It’s sounds a bit squeamish at first. Sifting through burial ashes to collect screws, rods, iron balls: pieces of hips, knees, and other implanted body parts that once made life easier for loved ones. Yet, for employees at OrthoMetals, a unique recycling company in The Netherlands, it’s all in day’s work. And for 450 funeral homes in 15 European countries, as well as the many charities who benefit from their services, OrthoMetals is a blessing.

According to a recent AP article by Arthur Max,  Ruud Verberne, director of OrthoMetals says about 200 tons of valuable metals are recovered a year from funeral parlors through the company’s recycling process. In their warehouse in Zwolle, items are sorted into categories: iron, titanium, stainless steel and cobalt chromium and then sold to scrap dealers at market value. Right off the bat, it’s clear this service provides an environmentally friendly way to dispose of prosthestics (check out their schematic).  But additionally, the company is self sustaining. Proceeds from the metal sales cover costs (OrthoMetals does not charge funeral homes for pickup), employee salaries and transportation. An added bonus is that after costs are covered, remaining monies are returned to the crematoriums or the national burial associations, which may donate to charities of their choice, such as cancer societies, research institutions, etc.

According to their website, OrthoMetals began in 1997, “founded by Jan Gabriëls and Ruud Verberne. Jan Gabriëls is an active orthopedic surgeon, who has more than 30 years of experience in his field. Ruud Verberne is an expert in recycling and logistics with 35 years of experience.” And although their company is based in the Netherlands, they are expanding, and for good reason.  Death is inevitable, the world population continues to increase and burial land is shrinking rapidly. Even since 2006, they have offered their metal recycling services in the United States (although I had never heard of this service – maybe we need to get the word out) and any US crematorium can join the program.

With modern prosthetics allowing more and more people to replace worn out joints, companies such as OrthoMetals provide an earth-saving service never dreamed of perhaps even 50 years ago. Sadly, we’re all going to go someday. But by encouraging more eco-friendly companies like OrthMetals to help us erase some of our footprints after we die, we can still be green beyond the grave.

A new recycling service that offers as much as $200 for the most recently released cell phone is officially open for business. ExchangeMyPhone.com is a Brooklyn-based business that offers people a quick, convenient and fast way to recycle their cell phone for cash. You can also simply donate your non-working cell phone to be recycled for its parts.

Recycling your cell phone for cash through the ExchangeMyPhone website is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. See how much your cell phone is worth by visiting the Exchange page.
2. Ship it to ExchangeMyPhone for free. You’ll either get a postage paid envelope or can print out a pre-paid shipping label.
3. Get  your money either via a check in the mail or through PayPal.

You can send in a single phone or a bulk load of phones, and even start your very own phone drive.

In addition to paying you money and reducing the amount of cell phone waste that ends up in our landfills, the ExchangeMyPhone business also gives back to the community. Its One for One Book Exchange Program donates one book to a local literacy program for every one cell phone that is recycled.

The business was launched by Jeremy Cohen and Katherine Preston in June 2011. They both value the process of recycling and care about the surrounding environment.

If you have an old cell phone to recycle then visit the website and share the gift of literacy with someone today!

Who doesn’t love cereal AND saving money? You can earn points towards coupons for your next purchases of Kashi cereal by recycling specifically marked boxes. Visit Recyclebank.com for more details and to enroll in this unique money saving program!

Calling all upcycling junkies…check out this flick from indies David Brown and Greg Mann.  The film follows their quest to go “purchase-less” for a three month period, all the while shining the spotlight on all the good stuff you can find if you’re willing to do a little dumpster diving.

The film concentrates on those in our society who choose to make the most others’ discards––whether that be food, clothes or furniture.

All in all, a film that will make you think, and give you a few ideas for your own scavenger hunts.  And you know what that is don’t you?  Priceless!

Purchase the film at Amazon.com

So I did some research. Turns out there’s a program called Stuffed Animals for Emergencies, Inc., (SAFE for short). Now, they’re a bit picky (as they should be) in regards to what they will take (clean, gently used, etc) but they have donation locations all over the US for stuffed animal hoarders like me. Nice – problem solved!

But, now I’m on a roll. So, I decided to see what other weird items I could get rid of in an eco-friendly fashion. Below are my finds – and some may surprise you!

1. CD, DVD and hard drive recycling: Back Through The Future Technology Disposal

2. Video tapes (yes, I still have these): Alternative Community Training (ACT)

3. Trophies (I have four children, enough said): AwardsMall.com.

4. Books: Most local libraries

5. Dog collars and leashes: Annies Sweatshop

6. Yoga Mats: (ever quite got the hang of it) The Bolder Mat Company

These ideas suit my weird stuff removal, but to each his own unwanted items.

