80% of the things I do in real estate do not make money!

Anyone heard of Pareto’s Law, or Pareto’s Principle, or sometimes called the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 Rule means that in anything a few (20 percent) are vital and many(80 percent) are trivial. So 80% of the work I do each day is trivial compared to the 20% of the work I do which makes my clients and myself money!

A lot of my real estate tasks are very easy, but take time to complete. I don’t have the time, but I also don’t have the money to hire someone full time. Answer: hire a virtual assistant! There are lots of companies out there that offer virtual assistants. I use odesk.com. Click the link so I get a referral fee(shameless plug).

A little background info:I send out letters to possible leads for many of my real estate deals. Problem is that finding these leads can take 1-3 hours per day. It’s not tough work, but it is time consuming.

Here is my BIGGEST recommendations when hiring a virtual assistant…

1) Write a step by step process of what you want done. Be as descriptive as possible, include screenshots where possible

a. (“ALT+Print Screen” to capture screen shots of active application and then paste them into mspaint to be modified or your word browser).

b. I generally use a program like primopdf. To print my instructions as a PDF document, and include the instructions as an attachment when I post my job for applicants to review and give me a good price. Everyone can read PDF documents, but not everyone has Word, etc. NOTE: DO NOT GIVE OUT USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION. Especially the documents you attach to your job posting…

c. Be prepared: this can be time consuming(on the front side), and you need to keep this document up to date(for the longterm). Once you have it done though, you won’t need to do it again in the future. Reason for this: If things fall through with this VA(Virtual Assistant), having this document up to date makes it pretty quick and easy to get things off the ground with another VA.

d. Be aware if you are giving secured information. See #2 below. I try not to give my VA account any info that can come back to bite me. It’s not that I don’t trust him/her, but well I don’t… hehe NOTE: DO NOT GIVE OUT USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION. Especially the documents you attach to your job posting…

2) Be prepared to modify your process. Either you will find better ways to do things, or you will find limitations and have to overcome them with the VA. Tip:I found docs.google.com to be a great place to store documents/spreadsheets that both I and the VA would be needing. We share an account(they are free to set up, and if my VA goes postal on me, he/she is contained). and we can both be logged in at the same time, using the same account, working on things.

3) Make a list of around 10 essay type questions to ask of the potential candidates while doing your interviews. You ARE going to get people from foreign countries applying, and you will want to judge their writing language skills(English, etc). You may want to have a conversation with them over the phone(skype, etc) as well.

4) Be prepared to get inundated with applicants. Just pick out 10-15 and shoot them your 10 essay questions, and then go from there… When I posted my first job, I had 15 applications in 15 minutes, 100 in 24 hours, and 200 in 48 hours…

5) Take it slowly once you hire someone.. They are going to have questions, and you are going to have a learning curve and have to iron a few things out… Short term it takes time, long term, it can be AWESOME!!!

Anyway, I have found Virtual Assistants to be an awesome way to get me working on the 20% things that make money. I sometimes procrastinate offloading more work to my VA, because I don’t want to go through #1 and #2 above, but in the end it is well worth the up-front time spent…

October Home Maintenance List

I recently had to replace my water heater, and I was reminded that I should be posting things to do each month… Especially the once a month draining of 1-2 gallons of water from the water heater.. This can greatly increase the life expectancy of a water heater! Just be sure where you are draining into.. hehe

October:

1)Replace/clean furnace filter(s)

2)Clean filters for kitchen exhaust fans.

3)Drain outside faucets and winterize sprinkler system.

4)Check driveway for cracks. Fill cracks and reseal as needed.

5)Test smoke detectors.

6)Check septic system drain field for flooding.

7)Drain approximately 2 gallons from water heater to eliminate sediment.

8)Pass a lit candle around doors and windows to check for drafts. Weather strip as necessary.

Weekly:

1)Furniture Dust all hard surfaces.

2)Floors Vacuum or mop.

3)Kitchen sink Scrub and disinfect.

4)Appliances Wipe down surfaces.

5)Shower Clean and scrub down.

6)Counters Wipe down and disinfect.

7)Bathtub Clean and scrub down.

8)Toilet Scrub and disinfect.

9)Sheets Change and launder.

How and when to cancel a credit card!

Lee’s Notes: I shamelessly stole this article from GetRichSlowly.org. They are a good website for financial discussions.

What’s the best way to cancel credit cards in order to minimize the impact on your credit score? I spent an afternoon doing some research — here’s what I learned.

Anatomy of a credit score
If you use credit in the United States, you have a credit score. You rent an apartment, buy a house and a car, pay utility bills, and sign up for credit cards. As you spend, banks and landlords and other agencies report your habits to credit bureaus, organizations that collect this information in centralized databases. This data is then converted into credit reports and, ultimately, into a credit score.

Your credit score is a single number that measures your creditworthiness, and determines the types of credit you can obtain, and how much this credit will cost you. In general, your credit score is based on the following:

According to Fair Isaac, the company behind credit scores, these factors are accurate predictors of future credit performance. That is, these are the things that best indicate how great a credit risk you are. (For some people — such as young adults who don’t have a lengthy credit history — the importance of each category may be somewhat different.)

For more detailed information about the components of your credit score, check out myFICO.

Pros and cons of canceling a credit card
On the surface, closing an unused credit card account seems like a no-brainer. It’s not. Doing so may actually hurt your credit score on two levels.

1. The longer you’ve had an account, the more weight it carries. That’s part of the “length of credit history” slice in the pie chart above.
2. The “amounts owed” slice represents the balance and burden of your credit, how much of your available credit you use. Say you have two cards, both with $5,000 limits. You’re carrying a $2,000 balance on one of the cards, or about 20% of your total available credit. If you close the unused card, you’ll then be using 40% of your available credit, and your “utilization ratio” will jump, giving a temporary ding to your credit score.

