WE FOUND THE ANSWER: When faced with a variety of materials in a package, the first thing you should always do is sort it out piece by piece. So, let’s take your cardboard, for example. This material is easily recyclable in most curbside programs (you can find your local recycling location for cardboard here). Just remember to remove all the adhesives before tossing in the bin. Unfortunately, that tape wrapped around your cardboard box is not recyclable and will have to be tossed.

Now, the packaging peanuts are a little trickier. These foam puffs are made from plastic #6, also called expanded polystyrene, and many curbside programs do not accept this type of plastic. The reason comes down to transportation issues to its light weight and high contamination rate.

After the material is placed in a commingled bin, scooped up on a recycling truck and transported to a facility, it becomes contaminated with dirt and other materials. Because most curbside programs do not wash the material, recyclers have a hard time with it.

But that doesn’t mean you have to throw away those peanuts. There are several community programs that will recycle the material. A simple search on Earth911.com will pull up recyclers in your specific area. If there are no programs that fit your specific needs or are near your location, AFPR offers a mail-in program for consumers. Average shipping fees range from $1.50 to $9, based on the total packaging weight and volume.

And we can’t end this post without mentioning the dozens of reuse projects for polystyrene foam. As for that tissue paper, don’t toss it! Save it! You can always find another place for it, from future shipments to thoughtful gifts (hey, the holidays are right around the corner after all).

Got a question for Barry? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter. If your question is picked for next week, we’ll send you a trendy Earth911 T-shirt for free.

Written by Amanda Wills

WE FOUND THE ANSWER: It’s true. Gasoline does have an expiration date. Most ethanol-blend fuels have a shelf life of about three months, so chances are that your friend’s gasoline is definitely unusable… in his car that is.

This is because ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning that it will absorb water, and only about one tablespoon of water per gallon will contaminate it, causing it to separate. When it comes to your fuel tank, you should replace the gas in it every two to three weeks to avoid contamination.

But just because this gasoline is no longer usable for your friend’s car doesn’t mean that it still can’t be used as fuel in another capacity (such as burning for energy on an industrial level, which – I’m guessing – is not what he’s intending to do).

So, now what to do with the leftover fuel and container? These will need to be taken to your local household hazardous waste facility, where it can be processed safely. This is the same place that you take your unwanted paint or used motor oil (if you’re a DIY oil-changer that is). You can also take the container to the HHW facility. One thing is clear: Do not attempt to recycle the can/jug yourself. The easiest way to find the nearest HHW facility is to use Earth911′s recycling search.

Got a question for Barry? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter. If your question is picked for next week, we’ll send you a trendy Earth911 T-shirt for free.

Written by Amanda Wills

WE FOUND THE ANSWER: The Food and Drug Administration says most medications can be thrown in the household trash (after taking these precautions), and some drugs can be flushed. The most important thing to remember is to read the label. Most medications will denote if they’re safe to flush, and the FDA maintains a list of medications recommended for disposal by flushing.

But before you flush your unwanted or expired medications, we should note that this move doesn’t come without its share of controversy.

A 2008 investigation by the Associated Press found that 250 million pounds of pharmaceuticals are flushed each year by hospitals and long-term care facilities. U.S. EPA studies have shown that pharmaceuticals are present in waterbodies, and it recently added antibiotics, sex hormones and other pharmaceuticals to its list of known water contaminants, responding to evidence that trace amounts of medicines have entered the American drinking water supply.

READ: Proper Disposal Keeps Meds Out of Waterways

If your meds are not deemed safe to flush, or you simply want an alternative, major retailers and government organizations have placed a high priority on proper disposal, so you may easily find other options in your area.

Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration partnered with community law enforcement offices to offer nationwide collection events for unused prescription medications. Just last month, CVS announced that all of its 7,200 locations will now offer customers an affordable way to safely dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. You can read more about that program here.

