Recycling is one of those behaviors that is so easy that it can seem inconsequential; what’s the difference if you put that one bottle in the trash can instead of the recycle bin, right? Though it might not seem to matter that much, recycling is one of those things whose impact can really be felt and measured by the many collective actions of lots of people. If you don’t think whether or not you recycle really makes much difference, think about these numbers the next time you toss something that belongs in the blue bin.

544,000 — trees saved if every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones.
20 million — tons of electronic waste thrown away each year. One ton of scrap from discarded computers contains more gold than can be produced from 17 tons of gold ore.
9 cubic yards — amount of landfill space saved by recycling one ton of cardboard.
$160 billion — the value of the global recycling industry that employs over 1.5 million people.
79 million tons — the amount of waste material diverted away from disposal in 2005 through recycling and composting, according to the EPA [www.epa.gov]
5% — the fraction of the energy it takes to recycle aluminum versus mining and refining new aluminum, according to Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org].
315 kg — or 694 pounds, which is the amount of carbon dioxide not released into the atmosphere each time a metric ton of glass is used to create new glass products, according to Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org].
98%: the percentage of glass bottles in Denmark that are refillable. 98% of those are returned by consumers for reuse, also according to Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org].
51.5%: the percentage of the paper consumed in the U.S. that was recovered for recycling in 2005 (thanks again, Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org].

The Danko Design Initiative [www.peterdanko.com] sets a pretty ambitious mission for itself: “to transform the public’s concept of what furniture can be, by demonstrating a deeper understanding of beauty, using environmentally friendly materials, all within an affordable envelope.” No small task, for sure, but Danko manages to deliver on all of these goals with flying colors.

An intelligent combination of materials, manufacturing techniques and design savvy come together to make Danko’s triple threat — aesthetics, environment, affordability — not just possible, but truly unique and beautiful. The majority of the wood they use is sourced from FSC-certified forests (more about the FSC here [www.sundancechannel.com]), and its finished with non-toxic, water-based adhesives and lacquers. When it comes to seat suspension and padding, it’s all recycled; the Gotham Lounge, above on the bottom left, uses nylon webbing recycled from seat belts. Also pictured are the Bodyform chair, which are designed to be stacked up to 12 chairs high and has been selected by the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) for their Permanent Design Collection, and above the chairs is the Lollipop bench.

The real magic of Danko’s designs are the manufacturing techniques, which, when combined with his modern design sensibility, makes for some remarkably efficient materials use and furniture, consequently. Most of the designs are made from the “bent-ply” technique, where sheets of plywood are first “rolled” or “sliced” from logs; rather than cutting square blocks from a round tree, the process is very similar to the way paper towels coming off a roll. Once the sheets are off, they are pressure bent, rather than cut, to shape specifications. The two processes result in materials use that is between eight and ten times more efficient than more traditional furniture-making techniques; Danko claims that with the wood from one tree, he can create as much furniture as a more traditional designer using ten trees. Everything starts as a sheet of plywood and is bent to his liking, and in many pieces, it’s easy to see how little wood is actually used if you were to take the Spyder table (above, bottom left) and stretch out its three legs; the result would be just a fraction of a sheet of plywood. The simplicity of the designs belies the skill required in designing such modern, sophisticated (yet unpretentious) furniture, and TreeHugger really likes Danko’s style. Anytime you can combine modern aesthetics with materials efficiency and environmental ethics, it’s a good thing, and Danko is one of the best. Learn more about his work, including a few of the reasons he was selected as of the Best of TreeHugger: Designers [www.treehugger.com] at his website [www.peterdanko.com].

With spring in full bloom, along with green gardening [www.sundancechannel.com], it’s time for many of us to do a little spring cleaning. As with just about anything that you do at home, there are lots of strategies and ideas for cleaning up without “dirtying” your home (and the planet) with toxic chemicals and substances.

Before getting into which cleaners are good, a few words about why conventional cleaners are not good: many conventional cleaning products are petroleum-based and have unhealthy and downright unsafe health and environmental implications. They contain toxic chemicals that are not good for the air quality in your home (and not good for your lungs), not good for your skin, and harmful for pets and children that can get into them when you aren’t looking (or just lick the floor when your back is turned). Think of it this way: you don’t put toxic substances on your plates & dishes to eat, so why do it when you’re cleaning up?

Thankfully, there are a growing number of companies that make effective non-toxic cleaners that will zap any and all dirt in your home, from windows to counters and dishes to floors. Seventh Generation [www.treehugger.com] has one of the widest selections of products, from cleaners to tissues and paper towels that are all non-toxic and safe. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day produces an assortment of great-smelling, non-toxic cleaners of as well; their dishwashing liquid [www.treehugger.com] and general cleaners [www.treehugger.com] have both appeared on our pages. When it comes to packaging design, nobody beats method [www.treehugger.com], whose hip cleaning product lines are getting bigger all the time. Ecover [www.treehugger.com] has been around since 1979, offering their wide range of cleaning products to an international audience (they started in Belgium). They all clean without using toxic substances, and, between the different companies’ products, there isn’t anything in your home that you can’t clean.

If you find yourself without the time to do a little spring cleaning, don’t fret. Cleaning services like
ZENhome [www.treehugger.com] in New York City will clean your home for you, using 100% non-toxic and earth-friendly cleaning products, and will even leave an organic chocolate on your pillow as part of their turn-down service. Though we all may not have the luxury of having someone else clean up after us, there are lots of resources for learning more about how to effectively do it yourself; books like Clean Green: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home [www.treehugger.com] and Clean Sweep: The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering, Detoxing and Destressing Your Home [www.treehugger.com] are great sources for getting started down a greener, cleaner path. To really dig in to cleaning green, there’s a ton of information and resources for learning more in our How to Green Your Cleaning [www.treehugger.com] guide. Happy spring cleaning!