You may well ask, “what in the world is Upcycling?” Upcycling is “the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value”, (from the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart). My parents and grandparents were wonderful examples of old-school upcyclers. They rarely threw anything away; rather, they found new uses for the coffee cans, old clothes, plastic containers, jars and miscellaneous stuff that today often times goes in the recycling bin or the landfill.
Coastal residents are becoming very environmentally conscious. One of the ways we do this is to check out companies like TerraCycle.net If you would like to experience the opportunities of going green here on the Oregon Coast call or e-mail me. There are many easily accessible web sites depending on your specific interest and more are showing up daily. Many of us are overwhelmed at the challenge of reducing our carbon footprint. Part of the solution, I believe, is to think globally and act locally.
- Start a garden — no matter how small.
- Feed it from compost you make from yard and kitchen waste.
- Collect and recycle rain water — free and abundant here on the Coast.
- And most of all, realize that the impact each of us has is limited only by our willingness to re-think how we do things.
As the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu famously said, “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”.
Central Oregon Coast places to donate items to be reused – or find things to upcycle:
Lincoln County
- Lincoln County Free Cycle
- Oregon Coast Craigs List
- Elks Thrift Store, 2020 NE 22nd, Lincoln City
(541) 994-3631 - Good Will, Lighthouse Square Shopping Ctr, Lincoln City
(541) 994-2435
Tillamook County
Lane County
Other Oregon Recycling/Upcycling Resources:
My hope is to help new residents (or future residents) to the area settle in and make use of the progressive services and resources for which Oregon is so famous. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call in my Seal Rock office, 541-563-3862.