Written by Amanda Wills, Managing Editor

What else has Barry learned? Read all of his questions here.

BARRY ASKED THE QUESTION: While I was drinking a bottle of water, I noticed it said “CA, MI, OR, HI, 5 cents.” I know this means that the price includes a 5-cent return deposit, but there’s no chance I’ll return it to that store (it will go in the recycle bin). So, what happens to that 5 cents the store collected? Since it’s only in certain states, is there a fund that is used to collect and recycle? Or is this just extra profit for the bottler, distributor or store?

WE FOUND THE ANSWER: Before diving into where the money goes, let’s review what a bottle bill (also known as  beverage container deposit legislation) actually is.

Bottle bills allow consumers to pay an extra charge when purchasing beverage containers. This charge is then totally or partially refunded when the container is recycled at a certified redemption center. Since recycling is mandated on a state level, bottles bills can be used as an incentive for recycling.

But do they work? According to the Container Recycling Institute, they’re highly successful as states with bottle bills have a beverage container recycling rate of around 60 percent, while non-deposit states only reach about 24 percent.

READ: Does Your State Have a Bottle Bill?

Now, to answer Barry’s question on where those uncollected deposits go. It actually depends on where you live as each state has a different “formula.” In some states, that money goes into the local recycling programs, while other states share the funds with the distributors.

We contacted the Container Recycling Institute, which advocates in favor of bottle bills, to get a better state-by-state explanation. According to Executive Director Susan Collins:

“In California and Hawaii, there is a special fund that is maintained by the state that pays for all beverage container recycling, so “unredeemed” or “abandoned” deposits are used to pay for recycling of all of the containers that do get turned in. And in California, a great deal of that money — over $100 million per year — funds the curbside recycling programs in the State. In Iowa, Vermont, Maine and Oregon, the unclaimed deposits are retained by the beverage distributors, but those distributors pay for the recycling of the bottles and cans that are redeemed. And in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Michigan, the unclaimed deposits are either retained by the state governments or shared between the states and the distributors.”

Currently, 10 states (and Guam) have bottles bills, and more are in the works. While bottle bills are often touted as saviors of recycling rates, they come with their own batch of criticism. In fact, Delaware dropped its bottle bill last year. The 5-cent deposit was replaced with a 4-cent fee that the state says will help expand recycling programs.

Written by Amanda Wills, Managing Editor

Get schooled on the best in green every week. No textbooks required! Photo: Flickr

Your days are chock-full of boring emails, requests from your boss, and more than likely, some mindless newsletters. The Earth911 Editorial Team thought long and hard about this, and we’ve got the answer.

We’re fighting dull with inspiring, wasteful with purpose, and business-as-usual with something a little different: the soon-to-be launched Earth911.com Instant Expert Newsletter, hitting inboxes everywhere on Wednesday mornings. And to add some extra excitement, we’re even giving away free Earth911 swag to new subscribers! See the notes below for how to enter.

The Instant Expert is your go-to source to become an expert in one, green topic every week. We’ll focus in on the how-to’s and top info you need to know, plus, help you connect with experts in that field. You’ll even get to contribute your own knowledge and photos to upcoming issues.

Here’s what you get:
The Instant Expert gives you a jumpstart on easy ways to get involved in sustainability, starting with the foundation of one topic every week. We’ll provide you with simple ideas, tips and tricks from leaders in the field to get you started and suggestions for some the best people to follow on social media.

Through the newsletter, you can be the expert as well by sharing your ideas and photos with us for upcoming issues, which will be previewed each week.

Ultimately, the Instant Expert Newsletter will be your launchpad for taking your work in the three R’s higher than ever to make a real impact. It will also be a community of people who are looking to learn from and share with each other.

All you have to do is:
Sign up below, and look for newsletters where you can lend your voice. We hope you’ll pass it along via Twitter, Facebook, forward to your friends, and even write back with your suggestions for next time.

