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UPDATE!!! WINNERS ARE IN!
According to Random.org, our winners are:
– Jeffrey Baldessari
– Charles
– Omer
– Ian Oh
– Lisa Carey
Thanks to all who entered! We’ll be in touch with the winners to get your addresses so we can send your shirts!
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Are you using a virgin (something) in your life?
That is a question you might want to ask yourself. Using non-virgins is something all of us can do a better job of.
What are we talking about?
Virgin *materials* of course! (What were you thinking?)
Many products today use virgin (i.e. First-time use) materials in the construction of their products.
When it comes to physical materials used in products, and used to ship products, being virgin is not good.
Virgin materials must come from physical extraction of the earth’s resources.
But there are abundant resources all around us, all the time, in the form of other materials which have been used or used up.
Non-virgin materials are used any time you buy something that has been re-made or re-packaged from something else.
Many companies have realized that non-virgin materials are more environmentally friendly (and in many cases cost less), and have decided to use recycled packaging or post-consumer waste to package their products.
Some companies, like Miniwiz, actually make products with recycled materials, like iPhone cases.
To be clear, we admire and respect those who choose to save their human virginity for one partner. (So chill out, mkay?)
In honor of the companies and people who are using non-virgin materials to make and package products, today we are announcing The No Virgins T-Shirt Giveaway!
Miniwiz has been great to give us 5 T-Shirts to share with the GreenJoyment community. If you win, one of these shirts will be sent directly to your door!
- 100% Trashy
- 100% Stylish
They offer:
- 100% Better Performance
- 0% Virginity
To enter to win, there are two steps.
Step 1:
Like this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
After you click like below, the second step will be revealed to you.
[WP Viral Attack=”2″ ]
I am refurbishing and repurposing items I find at thrift stores to give as gifts instead of buying new.
Hey Janice! That’s great. Do you have any pictures or samples we could share with the Greenjoyment community?
I recently Joined CTC Plastics, which uses 99% recycled plastics for manufacturing.
Hey Don! Where can we find more information about CTC Plastics?
I recycle daily at a 1,000,000 pool
What is a 1,000,000 pool?
I reuse paper, and milk jugs as planters.
it contains 1,000,000 gal. of water, i use any over flow to water plants around the pool. I dont dump down city drains or sewer
I am using recycled energy in my house. I have solar panels on my roof, which creates energy without buying some new to energy companies.
That’s great Capelli! How long have you had your solar panels on the roof?
becose it is recycled and eco freindly…
Definitely Ajay! What ways are you using recycled materials in your life?
Always adapting what I have and reusing wood in my projects. Saves money resources and shopping trips……
My dad has a lot of wood lying around as well… it’s amazing what he’s hung on to, but it comes in handy when he needs it. What kind of projects do you work on?
hi. I do fretwork(scrollwork) and have 15 ducks so have built their coops and fencing to keep the dogs in so quite varied.
Roy
GreenJoyment. This is my first serious step in going green. Please send me a t-shirt!
Well, you’ve commented, so you stand as good a chance as anyone. Thanks for joining us here at GreenJoyment and welcome to the community!
I have a cabin that is totally off the grid and we love it. We live there nearly 6 months of the year and feel so very connected to the earth. We also use rain water to water our horses. Shopping at recycle shops for much of our clothing makes total sense and we find the coolest stuff.
Recycle shops lead to vintage finds, which are definitely in fashion! What’s the coolest thing you’ve found at a recycled clothing shop?
I buy costumes for our many live musical performances. I recently bought a great costume for Suzy Snowflake.
great way to re use old materiel
Yep. Miniwiz is doing a great job! Do you have ways that you re-use materials in your life?
By using freecycle to give things away and to get things others don’t want anymore. It keeps things away from rubbish sites.
I love the whole FreeCycle concept. What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten/given through FreeCycle?
I only buy paper products made from recycled materials and I’m presently building my own solar panels.
Hey Bruce! Where did you order your solar panel materials? Do you feel like you got a good deal?
Got the cells, tabs, and encapsulent from eBay, frame amd plexiglass locally as well as hardware and wiring. I think I got a pretty good deal since I did a lot of research.
i make rugs and blankets out of old clothes.
Hey Debbie! Do you have any pictures of your final projects? Would be fun to see!
never thought about taking a pic of them. been doing this since i was 15 and i’m now 54. i know next year i’ll be doing more because i’ve gotten to big for my clothes.
Would love to see what they look like. If you’re willing to share pictures, you could send them to us at green [at] greenjoyment [dot] com
like i said, i know i’ll be doing some after the holidays. i have one blanket here that i haven’t given to my kids that when i locate it i’ll send a pic of it.
