Posts Tagged ‘earth day’

Another Green Victory for Earth Day

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Let’s face it- Michigan weather is never predictable! While the rain continued to come down on April 25, it didn’t stop brave participants from joining Recycling for Charities at the Recycle Royal Oak event.

Many families fearlessly made their way to the different green stations set up in downtown Royal Oak for the event.  Make and take crafts were provided by Arts & Scraps, SOCRRA had recycling bins on site for sale, and OUR Credit Union provided free document shredding. And of course RFC was there to collect e-waste from community members! For being so green those who donated were able to sign up to win a free Digital Camera or Digital Photo Frame, provided by Kodak. Below are our winners, who we thank again for taking the time and braving the rain to donate!

Kevin Patrick Miller and his new Kodak Digital Camera
“What a great unexpected surprise. It made my day!”


Nicola Davis showing off her Kodak Digital Photo Frame
“Oh my I love our frame- we have been playing with it and it took me all evening to load 400 pictures on it! What a fun toy!”


Through RFC’s Earth Day events, and with the help of local participating businesses, we were able to collect over 150 electronic waste items for recycling. Imagine if this e-waste had been thrown out, ending up in our landfills with the chemicals possibly seeping into local ground water! Not only were we able to save these electronics from affecting our environment but we also helped raise funds for two worthy non-profits, the Hospice of Michigan and the Oakland Land Conservancy. RFC was also able to give away the ever popular biodegradable pots with planted vegetable seeds! Over 150 pots were handed out at our Earth Day events, many to kids who were excited to get their gardens started right away!

From communicating with possible partners to placing donation requests so that participants did not walk away empty handed at events, Winter Greenterns Jenny and Katie were involved with the entire event planning process. The Greenterns spent time writing press releases, contacting media sources, spreading awareness through social media, and convincing local businesses to help our green cause! But most importantly Jenny and Katie were able to see how a non-profit organization functions behind the scenes and gained real job experience. It also didn’t hurt that they worked in a fun and energetic setting at the Recycling for Charities office!

Part of the Recycling for Charities Team with the Greenterns

A special thanks to all donors and participating businesses who had to put up with weekly intern visits and calls! We truly appreciate your support: AlexEmilio Salon, Bean and Leaf Café, Bethel Farms, Café Muse, Douglas J Salon, Nutri-Foods, Scout, Siegers Seed Co., Shine, TASI Juice Bar, and Titzy’s.

Success Dressed in Green for Earth Day Celebration

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Recycling for Charities could not have asked for a better day to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. The sun was shining down on their eco-friendly Smart Car; the newest hits provided by 98.7 AMP Radio kept everything upbeat and the donations pouring in. The campus of Oakland University was glowing green thanks to students, staff and local community members.

Interested overseers hung out during set up and engaged in conversation about various green facts and how to help maintain our Earth with volunteers from Recycling for Charities (RFC), Sustaining Our Planet Earth (SOPE), Reverb and The Salvation Army. From 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. there were several tables stationed outside of the Oakland Center that provided food, key chains, pins, green facts, seeded pots,  and activities. Students, staff, and members of the community had the opportunity to donate their broken/old phones, iPods, cameras, electronics and clothing. All donors were entered in a drawing for eco-friendly prizes. Recycling for Charities raffled off a Kodak Digital Camera and a Digital Photo Frame. The winner of RFC’s raffle will be announced and contacted sometime next week.

The Earth Day Celebration helped RFC keep 50 tons of e-waste out of landfills. Also, the raised funds were donated to the Michigan Hospice. The Salvation Army walked away with bags upon bags that will help clothe our community and Reverb promoted their Campus Consciousness Tour encouraging students to actively go green. Green gardens will be growing this spring too as the biodegradable pots provided by Bethel Farms and planted with seeds from Siegers were a big hit! The teamwork from all organizations combined to create an exciting, fun and educational environment.

If you thought you missed out on the fun, think again! We will be in Downtown Royal Oak this Sunday, April 25, from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. continuing the celebration of Earth Day with Recycle Royal Oak. Bring your e-waste!

You can also stay updated about our green initiatives and events by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Recycling for Charities: Our Earth Day Challenge

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Where is your old cell phone? How about your iPod that broke last month? Most likely they have been sent to their final resting place — your junk drawer. Why not do something positive with it, instead of letting it sit to collect dust?

