Did you know that a used mascara can help save an animal in need? Turns out, lots of stores and charities recycle things we would normally throw away such as pens, clothes, and even postage stamps. These items are given a second life to help multiple causes including protecting the environment and raising money for schools. Here are a list of 5 amazing charities Le Répertoire de Gaspard are supporting as we go green for the month of April:
Collecting Postage Stamps for Octopus for a Preemie
Octopus for a Preemie have recently been registered as a charity in the UK and they mainly focus around volunteers crocheting octopodes so they can be donated to premature babies across a number of hospital trusts within the UK.
The idea behind the octopodes began in Germany and is spreading across the world as it allows the babies to play with the legs of the octopus as opposed to their feeding tubes as they can liken it to the umbilical cord, and it helps to eliminate problems in their care.
They also collect used postage stamps from all over the world to help them generate the necessary funds to keep the charity up and running.
We will be collecting postage stamps at Le Répertoire de Gaspard office. If you have any to donate, feel free to drop them off or give them to your childcarer to pass along to us!
https://www.facebook.com/pg/octopusforapreemie/posts/?ref=page_internal
http://octopusforapreemie.com/
Collecting Bottle Caps to be Recycled at Franprix or Lush
In France, most bottle caps can now be recycled along with the bottles they came on via your normal household recycling. However, some Franprix stores are currently collecting these separately for a variety of charities so they can help them generate extra revenue towards their purpose/goals.
However, if this service is not available at your local Franprix store, Lush are now able to independently recycle them, making them in to the black pots we see their products sold in across all their stores. Many other high street retailers (including L’Occitane en Provence) are now trying to do their part when it comes to recycling their own products too so it always worthwhile taking a look at their websites for further information.
Collecting Used Pens
With more than 600 recycling locations and after already raising £38,087.79 for charity, Bic are working together with several different companies including TerraCycle via the Writing Instruments Recycling Programme to recycle all used pens and protect the environment.
They mainly work with schools, offices or stationery suppliers to collect the pens at the very place they are first used but have a great incentive to involve children in their recycling mission as each recycled pen is worth 0.01€ and is donated back to schools so they can work towards financing future educational projects such as recycled playground furniture.
In partnership with Plas Eco, a French company which specializes in the design, manufacture and supply of outdoor furniture, BIC has initiated the first range of outdoor furniture made in France from recycled pens.
For more information, please contact your Childcarer, the Office or visit the following links to see how you can get involved:
https://www.bickids.com/en/bic-terracycle
https://www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/2017-10/PR%20BIC%20PLASECO%20UBICUITY_04%20OCT%2017.pdf
Collecting Mascara Wands for Wildlife Charities
In the news recently, especially after a huge surge of people on numerous social media platforms protesting for climate change and attempting to live more consciously, it has become apparent that there are many uses for things that we would have normally discarded without a second thought and this includes used mascara wands!
Many wildlife charities including The New Arc in Scotland and the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina are asking for donations of cleaned mascara wands after they realized that the fine-toothed bristles made them the perfect tool for caring for animals in need at their centres.
After being cleaned in soapy water by donators to remove any residual mascara, the wands are perfect for:
- Removing fly eggs and larva from the feathers and fur of wild animals
- Grooming an area on an animal to remove dust, dirt, sand, sawdust, etc.
- Assisting wildlife rehabilitators who are examining for injuries
- Cleaning the syringes used for feeding the animals – especially when they come in so many different shapes, sizes and materials!
- Providing comfort by using them to stroke the younger animals
Have any mascara wands to donate? You can drop them at Le Répertoire de Gaspard office or give them to your childcarer, who will pass them along to us!
https://www.appalachianwild.org/wands-for-wildlife.html
Recycling Clothes & Trainers at Nike and North Face Stores
After Maire Kondo hit Netflix and achieved success via her 8-part series, it seems that a lot of people across the globe are now adopting the ‘KonMari’ approach when tackling their homes and all the things it contains – getting rid of anything that no longer sparks joy for them.
However, due to our current climate and the speed in which fashion trends change, it seems that the one thing that is thrown away during this process more than anything else is our clothing.
Hight street retailers such as H&M, Zara, Nike and The North Face are attempting to do something about this by collecting our old, unwanted or damaged clothing and athletic footwear and repurposing it or recycling it to prevent the excess waste hitting landfill. Especially when figures are currently suggesting that approximately 10.62 million tons of textile waste is being disposed of every year.
Through their ‘Nike Grind’ initiative, customers can recycle their old running shoes at Nike stores. Nike recycles the shoes into new sports products and equipment. The North Face also has a recycling program called ‘Clothes the Loop’. In partnership with Soles4Souls, a non-profit group providing relief through the redistribution of clothes, you can drop off any unwanted North Face clothes at any North Face retail location. Recycling your clothes can even earn a discount off your next North Face purchase!
Unfortunately, we cannot accept clothing donations at our office.
Having a good impact on the environment is made easy with the help of these 5 charities. So next time you are about to throw away something, make sure to check if it can be recycled!
