The amount of waste and pollution produced by humanity has a devastating impact on the planet and its inhabitants. The failure to recycle trash and unneeded items further complicates this problem. It’s vital you do your part to reduce unnecessary damage to the planet. While this might seem like an impossible and overwhelming task, it becomes easy when everyone does their part. People are often aware of common recyclable items, such as glass, plastic and metal, but this is not enough. If you want to effectively reduce waste and preserve the plant, you must be creative and think outside the box. In this article, you will find the top-5 items you were likely unaware could be recycled.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are used by most people in the developed world, but many are unaware that they can be recycled. In most cases, these recycled phones are used for a good cause. They are given to individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford a phone. If you have an old phone you no longer use, it's vital you recycle it. Most malls in major cities have phone recycling centers. If you are unable to locate one, simply contact your local city hall or check online for information.

Toothbrush

Most people would never think to recycle their old toothbrush. Who would want it? But there are companies that melt them down and reuse the plastic. It might not seem like much, but every bit helps, and every recycled toothbrush is one less piece of trash sitting in an overcrowded landfill. Most people choose to donate their old toothbrush when they discover it’s a possibility. They consider throwing it away an absurd idea. So, when your toothbrush becomes outdated, don’t toss it in the trash can. Instead, find a local recycling station and drop it off. This simple, yet powerful, decision can have a profoundly positive impact on the environment.

Eyeglasses

For anyone with poor vision, eyeglasses are a vital tool. They provide the ability to see the world with a level of clarity that would be otherwise inaccessible to them. Even though eyeglasses can be expensive, most people just throw them away when they break or are no longer needed. But did you know you can recycle your old glasses? Not everyone can afford new glasses, and when you donate your old pair, they can be fixed and given to someone in need. If you wear eyeglasses, it’s important you consider donating them after they serve their purpose. If you buy a new pair, donate your old pair and help provide eyeglasses to those who are unable to afford them.

CD/DVD

Many people view CDs and DVDs as obsolete and unneeded, so they simply discard and throw them away. Instead, they listen to music on their smartphones or mp3 players. Sadly not everyone is this fortunate. Many are unable to buy CDs or DVDs, and they would never dream of being able to own a smartphone. Thus, if you have any CDs or DVDs you no longer need, consider donating them to a worthy charity. You will provide those in need with a source of entertainment. There are several charities from which you can choose. But if you have trouble locating one, an online search will be useful. You can also recycle your CDs and DVDs if you don’t want to donate them. You shouldn’t put them in your town recycle bins because they won’t be recycled properly since they are made from #7 plastic. You can check the website for CD Recycling Center of America to find local CD and DVD disc recyclers.

Bicycles

If you are like many people, you owned a bicycle at some point in your life. They are great for enhancing and maintaining physical fitness while providing transportation. But what happens when a bicycle gets damaged? Most people simply set them b

y the side of the road and wait for the garbage truck to take them to the landfill, but there is a better alternative. Your old or damaged bicycle can be recycled and given to people who have low-income. So, before you toss your old bike out with the trash, consider giving it to someone in need or donating it a charity organization that repairs and refurbishes damaged bicycles. One organization is Recycle-A-Bicycle.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Econoheat., the world’s #1 leading waste oil boiler manufacturer.

This will be a great event in Santa Fe this Wednesday March 12th with
Carbon Economy Series.

Learn all about the soil foodweb and compost tea technology with the knowledgeable Dr.
Elaine Ingham.

Buy your tickets today!

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor of the series or an event co-sponsor? Or
do you know an organization that would be interested?
We are now looking for sponsors for the Fall 2014 series! 

Please contact Iginia Boccalandro directly at [email protected]

Imagine if you could grow anything you wanted with the soil in your yard. Imagine if you could use less water, produce more biomass that is immune to pests, and build fertile soil with less costly inputs. What would you think? Yes, here in New Mexico, shelter from wind and cold would also be a part of the equation, but regardless, if you and I are to understand how the microbiology of the soil works and the needs of our crops, we could potentially grow anything here! Does this sound too good to be true? Well, Dr. Elaine Ingham, PhD, soil biologist and soil food web instructor says just that.