After speaking with the consumer affairs manager from Fair Isaac, Bankrate concluded:

If your credit card balance is zero, go ahead and close as many unused accounts as you want. As long as your credit cards are balance-free, it won’t hurt your credit score a bit. So call those card issuers and cut away.

If you’re in credit trouble or if you had credit problems in the past and you know an open credit line is just going to temp you to spend — go ahead and close the account. Yes, it might ding your credit score a bit. But if it will keep you from acquiring more debt, it’s best to do it.

There are several arguments for closing your unused credit card accounts. Doing so:

• Reduces the risk of identity theft.
• Reduces your bookkeeping.
• Prevents you from abusing them.
• Puts you in control of your finances. (Don’t underestimate the power of this.)

There’s at least one situation in which you should keep your accounts open, though. If you intend to take out a major loan in the next year (like an auto loan or a mortgage), do not cancel your accounts. Doing so will ding your credit score, if you’re carrying a balance. Instead, freeze your credit cards in a block of ice, or place them in a safe deposit box.

How to cancel a credit card
Closing a credit card account is easy, but you should do it correctly.

If you plan to close several accounts, do one at a time. When choosing which accounts to cancel, first eliminate cards that charge you fees. Cancel new cards before old cards. (Remember: the age of the account affects your credit score.) Consider keeping cards that offer good rewards programs.

Before you cancel a credit card account, pay off the balance or transfer it elsewhere. Never attempt to cancel an account on which you still owe money. I’ve heard horror stories of banks raising interest rates on people who do this.

When you’re ready, follow these simple steps:

1. Call to cancel the account. Check with customer service to be sure your balance is zero before you start the process. After you ask to cancel your card, the sales rep may try to talk you out of it. Be prepared to stand your ground. And take notes!
2. Send written confirmation. Using your notes, write a letter and send it to the card issuer. You can find a sample credit card cancellation letter at The Dolans.
3. Check your credit report. After you receive confirmation that the card has been cancelled, it may take several weeks for the change to be reflected in your credit report. It is your responsibility to verify that your report is accurate, so keep tabs on it.

Once you’re certain the account is closed, cut up your card! Hurrah!

Conclusion
Should you cancel your credit cards? Only you can make that call. Do what makes sense for you and your situation. If you think it’s more important to maintain your credit score, and if you’re sure you won’t abuse them, then keep the accounts open. But I think it’s a mistake to keep your credit cards if they cause you woe.

If you have trouble with compulsive spending, it’s best to cancel your accounts. Don’t just cut them up, but cancel them. Here’s a recent reader comment that reveals why sometimes cutting up a credit card isn’t enough — you have to cancel the account.

Update: Here’s a great discussion of this subject at the myFICO forums.

10 Tax Changes for 2008

1) More money for gas. The standard mileage deduction for business increases to 50.5 cents per mile. Note that mileage rates for medical or moving purposes fall to 19 cents per mile.

2) More money for retirement. You can contribute $5,000 to your IRA($6,000 if you are over 50) in 2008.

3) No breaks for sales taxes. The provision permitting taxpayers to deduct state sales taxes – a big plus in states with no income tax – expired at the end of 2007.

4) More tax breaks for retirement savings. Married taxpayers with joint income of up to $85,000 will be able to deduct IRA contributions if they file jointly; Omdovodia;s wotj omcp,e pf i[ tp $53,000 can take the deduction.

5) Higher standard deduction. If you’re one of the two-thirds of taxpayers who don’t itemize, you’ll be able to deduct $10,900 as a married couple filing jointly($5,450 for singles) in 2008.

6) No tax on some capital gains. Joint filers whose taxable income doesn’t exceed $65,100 and single filers with income that doesn’t exceed $32,500 don’t have to pay any tax on capital gains they realize in 2008; the rate for other taxpayers remains the same at 15 percent.

7) More time to sell a house when you lose a spouse. Taxpayers who lose a spouse now have up to two years after that death to take the maximum exclusion of $500,000 in gain on the sale of a principal residence. The other requirements for the exclusion must have been met before the death.

8) Less money back for some hybrid cars. While buying a hybrid car can still save you taxes, the tax credit has been phased out on many popular models such as the Toyota Prius. Check out the 2008 model year hybrid list at www.irs.gov before you buy.

9) Tougher taxes for kids. Children 18 and under or full-time students up to 24 years old will pay taxes at their parents’ tax rate for investment income over $1,700. Note that this rate doesn’t apply to wages a child earns.

10) Higher cutoffs for Social Security. The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax increases to $102,000 in 2008.

If you like what I write, and know someone looking to buy, sell, and or invest in Indianapolis real estate(or surrounding areas), then give me a call and or send me an email with their contact info.. I promise to take good care of them, and not be high pressure. If you know of someone out of that area, then give me a call or email as well, I can prolly hook them up with a good realtor in another city.

April SHOWERS, bring May Flowerz…… Nope, those showers bring home maintenance!

Lee’s Notes: Properly working gutters are a huge necessity, especially here in the midwest. I can’t tell you how many times i see homes with unmaintained gutter systems, and TONS of water damage. I found this article of interest. I added in my own couple of paragraphs towards the end

Maintaining gutters and downspouts is one of the most often overlooked jobs around the house. It is also one of the most important, since clogged or leaking gutters can quickly lead to rotten fascia boards, peeling paint, or worse.

Importance of Gutters

While it might be tempting to do away with your gutters all together, they serve an important function in areas that receive more than 15” to 20” of rain a year. Gutters direct water away from the house to protect your siding, foundation, and landscaping. Without them, siding can rot, basements flood, and flower beds erode

Gutter Guards

Though gutter guards allow you to go longer between cleanings, they’re far from foolproof and need to be checked periodically. Pine straw and leaves often become lodged in them, and smaller debris can still filter through to cause big problems. Shielding gutters doesn’t prevent leaks or keep hangers from working loose either.

