to cut out the body of your angel along the lines you drew. Pull the middle lines you cut toward the back of the paper plate and staple. This will form the body of your angel. Decorate the angel to your liking and top off your tree!
Make this holiday season one to remember by creating new traditions with your loved ones, saving the planet, and having a blast by bringing these festive DIY projects to life!
Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category
Give Thanks to the Earth this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! While you put together your grocery lists and start thinking about what you are thankful for this year, take a little extra time to thank the Earth. There are plenty of simple ways to “green” your Thanksgiving this year that will make both you and the environment feel better. Give thanks to the Earth with these helpful holidays tips!
Decorate Au Naturel
Before you run to Hobby Lobby to buy that beautiful centerpiece for your dining room table, take a quick look around your house or your yard. Elegance can be found right in front of you! Pick up some of those fallen pine cones and colorful leaves, and transform them into festive fall arrangements. Sometimes nature can be the most beautiful decoration. Plus, you can WOW your guests with all of your DIY surprises!
Shop Local
Try to avoid those mass grocery stores this year and choose your local farmers market for fresh finds instead! Shopping locally not only helps create and sustain jobs within your community’s economy, but it also preserves the environment of the land around you. Provide your family and friends with healthy and sustainable recipes this year, and we promise their holiday cravings will be just as satisfied.
Hitch a Ride
Are you having lots of company over to your home for that big Thanksgiving feast? Encourage your guests to carpool to your house! Instead of flooding the already busy streets with more traffic and unnecessary carbon, family and friends can pile into the same vehicle to give Mother Nature more fresh air. Not to mention, this will cut out the chaos of holiday traffic and gather everyone to your festive table at the same time.
Stick to Tap
Just say no to bottled water this year! With all of that food, you and your guests are guaranteed to be thirsty. With multiple refills, its best to send your guests to the sink to get that next glass of water. Bottle water creates completely avoidable plastic waste. Save money and the environment by sticking to tap water this year.
Paper or Plastic? NEITHER.
We know that doing the dishes after a big feast can seem daunting, but it is important to stay away from resorting to paper plates and plastic utensils. By using reusable plates, you are eliminating so much extra unwanted waste. Expecting a large crowd this year? Have them chip in and bring some of their own dishes! While you’re at it, ask them to help you out with the dishes too.
Portion Control
Before getting uncomfortably stuffed on stuffing this year, pause and portion out what you put on your plate. One of the biggest environmental catastrophes during the holiday season is wasting food. That being said, don’t let your stomach get ahead of your brain. Take a moment to think about how much you are putting on your plate. If you are hungry for more after that first plate, you can always go back for seconds! However, you do not want to waste any food that you thought you might be able to handle.
Show Your Leftovers Some Love
I think we can all agree that one of the best parts about Thanksgiving is the endless amounts of leftovers. Who doesn’t love to make turkey sandwiches for lunch the next day? Make sure to use reusable containers when packing up your leftovers for the week. It’s also a good idea to give your guests some to take home, in order to ensure that no food is forgotten. If you have had enough of turkey and mashed potatoes, consider donating your leftovers to a nearby shelter or food bank.
We know that the holidays can be stressful and you might just be trying to survive through the chaos of family gatherings, cooking, and football games, but you have an opportunity to take some stress off of Mother Nature by going green this Thanksgiving. Trust us, it’s worth it!
Happy Ozone Day to the World!
Did you find yourself getting sunburnt this summer? Maybe it seemed like no matter how many layers of sunscreen you applied, those extra crisp kisses from the sun still found you. The Earth’s ozone layer holds many jobs, but one of its most important roles is acting as a sort of sunscreen for the earth.
What is the ozone?
The ozone protects us from the sun by absorbing about 98 percent of the very harmful UV light. An increase in UV radiation reaching the earth surface can be highly detrimental to human health and the environment. Too much exposure is known to lead to destructive diseases, including melanoma and various types of skin cancers, plus an increased possibility for premature aging. The ozone layer traps the different types of ultraviolet radiation. Essentially, our ozone is our shield, which is why it is crucial that we act to protect our protector.
