| News you can use and reuse | Vol. 15, No. 4, Fall 2006 |
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| • Reuse & Recycling in Lane County • About Used News/Services Provided by BRING IN THIS ISSUE Climate Change: Problem/Solution ArtChics Card Sale Benefit Kudana Marimba Dance Party Benefit End of an Era Thanks Capital Campaign Update Giving More With Less Less Is Best Holiday Eco Meister EPA Report Shows We All Have A Part To Play Eco TIps Student Artwork Selected For Next Year’s Recycleart Calendar Take Action: Things YOU Can Do Kudos Reuse Power! Cut Down On Stinky Garbage By Composting—Year-round! Bring Bucks • See our NEW & IMPROVED Reuse and Recycling in Lane County list  Climate Change: Problem/SolutionClimate change, also known as global warming or the greenhouse effect, is considered by many to be the issue at hand. Other matters of importance such as species extinction, environmental degradation, hunger, and disease epidemics are amplified by this “granddaddy” of planetary woes. The rub and the upshot is that we are the cause of it and therefore we are also the solution. This issue of Used News offers practical ideas for your everyday and your holiday activities that will make a positive difference for the climate, community, and, our future quality of life. Planet Improvement Center Goes Up In June, local media, officials, supporters and friends gathered to watch as the giant steel skeleton of our first new buildings were put in place at our new home in Glenwood. Today, the four main buildings of Phase 1 are assembled, and finish work is underway. Major pieces left to complete before we can move in are: a covered boardwalk running from the street to the entrance and extensive shelving and racking inside our new covered sales pavilion. As the buildings go up, we are edging closer to the end of Phase 1. However, we still need approximately $222,000 to finish up this phase and move. Our goal is to move this year. We Made The Match! In September, we completed a $150,000 challenge from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, by raising an equal amount from private and corporate donations and grants. Thanks to the many generous donors who helped us reach this important milestone in the campaign.
Art Grant Awarded The entryway into BRING’s new office building will be turned into a work of art, thanks to a $2,000 cultural opportunity grant from the Lane County Cultural Coalition. This is the first of many art installations planned for the Planet Improvement Center, and one of the only pieces of public art in Glenwood. Community artists are volunteering their time and talent to create the piece, which will incorporate recycled and reused materials.  Beautiful Windows InstalledLong time BRING supporter Tim Boyden, who is also a skilled carpenter and reuse artist extraordinaire, headed up a team of volunteers from Northwest Door & Sash to install a series of windows in our new public education building. The thermal windows were donated by Northwest Door & Sash, where Tim works by day. Many thanks to Tim, crew, Tom Faxon and the generous folks at NWD&S. ArtChics Handmade Card Sale A Benefit for BRING Friday, November 10, 5:00-9:00 p.m. Saturday, November 11, 10:00-6:00 p.m. 294 W.22nd St, Eugene Come support BRING and buy beautiful, one-of-a-kind cards made from recycled/donated materials by the ArtChics, a group of women artists. The cards are suitable for framing, for gifts or to send to the special people in your life. All the proceeds from the sale will go towards completion of the Planet Improvement Center. Our gratitude to the ArtChics: Georgeanne Cooper, Mary Beth Llorens, Dena Amend, Charissa Black, Deborah Dailey, Mari Livie, Mija Marie, Tylar Merrill, Linda Sherman, Linda Williamson. This is the second year that these wonderful women have created art for us. Last year's sale was a smashing success and over $3,000 went to BRING. We hope you'll support them in supporting us.
