Earlier this month I spent an amazing time with the Plastics Make It Possible® reporting team and TV personality, Brooks Utley. We went to Washington D.C. and learned about home and building products that are green and sustainable at the Solar Decathlon, a collegiate building competition sponsored by Lowe's and the Department of Energy. The homes were filled with items which were made from metals, natural materials, as well as recycled and recyclable plastics. Seeing the creative ideas at this event was a great reminder that having a sustainable home is thinking about the total lifespan of a retail consumer object.
For instance, when we buy a table, can we ultimately recycle it at the end of its life, or will we have to throw it into the landfill? We should think about recycling our consumable retail products before we ever purchase them. Reusable, recycled, and recyclable home products are a smart sustainable choice for our homes. In the gallery of photos you can see a few creative uses of recyclable products I fell in love with. My favorite three items include the ceiling light, the colored plastic windows, and the amazing red tables.
Attending the Solar Decathlon really encouraged me to think about more than just solar energy, it helped me see the bigger picture: the portrait of the lifecycle of a consumable product. What is your plan for purchasing home products? Do you think about its total lifecycle and the possibilities for its disposal when you purchase it? Metals, plastics, glass, and most paper products are are recyclable and should be recycled at the end of a product life.
Make a difference for a total product lifecycle - reuse or recycle and save the landfill space!
In accordance with the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that my travel and accommodations for the Solar Decathlon in Washington DC were provided by the American Chemistry Council on behalf of the Plastics Make It Possible® campaign.
Filed under: Green Family, RRRecycle
Tags: energy, green, green lifestyle, plastic, recycle, reduce, reuse, Save, save money, solar