Editor’s Update: Register for the new newsletter anytime from August 2 – August 9, 2011, and you might be selected at random throughout the week to win cool, Earth911 swag! See Official Rules here.

The heatmap above shows live recycling searches happening across the U.S. using the Earth911 Recycling Directory. Photo: Earth911 Labs Heatmap powered by Google

Looking for recycling options is one million times easier today than it was 20 years ago.

In case you haven’t tried it out yet, Earth911 hosts the largest and most accurate recycling directory in North America. And, we recently crossed 1,000,000 recycling listings in our directory.

This milestone certainly highlights significant growth for Earth911, but moreso the increased opportunities we have to reclaim valuable materials across a myriad of waste streams.

Our company has been working to provide accurate and locally based recycling and proper disposal information since 1991, and today, the Earth911 Recycling Directory provides resources for 300 different materials and products.

If you haven’t used it yet, here are some key facts about the Earth911 Recycling Directory:

• Information goes beyond plastic bags and newspaper: Find where to recycle odds and ends from mattresses and floppy disks to keys and yoga mats.
• Resources include proper disposal for products that pose environmental and health risks, such as motor oil, paint and pesticides.
• Electronics, such as computers, cell phones and mp3 players, are the most often searched items.

Find local recycling for free via Earth911.com (green search bar at the top of this page), iRecycle® for Android and iOS and via the toll-free, bi-lingual hotline1-800-CLEANUP.

“Our goal is to make this information as accessible, understandable and usable to contribute to raising the rate of recycling across the world,” said Barry Monheit, CEO of Earth911. “Our key strategic partnerships with companies who are leading the movement toward sustainable business models are a large part of the growth we are seeing today.”

Every resource in the directory is verified and updated by Earth911’s Recycling Program Services team, who actively work with local officials, corporate sustainability representatives and key influencers.

“Earth911 could not have reached this milestone without the support of our worldwide network of data providers, including local recycling officials, retailers with public-facing recycling programs and commercial recycling companies,” said Earth911’s Senior Waste Stream Analyst Trey Granger. “Our directory offers the entire scope of recycling availability in a given area, allowing consumers to make a choice when it comes to responsible disposal of their everyday products.”

We’ll be celebrating with social media giveaways throughout the week. Follow @Earth911 and see the Official Rules to learn more.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to add a link to the Official Rules to win this contest.

Earth911 will be giving away fantastic prizes to its audience throughout Earth Week, courtesy of FireSky Resort and Spa. Photo: Alex Vietti, Earth911

It’s the most wonderful time of the green year: Earth Week.

April 18-22, Earth911 will host, promote and participate in a series of events to rally our readers to get involved for the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. We’ve partnered with Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa in sunny Scottsdale, Ariz. (our hometown!) and their Earth Care Week to put together events and giveaways to knock your socks off. But no matter if you’re in Arizona or New York, our Earth Week events will give you a chance to make a difference, learn something new and win some fantastic eco-prizes. Free hotel stays, eco-couture and more await.

Want to get involved? Here’s where we’ll be and what you might win. Dont’ forget to follow @Earth911, like Earth911 on Facebook and subscribe to our Weekly E-Newsletter now to be eligible to win.

Tuesday

Twitter Chat

8-9 a.m. PST Live via Twitter
Join at: #travelgreen

@Earth911 and @Kimpton host a Twitter Chat all about green travel – sharing green travel tips, frustrations, how to find eco-friendly hotels and the like. We’ll be bringing in industry experts and voices, plus picking our favorite tips and ideas to give away fantastic prizes, including a free night’s stay at FireSky Resort & Spa in sunny, Scottsdale, Ariz., and some beautiful, recycled paper couture earrings by Alexander Luque/Eco Paper Dolls, courtesy of FireSky!

Wednesday

Free E-Cycling

FireSky: Free Electronics Recycle Round-Up
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
4925 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ

Have goods to recycle? The Recycle Round-Up provides a place to drop off unwanted electronics. The Round-Up will be held at FireSky Resort”s front parking lot.

