It’s that time of year where we are making lists and checking them twice. Spending time outdoors is good for your mind and your body. Why not gift your friends and family with something to encourage them to get out to explore?

Consider gifts of experience, like passes or gift certificates to State or National parks, nature centers, ski resorts, a golf outing, or boat rental. Gifts of experience generally have a lower environmental impact than material goods. If gifting a travel experience, consider options for train travel. Traveling by train can add to the experience of the trip and is a more sustainable form of travel compared to flying or driving.

Snow shoes, skis, skates, gloves, and hats are all classic choices. A new back pack, hiking boots, or winter jacket all make great gifts that make spending time outside more enjoyable. A to-go mug or water bottle make it so you can grab your favorite drink for an outing, whether it be a stroll at the local nature center or a day spent on the slopes. Sporting equipment, tents, and other camping gear can also make a great gift that a family can enjoy together. Fishing and hunting equipment might be a good choice for an outdoor enthusiast in your life.

As always opt for items bought second-hand, using recycled materials, and/or made from natural fibers. Many of the items suggested here, not only are gifts that your loved ones will be able to enjoy for years, but help to reduce waste and reliance on disposable options.

Do you ever wonder where your recyclables go after you put them in the recycling bin? Used items journey through several stages of the recycling process as they are transformed into renewed, marketable items. Knowing the stages of the recycling process helps us to understand why it is so important to recycle right.

Here in Ontario County all of the materials that are collected for recycling are taken to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) located adjacent to the Ontario County Landfill. Often people ask us if the materials they separate for recycling are actually recycled. YES, they are! According to the NYS DEC any materials that are separated by you and taken to the MRF cannot be disposed of as garbage. If you are a wish-cycler, and place items that are not actually recyclable in your bin, those items will be separated and disposed of. You can be confident the rest of those carboard boxes, aluminum cans, and plastic milk jugs are separated by material and sent to manufacturers to be turned into new materials.

What are some of the benefits of recycling? It reduces materials being sent to the landfill, it saves resources and energy, it creates jobs, and it prevents pollution.

Adapted from #RecycleRightNY resources

Election day was earlier this week, hopefully you made it to the polls to cast your vote. You may be wondering what to do with campaign yard signs now that the election is over. Whenever you are trying to decide the best way to dispose of an item remember the order of the 3 R’s: 1. Reduce, 2. Reuse, 3. Recycle.

Reduce: Return signs to the candidate or organization. Many candidates will take back their signs to use again for future campaigns. Check with them to see if they would like their sign back, or hang on to it for future use.

Reuse: Consider how you can reuse your campaign sign. Put a coat of chalkboard paint on the sign to write your own messages. You can write messages for birthday celebrations, graduations, weddings, parties, or yard sales.

Also, check out these two cool projects for turning corrugated plastic signs into two styles of storage containers. Get an early start on your gift giving by using these containers as gift baskets.

https://www.instructables.com/Yard-Sign-Storage-Boxes/

https://www.instructables.com/Super-Strong-Coroplast-Wall-Storage-for-Tools-and-/

Recycle: There are two parts to campaign signs, neither of which are recyclable with your household recycling. You can remove the metal frame and recycle in a scrap metal program. The plastic sign should be placed in the garbage.