Cleaning Gutters

To clean gutters, you’ll need a ladder, a garden trowel, bucket lined with a trash bag, a hose, a rag, and a helper. If you encounter serious clogs, you may also need a plumber’s snake.

After you have removed any gutter guards, use the trowel to scoop leaves and debris from the gutter into the bucket.

Add the collected material to a compost pile if you have one, or dispose of it with other lawn debris.

Once the gutters have been cleaned, check the downspouts for clogs by inserting a hose with a rag wrapped around it so that water will be directed through them.

Have your helper turn the water on full force, and check to make sure it is flowing freely from the end of the downspout.

If a downspout has a clog that can’t be cleared with water pressure, use the plumber’s snake to break it up, then use the hose to flush out any remaining debris.

As a last resort, disassemble the downspout and remove the clog. Once the downspout is running freely, start at the far end of the run and rinse the gutter thoroughly with the hose.

Inspection and Repair

After they are clean, inspect and repair the gutters and downspouts as necessary. Make sure all hangers are securely fastened, and use a carpenter’s level to check that the gutters have the proper slope and are not holding water. They should slant down toward the downspouts about ¼” every 10’.

If a section sags, snap a chalk line on the fascia, and remove the hangers in the area.

Measuring from the chalk line, lift the gutter up and reposition the hangers to hold it in place. Water is heavy, and gutters should have a hanger every 2’ as well as within 1’ of any seams.

Now that your gutters are secure and have the correct slope, check them for leaks by running water through them with a hose. Mark any leaks and allow the gutter to dry out thoroughly before patching them with gutter sealant.

Caulking or roofing cement can also be used, and specially formulated self-sticking patches are available to cover damaged areas.

If sealing a joint in the gutter or downspout doesn’t stop the leak, disassemble the joint if possible, clean the two parts, and put them back together using sealant.

Now that your gutters are in tip top shape, check them from time to time while it is raining. If water is spilling over the edges or not running freely from the downspouts, make a note to clean them again as soon as possible.

DOWNSPOUTS:

Make sure your downspouts are venting water at least 6 feet away from the house… If your downspouts dump on the ground any less than that, you have a high risk of damage to your homes foundation.. THAT AINT CHEAP BTW!!!!

Grade of Slope to home:

Water rolls downhill.. We have all heard that statement before, but check the grade of the slope around your home. You need to make sure that water doesnt run TO the home, it runs downhill and away from the home. I am constantly amazed at homes that have wet basements/crawlspaces that either they don’t run the downspouts 6′ from the home, or the yard tapers to the foundation.

April Home Maintenance List!

April:
1)     Asphalt driveways should be resealed when water begins to soak into surface.
2)     Clean debris from gutters and ensure down spouts are free of obstruction.
3)     Check basement for dampness/leaks following the next rainstorm.
4)     Check antenna and satellite dish supports and for leaks where mounted.
5)     Replace/Clean furnace filters.
6)     Test smoke detectors. 

Weekly:
1)     Furniture Dust all hard surfaces.
2)     Floors Vacuum or mop. 
3)     Kitchen sink Scrub and disinfect. 
4)     Appliances Wipe down surfaces. 
5)     Shower Clean and scrub down. 
6)     Counters Wipe down and disinfect. 
7)     Bathtub Clean and scrub down. 
8)     Toilet Scrub and disinfect. 
9)     Sheets Change and launder.  

As always, if you like what I write, and you or someone you know is looking to buy, sell, and or invest using a great realtor in central Indiana, or anyplace else for that matter. Please feel free to send me the persons name, email, address, and or phone number and I will be happy to help them, or refer them to someone else who can… In the process, I may earn a referral fee, if i cant help them myself!

Low cost ways to save water at home!

Lee’s Notes: In Central Indiana we dont really have problems with water shortages, but I found this article interesting and wanted to share. Always in the past water conservation in plumbing fixtures have been sacrilege, but technology is making great strides, and maybe we should start looking at our options again.

If you live in an area where water shortages are not an issue, consider yourself lucky. Nearly 450 million people in 29 countries face severe water shortages. Predictions indicate that within 5 years, at least 36 U.S. states will face water shortages due to a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, and waste. 

But there is hope — research has shown that residential water use could be reduced by as much as 50 percent through efficiency. Here are a few simple, low-cost suggestions for reducing your family’s water consumption. 

Reduce water use from showers and faucets
Although it’s often the smallest room in the house, the bathroom is where 75 percent of indoor household water consumption occurs. Seem impossible? Consider this: The average 6-minute shower uses about 20 gallons of water! Reduce this amount with the following tips: 

• No cost: Limit shower time to 5 minutes or less.
• Less than $10: Install an on/off valve between the shower arm and showerhead. This temporarily shuts off the flow while maintaining the temperature, and can be a useful water-saver while soaping up or shaving.
• $10-$50: Install a low-flow (less than 2 gallons per minute) showerhead. Previous low-flow showerheads sacrificed water pressure for efficiency, but now there are many options (GAIAM and Delta make two of my favorites) that don’t simulate a dripping faucet.
• $20-$50: Insulate all accessible hot-water pipes, especially those within 3 feet of the water heater. You’ll get hot water faster, avoid wasting H₂O while it heats up, and save energy in the process.

Finally, fit all household faucets with low-flow aerators (less than two gallons per minute). This is the best in-home water conservation method, and it’s also the cheapest. 

Toilets are the enemy
Each day, the U.S. uses 5.8 billion gallons of fresh water to flush waste. If you’re in the market for a new porcelain throne, check out options with either a very low (less than 1.6) gallon per flush (gpf) rating, or dual flush controls.