To be able to grow anything in Northern New Mexico is based on hard science and there is a lot of anecdotal data that confirms its validity. It is basic seventh grade science that we are referring to; allow me to elaborate and simplify to refresh your memory. Our planet for most of its existence has been inhospitable to life until the recent arrival (in terms of planetary time) of a cyanobacterium able to transform sunlight energy into chemical energy and storing bonds of simple sugars. This process known as photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and water and yields oxygen, one of the most important byproducts, and thus, setting the stage for life as we know it. Most plants, algae and cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis, and therefore maintain atmospheric oxygen levels and supply most of the energy necessary for life. Looking at the succession of life forms evolving over thousands of millions of years, blue green algae could be looked at as the first step. These tiny one-celled organisms, evolved into multi-celled organisms such as plankton. Continuously evolving, the soil is producing annual plants, perennial plants, grasses, shrubs, vegetables, deciduous trees, soft woods, and finally conifers and hard woods, such as the giant sequoia and red woods in Northern California. Paolo Lugari, founder of Las Gaviotas in Colombia, calls all of these, the “vegetative skin of the earth” which creates the conditions for us to be here, alive and living. Since we have harvested a lot of this “vegetative skin” over the years, human settlements tend to create deserts, and that puts us all at risk.

It turns out that the living microbiology in the soil underneath this “vegetative skin” changes in composition and provides the ideal conditions for each succession species. Since the ratio of bacteria to fungi shifts radically between grasses and conifers, than knowing this can make us much more successful at growing things. Soil that is predominantly bacteria dominant is good for the pioneer species like grasses, and fungi dominant soil is good for the conifers, and vegetables grow best with with equal amounts of bacteria and fungi. Knowing this we can become soil managers and tweak this relationship based on what we want to grow.

Instead of being at the mercy of the soil in the back yard or the chemical and mineral additives that we are encouraged to buy, we can build soil so that the conditions for “our crop” naturally occur. In other words if you want to grow apricots and you know what the ideal soil composition is for these trees, you can make it happen. How do we do this? Dr. Ingham teaches us to feed the life forms that we want. For example, fungi love sugar and carbohydrates, and the hardwood trees’ root systems will exude sugars to attract them and have them work for their benefit. It is an amazing symbiotic relationship that allows trees to get the nutrients they need by attracting the microbiology that produces it. Since trees cannot move to get food, the microorganisms do the moving. You get more bacteria by feeding the bacteria, and by feeding the fungi if we want more fungi. Dr. Ingham teaches biological solutions instead of chemical solutions. All of these processes are natural and follow scientific and physical laws. Once we understand than we can apply these practices and learn to use them, such as composting for greater fertility, reducing soil compaction and being able to store more water. Please visit our web page www.carboneconomyseries.com or call (505) 819-3828 for more information.

At Carbon Economy Series, we are welcoming the New Year in a way like never before. Our Clean Economy Conference will prove that there is nothing quite like kicking off 2014 with a bang!

Taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico from January 30^th to February 2^nd, the Clean Economy Conference is going to be one for the books. This four day event brings experts of the greening industry together under one roof, to spread their wealth of innovative knowledge to all participants and guests of the event.

It all begins on the evening of January 30^th with a Farm to Table/Celebrity Chef Gourmet Steward’s Dinner fundraiser. This fresh style of cuisine will take place from 7-9pm. Farm to table is society’s newest and cleanest way of eating.

The following day will be a pre-conference, full-day workshop all about Local Food Production. Joel Salatin, a third-generation alternative farmer, will lead this portion of the event. Joel will also be the keynote speaker on February 1^st and 2^nd during the two-day main portion of the Clean Economy Conference. Many other speakers will also grace the stage and lead various sessions, offering a range of knowledge and information on wise water use, regenerative agriculture, ZERO waste, organic food, soil food web, community gardens, urban farming and so much more.

