Celebrate America Recycles Day with us

Happy America Recycles Day!



Today is America Recycles Day. May we honor this day by not just recycling but by refusing, reusing and reducing any waste that may end up in our environment. Every year, Americans generate millions of tons of trash. Read more here. Much of the garbage and waste that is taken to landfills can be reused and recycled in many ways. To recognize this day, the Smart Yards team wants to share with you how we reuse various materials to create some features of our gardens. 

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The Smart Yards team goes above and beyond to preventing waste that would otherwise be transported and dumped in landfills impacting our land and water resources. For example, we create ways to reuse materials from pallets and replacement of old fences to build garden planter boxes, chicken coups, outdoor kitchen and compost bins. Imagine having your own compost bin built out of pallets in your Smart Yard! This is also a way we help folks reduce waste. Instead of throwing our food scraps and other decomposable material into the trash resulting in environmental impact, we make compost bins and feed our soil to grow veggies. Food waste now accounts for more than one quarter of the total freshwater consumption and ∼300 million barrels of oil per year - read more here.


What's Urbanite? Pieces of concrete from replacing old broken driveways with permeable paver. Another example of material that we reuse at Smart Yards Co-op in our projects. Instead of hauling this material to the landfill, we build fire pits, walkways and even small benches. You may read more here

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Another fun and creative way to reuse and reduce waste is by making a bird house with those plastic planting pots. If you don't have one let us know and you can start a bird house project with your or your friend's children. 


Let us know if you'd like to make a difference with us, and how we can help you create your Smart Yard with re-useable materials. Visit us here and send your request for your free consultation or tell your friends about us.


Watch this short video and be inspired by San Pedro de Laguna, a small town in Guatemala who banned all plastic products and turned back to traditional methods to save the environment.

Elizabeth Sarmiento

Elizabeth Sarmiento has a deep love for nature and its innate value in our lives. Originally from Honduras, she has a degree in Environmental Studies and a strong commitment to conservation. She is trained and certified with Greywater Action to design and install greywater systems.  She is a certified Bay-Friendly Regional landscape designer, Santa Clara County Master Composter, Permaculture Designer, and Landscape Water Management Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) Specialist.  She brings her knowledge and experience in the challenges of water supply, lost habitat, soil depletion and energy demands to design, install and maintain ecological gardens and empower others with this understanding. Using ecological principles she installs native and drought-tolerant plants, drip and greywater irrigation system, rainwater systems, pervious paving, and reusable materials.

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