This new technology provides 2 buttons for flushing: one at 1.6 gpf for solid waste, and another at only 0.8 gpf for liquids. These double-duty flushers can reduce water usage by up to 67 percent compared with traditional toilets. 

Feeling even earthier? Go for a waterless composting toilet and be the envy of all your neighbors! 

And if you haven’t budgeted for a new toilet, try these quick fixes: 

• Check for leaks: Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.
• Displace water: Most older toilets don’t require nearly as much water as they use (3.5-5 gallons) to flush properly. To “trick” your toilet into using less water, place a half-gallon plastic bottle inside your toilet tank to displace water volume. (Be sure at least 2.5 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.) Ideally, weigh down the bottle with sand or pebbles so it doesn’t interfere with the tank mechanisms. This simple retrofit could save a three-person family 225 gallons of water per month! Not a do-it-yourselfer? For only a few dollars, you can purchase a prepared toilet bag designed to displace 0.8 gallons of water with every flush.

Minimize appliance water consumption
Outside the bathroom, most water is used to wash clothes and dishes. Rather than wearing dirty clothes and using paper plates, keep these tips in mind while tackling daily chores: 

• Fully loaded: Dishwashers and clothes washers should be operated when full for optimum water conservation. If you must wash partial loads, adjust the water levels as appropriate.
• The dishwasher is your friend: Even old-school dishwashers don’t use as much water per dish as hand-washing. Newer, more efficient dishwashers use only 1/6 of the water used during hand-washing, and save 230 hours of yourtime each year.
• Scrape, don’t rinse: Pre-rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher is unnecessary. Scrape off food and then trust that bad boy to do its job.
• Pass on permanent press: Avoid the permanent press cycle when washing clothes, which uses an additional 5 gallons for the extra rinse.
• Upgrade your equipment: Consider buying a water-saving front-loading clothes washer, or a top-loading one with no central agitator. Check ENERGY STAR for ideas and ratings.

As always, if you like what I write, and you or someone you know is looking to buy, sell, and or invest using a great realtor in central Indiana, or anyplace else for that matter. Please feel free to send me the persons name, email, address, and or phone number and I will be happy to help them, or refer them to someone else who can… In the process, I may earn a referral fee, if i cant help them myself!

Spring Gardening Checklist!

Lee’s Notes: Another checklist for spring gardeners. Shamelessly stolen from here. 

Spring is on the way, and warm weather is beginning to peek around the corner, inviting us outdoors and begging gardeners to get their hands dirty. But unless you live in a tropical climate, there is still plenty of freezing weather to come, so don’t get ahead of yourself! Resist the urge to set out new plants, and use this promising season to pay a visit to your garden and tend to what’s already there.

1. Give your shrubs a makeover. This is a good time to prune shrubs, except for those that bloom in the spring. Remove any deadwood and encourage the shrub’s natural shape.
2. Complete that “Honey-Do” list. Finish building that trellis, raised bed, or stepping-stone path you started last fall. Inspect your garden for any needed structural repairs.

3. Clear out the rubbish! Remove debris from drainage ditches, gutters, and planting beds. Clear unwanted brush and undergrowth. Cut back dead foliage on last year’s perennials and ornamental grasses before new growth starts.
4. Make use of all that trash. Turn your compost pile, or start one now.
5. Be proactive. Get rid of weeds as they sprout, and go ahead and take measures to protect your garden from pests.

6. Feed the ground. Once your soil is dry enough, amend your planting beds by “top-dressing” with a couple of inches of compost or your favorite organic mix.
7. Dress it up (and protect) with mulch. Even out your mulch with a rake to a depth of 2 to 4 inches and add more if needed. In colder climates, lightly cover early bulb shoots to protect them from a hard freeze.
8. Spring-clean the potting shed. Give your gardening tools a good oiling, sharpening, and tune-up. Clean out empty flower pots, and dispose of any unused or broken ones. Old clay pots can be broken up to use for drainage in container gardens.
9. Take care of our feathered friends. Clean out and inspect birdhouses and feeders.

10. Don’t forget the lawn. Early spring is a great time for correcting and reseeding the lawn. Hold off on disturbing the soil, or heavy raking, if the ground is still frozen.
11. Move it indoors. Start seeds indoors for later planting in the garden. Repot houseplants if needed, and prune any dead foliage or overgrowth.
12. Plan and dream! Spend these first days of spring in your garden making plans for the coming year. As you enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, and emerging birds, indulge in the excitement that only spring can bring. Spring is the season of possibility and renewal, so inspect your garden with a critical eye and an open mind – what is it asking you to do this year?

As always, if you like what I write, and you or someone you know is looking to buy, sell, and or invest using a great realtor in central Indiana, or anyplace else for that matter. Please feel free to send me the persons name, email, address, and or phone number and I will be happy to help them, or refer them to someone else who can… In the process, I may earn a referral fee, if i cant help them myself!

How to remove pet hair!(Besides shaving the pet, which is prolly more fun!)

Lee’s Notes: Found this article, and thought I would share.. I love my Beagle and Jack Russell Terror to death, but that shedding is darn annoying sometimes! 

Hair on your pants from a loved animal could be very frustrating. It could also make you so annoyed with your pet that you would avoid them at all costs when you’re about to leave for a special occasion. It finds its way deep into carpets, furniture, and car upholstery as well. This article provides information on how to remove pet hair from clothing, carpeting and/or upholstery.

1) Weigh it down. Lightly dampen the palm of your hand. Wipe the pet hair off in a downward motion. The hair will ball up and stick to your damp hand.

2) Barely dampen a clean, regular kitchen sponge (or sponge mop if you’re removing pet hair from a low-pile carpet, in which case the floor should be thoroughly vacuumed first). Rub the fabric, upholstery, or carpet with the sponge. The fur should roll up into clumps that you can pick off by hand.