So, are you up for the challenge? If you are visiting the Royal Oak area between March 22 and April 24 you will have the opportunity to recycle your used and broken electronics, including cell phones, iPhones, pagers, iPods, PDAs, MP3 players, and digital cameras. Leading up to the Earth Day weekend, Recycling for Charities will have collection boxes placed in participating businesses and stores in downtown Royal Oak. Individuals can drop off their old electronics and may even receive a discount for being green (a list of participating businesses, locations, and discounts can be found at the end of this post)! Feel free to snap a picture of yourself doing your green deed and upload it to Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to mention us so that we can show others how you helped make a difference this Earth Day!

When thrown away cell phones create  tons of garbage in our landfills. Just one is enough to pollute about 1 Olympic sized swimming pool of water!  Recycling for Charities is giving you the opportunity to help the environment while celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. The challenge to keep our landfills clean of e-waste will culminate with the Earth Day community celebration in downtown Royal Oak, April 25. By participating you can help prevent electronic waste from entering our water sources and landfills, where they can continue to release harmful chemicals. All you need to do is bring your used or broken wireless electronics, and RFC will do the rest. Going green is that easy, and you can write it off on your taxes!

RFC will also be taking their mission to the streets of Royal Oak in their eco-friendly Smart Car. Participants will have the chance to get up close and personal with the Smart Car and will learn how this tiny vehicle is helpful to the environment.

Only 10 percent of used and broken cell phones are recycled each year. What is your excuse? You can help Recycling for Charities eliminate e-waste this Earth Day by donating your old electronics to local stores or by bringing them to the community event on April 25 from 12-3:30 pm. Let’s help make Michigan a little “greener” this Earth Day, together!

Participating Businesses:

1 ) AlexEmilio Salon – The goal at AlexEmilio is to make an impact on your life, just by changing how you look. They want you to feel amazing when you leave and continue to feel that way. The salon offers haircuts and color along with nail and facial treatments.

409 South Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48067

2 ) Bean & Leaf Café – This café provides their customers with environmentally friendly cups that are 100% bio-degradable and offers many varieties of fair trade organic coffees. Customers can also browse the internet while enjoying their cup of coffee thanks to the café’s free Wi-Fi. When you buy a $20 gift card, you will get a drink of any size on the house, and all of those who work in Royal Oak can receive 10% off their order- be sure to mention Recycling for Charities!

106 S. Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48962

3 ) Café Muse – Voted as having one of the best sandwiches in America by Esquire Magazine, Café Muse offers an array of items for breakfast and lunch. They also pride themselves on their natural cuisine, using fresh ingredients and products that are humanely treated and grown without the use of pesticides or growth hormones. Make sure to look for a blurb on Recycling for Charities in the list of specials at Café Muse!

418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067

4 ) Douglas J Aveda Institute –Douglas J provides cutting edge cosmetology education. With its affiliation with Aveda, Douglas J is able to share and exchange curriculum ideas and learn the latest innovations in areas like cosmetology and esthiology. Students provide services such as haircuts and color, as well as spa, facial, and nail treatments under the supervision of their instructors. All donations dropped off at Douglas J will benefit the Oakland Land Conservancy.

409 S. Center St., Royal Oak, MI 48067

5 ) Scout – This eclectic shop sells art work, home décor, vintage finds, pottery, and textiles… just to name a few. When you drop off your old electronics at Scout you will receive 10% off of all candles.

508 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067

6 ) Shine – When visiting this trendy store expect to find unique bags, jewelry, pillows, books, body products, and much more! You will receive 10% off your entire purchase when you drop off your old electronics at Shine!

621 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48068

7 ) TASI Juice Bar – Known as the ‘healthy side of fast food’ TASI serves up great smoothies and fresh snacks. As a bonus to the environmentally-conscious,  the wheatgrass used in their delicious drinks is organically grown!

204 West 4th St., Royal  Oak, MI 48067

8 ) Titzy’s – The philosophy of Titzy’s is to bring great and unique maternity, infant and nursing wear to people at a fair price. They also offer organic items such as lotion for mothers and babies. Those who drop off their electronics at Titzy’s will receive 10% off their entire purchase!

506 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067

Not going to be in the Royal Oak area? You can still do your part to help us reach our goal by donating items to be recycled right here on our website.

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