If I were to ask a friend or family member what comes to mind when I say the word “recycle,” my guess is that they would say something along the lines of “taking pop cans and bottles to the grocery store.” While this is a great way to recycle and earn a few bucks along the way, there is much more to the word than the average person might think.
Lately, I’ve been doing some research for new, unique tips I can provide our Green Grassroots Blog readers with. One of the things I found most interesting are some not-so-typical ways that we as residents of metro Detroit can recycle that doesn’t include getting our hands sticky returning hundreds of bottles and cans.
Below you’ll find three new ideas of how to recycle things that can’t be placed in a recycling machine, but can score you some money (or at least the satisfaction of protecting the environment) in the end.
- Become an active user of online auctioning: Whether it’s eBay, Craigslist or some type of locally based auction Web site, you can try to get some money by selling your old electronics, clothing or home goods instead of letting them end up in a landfill.
- Sell your stuff the old-fashioned way: It isn’t a good idea for winter, but when the weather permits you to hold a garage sale, get some friends together and you may be able to make a few dollars selling things you just don’t use anymore.
- Whatever you can’t sell, give away: With sites such as Freecycle.com, giving items away is a piece of cake. This is a really great way to get rid of things you don’t think will bring you a profit while helping someone else who may not have much money. In addition, you can also donate certain items to your local charity.
Please click here to be introduced to someone who can further assist you with charity donations
Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer and Public Relations, GreeningDetroit.com
Jennifer is pursuing a degree in Journalism and English from Wayne State University, and she is also a Contributing Writer for The South End.