Please find even more info here
I love this blog site but it seems easier to keep stuff use-able at the new location and that is where more updates will be added.
thanks!
t
Recycle
Hi there, I know it has been awhile since I did a Toxin Free Homes newsletter. I came across a couple of cool things on recycling though and had to share.
First is a cute cartoon, about Sam Suds he is on the case of PVC The Poison Plastic. Check it out here: http://www.pvcfree.org/video.htm
Topic two; have you ever wondered what the products you recycle become? Well here is a small list for you. Aluminum cans may get a new life as cookware, bicycles, car parts and even home appliances. Plastic containers can become goggles, benches, fleece or polyfill jackets and even carpets. Paper products may become your next grocery bag, newspaper or magazine and the lower grades egg cartons, fruit trays and even home insulation. Glass is cool because is can be recycled over and over again but can also be a part of marbles, surf boards, roads, sidewalks and even tiles!
Then again trying to know what you can recycle and how to do it can be a place many folks stop, before they even start. So taken from Body + Soul magazine July/August 2007 is a great recycling 101-tip page. Of course, it is always best to check with your local providers.
Recycling 101
While recycling programs vary from city to city, a few rules hold true for most curbside collection programs. To find out about your local regulations or learn how to start a recycling program in your building, neighborhood, or city, visit earth911.org.
Hazardous Waste
This group includes household products that have corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients, such as rodent poisons, paints, batteries, electronics, cleaners, fluorescent lightbulbs, and thermometers.
Do Read product labels for disposal information.
Do Follow the “reduce-reuse-recycle” hierarchy. Reduce the amount of hazardous waste in your home, and use up as much as possible. Donate leftovers (find out where at earth911.org). As a last resort, arrange for disposal through community collection programs (call 1-800-CLEANUP or your local solid waste agency for dates and locations).
Do Participate in take-back and trade-in programs for batteries, computers, cartridges, and some electronics. See company Web sites for instructions.
Don’t Pour hazardous waste down the drain, storm sewer, or in your yard.
Don’t Put electronics out with your trash or recycling. Learn about the impact of “e-waste” and how you can help at svtc.org.
Metals
Do Recycle all aluminum cans. (If you’re not certain if a can is aluminum, test it with a refrigerator magnet. Aluminum isn’t magnetic.)
Do Rinse out tin cans (the kind that soup and pet food come in) before putting them in your bin. You don’t need to remove labels, but if they’re paper and come off easily, recycle them.Do Find out if your program accepts clean aluminum foil.
Do Remove plastic caps from metal containers and recycle them separately.
Do Check to see if your program accepts empty aluminum
Plastic
Do Rinse out containers before recycling.
Do Look beyond the number. Although proÂducts may have the same number, they may not all be recyclable. For example, #2 bottles may be acceptable but not #2 wide-mouthed tubs. Check local rules to find out what’s okay.
Do Find out if your program requires removal of plastic bottle caps, which are often a different type of plastic. When in doubt, remove the cap and throw it away.
Don’t Mix plastic bags, film wrap, or molded plastic with your recyclables. Put film wrap in the garbage and recycle bags at a local supermarket. Donate usable products, such as chairs and kids’ toys, made with molded plastic.
Glass
Do Check local guideÂlines to see which colors of glass (green/blue, brown, clear) jars and bottles you can recycle.
Do Remove caps, lids, and corks from jars and bottles.
Do Rinse out glass containers.
Don’t Put ceramics, heat-resistant ovenware (such as Pyrex and CorningWare), mirrors, windows, lightbulbs, drinking glasses, garden pots, or broken container glass (bottles and jars) into the mix.
Don’t Drive 50 miles to recycle a few bottles. If you don’t have curbside pickup, find a local collection facility or buy-back center (often located at supermarkets).
Paper
Do Keep it clean and dry. For many programs, a greasy pizza box or damp paper towels can render a whole bin useless. Limit moisture by putting recycling out on collection day, rather than the night before.
Do Flatten cardboard.
Do Recycle junk mail, including envelopes with plastic windows, unless local guidelines specify not to.
Do Recycle magazines after removing all samples and non-paper inserts.
Don’t Throw in wax paper, Styrofoam, or heavily soiled paper (like oil-soaked fast-food wrappers).
Don’t Bundle papers together with tape, wire, plastic, or rope. If local guidelines allow bundling, use lightweight string.
Be well!
Over the Counter
Just in case you still believe that what you can buy at the grocery store is safe - that is NOT a given! Are you looking for some tools and honest practical advice to help you sort through some of what is out there?
I am ALWAYS learning more things, and looking for more tools. Here is something I came across recently that I think you will want to bookmark and utilize.
Many brand name and generic medications cause depletions in our bodies. Here are some examples:
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| Anti-inflammatory Medications |
| Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) |
Depletions – Iron, Melatonin, Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Zinc
Now say you want to know what a deficiency of each of those substances looks like; for example Zinc:
Signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency include loss of appetite or sense of taste, growth retardation, skin changes, and increased susceptibility to infection.
On the other hand, want to take it a step further to say Ibuprofen; complete with the brand names and the foreign brand names after all with the entire media blitz on medications how does a person keep them all straight?
So say Ibuprofen; do you know when NOT to use it?
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If you have an allergy to aspirin, another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), ibuprofen, or any other part of the medicine. A few examples of NSAIDs are naproxen, diclofenac, nabumetone, and ketoprofen.
How to store it:
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Store in a tight, light-resistant container at room temperature.
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Store liquid (suspension) and chewable tablets at room temperature.
Alternatively, say the COMMON side effects of taking it:
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Feeling sleepy or unable to think clearly. Avoid driving, doing other tasks or activities that require you to be alert until you see how this medicine affects you.
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Belly pain, heartburn, cramps, diarrhea, gas.
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Constipation. More liquids, regular exercise, or a fiber-containing diet may help. Talk to healthcare provider about a stool softener or laxative.
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Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking hard candy, or chewing gum may help.
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Stomach bleeding or ulceration. Watch stools for dark, tarry black color. Talk with healthcare provider.
When you miss a dose? When to call for medical help? Precautions to take?
Now would you like to have a resource that could tell you all of that and more?
I would and I have found one –
http://www.alternativemedicine.com/common/adam/DisplayMonograph.asp?name=ConsLookups_DepletionsByDrug&storeID=02AD61F001A74B5887D3BD11F6C28169
Some of you may recall I sat on a jury trial not that long ago; it was a wrongful death case. A man who was overweight, had high blood pressure, history of heart disease, and was borderline diabetic; died suddenly one day. NOT painlessly, nor did he die instantly. There was not enough time between the 911 call and the emergency room treatment for any of his family to even say goodbye.
The case hinged on who was at fault, it was that the medication he was taking that had caused a “rare” (it has since been pulled from pharmacies) side effect that seemed a lot like the flu. Did they know enough, were the possible side effects, specifically the serious ones, explained accurately and adequately? Honestly, the day it happened, that family’s biggest concern was he was a large man and his wife could not move him with the weakness in his legs. He was not being able to walk to the car so they called 911. The belief was that he had the flu and it was worse and had caused is sugars to be in the wrong place. Sadly it was much more then that.
It goes to show we ALL need to be very aware of what we are taking, and what we are giving our loved ones. Especially those that do not have a voice, like our children or the seniors in our lives OR those that are ill. It is much harder to keep track of what you took when, and how many; when you are sick and feel like just curling up in a ball and sleeping. It is truly a time in your life to not only ask for help for yourself, but also to offer help to others.
Be healthy and well!