Weekly E-Newsletter Contest

Subscribe by 8:50 a.m. PST Wednesday to receive the special edition

Check your inboxes! Earth911 is giving away a free, two-night stay to FireSky one, lucky subscriber. Submit your responses to the secret prompt by 5 p.m. PST, April 21. Our editors will pick their favorite reply and you might win a weekend getaway!

Thursday

Keep Phoenix Beautiful Expo + E-cycling Drive

11-1:30 p.m.
Caesar Chavez Plaza (near City Hall)
201 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ

Come visit one of Phoenix’s premier Earth Day events hosted by Keep Phoenix Beautiful. Walk the booths to meet and greet local, green companies, and be sure to stop by Earth911′s booth to drop off your small electronics (cell phones, mp3 players, etc.) for free recycling!

Live Green & Prosper Trade Show Event

5-7 p.m.
FireSky Resort and Spa
4925 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ

The star of our Earth Week events, visit beautiful FireSky for this free event, featuring local companies, signature green cocktails, cooking demos, recycled art, eco-couture, live music, free cell phone recycling and a raffle to benefit the Nature Conservancy. Get all the details here, and we can’t wait to see you!

You may also like…
Inside a Luxury, Green Resort

Earth911 is proud to announce the launch of its free iRecycle® app for Android! Available only recently for iOS platforms such as iPhone and iPad, the new version of iRecycle is now not only available to one of the largest groups of smart phone users, but also highlighted in the Sprint Green ID pack.

Based on Earth911′s mantra that recycling is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to get people plugged into sustainability, the iRecycle® app provides access to more than 800,000 recycling and disposal resources for more than 240 materials. Also streaming the latest articles covering the trends and ideas in product stewardship and recycling that matter most, iRecycle® offers a completely unique user experience to the green Android sector.

DOWNLOAD: Get the new iRecycle® for Android now!

“Ever since we launched for iPhone, our readers have asked for iRecycle® to be available on more platforms, and it’s great that we’ve been able to partner with Sprint to kick our Android app off the ground,” said Earth911′s Director of Platform and Applications, Tony Ash. ” Our team worked tirelessly to make sure this next era in iRecycle has increased usability and social media sharing options while also highlighting our original content. This is just the beginning in our Android development.”

Top features of the new-and-improved iRecycle® include:

• Find recycling locations and programs for more than 240 materials
• Search capabilities using current location, ZIP code, address or city
• Access a recycling listing’s vital details such as website, phone number, directions, hours of operation, and other materials collected to streamline the process
• The latest in product stewardship and recycling news with original content published daily by Earth911.com
• Social sharing for both recycling searches and articles via Facebook and Twitter
• Customizable Earth911 User Profiles to access insider scoops and weekly e-newsletter blasts
• Easy access to past searches and articles read with the History feature
• Unique iRecycle Android Widget that brings fresh content right to a device’s home screen

“The iRecycle® app provides a great resource for customers who are looking for up-to-date information about recycling and sustainability,” said Ralph Reid, vice president of corporate responsibility for Sprint. “We are delighted to include this app in Sprint’s Green ID pack and happy that all Android users can access and use it.”

For Sprint customers, the Green ID pack instantly adds apps, widgets and shortcuts exclusively for users who want their phone to match their sustainable lifestyles. The Green ID pack features mobile content from eco-friendly favorites like TreeHugger, Green America and the National Audubon Society. Owners of the LG Optimus S™, Sanyo Zio™, Samsung Transform™, Samsung Epic™ 4G* and Samsung Galaxy Tab™ can load the Green ID pack onto their device in one click.

“Releasing a new app into the Android Market is always exciting,” said Raquel Fagan, Earth911′s vice president of media, partnerships and advertising. “But launching with a company like Sprint, who continues to not only lead its industry but the nation in sustainability, brings a new level of reach and credibility to this announcement. We are proud to have a partner that walks the walk.”