End of An Era October 1, 2006 marked the end of a chapter in local recycling history. After 35 years of operation the 24-hour recycling drop site, located outside the gates of our ReUse Warehouse, has been closed. It was the last of 16 drop sites that BRING once ran. As most of our readers know, we will soon be moving to the Planet Improvement Center. Many of you ask what will happen to our current site. We lease from Lane County, and it will return to their control. Closing the drop site is a step forward in our process to vacate our longtime home. Drop site users should take their recyclables to the Glenwood Central Receiving Station (GCRS), 3100 East 17th Avenue in Glenwood, where a much broader range of recyclables are accepted. We process household recyclables under contract with Lane County at the GCRS so you can be assured that your cans, glass, plastic and cardboard will still be expertly handled by BRING. We encourage you to support the Eugene Mission by dropping newspapers in one of the many Mission newspaper boxes around town or at the GCRS. Call the Mission at 344-3251 to find the box nearest you. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, urban drop sites were a critical part of the recycling collection system, but with the widespread availability of curbside pickup, they’ve gradually become less important. We know many of our customers will miss the convenience of “dropping and shopping,” but honestly, we are not sorry to see the drop site era end. Though the drop site is responsible for a couple hundred of the 260,000 tons recycled throughout Lane County each year, it produces at least as many illegally dumped tons—broken TV’s, computers and appliances, garbage, hazardous waste and numerous “surprises” such as a litter of kittens, or the odd cooler of rotting crab parts. Dealing with this stuff properly takes a lot of staff time and expense. Of course, we are always pleased to accept your re-useable building materials and related items. Please don’t drop off materials when the Warehouse is closed, and remember our acceptance guidelines. It’ll save you time if you call before you come out and let us know what you want to drop off. We have a long list of places that can properly handle the items, like tires, TV’s, computers, household goods—and kittens—that we don’t accept. We’re glad to refer you. —Julie Daniel, Executive Director Many Thanks Thank you to Northwest Door & Sash and Tim Boyden & co-workers (Bernick Blas, Steve Call, David Campbell, Ken Herrin, Tim Neun, Mark Nolan, Marcos Rivera, Laura Stillman, and Greg Thibeaux) for installing beautiful windows at The Planet Improvement Center. Thanks also to Bert Boyden, Noreen Franz-Hovis, Jo Rodgers, Annie Vrijmoet, and Betsy Wolfston for providing much needed support to the carpenters! Big thanks to Ree McSween, Hal & Dianne Peterson, and Robert & Darlene Wilcox, Mark Gianforti and Brian Wenzl for their hands-on help at The Planet Improvement Center. For contributions to the general operating fund this quarter, thank you Ruth & Raymond Eveland, Tracy-Jo Mishley, Susan Orbeton and one anonymous donor. For In-kind Donations, thank you to: Hamilton Construction, Christenson Electric, Morris P. Kielty, Oak Leaf Property Management, All Natural Pest Elimination, Springfield Utility Board, Stephen Diercouff of Oip/Dataworks Computing, Fred Whittkop of Builder’s Electric, Sanipac, Café Mam, Hallis, Newsource 16, Nora Hagerty, and Bob Roelke. For helping staff at various events, many thanks to Nelli Williams and Nancy Zimmermann of MECCA, Ruby Colette, Janet Dahlgren, Seth Kaufman, Elizabeth Pratt, Debbie West, Penny O’Leary, Teresa Mueller, Kari Niebauer, Monique Wentzel, David Saul, and Debbie Hebert. And, last but not least, thank you: Sheri Boggs, Willy Breninghouse, Kent Calvin, Jill Devine, Anne Donahue, Caleb Donahue, Janet Dahlgren, Cliff Fountain, Sarah Grimm, Jeff Lander, Trudy Lyne, Ree McSween, Teresa McSween, Sandy Otto, Chris Veloon, and Nina Whitney for helping with our summer newsletter mailing! CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE REBUILDERS ($10,000+) Northwest Door & Sash Jim & Barbara Sly Sustainable Wealth Management TBG Architects & Planners Inc. REDUCERS ($5,000+) Balzhiser & Hubbard Engineers Charles & Deborah Larson Gail Newton REUSERS ($1,000+) Gilbert & Laura Avery Rudy Berg & Anne Delaney Carl Burgdorfer Burley Design Cooperative FarWest Steel Kathy Ging Lane County Cultural Coalition Ken & George Maddox Deborah & Joseph Mailander Penny Palmer & Jan Becker PFS Med, Inc. Susan Polchert & Steve McGirr R.W. Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Dan Robinson Ken Sandusky Sperling Foundation Sumo Sushi Peter & Josephine von Hippel Annie Vrijmoet RECYCLERS (up to $999) David Allaway Aqua Serene M. Steven Baker Friends of Jon Belcher & Peggy Whelan Max & Vicki Beninga Jeff & Jana Black Deb Brewer, in memory of Joan Saries Beth Bridges Builders Electric Diana Bus Robert & Rose Marie Cassidy Stan & Joan Cook Frances Cooper Gary Cornelius Laurie Cracraft Laoni Davis David Donielson & Heather Henderson Sherri & Keith Dow Larry & Sandie Dunlap David Edrington & B.K. Robinson Audrey Erickson Julie Fischer Brian Fuller Joy Gall Jerry & Carol Garringer Bill Goldsmith & Pearl Wolfe Annette Gurdjian & Dennis Clay Hallis William & Martha Harris Heartwood Carving Inc Kathryn Heerema Sloan Heermance Robert Horner & Polly Ashworth Judi Horstmann & Howard Bonnett J.D. & Donna Hosfield Frederick Jasmer John Deere Landscapes Teri & Bob Jones Karyn Kaplan David Kelly Bing & Nancy Kibbey Donald & Jane King Eunice Kjaer Roger and Pamela Leonard Anne Marie Levis Linda Lewis & Marty Kaufman, in honor of Joy Gall Nena Lovinger Judith Manning Susan Miller Charles & Dian Missar Brad & Sally Myers Tette Nordfeldt & Joe Valasek Sandy Poinsett Sharon & Michael Posner Professional Service Industries, Inc. Ted Purdy & Jo Rodgers Stephen Ramey Amy Raven Mike Riley Ernest & Jane Rimerman Bill & Mary Ann Rodgers Julie Rogers Anna Lyons Roost John Rowell & Sheri Pyron Royal Blue Organics Robert S. Russell Ann Samsell Paul Sassone Irrigation Services Margo Schaefer, in honor of Julie Daniel Meg Schellenger Celia Scott Ellen Scott Sheila Seitz Suzanne & Ted Shannon John & Dene Sihler Paul & Roz Slovic Timothy Smith & Kenton Kullby Solarc Architecture & Engineering Martin & Merrily Sutton Nathaniel Teich, in honor of Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Teich Paulette Thompson Sue Thompson Ellen Tykeson John Van Landingham & Martha Walters Jack & Pam Watson Edmund Weston Pamela Whyte Sue Wineland Robin & Mark Winfree-Andrew Susan Wolling Warren Wong Nancy Young IN HONOR OF ROGER SCHALJO & JANISE AUGER Kathleen Nemetz Eileen & Bruce O’Neil Ginny & Warner Peticolas (Click here for complete Donor List) Here’s What Your Support Will Help Us Do: 1) Complete the interior of our flagship office/public gathering building, featuring a green roof, passive solar, natural lighting and ventilation, radiant heating, reused materials, and more. 2) Build a handicapped-accessible boardwalk, running along the bioswale and connecting the street and parking lot with the entrance to the site. 3) Buy and install high-bay shelving for our new covered sales pavilion, making shopping for used materials convenient and DRY! 4) Complete the interior of our beautiful new customer service/public education building. 5) Move operations to the new site—so we don’t spend one more winter in the swamp! Take a Tour Call BRING and reserve a tour time for yourself or your group. Walk through the new Planet Improvement Center. Hear about our vision and see the progress we’ve made. Tours last less than an hour.
• Donate by credit card. Designate capital campaign. • Make a gift of stock on this Web site or call for details. • Make a regular monthly gift by electronic transfer. Call and we’ll help you set it up. • Volunteer your time and talents. • Tell your friends about us. For more information about the Planet Improvement Center, or to set up a tour, call 746-3023. Volunteers Needed Now that major construction is finished on our first buildings, we are working on getting them ready for occupancy. Skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed for finish work. If you can help, please give BRING a call at 746-3023 or email <info@bringrecycling.org>. Leave your name, address, phone number, email, skills/interests and times generally available (days/evenings/weekends).