3)Put on a latex glove. Rub the surface with it on. The pet hair should stick to your glove. This also works with rubber gloves or cloth gardening gloves with a rubber coating on the palm. A rubber bristle push broom can work in the same way on floors. Dampen the glove or rubber section of the glove for increased effectiveness.

4) Inflate a balloon and rub it across the surface that has pet hair on it. The static on the balloon’s surface will attract the hair (works on yours, too) which you can collect and then re-use the balloon to get more hair.

5) Rub hook-and-loop (e.g. Velcro) curlers on the surface to catch the hair. If the curler has a metal inner form, it can be bent to reach corners.

6)Apply fabric softener. A fabric softener sheet that normally goes in the dryer can be used to pick up pet hair. You can also mist the surface with a mixture of fabric softener and water to “prep” the area before removing the pet hair using any of the other methods.

7) Groom your pets regularly to reduce the amount of loose hair on them. Vacuum carpets and furniture regularly (chairs/couches and cat carpet towers), and wash whatever throw rugs and linens on which the pets sleep or have contact.

TIPS:

• Rolling, sticky lint removers work, as does a piece of duct tape wrapped around your hand with the sticky side out, but after one swipe you must move onto the next piece, which is more wasteful than the above methods.
• Clothing can be put in a washing machine and into the dryer with a static sheet. Once it’s cleaned, hang it up. Be careful, though, because dark solid colors tend to spot (almost looks like grease spots) when they’re the only clothes in the dryer with a dryer sheet
• In the office, the sticky sided clear label holders shipping companies provide make an excellent hair removal glove.

As always, if you like what I write, and you or someone you know is looking to buy, sell, and or invest using a great realtor in central Indiana, or anyplace else for that matter. Please feel free to send me the persons name, email, address, and or phone number and I will be happy to help them, or refer them to someone else who can… In the process, I may earn a referral fee, if i cant help them myself!

Recycle almost everything!

Lee’s Notes: This article was shamelessly copied from Emagazine and Sally Deneen. You can go here to see the original version of this article.

Don’t throw away those exercise videos and ubiquitous AOL CDs. Jim Williams wants you to mail old videotapes and CDs to him, so that more than 40 disabled staffers at his ACT Recycling in Columbia, Missouri can recycle them. And, oh, don’t toss out those used Fed-Ex envelopes or broken smoke detectors; their manufacturers take them back for recycling.

© Jason Kremkau

Indeed, these days, it seems that more cast-offs than ever can be recycled. No matter where you live, you can recycle a wide range of discards—aseptic juice packages, printer cartridges, ordinary batteries, iPods, PDAs, and even cell phones. Surprised? Recycling has leap-frogged ahead, meaning if you haven’t checked the recycling scene since the mid-1990s, it’s possible that much of what you thought you knew is wrong. Not only can you recycle more things, but your discards are very much in demand, perhaps more than you realize.

Get this: Recycling and reuse businesses now employ about as many people as the auto industry, if not more, according to a 2001 “U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study” commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several states through an agreement with the National Recycling Coalition. At least 1.1 million people now work in the industry, more than triple the jobs in mining. BusinessWeek in February pegged the number of auto factory workers at about 950,000. Demand from industrializing China and India is helping spur the U.S. recycling industry, which now provides a “major source of raw materials,” according to Jerry Powell, editor of Resource Recycling magazine.

“Without recycling, given current virgin raw material supplies, we could not print the daily newspaper, build a car, or ship a product in a cardboard box,” says Powell. “Recycling is not some feel-good activity; it is one of the backbones of global economic development.” To his way of thinking, recovering cast-offs and putting them to good use “are key ingredients to industrial growth and stability.”

Is the Job Getting Done?

And yet, there is a problem. It becomes obvious when peering into a garbage can at a community festival or in the dumpster behind your local shopping mall. Curiously, while recycling has grown to more than 9,000 curbside programs nationwide, a greater percentage of recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans are ending up in the regular garbage.

Aluminum can recycling has dropped steadily, from a 1992 high of 65 percent of cans to 45 percent by 2004, according to the Container Recycling Institute. The Aluminum Association puts the latter figure at 51 percent. Plastic bottles fare worse: While nearly 40 percent of PET plastic bottles were recycled in 1995, only about half that many—21.6 percent—were recycled in 2004, according to the National Association for PET Container Resources. Powell says recycling levels exceed 50 percent for such materials as corrugated cartons and steel.

Paul Gardner got an unanticipated glimpse into why recycling rates are slipping in Minnesota, thanks to a phone survey of 800 Minnesotans that included this single recycling-related question: “Do you think manufacturers need more cans, bottles and paper?” Only 36 percent said “we need more,” and those folks tended to have a high-school education or less and be younger (ages 24 and under).

© Jason Kremkau

“The more education you have, the more likely you are to be cynical about recycling,” concluded Gardner, who is executive director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota. “We don’t know [why], to be honest,” though the purpose of the survey question was “to see how many people in the state still cling to the idea that there is a glut of recyclables, because we need all the material we can get right now and more.” He adds, “We’ve got some work to do, since almost three-quarters of Minnesotans think that we don’t need to recycle more. Twenty-four percent of our garbage is still recyclable paper, so we have more to get.” Confronting the Naysayers

Gardner also spends time combating impressions sometimes bandied about in the media, most famously in “Recycling Is Garbage,” a 1996 cover story in the New York Times Magazine, in which libertarian writer John Tierney argued that recycling could be “the most wasteful activity in modern America.” Tierney wrote, “Recycling does sometimes make sense—for some materials in some places at some times. But the simplest and cheapest option is usually to bury garbage in an environmentally safe landfill. And since there’s no shortage of landfill space (the crisis of 1987 was a false alarm), there’s no reason to make recycling a legal or moral imperative. Mandatory recycling programs aren’t good for posterity. They offer mainly short-term benefits to a few groups—politicians, public relations consultants, environmental organizations, waste-handling corporations—while diverting money from genuine social and environmental problems.”