Oh yeah, we’re excited.

The Ask the Editor series tackles your very own questions about recycling, product stewardship and other big issues in sustainability. Since we started this project last year, the response has generated topics and discussions that our team couldn’t have launched without our dearest readers. We were even able to take your questions to the U.S. EPA in 2010.

As our social media audience continues to grow, we want to make sure our staff stays within arms (or keyboard) reach to readers. So, we thought we’d give you a quick refresher on our staffers and how you can become a part of our engaged, vocal audience.

Latest Ask the Editor Answers

On Recycling Medications
Q: Where can you get rid of medicine bottles (prescription meds)? Seems so wasteful to throw them away. – Margie Kimker Kohl
Read our answer

On Composting Eggshells
Q: What’s the truth about eggshells? Can or can’t they go into the compost bin? – Heather Fulton
Read our answer

On Finding a Trustworth E-cycler
Q: What’s a trustworthy place to donate computers? I’m concerned about my privacy and guaranteeing everything will be wiped off the computer’s memory/drives. – Sherry Shapiro
Read our answer

How to Submit a Question

• Tweet with us at @Earth911
• Post a message to Earth911′s Facebook
• Send an email to media@earth911.com (subject line should read “Ask the Editor”)
• Post a comment below
• Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter (this is how you can participate in our cool contests)

Earth911 Staffers on Twitter

A handful of our staffers are on Twitter, and you can get a peek into their lives outside of the workplace.

Earth911
@Earth911

The official Twitter handle for everything Earth911. You’ll find all of our news and feature stories, plus live Twitter updates from events that we cover around the country! This is the best place on Twitter to engage in conversation with our Editorial Staff.

Amanda Wills, Managing Editor
@AmandaWills

Amanda works in editorial partnerships, content development, writing, editing and photography. In her free time, you can find her tweeting about consumer electronics and digital journalism news.

Jennifer Berry, Manager of Public and Strategic Relations
@Jenn_Berry

Jennifer works in public relations, social media, sales and editorial partnerships. Jennifer tweets about her dogs, love of vegan cooking, working out and reading.

Raquel Fagan, Vice President Media, Advertising and Partnerships
@raquellee

Raquel oversees the editorial department of Earth911.com, maintains relationships with partners, helps define Earth911′s vision for new media products and continues to rapidly expand partnerships and product development.

Megan Dobransky, Resource Editor
@do_bran_sky

Megan works in research, editorial partnerships and content development. She has written for Arizona Integrated Media, Demand Studios, Venus Magazine, Local iQ, Limelight Networks and more.

Alexis Petru, Staff Writer
@alexispetru

Alexis is Earth911′s San Francisco reporter. In her spare time, Alexis keeps busy working on green home improvement projects, cooking locally and seasonally, and just generally enjoying all there is to do in the beautiful Bay Area.

Tony Ash, Director of Platform and Applications
@tonyash

Tony heads the Platform and Applications group at Earth911. A vegan since 1999, Tony maintains a vibrant vegetable garden, and has been engaged with and driven by environmental issues in every aspect of his own life for more than a decade.

Matt Saling, Interactive Designer
@mattsaling

Matt is Earth911.com’s front-end designer, helping create a usable (and great-looking) site. Along with his work online, he develops unique, eye-catching print graphics and advertisements. When not riding his bike to work, he wishes he was riding his bike to work.

Dave Benjamin, Software Architect
@ramenlabs

Dave is responsible for the high-level design and integration of Earth911.com’s web and database systems. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums and producing electronic music.

More Contributors

Gloria Dawson @gloriadawson; Brian Clark Howard, @socialpyramid; Starre Vartan, @Ecochickie

What’s the Point of This Post?

We want you to participate! We love photos, story tips and comments about our articles and Recycling Directory. We also love featuring our readers in our stories, so tell us what you do to support sustainable living.