I am using recycled newspaper to wrap my Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews this year. And since I got them all a pillow and blanket that’s saving a lot of gift wrap!
Hey Trish! Any concerns about the newsprint getting on the pillows? I used to love getting presents wrapped in comics though, because I got a double present in being able to read and laugh at the wrapping!
we have rain water collection tanks and solar water heating, and a grey water system
Is there anywhere you would recommend people to go if they want to learn how to set up their own rain water collection system or grey water system?
love recycling water bottles (glass only). I love recycled clothes anywhere i can find them at a good price and no carbon footprint. i always use recycled textiles by shopping the local goodwill stores . great clothes at a fraction of the cost and low low footprint.
What do you do with the water bottles you recycle?
I am the Ultimate Recycler! I own a wrecking yard, we salvage lots of parts so new ones don’t have to be made, and we recycle all of the rest- Including non- automotive items, garbage, etc. Too expensive to landfill valuable, reusable materials!
Have you had any issues with theft of materials? I’ve been reading that’s been an issue for the metal recycling business at the moment. How big is your wrecking yard?
Our yard is 13 acres, not huge, but big enough. Theft is a constant problem, we had to install cameras, and lots of locks. Doesn’t stop them, but does slow them down!
I collect wrappers and bags for the terra cycle project, I recycle everything that comes into the house, we do not have garbage service. We also collect items for the local school art projects to help them with their supplies/budget. We feed our many farm animals the kitchen scraps/leftovers or compost it in the garden. We save the kids clothes in bins in the shed to recycle to the next child or neighbor that is in need and what is too worn out is cut for quilts or shredded for craft paper and other projects. We try to use and reuse everything we can think of.
Hey Becky! Would you be interested in (and have time for) writing an article for GreenJoyment (maybe with a few pictures) about all you’re doing? Sounds like we could all learn a lot from what you’re doing!
Time is the one thing I would like more of. I don’t get back to the ‘net as regularly as I should. I have thought of writing informational articles to help others learn what they can do. I have a digital camera and should learn more about how to use it. I would be interested in doing what I can to help others learn how to make the world a better place without all the waste. That idea doesn’t have to mean settling for junk, or having less, if you want more.
I bought myself a 2500lt plastic tank [recycled material of course], now i can collect rain water and use it during the summer for my garden!
i recycle many stuff in day to day use. like using old t shirts for cleaning rags and mopping purpose. using old furniture to redesign new furniture out of it. using old building material for renovation. using kitchen waste as manure for plants.
I kept newspaper in my store and also other plastic products
ans sold when they came to collect.
What kind of store do you have and where are you located?
I kept newspaper in my store and also other plastic products
and sold when they came to collect sometime I just give away for free
a room in my house that become a store. I am located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
KL is great. We were there in April this year and would definitely like to come back. What all do you sell?
Not many product but I had some copper made materials like
bowl, spoon and so on, considered old junk
we recycle all materials that the city accepts and will stop a pick-up plastic bottles ect to add to our drop off
Very good idea. Do you know what the city does to recycle the plastic bottles?
I recycle all vegetable and fruit peels back into the garden as compost to feed the plants, which eliminates the need for chemical fertilisers and encourages the earthworm community.
Hey Marcia! Great idea. What kind of plants do you grow?
I grow tomatoes at the moment, herbs and many fruit trees, including macqi berry, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, fig, mulberry, banana, mango. I use lawn clippings as well. When they’re dried out, I use them as mulch around the fruit trees to stop the water being dried out by the sun. So saves water as well as adding valuable nutrients to the soil.
Where do you live? I’d LOVE to be able to grow these fruits. You might even be able to grow feijoas?
Yes, I probably could grow feijoas, I’m not much into them so I haven’t put one in. I live in Sydney, Australia. We can grow some tropical plants here like bananas, pineapples and mangos, as well as some that need cold winters such as apples, peaches, nectarines, cherry etc as there are nowadays low chill varieties available. Citrus varieties are the naturals for our area, they thrive, as do persimmons.
good question, I don’t know but will ask – Lakewood is not that big of a city
We are building a club house for BUACA ( Bikers United Against Child Abuse) at the moment and so far we have used all recycled products except cement in the footing as we could not get a satisfactory equivalent.
Hey Tim! Great great project! I’ve heard of people filling concrete with bits of metal, old keys, old rusty bolts, that sort of thing. The concrete still can be poured smoothly, but you use less concrete in the process. Again, great project! Do you have any pictures of the club house?
i reuse all my plastic ziplocks till they tear
We do that too. It’s a great idea since Ziplocs are quite durable. Why do people throw them out after just one use?
i recycle alunimun cans,scrap wood for woodworking projects.recycle saw dust for garden compost,remainingscrap wood for fireplace.