We are so happy to welcome the following speakers to the Clean Economy Conference, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for sharing their knowledgeable ways with us.

Margo Covington

When it comes to building sustainable practices that will result in a more resilient future, Margo Covington has strategic and action plans that could get us there. Margo has been designing and implementing sustainable entrepreneurship systems for 29 years. From green tools and awards to zero waste, her impressive list of clients include the Santa Fe Community College, City of Albuquerque, City of Los Angeles and more. Margo holds a ZERI Certification from world-renowned speaker and author, Gunther Pauli. Margo is the Executive Director of Sustainable Communities ZERI NM Inc (a NM 501(c)3), which identifies and links resources needed to foster bioregional collaboration and economic development by finding value in local and regional waste streams.

Heather Harrell

Heather Harrell, co-author of "Top-Bar Beekeeping", is helping bees bounce back from Colony Collapse Disorder by focusing her work to the study of multi-use permaculture plantings, which support a diverse network of interrelationships in the natural world. Along with a wide variety of vegetables, she grows medicinal herbs, which offer nectar and pollen to pollinator species.  She is experimenting on how soil biology is affected by using biodynamic methods of planting, and is currently studying compost teas incorporating various types of manures and plant materials.  Heather is owner of For the Love of Bees Farm and sells her vegetables, honey and beeswax products at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market.

Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin, a third generation alternative farmer who has been featured in “Food, Inc.” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” is a masterful speaker whose humor and positive energy guarantee a rewarding experience. Can we feed New Mexico and the world with local food? This is hands down the most frequently asked question to Joel or anyone else who promotes local, solar-driven, carbon-fertilized systems. Even most foodies and environmentalists have a deep-seated assumption that were it not for the petroleum-based fertilizer boom – the green revolution – we could not feed ourselves. Those massive Kansas wheat fields and California almond groves, for most people, represent efficiency and abundance. Nothing could be further from the truth. Backyard gardens and multi-speciation are far more productive per acre. In these workshops, Joel will give you the information and tools to feed your family and articulate a credible “feed the world” argument.

Katherine and Markus Ottmers

If you own a farm or ranch, work on one or are thinking of becoming an agricultural producer Katherine and Markus Ottmers will teach the nitty gritty when it comes to building a regenerative agricultural profit center on marginal land. They use a multidisciplinary approach to attaining resiliency in sustainable farming, one that integrates land and water wisely, builds soil, increases biodiversity, mimics natural patterns and puts money in your pocket. The model is an interconnected systems approach with bioremediation, mycology, geomorphology, scaled precision earthworks, impoundments, pulse irrigation, slash on contour, natural spring development, and other techniques utilized in creating multigenerational legacy. Become a part of this new paradigm, and growing movement in land management.

Miguel Santistevan

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Science degree in Ecology from the University of California, Davis, Miguel Santistevan is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Biology at the University of New Mexico.  His research interests are in the traditional acequia-irrigated and dryland agricultural systems of the Upper Rio Grande and Sangre de Cristo mountains. Miguel is certified in Permaculture and ZERI Design and has directed youth-in-agriculture programs such as ePlaza of Hands Across Cultures and the Regional Development Corporation and the Sembrando Semillas youth-in-agriculture project of the New Mexico Acequia Association (NMAA).  He has produced video and public radio programming (¡Que Vivan las Acequias!) with the NMAA and Cultural Energy.  He maintains a conservation farm with his wife and daughter in Taos called Sol Feliz where many visitors have participated in educational presentations, tours, and hands-on workshops (www.solfelizfarm.org).  Miguel serves as Executive Director for a youth-in-agriculture and seed library program through the Agriculture Implementation, Research, and Education non-profit organization he co-founded (www.growfarmers.org) while he serves as a Math, Science, and Sustainability Teacher for Chrysalis Alternative High School.  Miguel has recently been elected Chairman of the Acequia Sur de Río de Don Fernando de Taos for the 2014 & 2015 growing seasons of which he is a parciante (irrigator) and past Mayordomo (ditch boss).  He also serves as a Board Member for the Taos Valley Acequia Association.