Do you ever wonder if it really makes that much of a difference if you toss that crumbled up piece of foil, or the empty soda can into the recycle bin? FACT: It takes less energy to melt them down and reform them into new products than it does to manufacture brand-new items from raw materials. We all make a difference each and every time we make a choice to recycle anything.

The following is a list of items with recycling ideas for each category:

• Donate clothing that you have not worn in a while to organizations like Volunteers of America or Goodwill Industries.
• Shop at thrift stores for you or your children's wardrobe.
• Donate baby clothes to a church for a mother-in-need, or to a local women's shelter.
• Turn old jeans into other usable items like tote bags, purses or quilts.
• Tie-dying clothing is a great way to give new life to a stained garment.
• Cut up old t-shirts and use them for dust cloths.
• Make puppets out of socks that have lost their mates.
• Design throw pillow covers (visit BHG.com for more info), from old or torn sweaters.
• Wearable women's business clothing can be donated to Dress for Success, telephone 212.532.1922. These clothes are given to low-income women looking for employment.

• Cell Phones for Solders hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas.
• American Cell Phone Drive, an organization that is devoted to responsible reuse of retired cell phones.
• Recycle My Cellphone is helping to keep toxic metals out of the environment.
• Donate a Phone gives them to victims of domestic violence.
• Collective Good refurbishes old cell phones and sells it to people in developing countries.

• Planning to get a new refrigerator or freezer? Call your local chapter of Goodwill if it is still in working order, they will make arrangements to pick it up from your residence.
• Contact the Steel Recycling Institute for additional recycling information on any appliance (washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, air conditioners, freezers and water heaters).

• All types of batteries can be recycled. Contact Battery Solutions at 734.467.9110 or visit them online at Battery Recycling.com.
• Manufactures of rechargeable batteries have funded a joint recycling center (US or Canada).

• IKEA accepts CLF bulbs for recycling.
• Bring your unbroken CFL bulbs to a local Home Depot's customer service desk.

• For information on local and national responsible electronics recyclers, visit Ban.org
• Visit NRDC to lean what to do with old electronics.
• Log onto EIAE to find a state-by-state listing of e-recycling centers.
• Project KOPEG has an e-waste recycling program that takes iPods, MP3 players, video tapes, pagers, DVD players, PDAs, palm pilots, chargers and more.

• For a list of drop-off centers accepting glasses for donation, call 800.CLEANUP.
• Contact a local chapter of Lions Club International, which co-sponsors a program called "Gift of Sight."
• Sears Optical, Target Optical, Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters and Pearl Vision accepts donations of old eyeglasses, where they are ground down to form new glasses for the needy.

• AdvantageCartridge and RecylePlace pays for empty ink cartridges.
• Many ink toner cartridges come with envelopes to send for recycling.

• Visit Earth911 where you can search by Zip Code for a collection center nearest you.
• Many quick lubes, service stations and repair facilities gladly accept used motor filters along with used motor oil.
• Log on to RecycleOil for state-by-state listing of places that accept used oil.

• Recycline.com will take back a razor or toothbrush that you purchase from them where it gets recycled into plastic lumber.
• Old toothbrushes can also be kept for cleaning a scrubbing.

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