A day to celebrate.
Scientists have discovered over the decades that the Earth’s ozone is thinning, caused by the release of ozone depleting chemicals. This is why the Montreal Protocol signed a resolution titled “International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer” in 1987. It’s been celebrated every September 16th since.
Through raising awareness about the depletion of the ozone, The Montreal Protocol has been successful in reducing the amount of ozone-depleting components in the world. These efforts have produced hope for the ozone to recover by the middle of this century.
How can you help?
You might be wondering how you can celebrate World Ozone Day? Each year, World Ozone Day holds a specific theme. The theme for the 2016 celebration is “Ozone layer Protection: The Mission Goes On.” Dozens of seminars and discussions are held in Montreal on September 16th to search for solutions to preserve our ozone. Students are educated about the destruction and empowered to help provide solutions. The day itself is mainly expected to boost awareness and stir reaction.
There are a variety of practical ways to resolve this issue. For example, you can find non-ozone-depleting substitutes for your home, including air-conditioning and refrigeration applications. Additional improvements include: cutting down on your use of plastic food containers such as plastic film wrap and bags, and carpooling, biking, or walking in order to drive less (nitrous oxide, which is produced by cars, is the largest ozone-depleting substance caused by humans).
Our fascinating ozone is something to be celebrated! Join us in actively protecting our world on September 16th! Join Carolina Fibre this year in celebrating World Ozone Day.
For more tips on how to keep our Earth healthy and safe, don’t forget to like us Facebook and follow us on Pinterest.
How We Make Money from Recycling
Did you know that in addition to being good for the environment, recycling can also make money? At Carolina Fibre Corporation, we actually sell the materials we get from our suppliers and, in many cases, make a profit—especially if we keep our expenses, such as transportation costs, down.
When people learn this tidbit, it raises some questions. The main one is whether individuals can make money off the things they recycle, too. In today’s post, we’ll talk about how this aspect of recycling actually works.
Bidding
At Carolina Fibre Corporation, we bid for various grades of recyclable material in numerous small auctions via email and fax. This happens monthly and sometimes weekly depending on our suppliers. When we win a bid (yay!) we have material to sell. When we lose a bid (boo!) we’re faced with a slow month. No matter what, we eagerly wait for the first week of the month to roll around, because that’s when the market’s price reports are released.
The Price Report
The price report is a national publication released on the 5th day of each month, and it guides pricing throughout our industry. This means that Carolina Fibre Corporation isn’t the only company that follows this outline—the whole recycling industry pays attention to it, since it’s based on market research conducted throughout the month to determine supply and demand for various recyclable items. These recommended price ranges then determine supply and demand for various recyclable materials in eight regions across the USA.
How does supply and demand affect the prices of various materials? Just as you might expect. To demonstrate this, we’ll use the example of paper.
Supply
If the mills are full, they don’t need new material. Because there is an excess of paper, the prices fall. Suppliers have to stockpile materials in warehouses and wait for the prices to go up—if they sell when the price is low, they’ll lose money.
Demand
When the mills are running low on material for making paper, they’ll pay more to get what they need. This is what causes prices to rise. If suppliers have warehouses full of paper, now is the time sell it and make a profit! They offer these materials to the mills that are willing to pay the best price, which can erupt in bidding wars and drive the price up even further.
Shipping Capacity
The law of supply and demand doesn’t just affect the price of paper and other materials. Like a ripple in a lake that spreads outwards, it touches other parts of the process as well. For example, if there’s less demand for materials by our export customers, we’ll hire fewer cargo ships to transport goods. This means there will be higher shipping costs that are passed on to overseas customers.
As you can see, the business side of recycling can be tricky, with a lot of moving pieces and a lot of changing variables. Still, it’s important to follow the markets, pay attention to supply and demand, and get our customers the materials they need. It’s good for business, good for consumers, and good for the planet, which is why Carolina Fibre Corporation will keep doing it!
