At the Park District of Franklin Park, we have implemented many ways to be environmentally friendly. Now, we want to share these tips with you! Once a month, we share one environmentally friendly tip that will teach you how to be kind to our planet. Our sixth environmentally friendly tip is clean out items in your home that you no longer use and donate, recycle, or repurpose them. This can include old clothes, tools, cookware, and furniture.
It is important to recycle or upcycle whenever possible. Since summer is slowly coming to an end and and rainy days will become more present in the fall, it is a great time to declutter your home. These items can be donated, recycled, or even repurposed. For example, an old t-shirt can be cut up into cleaning cloths for around the home. Repurposing items into something new gives them a fresh lease of life and prevents them from being thrown away.
If you can’t donate or sell the items you no longer need, make sure you recycle them properly to avoid them being sent to landfill. For example, e-waste is a significant problem and poses a huge threat to the environment, from air and water pollution to toxic chemicals seeping into our soils. Make sure that computers and laptops, TVs, or anything electronic is recycled at a proper facility will ensure that the materials can be sorted properly and repurposed into something else. This reduces the carbon footprint of your decluttering endeavors.
Looking to recycle your old electronic devices? The Village of Franklin Park has resources for you to do so. Visit https://www.villageoffranklinpark.com/departments/health/e_recycling/ to learn more!