Get Green & Get Paid

Earth Week activities are showing us the way to a comfortable life along with the warm feeling of money in our savings account.

We’ll show you right here how you can participate in the great game of recycling, using less and leaving a smaller carbon footprint as you hop and skip through your life.

After all, having a few bucks in savings gives a warm glow of power; the power to get home if we have to, meet an emergency head on or take that next bigstep along a career path.

We begin by paying ourselves first. As each paycheck comes along, we automatically deduct, say, 10% to be put into savings. Ten per cent of your income is that much more that will not be spent on consumer items, thereby reducing pollution. Savings do notpollute.

Next we decide to stop the faucet while we brush our teeth, drink our city’s pure clean water from the tap, replace burned-out light bulbs with CFL bulbs,use public transportation especially if we’re going to a bar, recycle our paper and use canvas shopping bags.

Entrepreneurs have found dozens of ways to help us save the Earth.
MinnKota Recycling takes aluminum cans and destroys documents. Many don’t know that aluminum is made from bauxite, which requires a tremendous amount of electricity. Each can you save means far less energy used to make the next can. Call 293-8428 to find out how much you can get for bringing cans in for recycling.
Plato’s Closet takes clothing in and pays you for it. It’s a great place to shop too. 356-3800

ARC, St. Vincent De Paul & Dakota Boy’s Ranch have used clothing, furniture, dishes and they have locations all over town.

Heirlooms accepts “gently used” furniture,glassware, dishes, silverware and some clothing. The donated items raise money for Hospice of the Red RiverValley. 356-2670

HERO, Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization, takes in personal medical appliances such as canes,crutches, walkers, power chairs, hospital beds, etc.HERO refurbishes these items, then releases them to the public for a small fee. This Saturday, April 26, HERO volunteers will pick up equipment or donors may drop off items at HERO, 2204 5th Ave. N., Ste.C, in Moorhead,from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. Warehouse tours and refreshments will be provided. (218) 284-6111

M.J. VidCycle buys, trades and sells used DVDs and game discs. Each one is carefully calibrated for resurfacing before it is released for sale. 293-6727

These businesses offer great ways to make extra money to save. Take advantage of the opportunities during Earth Week ‘08. Get green and get paid.