When the American Prospect in 2001 profiled Tierney and asked about his 7,800-word anti-recycling story, he said: “I could write something about the good side of recycling. And there are some benefits. But everybody else writes that.” The Times story still reverberates. E, by the way, responded to Tierney’s piece with its own cover story, “Talking Trash: Recycling is Under Attack,” which appeared in the March/April 1997 issue. At the time, the New York Times Syndicate distributed both articles as a pro and con package.

“We’ve been fighting negative images ever since then,” says Gardner, who tries to counter attacks from similarly themed articles, including “Why Recycling is Garbage” (Forbes 1997) and “Recycle This!” (Weekly Standard, January 2006). The Weekly Standard argued that there is plenty of sand, trees, petroleum and farm products to produce new glass, paper and plastic, so recycling is a waste of time that robs Seattle households of 16 minutes per week on sorting cast-offs.

Last January, Seattle began mandatory recycling. That means businesses and multi-family residential buildings face up to three warnings, followed by a $50 ticket if their garbage contains at least 10 percent recyclables (as of mid-February, no tickets had been issued).

Mandatory recycling is folly, contends the Weekly Standard. “To say we will someday run out of trees is the same as saying we will someday run out of corn,” the magazine opined, adding that the motivation behind recycling is “we get a warm and fuzzy feeling.”

Gardner and other recyclers shake their heads at such arguments. Recycling proves much more than an alternative to landfills, though high costs of garbage disposal in some areas certainly fuel interest; Seattle saves $4.4 million a year by recycling what otherwise would be trucked a few hours south to an Oregon landfill, says Brett Stav, a spokesperson for Seattle Public Utilities.

Recycling one aluminum can conserves 300 watt-hours, enough to run a 100-watt bulb for three hours. It takes five percent of the energy to make a new aluminum can out of an old can compared to making a new can out of raw materials. “Any time you make new stuff out of old stuff, it takes less energy, less chemicals, less water,” Gardner says.

A rash of scrap metal thefts illustrates just how much copper, aluminum and bronze are in demand. Manhole covers and sewer grates have gone missing in Indianapolis, aluminum siding was ripped from vacant homes in western Ohio, and at least 100 metal light poles have been hacked down and carted away in Maryland. Meanwhile, copper wire has been swiped from at least 2,500 light poles in the Kansas City area in recent months. Inconvenience isn’t a problem: Sixteen bronze plaques weighing a total 240 pounds went missing from a Minneapolis park. Three guys sold them, cut up, to a scrap yard—and were arrested by police the next day, according to news reports. The same fate befell an historic P.T. Barnum statue in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but the perpetrators were never caught.

In short, people want your scrap metal—and lots of other discards. Carpet manufacturers are looking for more plastic bottles. Plastic lumberers are looking for your moderately stiff plastic bottles (“HDPE” or “No. 2” plastic). In fact, there’s a market for lots of things that may be in your garbage can.

The following is a guide to help you recycle all those perplexing items you can’t bear to throw away. Also consider making a visit to your local recycling center, which will help educate you on how the processes work and help you gain perspective on the good folk who go through your trash.

Aseptic Packages

Those paper-and-foil juice packets are convenient to use, but not so convenient for recyclers. While they’re accepted in recycling bins at such places as Stanford University, just a fraction of U.S. households—approximately 12 million—can recycle them through curbside or drop-off programs, according to the Aseptic Packaging Council. Still, you’re welcome to ship clean, compact aseptic packaging for recycling to: BRING Recycling, Reuse Warehouse & Business Office, 86641 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97405; (541)746-3023.

Autos, Trucks, Trailers, Boats, Jet-Skis, Motorcycles, RVs

Even if your vehicle doesn’t run, lots of nonprofit organizations want it. Numerous “vehicle donation programs” will gladly accept most towable vehicles. Pickup is free. Some sell the vehicles directly to raise money; others contract with someone to run the donation program for a fee. Best bet: Ask your favorite nonprofit organization whether it accepts vehicles. Those that do include Habitat for Humanity (877-277-4344), Wolf Haven International (360-264-4695, http://www.wolfhaven.org), Houston Audubon Society (713-932-1639, http://www.houstonaudubon.org) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (757-962-8277, http://www.peta.org).

Batteries

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Household single-use batteries: If your community hazardous waste program doesn’t take them or can’t refer you to a local business that does, then try a private firm such as mail-order Battery Solutions (800-852-8127, BatteryRecycling. com). It recycles them for a fee of 85 cents per pound. You may find alternatives near you at Earth911.org. In San Francisco, where it became illegal to dump batteries in the trash as of February, all Walgreens stores accept old batteries. Across the country, Batteries Plus stores accept all batteries for recycling (800-677-8278, http://www.batteriesplus.com). Rechargeable batteries: RadioShack and Office Depot accept batteries from wireless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, cordless power tools, digital cameras and radio-controlled toys at no charge. These are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead Acid (Pb) batteries weighing less than two pounds. To find other nearby recyclers, try Earth911.org, Rbrc.com or 877-2-RECYCLE.

Books

First, consider selling books to used bookstores or online at such sites as Amazon.com. Or donate them to libraries, thrift stores or the International Book Project (888-999-2665, http://www.intlbookproject.org). No go? Some curbside recycling programs, including New York City’s, accept paperbacks, comic books and other soft-cover books. Hardbacks, too, are accepted for recycling on the Stanford University campus and during special monthly “Electronics & Books Recycling Days” in Kane County, Ill. Check your recycling program’s rules.

