Reuse - Books!

Reuse - Books!

It's summer and many of us are looking for some great summer reads!  New books can be expensive and use precious natural resources.  This is a great opportunity to use one of the Green R's (for more info see post) - Reuse - when you want your next books.  A book that has already been read is just as useful as a new one!

If we look at the Green R's, we may believe we should Reduce our books before considering Reuse, but books provide education and entertainment, both important to society, and the idea of Reducing the amount of books we read should be passed by.

Our reused book options range from free to inexpensive.  Let's break down some options by price.

Free

• Borrow from family, friends, coworkers and/or neighbors.  We should be responsible and always return the items we borrow once we are done with them!  Also be willing to loan out books you have already.
• Borrow from your local library.  Jefferson County Public Library
• Request books as gifts

Reduced Price (up to 90% less than cover price!)

• Thrift stores
• Garage sales
• Used book stores
• Online used book sites
• Library book sales.  Friends of Jefferson County Public Library's holds book sales at the twice a year (in June and October) at the Jeffco County Fairgrounds.  There are 100,000+ books at these events and the proceeds go to a charitable cause.  For more information see their website.  The next book sale is this weekend May 30 - June 1, 2014.

Where are some of your favorite local used books found?

Consider donating and sharing the books once they have been read to keep the cycle going!

~R~

Green R's - Intro

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot

We are going to start a fun new series to investigate the Green R's and share ideas and tips to enjoy them with our families and co-workers!  

Yes, there are 5 R's now!  Most of us have heard of the "original" 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  (As a society we Really Rely on R's!  Reading, wRiting, and aRithmatic pop to mind! That is why I have called these the Green R's.) The three original Green R's have been book-ended by the two new R's: Refuse added to the beginning and Rot added to the end.

The 5 Green R's remind us what actions can be taken to reduce our waste and conserve our natural resources! Each time we take action with a Green R, we are making a difference for the future.  The Green R's should be considered in order from left to right.

~R~

The Basics:

Refuse - Refuse what we do not need.  Examples are opting out of junk mail, turning down a paper napkin or straw when offered, turn down freebies, etc. We can just say "No" and use it as a good opportunity to share the Green R's ideas with others!

Reduce - Reduce what we bring home and to work.  The idea here is simplicity!  The less we have the less resources we've used and the less we have to deal with how to dispose of the item later.  Do without those unnecessary products. We should also look for items that are returnable, repairable, recyclable and/or compostable.  Think less packaging.  Go for the item not sealed in layers of plastic!  Our choices as consumers can change our world!

Reuse - Reuse the items we have and purchase.  This can be a really creative area!  Consider the items we typically dispose of and think of new ways to use them and/or donate or sell them so someone else can use them (which also helps them reduce).  Ideas here are to hold a garage sale, donate used items, shop garage sales and thrift stores, bring your own reusable tote bags to stores.  We can also replace typical disposables with reusables (dishes, napkins, batteries, tissues, etc.).

Recycle - Recycle is sending materials that no longer have a use (remember to reuse if possible!) to be used again in a new product instead of going to the landfill.  There are lots of ways to recycle and more and more items can be recycled all the time as new technologies are discovered.  Also remember to buy recycled when possible to promote the reusing of our resources.

Rot - Rot is composting and is the final Green R.  This should be the option for any product that doesn't fit into a Green R category above.  Composting is the decomposition of organic materials back into dirt.  This nutrient rich compost can then be used in our gardens and landscaping.  Nature's form of recycling!  

~R~

Continue with us and I hope we all can enjoy this series and get lots of great ideas on how to implement the Green R's into our neighborhood and homes!  Remember to follow by email in the top right corner to receive new posts easily.  Also please leave comments, we'd love to hear your ideas!

2014 Outstanding Neighborhood Certification

Congratulations Southern Gables Neighborhood!  Our neighborhood was awarded the Outstanding Neighborhood Certification by the City of Lakewood on May 13, 2014 in the Green Gables Elementary School Gym.  The Southern Gables neighborhood joined the city's sustainability program in May 2013.

It was an exciting evening for the neighbors to gather for a potluck and presentation of this special award for our continued efforts to make our neighborhood a better and more sustainable community.  Mayor Bob Murphy, City Council members Tom Quinn and Karen Harrison and state Sens. Andy Kerr and Brittany Pettersen presented the residents with the signs.

See the full City of Lakewood news release here:  News Release