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Community Corner

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

More wit and wisdom from Mary Kay Barton.

I just returned from Michigan where I spent Thanksgiving with family. I was in a mall in Detroit on Black Friday. The mall was not crowded and the stores had plenty of stock that was left scattered and in disarray. The clerks did look like they were worn out to a frazzle. If Black Friday in Detroit is any indication of consumers' faith in the economy, it's not good.

Let's have a green holiday. I don't send as many holiday cards as I used to. I send to friends and family I don't see at the holidays or through the year. I send a holiday letter via e-mail and a few cards by snail mail that are printed on recycled paper.

I found a new source for beautiful snail mail cards. I went to St. Gerald's craft fair a week ago to buy some homemade candy to give as hostess gifts. After making my purchases I discovered Girl Scout Troop # 60308's table. The Girl Scouts are earning an environmental badge by recycling old special occasion cards and holiday cards. They work very hard on production work and the results are beautiful.

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The pictures are hand cut from the beautiful old cards and attached to brown craft paper. The insides are blank so you can write your own personal note. I find most people don't read every e-mail that they get. A personal note is read by everyone. I have seen cards in the past without an envelope. Alas, these cards come with matching envelopes. They were perfect and even the price was right, just 25-cents each. The three scouts from Troop 60308 minding the card table—Luz, Greta and Allison—all had excellent customer service skills. The receipt brought a smile too.

With all the waste around the holidays, especially cards and wrapping paper, here's something to think about from Earth911: "If every American family wrapped just 3 presents with reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields."

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After all of the festivities and gift opening are done, a huge pile of used wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, boxes and other packaging are left behind. What to do with it all?

Is it Oak Lawn curbside recyclable? Here are a few guidelines for Oak Lawn holiday recycling:

Recyclable: on-metallic wrapping paper (NO bows, ribbons, strings, glitter); all boxes and other paper; plastics: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #7 (NOT Styrofoam or #6); all aluminum (including rinsed off foil/foil pans used for cooking); and metal cookie tins, glass bottles from wine, beer, juice, etc.

Also, keep this list in mind as you buy the blink for your presents:

NOT Recyclable: Bows, ribbons, strings, glitter, shrink wrap/plastic wrap, waxed paper, plastic bubble packaging, tinsel, garland and Styrofoam. Do not in curbside recycling bins.

Remember that Oak Lawn will have an e-waste collection after the holidays in January. So don't throw out the electronics that Santa replaces. 

Oak Lawn's Public Works Department will again hold its live Christmas tree recycling program for single-family residences. All decorative items must be removed from trees. Pickup is scheduled for the day after your regular trash day, Dec. 28 through Jan. 10 (weather permitting).

If you live in multi-family residence, tree drop-off is one day: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Public Works Garage, 5532 West 98th St. (98th Street and Central Avenue).

For more information, contact the Oak Lawn Green Team at greenteam@oaklawn-il-gov; or call 708-499-7756. If the tree is free of lights, tinsel and ornaments, and is placed with the trash on trash day, Veolia will pickup the tree as regular refuse.

Here is hoping for a safe and peaceful green holiday season. 

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