Car Batteries, Motor Oil, Oil Filters, Antifreeze

Many auto-parts stores and service centers that sell these items will take your old ones for recycling; to find locations near you, go to Earth911.org. Nearly 40 states have laws ensuring consumers can return old car batteries; to view your state’s status, go to BatteryCouncil.org.

Carpet and Padding

Ask your carpet dealer if his or her company has access to a carpet recycling network, which is likeliest in California, says Bob Peoples, executive director of the carpet industry’s Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE). You may strike out. Trouble is, there is no routine system for recycling old carpet, says Peoples. The picture should begin to brighten by the end of 2007. “We’re trying to build the infrastructure for collection around the country,” says Paul Ashman, head of Environmental Recovery and Consolidation Services (866-873-2244). “It’s an industry that’s just beginning.”

If you’re in the commercial sector, Peoples’ organization advises calling your mill representative, who can work with you to get your carpet recycled for a fee. Find potential contacts and locations of carpet reclamers at CarpetRecovery.org.

Cell Phones, Pagers, PDAs

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Drop them off at Staples office supply stores or go to CollectiveGood.com, where you’ll choose a charity to benefit before shipping them to: CollectiveGood, 4508 Bibb Boulevard, Suite B-10, Tucker, GA 30084. Many programs accept cell phones (which have an average lifespan of 18 months), including police stations and Call to Protect (www.DonateaPhone.com), which gives phones to domestic violence agencies. The nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. recycles phones and gives a portion of proceeds to charity; for drop-off sites near you, go to Call2Recycle.org or call 877-2-RECYCLE. Alternatively, get cash, $2 to $100-plus, for newer-model cell phones from CellForCash.com (800-503-8026). It is now illegal in California to toss cell phones in the trash. Clothing

Thrift stores want usable clothes, but not tattered items. Turn frayed or torn clothing into rags for painting and cleaning at home. In Vermont’s Chittenden County, residents can take clear bags of clean, dry clothing and linens to the solid waste department’s drop-off centers for no fee. Also, consider joining or hosting a local clothes swap event (learn more at http://www.swaporamarama.org).

Computers

Give your computer to charity or a school if it’s still good; find possible outlets at ShareTechnology.org or Earth911.org. Broken? Obsolete? That’s another story. Ever since “the dirty little secret of the high-tech revolution”—the dumping of toxic electronic waste on developing nations—made national news in 2002 with the release of a graphic report by Basel Action Network and four other groups, e-waste has been a touchy issue for consumers. To see a list of recyclers who’ve signed pledges to be good stewards, go to http://www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html. Alternatively, ask your community’s hazardous waste program for recommendations of responsible recyclers. Seattle’s “Take It Back Network,” for instance, lists local recyclers who’ve pledged to recycle responsibly and not ship waste to developing nations. Find that list at http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/electronics/index.asp.

About 20 states have passed or considered legislation that would require manufacturers to recycle their computers. That’s an approach supported by Dell and HP. Dell will take back certain Dell and non-Dell monitors, desktops, towers, notebooks, printers and peripherals. Example: recycling a PC and a monitor would cost you $20 to cover home pickup, shipment and recycling. Fee may be waived if you buy a new Dell computer. Get instructions at http://www.Dell.com/recycle. Manufacturer HP will take back any computer hardware from any maker. That includes printers, scanners, fax machines, monitors, handheld devices, plus their cables, mice, keyboards or other external components. The company says they’ll be reused or recycled “in a way that conserves resources.” Fee: $13 to $34 per item. Get details at http://tinyurl.com/57hz.

Eyeglasses

Drop them off at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, BJ’s Optical, the optical stores at Sears or Target, or your local Lions Club. Refurbished glasses are delivered to developing countries.

Fluorescent Lights

In San Francisco, where in February it became illegal to dump fluorescent bulbs in the garbage, several hardware stores accept them, including Brownie’s, Cliff’s Variety and Cole Hardware. Check the rules of your community’s hazardous waste program, which may accept the bulbs at solid-waste drop-off sites, as in Vermont’s Chittenden County. For a list of companies that say they recycle the spent bulbs, go to Lamprecycle.org.

Fruit Rinds, Veggie Scraps, Coffee Grounds, Tea Bags

Turn them into rich compost for your garden or houseplants by starting a compost bin or worm bin—even in New York City, no matter how small your space, as the New York City Compost Project urges. Find step-by-step instructions for starting an indoor worm bin or backyard compost bin at http://www.NYCCompost.org.

iPods

If a friend or loved one doesn’t want your hand-me-down and if selling your iPod on eBay isn’t your thing, then consider Apple’s recycling program. Take an unwanted iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo to any Apple store. You’ll get a minor (10 percent) price break on any new iPod bought that day. The company says your oldie will be processed domestically. Magazines, Catalogs, Phone Books

Friends or family may want your old magazines. If not, surprise, your curbside recycling program likely accepts magazines and catalogs; call yours to check. Phone books are accepted any time by some recycling programs, as in Meridian, Idaho and Atlantic County, New Jersey, though yearly phone-book recycling events are the norm in many places.

Too few people seem to know that magazine recycling has expanded considerably since the 1980s, when recycling programs tended to forbid glossies, according to ReMix, a National Recycling Coalition program first launched in Boston and Maryland’s Prince Georges County in 2004 to encourage magazine recycling. Case in point: Only 31 to 35 percent of magazines in Wisconsin are recycled, while programs there are doing a better job capturing other items.

Miscellany (Crayons, Art Supplies, Wine Corks, Fabric)

Many states have “material exchanges” where odd stuff is collected and made available to the public for use. Outdated calendars, office paper that is used on one side, wallpaper, flooring samples, crayons and other stuff is gladly accepted by Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts in Eugene, Oregon, whose credo is “creativity is the solution to our garbage problem!” To see if there’s a materials exchange near you, search Google.com for “materials exchange” or call your local hazardous waste department.