Giving More With Less The reduce, reuse, & recycle ethic doesn’t take a holiday over the holidays. How do you navigate these times without drowning in a deluge of marketing ploys? Start by considering why you give gifts in the first place: to show you care, right? That doesn’t mean you can’t also show you care about the Earth at the same time. Think about gifts that will serve both purposes such as experiences rather than material goods, local or “green-made” items, or gifts that support or nurture someone. Use the list below to get the creative wheels turning. Gifts You Can Give That Don’t Take, Take, Take
Theatre tickets Hire a babysitter for a surprise night out Yoga/fitness classes Emerald season tickets Movie tickets Tickets to the roller skating rink Massage gift certificate Concert tickets Rent a yurt on the coast Go on a local wine tour Rent a tandem bike Throw a surprise party Trip to the spa or hot springs Anoint them “King/Queen for the day” A night at a local B&B Take a picnic dinner to the West Eugene wetlands Plan a mystery weekend adventure Horseback riding trip JUST FOR FUN Hire a singing telegram Homemade awards to the family’s “goofiest,” “best cook,” etc. Rent a game, sports equipment, or other fun stuff Research the meaning of someone’s name HOBBIES & SKILL-BUILDERS Music lessons Craft center membership Community education classes Home brew kit Dedicate an area for someone’s budding hobby Private lessons in archery, watercolor, voice, etc. Offer to mentor someone Research assistance for someone’s special interest INSIDE THE HOME Herbal remedies (lotions, salves, essential oils) Used books by a favorite author, about their hobby, etc. Packet of homemade greeting cards Dried flower wreath Family heirloom passed to the next generation Weatherize the house Rechargeable batteries & a charger Houseplant in a used but beautiful pot Favorite photos in a photo album Photocopies of letters they’ve sent Solar water system Art by a local artist FOOD & RELATED ITEMS Reusable lunch kit Cloth shopping bags Food basket with locally-made items Breakfast in bed Spice kits with dried herbs Cheese sampler with fresh fruit Local honey Try a new recipe that they’ll love Go out for a fancy meal (or just dessert) Pound of red wiggler worms and a bin Food storage containers (filled and labeled?) Gift certificate to a restaurant or bakery Home-brewed beer or wine Food dehydrator Pressure cooker Food canning kit Herb-drying rack Creative drying rack for washed plastic bags Non-disposable chop sticks French coffee press (no more filters!) Your favorite recipes on notecards CRAFTY ITEMS * Refashioned clothing Hand-knit anything A photo in a refinished frame A favorite poem on nice paper Refurbished antiques Braided rug from old t-shirts Homemade journal made from recycled paper An artistic representation of your love A card professing your love/admiration Homemade potpourris Candles made from old wax and/or beeswax (* There are books and websites galore with craft ideas and instructions). OUTDOOR STUFF Heirloom seed packets Plant-able plant (e.g., blueberry bush, lavender plant) Birdhouse made from used materials Funky garden art Plant a tree in their honor Hire a professional tree pruner Hire a landscaping expert for a consultation Hardy plant in a beautiful (used) pot Earth Machine composter (available at BRING) Rainwater catchment system Yard maintenance coupons STUFF FOR KIDS
Make up a game, song, or story about them A fort or treehouse Teddy bear wardrobe tailored from used people clothing Instruments made from used stuff Items found on Craig’s List, Freecycle, etc. (games, toys, etc.) “Stay-up-past-your-bedtime” coupon “Lunch date with Mom/Dad/Friend” coupon Toy-making “kit” (e.g., for making a sock puppet) Trips to the: zoo, museum, science factory, national park, etc. Self-chosen “super hero” costumes bought at the thrift store Recycled art classes at MECCA “Get off free day” coupon – no chores or demands Journal or scrapbook made with tree-free or recycled paper LOAD-LIGHTENERS Car tune-up Bike tune-up “Yard & general maintenance” coupon “Mr/Ms. Fix-It” coupon Repair something broken Find a creative way to organize closet chaos Forgive someone WARM FUZZIES/TESTAMENTS OF LOVE Doggie sweater fashioned from an old human one Treasure hunt for love notes A poem just for them Learn and practice how to give a good massage UBIQUITOUS “OTHER” Long-distance calling card Donate to a charity in their name Pay to have their pet neutered or spayed Start an investment or IRA account in their name  A beautiful rock bestowed with a specialmeaning for them Used electronic device (iPod, computer) Pay to have their cast-off electronic devices recycled FAVORITE GIFTS BRING gift certificate Homemade treats in a redecorated tin
