ALL WRAPPED UP announces recycling drop-off program

Beginning Monday August 9, Mill Valley shoppers are encouraged to drop off Polystyrene Loose Fill (Packaging Peanuts), Old Cell Phones, Ink Jet and Toner Cartridges, and Household Batteries at the All Wrapped Up location, 38 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley.

(PRWEB) August 12, 2004 -- Beginning Monday August 9, Mill Valley shoppers are encouraged to drop off Polystyrene Loose Fill (Packaging Peanuts), Old Cell Phones, Ink Jet and Toner Cartridges, and Household Batteries at the All Wrapped Up location, 38 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley. Styrofoam peanuts will be stored off-site for reuse at All Wrapped Up, while other items are to be delivered to outside reclamation centers. In offering this new service, All Wrapped Up hopes to divert many hazardous materials from the conventional consumer waste stream.

Household batteries contain more than 20 toxic substances (including lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, chromium, lithium, copper, manganese, silver, selenium, and corrosive acids). In landfills, heavy metals can leach into the soil and contaminate the groundwater. Over-exposure to these elements can cause a myriad of health problems, including damage to the brain, kidneys and other major organs, as well as contributing to birth defects.

Packaging Peanuts are mostly reused directly at All Wrapped Up for the Packaging and Shipping services offered at the store. Direct reuse is the most efficient form of recycling", asserts Lisa Walsmith, who has owned and operated All Wrapped Up since 1988. Direct reuse keeps the materials out of the landfills, while at the same time preventing the need to manufacture replacement materials", said Mrs. Walsmith. A study from Franklin Associates, "Waste Management and Reduction Trends in the Polystyrene Industry, 1974-1997," found 452 million pounds of polystyrene material was diverted from the waste stream in 1997, the last year studied.

Inkjet and toner cartridges can be remanufactured, keeping the disposables out of the land fills and reducing the energy consumption associated with manufacturing new units.

Some cell phones are reused by reprogramming them to provide 911 services to individuals in need, such as victims of domestic violence. Other phones are dismantled to reclaim materials for reuse in the manufacture of new phones or other electronic products.

Marin is a fantastic place to live and a great place to do business" said Mrs. Walsmith, Im happy to be able to do this little bit in helping our ecology."

About All Wrapped Up

All Wrapped Up (www.allwrappedup.com) is a Mail and Parcel center owned and operated in Mill Valley by Ross and Lisa Walsmith since 1988. Services at the store include packaging and shipping, gift-wrapping, notary public, mailbox rentals, and retail sales of cards, gifts, and mailing supplies.

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