As we continue into modernity, the trend of people working from home will only grow. Having a home office is going to become an important area in our abodes like a living room or dining area. It’s a place (hopefully quiet) to get work done and do what’s necessary to pay bills. How does your current room or area look? Can it be more organized or functional? Should your home office need a revamp, here are some tips you may want to consider. Wall organizer. Wall organizers are an absolute must for home offices because you want to utilize every bit of space you have to keep your room looking clean and pristine. Great examples include a wall system (Daily System, Pottery Barn), chalkboard or chalkboard decal (Chalkboard Wall Decal, Urban Outfitters), corkboard or magnet board (TerraCycle Corkboard, Vine.com) or an over-sized wall calendar.

4. Recycle and raise funds You've probably got old cell phones, ink cartridges and other small electronics sitting around your house. You've been meaning to recycle them, and now's the time. Nexus Energy Center, a Huntsville organization that provides services to help improve Alabama's energy future, is collecting these items in order to reach a fundraising goal of $5,000. TerraCycle is another collection program that accepts previously non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle waste. The waste is converted into new products, from recycled park benches to upcycled backpacks. For more information on what can be recycled and where, contact Megan atmegan@nexusenergycenter.org or visit Nexus Energy Center.

Plastic is so much a part of our lives. Just as it's important to know where your food is from (and what it's made of), it's also important to know where your trash goes (and what it's made of). So good luck and hopefully this becomes second nature to you. This month (and hopefully this becomes habit) the challenge is to cut out one type of plastic regularly used. It could be no more plastic bags from the grocery store, no plastic water bottles, or any of the suggestions below. What do you do with your plastic? BETTER: Reusing it. Upcycling is using the plastic for other purposes than it was originally intended. More and more people are doing this within their homes and communities. A larger scale example is www.terracycle.net Or simply reusing an item. For example: refilling the plastic water bottles you already own.

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. (SFNTC) has teamed up with TerraCycle, a world leader in developing solutions for hard-to-recycle materials, to do something about cigarette butt litter. SFNTC manufactures Natural American Spirit additive-free, natural tobacco cigarettes and roll-your-own tobaccos, which include styles that are made with 100 percent organic tobacco as well as 100 percent U.S. Grown tobacco.

What are the current issues in your region is facing and why is it an issue (regarding waste)? In this day and age, most are familiar with the effects of non-sustainable consumer behavior and aware of the growing importance of resource conservation. Still when budgets tighten, consumers turn away from eco-friendly products and towards more tradition – affordable – options. In 2008, the average American Consumer produced 4.5 pounds and only 1.1 pounds of that was recycled – and this was before the worse of global economic downturn. That same year, Clorox debuted Green Works, its sustainable line of cleaning products, and sales reach as high as 100 million dollars. Since then, sales dropped to about $60 million dollars by 2012 indicating that less consumers are willing to pay a premium for socially responsible items.

One of those goals is to reduce the percentage of virgin materials used in their packaging from 60 to 40 percent by 2020. Innovations like moving from aluminum tubes to recyclable laminated BPA-free plastic tubes, their partnership with TerraCycle and their switch to stand-up dispensers for children’s toothpaste that don’t require cartons, all improve their packaging performance. Water savings has a goal to reduce their consumption per metric ton of product made, from 4.3 to 2.5 cubic meters, a 42 percent reduction by 2020 through a comprehensive program that includes every drop that comes into their facilities.

Ella’s Kitchen has four different categories for foods. Ella’s 1 for 4-6 month olds, Ella’s 2 for7 months+ , Ella’s 3 for 12 months+, and Special Diets for gluten-free, lactose-free and vegetarian options.  Within each category, there are fantastic assortments of pouches in fruit, fruit+rice, smoothies, cookies and “nibbly fingers” made of whole grain oats. Aside from the choices they offer, they have teamed up with TerraCycle for a recycling program with their pouches that allows people to donate points earned to local charities.  Having two kids, I remember the days of carrying around glass baby food jars, with occasional breaks, which were always a huge mess.  The pouches are much more user-friendly, plus, you never have to worry about forgetting a spoon!

I signed up Dominic's school with a program called www.terracycle.com. You can even print a mailing label, so there are minimal shipping costs (just the cost of a padded envelope or box). Right now, I send them used Capri Sun pouches. The next time you think about throwing something out because you think it's "junk" take a few extra minutes to determine if it really can't be recycled or reused. You just might be doing something good for the environment!!

One company that I greatly admire is Terracycle. What they do is get teams (brigades) together to recycle things that normally go in the trash. They turn around and reuse them to make all sorts of eco-goodies.

TerraCycle Brigade programs are recycling fundraisers for schools and community groups across nationwide. All Family Focus Blog readers have to do is collect trash, send it in for free (we provide prepaid UPS shipping labels), and earn points and receive cash for their school or other charity of their choice. People can be eco-friendly while simultaneously give back to the community.  Dig it!