2nd Annual Less is Best Holiday Fair, December 1-3 Come join the fun and festivities at the second annual Less is Best Holiday Fair. This event is free and open to all ages! • Friday, December 1st, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., First Friday ARTWalk, Recycled art* gallery and sale. • Saturday and Sunday, December 2nd and 3rd, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Make beautiful holiday cards, gift boxes from old greeting cards and calendar pages, snowflakes out of six-pack rings, and other fun crafts using reclaimed materials. The recycled art sale will also continue over the weekend. * By “recycled art”, we’re not talking about crusty old paintings but fresh, new art made primarily from reclaimed materials. The location for all three days is the Material Exchange Center for Community Arts (MECCA) at 43 W. Broadway in downtown Eugene. This event is sponsored by BRING Recycling, MECCA, and the Lane County Master Recyclers. For more information and/or to volunteer, call Jo at BRING (746-3023).  2007 Chinook Books Are Here! Save Money! Help BRING! $20, call us for details 746-3023. EPA Report Shows We All Have A Part To Play Peak oil, melting ice sheets, rising seas, climate change, the intransigence and, sometimes, insolence of government, the mendacity of business, and the occasional incremental stride forward; the framework informing the Global Warming debacle is made of such stuff, and it leaves one feeling alternately helpless, hopeless, or furious, with intermittent days of optimism. It is like a Shakespearean play, where yesterday’s enemy is today’s hero is tomorrow’s cad, and ordinary folks, you and I, share the blame with kings, caught in a dynamic that seems out of our control, beyond our influence, and yet is largely our doing. So, while we can justly criticize those straddling a wider portion, in the end it is our own fraction that concerns us most, and it is placed upon each of us to determine what is best and what role to play. One of the lessons of Gandhi, King, and other pacifistic leaders forcing change from the ground up is that while everyone acts alone out of principle, it is only in unison with others that great change occurs. We choose as individuals, but act as a group or we fail. There is power in numbers, especially for those who don’t otherwise have any, and a staunchly unified body of people creates tremendous pressure for change on all phases of society, including its leadership. Although most critics agree it is already too late for individual gestures–switching to compact fluorescents, waste recycling, bicycling instead of driving, clothes lines and other low tech fixes— even practiced en masse, to reverse the warming trend, we still need to do them to create the upward force for change. One potential big player needing to step up is the Environmental Protection Agency. Under the right leadership, The EPA can play a leading role in the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). But, after starting out as an enforcement agency dogging business to follow laws and act responsibly, the EPA has lately opted to perform the more passive role of consumer educator. Even in that role, it is strictly second tier behind innumerable environmentalist groups and their leading spokespersons. While people know what Al Gore thinks about Global Warming, please take a bow if you know where the EPA stands on this issue. In this neutered role, the EPA has managed to produce an intriguing report that points out the value of the recycling ethic—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—towards eliminating GHG. This report is called Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Management of Selected Materials in Municipal Solid Waste and is found at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/ghg/ghg.htm. It looks at 16 widely recycled items, among them aluminum cans, tin cans, cardboard, glass, HDPE, and PET, and comes up with plausible measurements for GHG reductions through not using, reusing, or recycling them instead of sending them to the landfill or incinerator. Needless to say, there are great reductions when large numbers of people decide to Reduce, Reuse or Recycle. The greatest GHG reductions for each of the items came by eliminating the need for its production, that is either by not buying it in the first place or by reusing it over and over after its purchase. An example of how this works is making food purchases in bulk and then reusing the bag. Buying from a bulk bin initially eliminates nearly all packaging, and using the bag from the initial purchase again and again reduces future need. Thus, the burning of fossil fuels and the resultant GHG which would have been produced in all stages of the manufacture