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What do you do with items that are in good condition but are not needed any more? You could have a yard sale, throw them away, or try to recycle them, but Throwplace.com offers another alternative that both benefits the environment and people in need.

In 1999, Throwplace.com was developed by Lomangino as an internet site of exchange. The process is easy, fast, and simple. Charities, businesses, and individual people can all contribute. Anyone can list online possessions they are willing to give away. Then, interested people can take what they like for free.

This ingenious creation not only keeps many items out of our already overflowing landfills, but also keeps things out of recycling facilities. Recycling of course is good, but it is even better to reuse than the recycle. Remember, the order of preference is reduce, reuse, and recycle, in terms of the energy required for each process.

There are four sections to Throwplace: U.S. Charity, International Charity, Business/Individual, and Up-For-Grabs. Where you place your items depends on who you want the receiver to be, an official charity or anyone at all.

Some items that have turned up on the site include computers, furniture, and appliances. Other items I have noticed upon browsing include a shower caddy, women's attire, and a fax machine. Also, viewers are able to make requests for potential items, so donors have an idea of what is needed. Email addresses are exchanged so that the two parties can make shipping arrangements directly.

Throwplace has created a wonderful site that connects givers with receivers through the world wide web, where items are exchanged rather than tossed away. Visit their website, www.throwplace.com, to register for free.

Key factors can certainly influence people to eat at one particular restaurant instead of another: the eatery’s service, its sanitation grade, and above all, the quality of the food. But do you ever consider where you will eat based on how green a restaurant is? The next time you choose where to eat, check out izzitgreen.com. IzzitGreen provides online reviews for restaurants and other businesses, evaluating their degree of eco-friendliness. The site is driven by consumers like you and me because it is us who contribute our opinions, add the ratings, and inspire companies to become more environmentally conscious.

You read all sorts of ratings in your everyday life, but never have you come across a place that gives you the opportunity to judge something by their goodness and greenness (or lack thereof). IzzitGreen changes this exact notion. Here is a tidbit behind their reasoning: “If you care about the state of our planet, you need to know ‘is it good’ and IzzitGreen? Just like peanut butter and jelly or Pinky and The Brain, ‘good’ and ‘green’ are fine on their own. But when they get together…that’s when greatness happens.”

IzzitGreen asks you to ponder, “What goes in”, “What comes out”, “How’s it run” and “What [businesses] care about,” before utilizing your purchasing power. Although it is still in the beta version and only available in Boston, the site will soon expand and will definitely help individuals help each other make wiser lifestyle choices. Browse through IzzitGreen’s guides to learn more on what it means for various establishments (coffee shops, dry cleaners, florists, food, movie theaters, nightlife, restaurants, and yoga & gym) to be green.

Photo courtesy of Toshiba.