Biochar making instructions - At home - Easy

Get a 55 Gallon Metal barrel with sealed top and a 14-25 gallon barrel as well. 

On the 55 gallon drum, cut off the top about one foot below the rim.

Drill Holes in the bottom of the barrel.

Cut flaps into the lid as seen below and fold them alternately in and out using a hammer. 

When the top is placed on it should leave a 1/2 inch gap all the way around. 

Cut 8 Pizza slice size pieces by making 4 cuts. Fold the metal up.

Using two cuts make Four pizza slice size cuts in small barrel. This will be your afterburner.

Now it is time to fire it up. Place your dry biomass into the barrel and start a fire on the top.

Rake the coals over the top of the biomass, then place the top on. After this place the afterburner on top of the upward pizza slices to further direct the heat upwards.

The fire will continue to burn for about an hour depending on the biomass you put in. 

After it has burned down, dump out the biochar and hose it down with water. It will look like this:

What can biochar be used for?

Increase plant growth

Sequester Carbon

Disposal of Biomass

Cell Phones and Electronics - Easy

Electronics are among the easiest of all recyclables to garnish profits from. Try posting an ad in a local newspaper saying free electronics pick up, or try asking friends on your social networking site. An example of an ad that works is “Reclaim your garage! Free pick up and take away of old outdated electronics.”

What can be recycled?

1. - Desktop Computers
2. - Digital Cameras
3. - Monitors
4. - Notebooks
5. - PDA’s
6. - Printer Cartridges
7. - Scanners
8. - Smart phones
9. - Table PCs
10. - Workstations
11. - ipods
12. - Televisions

Instructions

1. There are may electronics recycling locations to choose from. For smaller newer devices like cell phones and mp3 players there are some heavy hitters online that pay big bucks, sometimes exceeding $200 per used cell phone (Yes it can be broken). Just search on Google for electronics recycling.
2. Search Google for HP and Planet Partners with the keyword Consumer Buyback. They pay well too!
3. Anything that you cant get a fair price on at a local e-waste facility or website post in your local classifieds. People are always looking for parts for their electronics, or they just like projects.        

Tires - Easy

 Instructions

1. Check you local phone book for “tire retreading,” these companies commonly buy tires. They vary in the amount they will pay and the types they accept, so call around.
2. Call a local auto garage or tire shop and ask if they have any old “tire casings.” They commonly pay for people to come pick them up. If you can, offer to pick them up for free.
3. Inspect tire casings before taking them. You don't want tires with holes or deep cuts. It is best if you are able to pick up the tires and take them straight to the tire retreader.
4. Tires can be worth between $2 and $35 each.

Inkjet and Toner Cartridges - Easy

 Instructions       

1. If you have a Staples, Office Depot, or OfficeMax in your area you can trade ink and toner catridges in to receive discounts or credits towards purchases. Sometimes as much as $3 per cartridge!
2. FedEx Kinkos commonly provides envelopes for shipping cartridges to third-party recyclers.
3. Walgreens also offers inkjet recycling as well as inkjet refilling.
4. ThinkRecycle.com accepts both inkjet and toner cartridges for cash.
5. The United States Postal Service started offering envelopes for shipping toner and ink cartridges in 2009. Not all locations have them however many do!

VHS tapes - Moderate Difficulty

These tapes have most certainly gone out of style and are a little harder to sell than most other recyclables. Sell by the lot and ship it worldwide if they pay for it.
   
Instructions
                                                  

1. Ebay, Craigslist, and Amazon are great places to put your VHS tapes for sale, try selling them in a lot. All or none kind of thing. Otherwise you will be paying more for shipping then you get for the video.
2. The VHS tapes you are unable to sell can be taken to a Salvation Army or Goodwill for tax deduction.

Glass Bottles and Aluminum Cans - Easy

Instructions

1. Ever time you buy a can or bottle in the United States you pay a deposit on it.
2. Whomever returns the bottle or can is entitled to the 5-10 cents in return.
3. Search for your nearest container deposit and drop off all of your bottles and cans for fast easy cash.

Scrap Metal - Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Locate and contact local metal recyclers. There are tons so look for the one closest. Call and make sure they purchase scrap metal, then compare prices to that of others in the area.
2. Collect your metals and your neighbors’ and friends’ if you can. Also you could offer to haul away metal on Craigslist.
3. Sell the metal to the recycling facility. If the rates happen to be low, hold the metal for a week or more and wait until it rises again.         

Wood - Moderately Easy

Recycling wood products can be very easy. Some wood can be worth much more than you think so research your wood if you think it may be special. You may have extra wood sitting around or you may be looking to find it either way, give the wood new life and find a way to resell it. Even poor condition wood can be sold to mills that make products such as compressed firewood. 

Instructions

1. Sort your wood into piles of equal types or quality.
2. Photograph the wood, the more pictures the better.
3. Post your wood on craigslist and other local classifieds.
4. Call any local timber or flooring companies that sell recycled wood and ask what they are offering for various types of wood.
5. Contact woodworking schools, furniture makers, and artists in your area. Reclaimed wood is very popular within this crowd.
6. If nothing else works find a wood mill that buys wood. They will pay less money and you will have to pay for transport but they are a sure thing.

Bricks - Moderately Easy

Before you throw bricks away or into an alley or field consider recycling them or selling them for reuse. People love that old brick look and feel and are willing to pay a premium for it. The patina that forms on the bricks over time increases its value and sought after-ness. With very little effort you can sell your bricks to a private party or a contractor. Old bricks are likely to be worth more than 30 cents each!

Instructions

1. Sort the full bricks into one pile and the chipped and half bricks into another. You may only be able to sell the full bricks
2. Post an ad on craigslist and local classifieds selling the brick, pictures help!
3. Contact local contractors and stonemasons and offer your pile of bricks for sale.
4. Once you have a few offers, compare them and choose the one that would best work for you.
5. If for any reason you are unable to sell your bricks contact a non-profit organization such as Habitat for Humanity and donate them. Don't forget to get a receipt for your donation, it is a tax deduction!

Cigarette Butts - Easy

RippleLife's Cigarette Butt Redemption and Recycling Program (CBRR)
"Cigarette butt litter is one of our biggest environmental pet-peeves and we're not alone! For those who share our disgust for this disrespectful assault on the places we all share, this project is a great opportunity to get your hands dirty with us. Together we will clean up our big blue playground, stop the damage cigarette butts inflict upon our eco-systems, and give butts a better second life. And since this has never been done before, you'll be a pioneer too!"

Instructions

1. Empty ash trays.
2. Ask smokers you know to save theirs.
3. Be safe - beside roads you can find thousands of buts within a matter of feet.