and transportation of the packaging are eliminated. Recycling produces less curtailment of GHG, but is still a great improvement over incineration and landfilling. This report also underscores the fallacy of compartmentalized thinking. GHG production, as it relates to individuals, is not just about our own cars and fuels. Despite its usual portrayal, efficient locomotion is not the commoners’ sole means of combating Global Warming, confronting peak oil, or dealing with the scores of related issues. Our power over the situation is greater than that and pervades all facets of our lives beyond the car we drive or even whether or not we recycle and reuse household castoffs. It is in our individual approach to life, what we buy, for whom we vote, and anything else you can name. It all comes into question as part of the problem or part of the solution. But, an individual’s power over any situation is enhanced when aligned with the actions of other people. It is our ability to unite our efforts that the individual will can manifest the greatest change. At a very basic level, no one has a greater stake in reversing Global Warming than anyone else. We need to pressure those possessing broader powers than our own to raise the bar of expectation for everyone’s sake, their own included. While we continue to do our part by changing our own habits and behaviors, let’s ask them to do their part, too, whether it’s passing and enforcing tougher laws, manufacturing in a sustainable and nontoxic way, or supporting regional economies. The consequences of delay loom severely and menacingly close. See below to find some suggestions for networking with others to reverse Global Warming and conserve fuel and other resources. —David Wollner, Business Manager
RecycleArt Calendar Fourteen submissions were selected for BRING’s 2007 RecycleArt Calendar which features the artwork of Lane County students. We owe many thanks to many people and places. First, a big thanks goes to all the students who submitted artwork for the calendar. You did a great job illustrating ways we can take better care of our communities and planet. We wish we could feature all of your artwork! To the teachers who made time in their class schedules for this project, thank you and we hope to see even more submissions for the 2008 calendar! Submissions for the next calendar can be sent to BRING anytime before May 15th, 2007. Thank you to Lane County Waste Management and many area businesses and agencies whose sponsorship makes it possible to distribute 10,000 copies of the calendar for free in the fall on the best recycled-content paper we could get for the job. Lastly, thank you to the judges who had the tough job of deciding which art to select. Here is the list of students who will have artwork published in the 2007 RecycleArt Calendar:
Take Action: Things YOU Can Do What moves you? If it’s a car, then this is probably your biggest contribution to global warming. Look into alternatives like biking, bussing, car-pooling, car-sharing (like Eugene’s BioCarShare), or working from home. Even if it’s just once a week, it’s worth the effort. Shop with intention. Ask yourself: Is it durable? Is it made from sustainable materials and/or recycled materials? Where and how was it made? Will it be useful or enjoyed for a long time to come? Just remember that your purchase endorses that product and sends the message to the manufacturer to keep on making it. And a final thought: money is time. Spend it well. Food choices matter. Go local! Buying locally-grown foods uses less fuel and feeds you and the economy well. Living in the Willamette Valley is a boon for eating local foods, including locally-raised meat, year-round. On a power trip? Power utilities are one of the biggest producers of carbon dioxide, a chief greenhouse gas. A majority of electricity is generated from burning fossil fuels. When burned, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide and a whole slew of pollutants. That’s why it pays in more ways than one to cut down on how much electricity you or your company uses. Read labels. Products such as cleaners and personal care supplies contain petroleum derivatives. Read those labels carefully and put the products back that list things like polyethylene glycol or PEG compounds, sodium laureth sulfate or other ingredients ending in “-eth”. And try to limit how much stuff you buy that comes in plastic – even the new “bioplastics” are no panacea (see the letter to the Eco-Meister to the right). Make November count. • If there’s still time, join the League of Conservation Voter’s “The Heat is On!” campaign at <http://www.lcv.org/> to let politicians know that voters expect more than hot air about global warming. • Write letters to your representatives