Consumerist
-
interview
iPodmeister Takes Used CDs, DVDs, Gives You iPods
A New York-based company called iPodMeister swaps out new iPods and portable hard drives for used CDs and DVDs, covering shipping costs. The business has been around since 2004, but it's new to me. More » -
trash
Your Bottlecaps Found In Dead Birds' Bellies
Every wonder what happens to the plastic trash in the streets after a big rain? Some of it gets washed out to sea and makes its way to the Pacific Trash Vortex, where it is fed to baby albatrosses by their confused parents. Photographer Chris Jordan took these pictures of their decomposed bodies, showing how they died with stomachs full of bottle caps, lighters and other plastic detritus. Irresponsible consumerism is deadly.
An Ocean of Plastic...In Birds' Guts [Planet Green]
-
recycling
Hey You, Please Recycle Your Corks
Canadians have been recycling corks for ages, but a new campaign in the States is hoping to reclaim corks here as well. More » -
recycling
Recycle Your Sex Toys, Get A New One For Free
You recycle your other used electronics, so why not recycle your unwanted sex toys, too? Dreamscapes, LLC is providing an incentive for consumers to do just that. As long as they wash them really, really well first. More » -
diy
Recycle Old CDs Into An iPhone or iPod Dock
Do you have a dozen or so unusable CDs or DVDs lying around, some glue and tools, and a burning need for a cool-looking iPod or iPhone dock? Geeky Gadgets can show you how to combine all of these things into a functional, and fashionably recycled, gadget.
DIY: Recycled CD iPhone Dock [Geeky Gadgets] (via Lifehacker)
-
cancer
Beware The Radioactive Cheese Graters
Ever feel like everything gives people cancer these days? Well, you might not be too far from the truth. A Scripps News investigation found that "radioactive waste is being mixed with other metals in scrap yards and recycling facilities, often overseas, and then shipped into the U.S. in a range of consumer products." The products include household cheese graters, recliners, handbags and forks and knives, along with fences, shovels, elevator buttons, airline components and building steel. [Yahoo! Green] (Thanks to Liz!) (Photo: Richard Faulder) -
how-to
Make Jewelry From Your Discarded Credit Cards
Sure, you could cut up your credit and debit cards and throw them away once they're closed, expired, or the account number has been stolen in a massive data breach. Or, with a few simple tools, you could re-purpose them into lovely pieces of jewelry. More » -
T-Mobile is running a "flip your pearl" promotion right now, where you can trade in your old Blackberry for at least $75 (or another phone for $50) when you buy and activate a new Blackberry from them. Your trade-in phone will have to meet certain conditions for the offer to apply. [FlipYourPearl via IntoMobile]
MORE » -
-
cheapskates
Austin Jiffy Lubes Too Cheap To Dispose Of Oil Properly, Keep Dumping It In City Sewer System
Heartland Automotive Services, Inc., which runs 31 Jiffy Lubes in the Austin area, has to pay a $300,000 fine after admitting to pumping used oil into the city's sewer system instead of recycling it. Normally shops are paid by the gallon for used oil, but in this case a damaged wall let water seep into the oil collection area and create a toxic mess that couldn't be sold—so instead of paying to remove it, they pumped it down the drain. More » -
cellphones
Cellphone Recycler Says 99% Of Phones Still Contain Personal Data
It's really great to put your old cellphone back into circulation, even if that means just donating it to a family member. But please, remember to wipe the phone first.
Regenersis studied a random sample of 2000 handsets processed during the first week in December and found that 99% of handsets received contained some sort of personal data, including: contacts, SMS messages, pictures, music, videos, calendar entries, emails, notes, mailing lists and to do lists. In some cases, extremely sensitive information was contained, including bank details, addresses, and confidential emails.
More » -
Here are some tips for recycling your Christmas tree.
-
packaging
Mom, Will You Open This? Amazon Announces "Frustration Free" Packaging
Anyone who was once a child or has been around a child during the holidays knows that toy packages are pure evil straight from hell. Now, according to a letter currently on the front page of Amazon.com, they've decided to dedicate themselves to removing this scourge from your lives. More » -
bad consumer
Seinfeldian: Some Consumers Really Do Drive Their Cans And Bottles To Michigan
Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman attempted to drive a mail truck full of cans and bottles to Michigan in order to profit from the $0.10 bottle deposit? Well, apparently, people really do this. And it's no fun for Michigan. More » -
cool housing
Make Your Next House A Shipping Container
These 12 ideas for converting shipping containers into homes are pretty cool, if not always practical or cheap. Our favorite is the one that's probably among the most expensive to make, not to mention that added cost of relocating to New Zealand to get the awesome view. Runner up: Ross Steven's three-story fortress built into a hillside (see page 2).
"Crate Expectations" [Treehugger via Digg]
-
recycling
The Gym Made Of Wood
This is an outdoor gym made entirely of discarded orchard tree limbs and other pieces of recycled material. It bills itself as an eco-gym. Neat idea, but I wonder if anyone actually works out in it. [GOOD] (Thanks to c-side!) -
coinstar
Coinstar Calls Cashing In Change 'Recycling'
Douglas writes, "Coinstar wants you to 'recycle' your coins in their machines, and save the environment! Minus their 8.9% fee of course." They even have a little wizard on their website that estimates how many parts of the environment—water, energy consumption, and geological waste—you save by putting those coins back into circulation, instead of hoarding them like the polar bear murderer you are. They don't provide any source for these estimates, though, and we're not convinced you're doing anything "green" other than lining Coinstar's pockets. More » -
Home Depot has started a nationwide compact flourescent light bulb recycling program. "At each The Home Depot store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk." CFL bulbs contain mercury and can be damaging to the environment if thrown into regular landfills. [New York Times]
MORE » -
retail
OfficeMax Calls You A Thief For Trying To Recycle
OfficeMax called Chris a thief for recycling empty printer cartridges. OfficeMax's MaxPerks program gives customers $3 for each empty cartridge they recycle, with a limit of 5 cartridges per customer per day. Chris runs a computer repair business that leaves him flush with empty cartridges. According to one cashier, this makes Chris a thief. More »
recycling
New York, 2:18 PM
Sun Nov 22
8 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
tipline: 347-42C-ON95
Co-Managing Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Managing Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Associate Editor:
Phil Villarreal
Email