Remember, no matter how much you do or don’t make, it always pays to recycle. After all, it’s an investment in our earth!
Recycling Tips for Your Summer Trips
Summer is a time to kick back, relax, and spend as much time outside as possible. Whether you plan to hike in the mountains or head to the beach, a summer vacation is the perfect reward for working hard all year long. The only challenge is ensuring that you’re not so relaxed you forget about rewarding the earth, too. After all, you may be on vacation, but the earth never takes a break. This summer, make sure you keep your good habits hard at work and make your next trip a little greener. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Hitting the Road
If you’re traveling by highway, it is possible to make your journey more earth friendly. Bring two small trash bags with you—one for garbage, and one for recyclables. This makes it easier to keep up your good habits while you’re on the road! You can also pack snacks in reusable containers instead of buying treats at the gas station. This will save on packaging, and will probably be quite a bit healthier, too!
Beach Bound
Instead of buying a bunch of plastic beach toys, see what you have lying around the house that can be used instead. Plastic kitchen pieces, such as mixing bowls and ladles, are great in the sand! Before you go, challenge your kids to fill a bucket with trash discarded by other people, and keep track of how many buckets you pack out all summer long. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up, and how motivated you are to keep the beach clean! This is also a great way to set a good example for the next generation.
Camping and Hiking
If you’re car camping, you have an opportunity to pack a little more. Use that extra space for reusable or biodegradable dishes, forks, and napkins. If you build a fire, make sure to put it out completely when you’re done in order to help prevent forest fires. When you’re done enjoying the great outdoors, always leave it spotless—as the Boy Scouts say, “Pack It In, Pack It Out.” Don’t forget to do a final sweep of your campsite right before you go to grab anything you may have missed.
Up, Up and Away
If your summer vacation includes a flight, you have a number of opportunities to make good choices for the earth. Carry an empty water bottle through security, then fill it up once you get to the other side. You can also purchase reusable containers for your toiletries—simply fill them with your shampoo and body wash from the big bottles you must leave at home. If you need reading material for the flight, skip the magazines and newspapers and bring a library book or e-reader and catch up on some quality literature instead.
Staycation
You don’t have to travel far to find adventure—sometimes staying close to home is the best way to go green! Summer is a great time to have a yard sale, which will keep your unwanted items out of the trash and make you some extra cash. Plant a garden and watch the miracle of life unfold all summer long. Explore your city’s public transit options and challenge yourself to have a car-free weekend. Visit local parks, beaches, and hiking trails, and take some time to enjoy the earth you work so hard to protect.
It doesn’t matter what you do or where you go this summer. The important thing is to make sure you take your good recycling habits with you.
Happy Summer!
5 Fun Recycled Craft Projects Just in Time for Summer
At Carolina Fibre Corporation, we’re passionate about recycling. While we focus recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum in our 40,000 square foot facility, we also love creative ideas for giving new life to old things.
Today, we’re sharing five fun DIY projects sourced from Pinterest that are perfect for summer. These crafts will keep the kids busy, make your home more beautiful, give you an opportunity to stretch your creative muscles, and keep all kinds of materials out of the landfills. Grab your glue gun and let’s get started!
Wine Bottle Soap Dispenser
Summer is a great time to enjoy a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc on the back deck. When you polish off that bottle, give it a second chance at life by transforming it into a soap dispenser. All you need is a clean and empty wine bottle, some glitter, a glue gun, and a bottle pourer. The result is the classiest soap dispenser your kitchen has ever seen.
View instructions.
Succulent Pots Made from Yogurt Containers
Yogurt is delicious and healthy, a great addition to your fresh fruit smoothies and a welcome treat in the summer, when it hits 90 degrees before lunch. The next time you enjoy a yogurt, hold on to the container because it’s the perfect size for a sweet succulent. Simply clean the container, dress it up with twine and some sparkly accessories, and then plant a small succulent in it and place it on your windowsill. It’s a great way to green your home while keeping trash out of the landfills—a true win-win!