Newspaper, Aluminum Cans, Metal Cans

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Curbside recycling programs traditionally accept these mainstays; if yours doesn’t, the nearest scrap yard wants them. Alternatively, ask around to learn whether a local charity collects aluminum cans to raise money. Pull tabs from aluminum cans are welcomed by Ronald McDonald houses, which trade them for cash (www.rmhc.org). Paint

Your community’s household hazardous waste program will take paint cans and possibly recycle leftover paint into newly formulated paints available for resale, as happens in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon. Some nonprofit organizations welcome usable paint; to check locally, go to Earth911.org. Empty dried-out paint cans without lids are accepted as part of the regular curbside recycling pickup program in such places as New York City and Kane County, Illinois. Check your program.

Paper, Cardboard Boxes

Chances are that your curbside recycling program accepts more types of paper these days than just flattened cardboard boxes and newspapers. Los Angeles residents, for instance, can also recycle clean and dry computer paper, ledger paper, wrapping, arts and craft paper, mail, flyers, telephone books, note cards, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs and all envelopes including those with windows. They also can toss in “chipboard” boxes including empty rolls of toilet paper, cereal boxes, frozen food boxes, shoeboxes and detergent boxes. Check your program for its latest rules.

Plastic Bags

Use supermarket bags as kitchen garbage bags or as pooper-scoopers for dog and cat waste. Some supermarkets recycle bags; check for a bin at the store entrance. Your curbside recycling program may also recycle plastic bags, so call to check. Dog parks often invite the public to stock their makeshift pooper-scooper-bag dispensers; stuff them with grocery bags, clean produce bags, those plastic sleeve-length bags that come with home-delivered newspapers, and crumb-free bread bags.

Plastic Containers

Community curbside recycling programs often accept plastic bottles marked “1” or “2” on the bottom. Rules for other plastics vary wildly from place to place. Seattle advises residents to ignore altogether the numbers stamped on container bottoms and recycle only plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, jars and pill bottles with a “neck and shoulders,” such as vitamin bottles, but not cylindrical prescription bottles. Meanwhile, some community recycling programs nowadays accept plastic containers marked “1” through “7,” as in Palm Beach County, Florida and rural Franklin County in Massachusetts. Check your recycling program for its latest rules. You may learn that it has started accepting a wider range of plastics than you thought. Otherwise, see if there is a plastic lumber manufacturer in your area, because such businesses will almost certainly take any type of plastic.

Packaging “Peanuts”

Most UPS Stores accept clean foam peanuts; find nearby stores via 800-789-4623. Alternatively, search LooseFillPackaging.com or call the Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214.

Pots, Pans, Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Foil

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In New York City, it’s the law: Residents must place all of that stuff in recycling bins. Failure to separate them from the garbage or to clean up aluminum first can lead to a ticket. Yet, many recycling programs don’t accept any or some of those items. Los Angeles, for instance, takes clean aluminum foil and aerosol cans, not the rest. Moral: Check your program’s latest rules. Strike out? See your local scrap yard. Printer Cartridges First, save money by refilling inkjet cartridges a few times through ink-refill services offered by such providers as Printpal.com (888-772-1361), CarrotInk.com (877-322-7768), and Walgreens stores. Then take exhausted cartridges to OfficeMax or Office Depot, which will trade you certain models for a free ream of recycled paper. Staples trades them for a $3-off store coupon. Alternatively, Freerecycle.com promises to pay up to $3.60 apiece for nearly 80 types of ink cartridges.

Priority Mail (Tyvek) Envelopes

Tyvek-brand envelopes, such as those used by Fed-Ex and for U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, can be shipped back to Tyvek for recycling. If you have fewer than 25, turn one of them inside out, then stuff it with the rest. Ship to: Terry Fife, Tyvek(r) Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Highway, Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234, (866)338-9835.

Records

Sell your old records to an independent music store or at Gemm.com, the self-described “world’s largest music marketplace,” or donate them to a thrift store.

Smoke Detectors

They last only 10 years and contain radioactive Americium 241, so send dead ones back to the manufacturer. Send First Alert, BRK and Family Guard Smoke Detectors to: BRK Brands, 25 Spur Drive, El Paso, TX 79906, (800)323-9005; www. first alert.com. On the front of the package, write “For Disposal.” Up to five smoke alarms are accepted for free.

Ship American Sensors and Dicon Smoke Detectors by surface mail to: Dicon Inc., 20 Steelcase Road West, Unit #3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2, Canada, (800) 387-4219. On the front of the package, write “For Recycling, $0 Value.”

Styrofoam

It’s easiest to reuse white block foam as packing material. But if there’s a place that manufactures it somewhere near you, that business likely will accept it, says John Gogol, president of PC Plastics in Oregon. Residents of Portland, Boulder, Colorado, and Seattle have it easier: they can take block foam to certain drop-off sites.

Videotapes, Floppy Disks, Zip Disks, DVDs, CDs, Jewel Cases

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Ship them to Missouri via media mail, where disabled employees of the nonprofit Alternative Community Training erase and repackage donated media for resale under the GreenDisk label. Download a donor form from ACTRecycling.org. Send items to: Alternative Community Training, 2200 Burlington, Columbia, MO 65202, (800) 359-4607. Alternatively, you can ship your stuff directly to GreenDisk through its Technotrash Pack-IT service (800-305-DISK, http://www.greendisk.com). For $5.95, you can ship up to 20 pounds.

Wire Hangers

Wire hangers may be unacceptable to Joan Crawford, but they’re taken in by some dry cleaners and by curbside recycling programs in such communities as New York City, Seattle and Palo Alto, California. Salvage yards may also take them.