3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of items you buy for back-to-school.

• Take a look at last year's items, if they are still in good shape don't buy more. (Book bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, pencils, notebooks, clothes)

Reuse: Reuse jeans by patching or sewing.

• Cut and sew into shorts, skirts, or bags.
• Patch and wear some more.

Recycle: Recycle your denim jeans with Cottonfrombluetogreen.org.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce school lunch waste by eliminating single serving items from the lunches you pack.

• Say No to juice boxes, single wrapped cheese sticks, bags of chips & cookies, individual serving containers of apple sauce, yogurt, & pudding. 
• Buy in bulk and pack in reusable containers.
• Save $ and reduce waste!

Reuse: Reuse food containers as storage containers. Wash and reuse.

• Also great to send left-overs home with family and friends.

Recycle: Recycle hearing aids at the Lions Club.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the unnecessary consumption of antibiotics by purchasing foods that are antibiotic-free especially milk, meat, and eggs.

• You may also want to ensure that antibiotics are the proper course of treatment for your illness before taking them.

Reuse: Reuse partially used school supplies by donating them to daycare, churches, camps, doctor's offices, police stations, and other places where children can use them.

Recycle: Recycle glue sticks and glue bottles with Elmer's Glue Crew.

• Think about starting a Glue Crew Recycling Program at your school or daycare

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce food waste by sharing your garden harvest with churches, neighbors, co-workers, food banks, and friends.


Reuse: Reuse school supplies from years past.

Recycle: Recycle your old prescription eyeglasses.

• Lions Club 
• LensCrafters,
• Pearle Vision, 
• Sears Optical, 
• Sunglass Hut, 
• OneSight,
• New Eyes for the Needy

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce waste by saying No Thank You to dental freebies.

• Take only what you need
• Don't take the plastic bag just take the items you need
• Don't take the appointment card
• Don't take the items just because they give them to you

Reuse: Think reusable instead of disposable!

• Napkins
• Drinking containers
• Plates
• Utensils
• Bags
• Storage containers
• Lunches
• Straws

Recycle: Recycle your old trophies at awardsmall.com.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of chemicals, dyes, and perfumes your child absorbs by switching to more natural products.

• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Lotion
• Sun Screen
• Lip Balm
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Nail Polish
• Nail Polish Remover
• Bug Spray
• Toothpaste
• I know I said this twice but this one is a biggy to me. Read the labels on the big brand children's toothpaste and you might be surprised at what you see!

Reuse: Reuse printer ink cartridges by refilling them at Costco .

Recycle: Recycle your children's old tennis shoes at Nike Reuse-A-Shoe.

• It is not too early to start setting up a shoe recycling center at your child's school!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce packaging waste.

• Steer away from single wrapped items
• Say no to double wrapped items
• Don't purchase sliced cheese that is separated by paper
• Buy in bulk
• Don't buy single use items
  

Reuse: Reuse containers by refilling them instead of buying new ones.

• Hand soap
• Laundry detergent
• Hairspray
• Lotion

Recycle: Recycle your  used cooking oil with your curb-side recycling.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of cheap, disposable, made-in-China, plastic toys.

• Say No to goodie bags that contain these items
• Say No to kids fast food meals that contain these toys
• Don't purchase them
  

Reuse: Reuse pieces of wood to make a shoe holder for muddy shoes.

Recycle: Recycle your flip-flops at Old Navy.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of cheap, disposable, made-in-China, plastic toys.

• Say No to goodie bags that contain these items
• Say No to kids fast food meals that contain these toys
• Don't purchase them

 Reuse: Reuse crayons.

• Take your own crayons with you to restaurants so you don't have to use theirs.
• Melt them into fun shapes and use them again.
• Ask churches, day cares, and schools if they need some.
• Use the shavings to make pictures.

Recycle: Recycle your flip-flops at Old Navy.


Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Original post of Over Coffee-the green edition. Not to be used or copied in any way without written permission.. 

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your plastic bag usage.

• Use reusable bags instead
• For times when you forget your reusable bags ask for paper instead.
• Use reusable bags anywhere your items are put into a plastic bag.
• Opt out!
• If you only have a few items carry them instead. 
• Don't put your restaurant doggie boxes in a bag.
• Ask for no bag when getting fast food

Reuse: Reuse plastic bags.

• Line your waste baskets with them.
• Take them back to the store and use them again. This also applies to plastic produce bags.
• Throw one in your car for times when you need to bring home muddy shoes or wet clothes.
• Use them to pick up doggie poo.
• Crochet them into a bag-o-bags.

Recycle: Purchase items made from recycled materials.



Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your Ziploc bag usage.

• Whenever possible use a reusable container instead of a Ziploc bag.
• For times when you have to use a Ziploc bag, reach for the snack size first.

Reuse: Reuse plastic bread bags and their twist ties.

• Instead of a Ziploc bag.
• To pick up doggie droppings.
• Throw one in your car for times when you need to bring home muddy shoes or wet clothes.

Recycle: Recycle your packing materials at The UPS Store.

• They take packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and the air filled packers. Some Postal Connects do too!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of gas you use:

• Ensure your tires are properly inflated.
• Consolidate driving trips.
• Ensure the maintenance on your car is current, especially oil changes.
• Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed
• Carpool.
• Walk, bike, use public transportation.

Reuse: Reuse paper

• Shred it and use it for packing material
• Use the back side for printing things like directions
• Let your children use it for drawing or coloring
• Shred it and make your own confetti
• Print double sided
• Use shredded paper to fill Easter baskets
• Shred it and use it for composting material

Recycle: Recycle your child’s outgrown carseat.

• If you live in the Portland, OR area (or close to it), you can participate in the Car Seat Recycling at Legacy Emanuel Hospital

I don't know of another program like this one. If you do, please let us know! 

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.


Reduce: Reduce your paper waste by using reusable napkins.


Reuse: Crochet your plastic bags into a bag-of-bags.

No matter how hard we try we just don't seem to be able to completely rid our home of plastic bags. The few bags that do wander into our home now go straight to my friend who crochets them into a bag.


Recycle: Purchase items that can be recycled.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of new little league baseball items you purchase by visiting play-it-again sports stores, thrift stores, and swapping items with friends and family.

Reuse: Reuse wine bottles to make a border around your flower bed or a half wall somewhere in your garden.

Recycle: Recycle Method refill containers by sending them to TerraCycle! (or should I say Upcycle)

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of new back-to-school items you buy.

• Try on all clothes to see what still fits them then head to a consignment store instead of a department store.
• Look closely at last years items, backpacks, pencils, notebooks, lunch packs. Are they still in good shape? If so, why buy more.
• Determine if a younger child can reuse some of their older siblings school supplies.

Reuse: Reuse pieces of scrap wood to make your own garden beds.

Recycle: Recycle with Earth 911.com

• If you have an item that is destined for the garbage dump head over to Earth 911 first. Type in the item you have and your zip code and Earth 911 will find a place near you that will recycle it. Easy Peasy!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday!

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of gas you use:

• Ensure your tires are properly inflated
• Consolidate driving trips
• Ensure the maintenance on your car is current, especially oil changes
• Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed
• Carpool
• Walk, bike, use public transportation
  

Reuse: Reuse paper

• Shred it and use it for packing material
• Use the back side for printing things like directions
• Let your children use it for drawing or coloring
• Shred it and make your own confetti with it
• Print double sided
• Use shredded paper to fill Easter baskets
• Shred it and use it for composting material
  

Recycle: Recycle your child’s outgrown carseat.

• If you live in the Portland, OR area (or close to it), you can participate in the Car Seat Recycling at Legacy Emanuel Hospital

I don't know of another program like this one. If you do, please let us know!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3R Friday.

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of fresh water you use for watering plants by collecting spent water:

• Place a container in the kitchen sink and pour any excess water into it (from dog bowls, water bottles, rinsed dishes, ice cubes that fall on the floor, etc)
• Dump the left over ice from water coolers into plants
• After you give your child a bath (or take a relaxing one yourself) use the water for your plants.
• Install a rain barrel
• Water one plant over another so the excesses water waters the 2nd plant
• Place a container in your shower to catch the excess water

Reuse: Reuse dryer lint for compost material

• I keep a small bag on my dryer and just fill it with the lint. When the bag gets full and add it to my composter.

Recycle: Recycle Elmer's glue sticks with the Elmer's Glue Crew Recycling Program!®

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.


Reduce: Reduce your zip-lock bag usages by using reusable containers instead!


Reuse: Reuse glass jars for storage containers.


Recycle: Recycle your used candy wrappers with Terracycle and let them upcycle those wrappers into very cute bags!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of packaging waste generated from purchased gifts this holiday season by considering other options; homemade, tickets to an event, gift certificates, family outings

Reuse: Reuse Christmas card pictures for art projects.

Recycle: Recycle Christmas trees through your local Boy Scout Troop. Once Christmas is over let the scouts pick up your tree and turn it into mulch!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the number of movies that you buy/rent by checking movies out from your local library

Reuse: Reuse gift bags and gift bows from past occasions

Recycle: Recycle caps with Aveda

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!