View instructions.
Egg Carton Turtles
The most dreaded words a parent can hear in the summer are, “I’m bored!” With this fun and creative project, you’ll keep the kids busy and help protect the planet at the same time. All you need to craft these cute turtles are an empty egg carton, green paint, googly eyes, and green pom poms. Older children can complete this project by themselves, while younger kids may need a little help. The best part? The rest of the afternoon can be spent playing with their new turtle friends while you relax!
View instructions.
Tin Can Wind Chimes
Wind chimes are a great way to make your outdoor space a little more festive, and what better time to DIY your own set than during the summer, when we spend more time outside anyway? Tin cans are a great material for making wind chimes, especially when they’re painted bright colors and hung from an old lampshade. This project is another great option for kids, though we won’t blame you if you decide to tackle it yourself on a slow and relaxing Sunday!
View instructions.
DIY Magazine Flowers
We love a beautiful arrangement of flowers, but buying fresh cut roses and bouquets of wildflowers every week can get expensive. For a wilt-free solution that also puts your old magazines to good use, these magazine flowers are a great alternative! The only materials you need are magazines, floral tape, scissors, and wooden skewers. The results are picture perfect and a fun, earth-friendly addition to your kitchen table.
View instructions.
We hope these projects inspire you to go the DIY route this summer! If you’ve got any recycled crafts you’re proud of, share them on our Facebook page and keep the inspiration coming. Happy Summer!
Be a Part of Something Big by Recycling
“Recycle” is a word we use often at Carolina Fibre Corporation, but have you ever paused to consider what it actually means? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to recycle is “to make something new from something that has been used before.” This idea of recycling can also be pictured as circular process—items, when recycled properly, are encountered again and again, in different forms.
Carolina Fibre Corporation is one small part of a huge global supply chain of materials. Some of these materials, such as paper, sorted office fiber, hard white envelopes, old corrugated boxes, and tobacco boxes, are eventually shipped away to be recycled. The global connection comes when we think of our partners in China and India, where so much of our paperboard recycling occurs.
Carolina Fibre fills numerous orders for old cardboard or mixed paper, which is sought by India in particular. Only about 8% of their land contains trees, which means their ability to make their own paper is very limited. Instead, they import used paper goods and then recycle them, creating the products their citizens want and need. Many of these products are also sent back to America and other countries—this is where many of the items sold in our stores comes from. When we are done using these items, they re-enter the cycle, traveling back across the world for a second, or third, or seventh chance at a new life, and thus the cycle continues.
It’s truly incredible to think about the journey so much of our ordinary stationery, binders, loose-leaf paper, index cards, and packing boxes have taken! It’s also incredible to think about the role that we play in this global system.
If you’d like to be a part of this cycle, it’s easy! Simply do your best to recycle all boxes and paper products once you’re done with them. (The only exception is pizza boxes or those boxes with waxy surfaces—these can’t be recycled, unfortunately.) Each time you return an item to the global chain, it becomes a part of the circle once more. Who knows—you may even see that envelope or notebook again, in a new form!
If you want to make sure you’re doing all you can to be a part of this worldwide movement, make sure you’re at least recycling the following five items. They’re the most important materials to keep out of the landfill and in the circle!
Aluminum cans.
Aluminum can be recycled many, many times, saving precious energy along the way!
Plastic bottles.
Plastic lasts forever, and making new plastic out of recycled sources uses 2/3 less energy than making it from scratch.
Newspapers.
A whopping 33% of a city’s waste is made up of paper and paper products. Let’s get that number lower by recycling!
Corrugated cardboard.
Recycled cardboard is usually used to make—you guessed it—recycled cardboard!
Steel cans.
All steel products strive to contain 25% to 100% percent recycled content. Help manufacturers reach that goal by recycling your steel!
