Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Five Green Ideas for Old Books

Transform Books Into Decor, Art, Projects, and More


With the fall season beginning in just a few days, it is time to plan for seasonal activities and events!  Trips to pumpkin patches and haunted houses are always fun, but some days, it is just as enticing to curl up at home with a good book.  

For voracious readers, with stacks of novels at home, it may be a good time to comb through bookshelves and decide if any books are no longer needed.  Instead of throwing unused and unwanted books away, books can be "upcycled" and/ or re-purposed in creative, and green, ways.  Learn some methods for "recycling" books here:

1. Donate books to a new home: A great way to "recycle" old books is to donate them!  Many organizations, like non profit organizations/ charities, accept gently used books.  In addition, local libraries often accept book donations.  In the Montgomery County Public Library system, many branches accept book donations.  Learn more about MCPL here

2. Identify academic texts and old school books: Academic books like old course books can also be donated or even sold.  Sometimes, universities will buy back old academic texts.  In addition, local school systems will sometimes accept donations of gently used textbooks and academic texts.

3. Start a book swap with friends: While this method will not help in an effort to get rid of excess books, this is a great way to connect with friends both near and far and experience new novels and texts.  Contact friends, coworkers, and acquaintances to form a book swap, and send books to each member on a monthly (or routine) basis.  

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Car Free Day 2018: Reminders About This Green Holiday

Car Free Day is September 21 and September 22 This Year




Celebrating green holidays is a great way to promote a green and eco-friendly life.  One upcoming green holiday is Car Free Day that will be celebrated on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22 this year.  Car Free Day, sponsored by Commuter Connections, encourages participants to find alternatives for the car in order to commute to work.

What are several ways to celebrate Car Free Day?  Learn three possible methods below:

1) Bike: Biking is a great way to commute to work or travel.  Biking is a sustainable and eco-friendly way to travel and, in many cases, is just as reliable as cars and other traditional vehicles.

2) Carpool: Though not, exactly, car free, carpooling is a great way to commute to work that simultaneously reduces the amount of vehicles on the road.  Less vehicles on the road (one of the main goals of Car Free Day) reduces the amount of pollution that is released in the air and environment.