A Blog by WARM Training Center
recycling
Greening our business?
Oct 29th
We’re looking to further our efforts to green our small business. Can you recommend any funding sources to help this happen?
- Pursuing right-livelihood in Detroit
We can recommend two clear solutions, and then a number of leads. It’d be nice to have more solid solutions, but leads will have to mostly suffice for now.
The big solutions: First, A federal tax deduction for new buildings or major upgrades for energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Here are the basics: Continue reading “Greening our business?” »
Recycle Light Fixtures
Oct 13th
I was wondering if you take old light fixtures for reuse in other homes – it is not an antique – but it is in good shape. If you do not – do you know of an organization in the metro area that I could take it to to be reused.
- Lisa in Detroit
Hi Lisa,
We take old light fixtures like we take guff: as little as possible! Seriously, we don’t handle green products, sales or materials at all. However, you’re in good hands because we have two (plus) great local organizations that do. And here they are: Continue reading “Recycle Light Fixtures” »
Recycling Medicine
Aug 19th
How should I dispose of old pharmaceuticals from my medicine cabinet? Can these be recycled?
- Jennifer in Detroit
Well this one is a bit easier than we might have thought. This question is certainly beyond our in-house knowledge at WARM. So, we called the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality’s environmental assistance center at 1-800-662-9278 (a great resource!). The folks at the MDEQ said that the main concern was keeping these medicines out of the water supply and out of the hands of any people who might be tempted to take them without really knowing what they are. Continue reading “Recycling Medicine” »
Recycling Appliances
Jun 18th
I am working on an article on recycling old appliances and wonder if you know of any resources.
Elyse in Grand Rapids
Hi, Elyse.
If the appliance still works, building re-use shops can often use them. Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a good one and has outlets all over the state (and all over the U.S. and Canada, in fact). They’ll even come and pick it up! (They might even pick it up if it doesn’t work, so it’s worth calling your local store anyway.)
http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx
Freecycling is another route; it’s an email listserve, specific to each region or community, where people list things they’re giving away for free.
http://www.freecycle.org/
You could also try using the Michigan Materials Exchange Service, by calling their hotline at 1-800-662-9278, or going to:
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585_4130-12382–,00.html
If the appliance no longer works (and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore isn’t interested in picking it up), try these websites to find places that will recycle it:
www.earth911.org
http://www.recycle-steel.org/appliances.html
http://www.recyclemyoldfridge.com/default1.aspx
Good Luck, Elyse – hope this helps!
Yours in efficiency and re-use,
The WARM Team