recycling all things

For those of us who've started our spring cleaning a wee bit late, we're finding that there's a lot of stuff in our abodes that no longer needs to be there. While the usual options of give, donate, sell, are good for a lot of items, some need to just, you know, Go!

Whether you need information about day-to-day recycling or getting rid of that big stuff, Earth911 is a useful tool for locating recycling centers and methods. You can search by type of item to be recycled, and pop in your zip code or town for the closest facility near you. The site also has up-to-date news on trash and recycling issues.

If you have some stuff that is salvagable, Freecycle is a great network to check out. Via e-mail and a message board, you can post descriptions of items you're giving away, or check out free items up for grabs. According to their site, "everything posted must be FREE, legal and appropriate for all ages". As someone who's been following the service for a while, this is definitely a good description.

For unplugged recycling, the Santa Fe New Mexican offers the Otra Vez: Trash to Treasures supplement weekly. The listings are also available on the City of Santa Fe site, and is a free service in conjunction with Keep Santa Fe Beautiful.

Of course, one of the ways to reduce recycling, thus making Spring Cleaning not something to postpone until the beginning of summer, is to simply buy less stuff. By the way, let me tell you about this great shop I found while on a cleaning break . . .