Of course, some people look for alternative uses for their junk mail and other unwanted materials. We’ve featured articles about junk mail-inspired artwork before, but now, consider this: Recycle Runway, clothing made from recycled goods.

From their website: “Elegant garments created from recycled materials are exhibited in high-traffic airports to grab travelers’ attention and inspire personal action. Community-based presentations and workshops launch young peoples’ imaginations while providing information on how to conserve resources on a grassroots level.”

Their mission is great, but the real fun is looking at the clothes and trying to figure out what each outfit is made of. The dress made from junk mail and catalogs is amazing; see if you can spot it in their gallery.

While the best course of action in dealing with your junk mail is doing what you can to make it stop, such as by signing up for The Privacy Council’s List Removal Service, it’s refreshing to hear about people who find creative uses for the annoying refuse that most people discard. If an unwanted catalog can become a pretty skirt, or a stack of credit card offers can be a work of art, there’s a somewhat positive outcome to the plague of junk mail. Recycle Runway is doing an amazing job of raising awareness and making beauty out of trash.

I don’t think anyone, not even junk mail artists, would argue that junk mail should cease entirely. Do your part and sign up for The Privacy Council’s List Removal Service today.

The W233 Renew doesn’t take photos. It doesn’t let you access your email. It has a smallish screen and a boring, old-school look. In short, there’s not much that would make this phone stand out, at least at first.

But what makes the Renew special is its impact, or lack thereof, on the environment. The Renew is made of recycled plastic bottles (which uses 20% less energy than standard plastic processing), and the case is 100% recyclable. It’s also carbon-neutral, since Motorola’s alliance with Carbonfund.org offsets the energy needed to make, distribute and use the phone. The Renew can come with up to 2GB of memory, and it has a 9-hour talk time so that the need to charge it regularly is reduced. Even the cardboard packaging is recyclable. And if you decide to recycle your old phone, the Renew comes with a postage-paid envelope that will help you send back your old phone at no cost to you.

Aside from talking, texting and listening to music, the phone doesn’t do much. But that’s probably a good thing. If people used their cell phones less, they’d use less energy keeping them charged and running, which is better for the planet.

On T-Mobile’s website, the Renew MSRP is $59.99, but it costs $9.99 after $50 “instant discount” (read: contract). It probably won’t replace the gadget-heavy, application-ridden cell phones that most people have come to know, love and be addicted to, but for everyday use, it’s a great green choice.

So if you have a T-Mobile account (or feel like getting one), be sure to pick one up. And then register your number with the Do Not Call registry, of course!

In the article the Sierra Club refernced a company called Greensender.  So I took a few moments and followed the link.  Greensender is the founder of “Green Pride” as well as a number of other “go green” products. Greensender exists to help bridge that gap between good intentions and taking action.

I personally am a single mom.  I recycle my aluminum cans and make sure they are out on the curb every Wednesday.  That’s about it for me.  I know that change is a necessity at this point.  My heart strings are tugged with every tree saving project.  I get nervous about the future for my child when I hear about global warming and pollution.

I know that it is time to make a change and that the time for procrastination has ceased.  That is why when I ran accross the last line of Michael Aaron’s (Founder of Greensender.com) mission statement, I knew exactly what to do.  Here is the mission statement that rang oh so true for me:

“No one can do everything today. And no one can do it by themselves. But, we all have the responsibility do something. So, let’s get started.”