Look through your cupboards, attics, (under your beds) and make some decisions, then be persistent. You can find a place for almost anything. In the long run, you’ll avoid additional guilt in your life and get a high five from Mother Nature (so worth it).

Although most of us would want these disgusting diapers thrown into a landfill, never to be seen or smelled again, there is one clever company who has figured out a way to recycle them into something useful.

This past September Knowaste launched its first diaper recycling plant in West Bromwich, United Kingdom. In addition to recycling dirty diapers, the plant recycles other absorbent hygiene products (AHP) like feminine hygiene pads and adult diapers.

Using state-of-the-art recycling technology, here’s how the products are recycled:

1. Used baby diapers, feminine hygiene products and adult diapers are collected from bathrooms, nursing facilities and child care centers.
2. The Knowaste process washes and sterilizes the material, and then separates the organic, plastic and absorbent polymers.
3. The plastic polymers are filtered and cleaned again, and then recycled into products such as plastic wood, plastic roof tiles, recycled paper products and vinyl siding.

Watch a video of the recycling process here:

The Knowaste process can recycle and reuse up to 98% of a dirty diaper, so you can imagine the amount of landfill space this is saving.

The recycling facility in West Bromwich is one of five planned in the next four years. The company’s main recycling facility is located in Toronto, Canada.

So what do you think about this process? Is it genuinely gross, or completely clever?

The Commonwealth of Virginia is making new movement in its push toward sustainability.  According to published 2010 data reports, the state has exceeded expectations by showing a 40.5% recycling rate.

Reporting by all 71 solid waste planning units within the state is compelled by a 1989 statewide recycling mandate.  The planning units must meet a minimum of 25% diversion, but have steadily improved year over year.  The 2010 numbers represent a 3% improvement over 2009.

“This significant improvement reflects the ongoing support by Virginians for recycling in their communities,” said Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director David K. Paylor, via press release.

Paylor suggests the increase in recycling rates may be due to convenience––Virginia introduced single steam recycling in 2009.

Doesn’t really matter, does it, whether the reason is convenience or conscience.  As long as the recycling rates in Virginia are increasing.

“At PepsiCo, we are committed to delivering sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet – we are honored to support the EBV through the Dream Machine recycling program,” said Jeremy Cage, senior vice president and head of the Dream Machine Recycling Initiative, PepsiCo, via press release.

The EBV is a national program offering career training, education and job creation for post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities.

The donation was presented to the EBV at a half-time ceremony at a Syracuse University football game.  Syracuse University is home to the Whitman School of Management and Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), which operates the EBV program.

Since its roll-out in 2010, the Dream Machine recycling initiative has supported the EVB.  The program was created by PepsiCo in collaboration with Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful.

“Our strategic partnerships on this initiative help make recycling more convenient and rewarding, and the effort goes to support our veterans with disabilities who are reentering civilian life,” said Cage.

The Dream Machine program has introduced thousands of computerized recycling kiosks and bins at popular public locations across North America. Powered by Greenopolis, the kiosks allow consumers to earn points for every bottle or can they recycle, and redeemed those points for discounts on local entertainment, dining and travel.

The more plastic bottles and aluminum cans Americans recycle in Dream Machine kiosks and bins, the more support PepsiCo will provide to the EBV. For every 10 million pounds of recycled material collected, the company will contribute an additional $250,000.  The company hopes to contribute an additional $500,00 each year to the EBV.

In addition to supporting U.S. veterans with disabilities through the Dream Machine program, PepsiCo contributes to national veteran-related causes including American Corporate Partners and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

LA Kings NHL star Matt Greene shares with Greenopolis TV why he is “King of Green.“

In January 2011 Metro Vancouver, the government body that resides over British Columbia, Canada, recognized that practically everything within a mattress was recyclable. To divert the number of mattresses that were thrown away the governing body passed a bylaw that prohibited residents from dumping their mattresses into landfills.

Residents can pay a $20 fee to have a transfer station pick up their mattress, or they can take it to a recycling facility like Canadian Mattress Recycling. Canadian Mattress Recycling takes the mattresses apart and separates each material. The metal is recycled into new metal, the wood is burned as fuel or is recycled into new furniture, and foam is recycled into carpet padding.

For only $12 Canadian Mattress Recycling will come to your house and pick up the mattress. The company will also recycle clean metal products like bed frames, bikes, shelves and appliances, as well as polyurethane foam cushions and mattress toppers, free of charge with your scheduled pick up.

So far Metro Vancouver has seen positive results with the recycling law. It claims that over 47,000 mattresses and box springs have been diverted from its landfills.