at home and in DC. The more personal and detailed your letter, the better. This is good to do any time of year but particularly effective in pre-election times. Practice Ye Olde 3Rs. Gone are the days when the emphasis of “reduce, reuse, & recycle” is on landfill space. The time-honored 3Rs have entered the big league of combating global warming. All the energy savings and pollution prevention that recycling allows means this simple, daily action really makes a difference. Be on the solution-side of global warming and learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle with new gusto. Find support. Don’t go on a solo crusade. Joining a group like Voluntary Simplicity can provide motivation, inspiration, and community to help move you upstream until it all becomes mainstream.—Jo Rodgers, Education Coordinator
Kudos To… California, where Republican Govenor Schwarzenegger and Democrats have passed a new policy mandating all industry reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. As the state’s Senate president, Don Perata, said, “The fact is that if we do not do something to stop carbon emissions in this world, we are going to see a diminution of the quality of life and, eventually, all life.” Portland, Oregon, where all city operations will run on 100% wind power by next year. Not only that, the wind power will be generated in Eastern Oregon meaning more jobs and wealth into rural communities. Ballard community, Seattle, where residents and businesses are working to be the first “carbon-neutral” community in the United States. There’s already a community in England that’s done it. Wray School District, Colorado, where teaching positions will be restored with the money the district saves from using renewable energy (wind) in the schools. West Wind Forest Products, Eugene, where a 64.75 KW photovoltaic solar electric system (the largest in Lane County) was installed this summer to provide their annual electricity needs. Billy Parish, a junior from New York, who dropped out of Yale to focus entirely on raising college students’ awareness about global warming. He has helped convince 300+ universities to sign the Campus Climate Challenge www.campusclimatechallenge.org/. REUSE POWER! BRING is reaching its final days at its site of 35 years. Come visit us before, during, and after our big move to the new site, home of the Planet Improvement Center, this winter. While you’re here, pick up some materials that will help make your home and garden more interesting and productive as the cool weather settles in (e.g., windows to build a cold frame in the garden, rigid insulation for the attic or crawlspace, materials for an indoor drying rack). Check out “New Reuse Ideas,” including two items made by the Eco-Meister himself. Here are two of Damien’s famous Reuse Recipes to get the creative juices flowing.  
Cut Down On Stinky Garbage By Composting —Year-Round! Turn your food scraps into plant multi-vitamins. There are two free composting workshops held at FOOD for Lane County’s GrassRoots Garden (located behind St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 1465 Coburg Rd., Eugene). The workshops are sponsored by the City of Eugene and OSU/Lane County Extension Service. Saturday, October 14 and Saturday, November 11 (both classes are 10 a.m. to noon). For more information about composting contact the OSU/Lane County Extension Service Compost hotline at 682-7320 or the City of Eugene Compost Specialist at 682-5542. There is also a Worm Composting Workshop happening at OSU’s Extension Office (950 West 13th Avenue in Eugene) on Saturday, October 28th,10 a.m. to noon. There is a fee for this class and you must pre-register. Call Cindy at 747-1419 for more information. Remember, BRING sells the very functional Earth Machine composter for $50. Simple, convenient, and long-lasting. BRING Bucks How much do we love thee, oh faithful BRING customer? So much, our hearts swell and eyes begin to blur. Without you, so much wasted, so much lost… Together, we make life possible with less environmental cost. So to thank you for your past and future patronage, Take $5 off your next $25 purchase of reuse salvage. One coupon per customer only, please… Good through the end of December—an opportunity to seize!
BRING Recycling Warehouse Reusable Building Materials at Bargain Prices Donating your unwanted but usable building materials is tax deductible to the extend the law allows. Shopping for second hand building materials at BRING’s resale yard reduces waste and saves you money.
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Photos © 2006 Bob Roelke
Left: Tim Boyden, of NW Door and Sash, started his volunteer work day at 3 a.m. to get everything ready—here he’s putting in final touches at the end of the day