We hope this post helps you understand your place in the wonderful world of recycling, and helps you feel more connected to the circle that links us all. Happy recycling!
5 Facts You Need to Know About Earth Day
Ever year when April 22nd rolls around, the world throws a big party for one thing we all share in common—our planet! It’s called Earth Day, and while you’ve probably heard of it, how much do you actually know? It doesn’t matter if you’re an Earth Day expert or a brand new arrival to our beautiful planet. After reading this blog post, you’ll have all the facts you need to throw a great Earth Day celebration!
1. What is Earth Day, exactly?
While it’s not a federal holiday, it’s recognized on the same day every year—April 22nd. The goal of Earth Day is to celebrate the planet and raise awareness about the need to protect and respect it. Earth Day isn’t just an American holiday, either—it’s celebrated all over the world!
2. Who created Earth Day?
U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson originally came up with the idea for a national day to focus on the environment. In 1969 he, like many Americans, witnessed the ravages of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could combine that energy with a public understanding of air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. And he was right!
3. When was the first Earth Day?
The first Earth Day took place on April 22nd, 1970, and it’s been celebrated every year since. This year will be 46th anniversary of Earth Day! Better start planning for the 50th celebration in 2020…
4. What has Earth Day accomplished?
A lot! The Environmental Protection Agency was founded in December 1970, just 8 months after the first Earth Day. Earth Day has also helped pass the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Not only that, but Earth Day has inspired countless people to spend a day thinking about the planet and how they can make sure they leave it in good shape for their children and grandchildren. After all, we only have one planet! We need to treat it right.
5. How can you celebrate Earth Day?
There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day, and many resources to turn to for ideas and inspiration. For example:
- The official Earth Day Network is accepted pledges from people committed to performing “Acts of Green.”
- For quick and easy ideas, check out this post by Mind Body Green: “30 Simple Ways to Make Your Life a Little Greener.”
- And of course, don’t miss our post for last year’s holiday, titled “5 Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Day.”
We hope this blog post helps you celebrate our planet year round! For more tips on living a greener life, make sure to like Carolina Fibre Corporation on Facebook. Happy Earth Day!
Carolina Fibre Attends the Annual Plastics Recycling Conference
At Carolina Fibre Corporation, recycling is our top priority, which means it’s important to stay on top of the latest issues and trends facing our industry. This is precisely why our vice president, Keith Ayscue, recently attended the Plastics Recycling conference in New Orleans.
The Plastics Recycling conference is one of the biggest meetings for the plastics recycling industry, which has become more and more complex over the years. For the last 11 years, this conference has brought together plastics reclaimers, equipment manufacturers, brand owners, brokers, government officials and leading sustainability voices from around the globe to deepen connections and push our sector forward.
One of the reasons we like this conference so much is that it offers us a chance to learn from leading experts in the field, connect with other companies in our industry, and network with clients, colleagues, and the wider recycling community. All this results in a better, stronger company, which is good news for all of us!
One of the issues currently facing the world of recycling is falling oil prices. What does oil have to do with plastic? A lot! Oil is one of the components of plastic, which means all the plastic things you use, from your shampoo bottles to your Barbie dolls, contains oil. While most people are happy to see oil prices dropping, it has at least one negative effect on the plastics industry. Suddenly, it’s cheaper to make new plastic items than it is to recycle used ones!
This means that landfills are filling up at a faster rate, and that businesses who sell recycled plastics are feeling the crunch. In this sense, falling oil prices can be bad for business and are definitely bad for the environment.
It’s our hope that by continuing to share the importance of recycling, consumers will understand that their own wallets are only part of the picture. Saving a few dollars is a short term solution, but living our lives in a more sustainable way, by supporting businesses that make recycling a priority and shopping with an eye toward the future, is the right and moral thing to do.
No matter what happens in the recycling industry, you can count on Carolina Fibre Corporation to keep you updated and in the know. For more great tips and timely news stories, make sure to like us on Facebook!