Hey John! Great way to use sawdust. What kind of woodworking projects do you do?
I use only recycled books for studies and help the society by save trees.
Hi Chandra,
WHat are you studying?
Under graduation. [M.E]
I’m hoping I was entered into the contest, since the commenting facebook box disappeared right as is came. Anyways, this looks like an awesome shirt to spread recycling, and it will definitely make my friends “green with envy.”
Hey Ian! You have been entered into the contest. We’ll be doing the drawing soon!
well one thing that I’m using that has been trash at one point in time is my phone case! I entered the re-case contest and won! I have to say this is one of the coolest cases around. All my friends are in awe so to speak. I also have solar panels( and quite a bit of em) on my roof here in Texas. My family collects rain water for our garden(which produces crazy sized squashes) in the summer with many recycled water bottles and cans. i even started to grow a single sunflower out one of those disani green bottles (the ones already recycled)! Anyways id love to add green to my wardrobe!
Hey Mitchell! Glad to hear you’re enjoying your Re-Case! Are your solar panels grid-tied and/or do you also have your own on-site battery backup?
The one way I recycle is by using plastic grocery store bags melting them to make a thicker recycled tote. Recycle, Reuse…and Reuse..and Reuse! LOL
Hey Jennifer! Do you have any issues with funny or toxic smells coming from the melting of the bags?
We have taught our children aged 4 and 5 to recycle they know how to separate plastics and paper, they even look for the recycling emblem on products and recognize when something is a recycled product.
I also recycle compost in a compost bin for my egetable garden.
Don, that is truly awesome to help educate the next generation at such a young age. What all do you grow in your vegetable garden?
I’m working with my daughter’s school on a recycling program. They have SO much stuff that can be recycled and we hope to find great programs that will also help the school raise much needed funds. Terracycle here we come!
Hey Lisa! That’s great! It would be great to have the school be able to earn some money from everything they can collectively recycle!
I have solar panels on my roof for my energy needs
Hey Exekiel! That’s great. Do you get a lot of sun where you live?
I recycle all my cans and use it for my scrapbooking, all the scraps of food go for my garden, all the plastic bags i reuse when i do my shopping.
How do you use cans for scrapbooking? I’d love to see how you do that!
our solar panels are grid tied, but some feed into a on site battery that we use as well. the house is very wide so there is a lot of room for a lot of panels
I reuse my Mother’s ice cream sticks to mark my plant varieties in my victory garden until they become again part of the soil. I find new uses for discarded items even if I do not know what their original purpose was..
Hey everyone, thanks for all the comments. It’s amazing to see everyone’s dedication. Big or small, every little bit counts.
Here at MINIWIZ we’ve been busy developing all kinds of 100% trash-made products. Imagine the possibilities! Toys, car parts, furniture, all made from trash, reusing existing resources instead of extracting more from our planet.
The No Virgins t-shirts are made out of 100% recycled PET, plastic used in beverage bottles. They’re very breathable and are exceptional conversation-starters! Good luck to all and don’t forget to come say hi to the Miniwiz crew on facebook or Twitter 🙂
About 3 years ago I started my ‘green movement’ When I moved into this funky old building I decided to not buy new furniture ever again. My whole apartment has been slowly transformed with antiques, used, and previously loved items. From my living room, bedroom to kitchen dishes. I love it all. I haven’t had to buy any of it as my friends and family seem to bless my with very trendy finds to fit my style. When I need some shelves I usually find scrap wood in back alley ways and rebuild them. I also take my old cloths and sew them up into new shirts! I love upcycling! 🙂
Ooh, forgot to say how I go green. I am currently part of a eco-friendly club at my school, and we have set up exercise bikes attached to energy generators to power laptop carts and such. The bikes generate a good amount of energy, and students get exercise too! I helped promote this idea to reality.
Hey Ian! Do you have pictures or video of this? It sounds awesome! We’d love to show it on GreenJoyment.
I don’t have any pictures of this unfortunately, since the school is very strict about photography, but it is a very simple setup. There is a bicycle with the back wheel mounted on smaller wheels, one of which spins. This spinning wheel is attached to a rubber pulley, which spins a dynamo. The dynamo charges a battery, and the battery charges the computers.
We use saw dust orprocessed used newspaper for our cats litter boxes! Also akes for great mulch in the garden come tilling time!
Have the winners been picked yet?
They have Ian! And you won a shirt! Congrats! I’ll be in touch to get your address so we can get one to you.
Cool! Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Kraft!!!! And Miniwiz!!!