Earth Month

April is Earth Month and Stuff Etc considers our business a local recycling specialist that can turn anyone's unwanted items into cash. We are excited for a whole month to be dedicated to such an awesome concept. We have really started introducing more ways to make our own business "green".

In researching this we have come across some mind-blowing statistics we would like to share:

• Every year more than 450 trillion plastic bags are manufactured.
  
• Plastic bags account for 10% of the debris that washes up along the coast line.
• It takes fewer resources to manufacture plastic bags, but it costs more in cleanup efforts.
• If instead of plastic bags, we used cloth bags we could save 6 plastic bags a week; 24 bags a month; 288 bags a year; 22,176 bags in an average lifetime.
• If 1 out of every 5 people used cloth bags we could save 1,330,560,000,000 plastic bags over our lifetime.
  

Stuff Etc offers coupons for people who recycle their plastic bags with us. Stuff Etc offers eco-friendly shopping bags at all locations for $4.99 for our shoppers and consignors to help avoid the usage of plastic bags. These bags can also be used to consign without an appointment, whatever you can fit in the bag.

• The average ink cartridge takes approximately 450 years to decompose.
• Each year there are approximately 200 million pounds of ink cartridge waste. Placed end-to-end that would stretch from Washington D.C. to California and back again.

Stuff Etc recycles ink cartridges at every location. Coupons are given to individuals who recycle cell phones through our stores. Ink cartridges can be refurbished and refilled, cutting costs of ink cartridges up to 75%.

• The metal used in cell phones can be toxic to the environment.
• Approximately 60% of old phones have resale value and can be refurbished. The other 40% is refined or melted down and returned to its original state and then can be reused.

Stuff Etc recycles cell phones at every location. Coupons are given to individuals who recycle cell phones through our stores. American Cell Phone Drive is a program used to get working phones and 911 service to senior citizens.

• Americans throw away more than 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year.
• Clothing and textiles represent 4% of the municipal solid waste stream.
• The 12 to 15 percent of people who shopped at consignment and thrift stores in 2006 saved 2.5 billion pounds of clothes from re-entering the waste stream.

Stuff Etc takes in 1500-2000 items per day. We are a viable option for people to recycle their unwanted clothing and other items. All you have to do is make an appointment (or buy the eco-friendly bag to consign w/out an appt.), bring in your items, and we do ALL THE REST!

For more information on our operation please visit www.stuffetconline.com