A Recycling Succes Story; The Automotive Battery
Posted on June 28, 2009
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Automotive Battery Recycling: A Success Story
Though most people don’t think of it as such, the oldest and most often used type of rechargeable battery is found in automobiles. The lead-acid batteries that most cars and trucks employ is recharged by the alternator when the vehicle is running. These batteries were once very often sent to landfills when they were no longer able to take a charge.
However, in recent years, regulations regarding the recycling of automotive batteries require nearly all sellers of such batteries to take the old ones back for rework when a new one is sold. This scheme has resulted is a tremendously high rate of recycling – well over 95% in most areas – and is currently being held up as an example of the sort of job people can do when regulations, markets and consumer desire to do the right thing come into play. As a side benefit, the amount of lead that is distributed into the local soil and watersheds is significantly reduced.
Don’t Throw Away That Old TV!
Posted on June 21, 2009
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As the switch to total digital TV has been made, millions of TV sets are going to be thrown into the landfills. As people convert to the new LCD or plasma TV, the old analog TV’s will become obsolete.
The old TV’s can contain not only as much as eight pounds of lead, it contains lots of other toxic chemicals.
This new switch is a bad thing for the environment. People are purchasing larger digital TV’s which use more power than their previous TV’s, and the old TV’s are ending up in the landfills.
Many TV manufacturers and retailers are offering recycling services. Take advantage of them.
For and interesting article on the new LED TV’s, check out “Is Your Flat ScreenTV Really Eco-friendly?
Have You Heard the Term “Urbanite”?
Posted on June 21, 2009
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There is a new term on the recycling horizon that is gaining a lot of interest; “urbanite”.
Concrete is perhaps one of the most energy intensive, and therefore, one of the most polluting substances used in the construction of new buildings.
The manufacturing process consumes a tremendous amount of energy as does the mining of the aggregate materials. It is estimated that concrete production may consume as much as 30% of the energy supplies in some Western nations.
The recycling of broken concrete into new materials, often called “urbanite,” is gaining a great deal of support among both sustainable builders and local authorities.
Typically the broken concrete pieces are put in a specially designed crushing machine that reduces it into to smaller pieces that can be used as the aggregate in new concrete. Old rebar can simply be pulled out with powerful magnets. The energy savings are tremendous and the broken concrete is kept out of landfills. Best of all, urbanite is often free to anyone who wants to haul it away, making it an ideal fill product for many types of sustainable structures.
What a simple concept.
For more information on recycling, be sure and read “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Recycling but Were Afraid To Ask“
Is Glass Recycling Worth the Effort?
Posted on June 14, 2009
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Glass is probably material that has the longest recycling history, yet it has the lowest energy and material returns when you compare it to other types of materials. By nature, it is heavy and hard to handle and since it often breaks on its journey to the sorting facility. Broken glass cannot be used so a good portion of the glass ends up in the landfills anyway.
A much smarter idea, and one that was used by our senior generation, is to reuse glass. Many older folks remember how milk bottles were once returned, sterilized and reused many times.
This concept does save a great deal of energy and fortunately is gaining momentum among consumers and recyclers alike.
While reusing milk bottles does increase the weight associated with transporting the milk, it also tends to be used with local dairies, which offsets the overall transport costs, as opposed to milk that travels hundreds, if not thousands of miles, to market. Buying local is becoming the mantra of the environmentalist, so this is an idea who’s time has come - again.
Easy Office Recycling, One Computer at a Time
Posted on June 1, 2009
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The advent of computers have sure changed the world. They have the ability to store a huge amount of information in the form of databases, and productivity software has the potential eliminate the use of paper in a big way. The sad fact is that paper usage in North American offices, has seen no decrease. The reason for this is that people still insist on paperback ups and they waste a tremendous amount of paper.
Saving paper in your office not only is easy, it affects your bottom line by saving you money. One easy recycling method is to simply print less. having a good back up system will ease your fears of losing the information you previously printed. Another way to save paper is to always check the end of your documents to be sure that there are not a few lines on the last page, that could be eliminated by reformatting the document.
Another way to save money (and not to mention natural resources) is to curb your employees use of your paper to print out personal stuff.
Use of mobile technology is another way to have a significant impact on your paper usage. Having cell phones or iPod <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:”"; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> ® devices allows users to carry document with them, avoiding the necessity of having to print them out.
Having access to the Internet is another way to save paper. Users can use mobile technology to access websites where ever they go.
This alone is having a significant impact on the way businesses are run, and can save resources as well. Combine that with a green hosting company such as HostGator and you have a winning combination.
For more information on learning how easy recycling really is, visit http://totalrecyclingwebsite.com
The Challenge of Selling Communities on Recycling Programs
Posted on May 24, 2009
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It seems as though nearly everyone is in agreement that recycling is a laudable goal. Unfortunately not all community leaders are willing to put their money where their constituents hearts lie.
Often this is a result of an ill-conceived foray into the recycling industry, especially when local or regional officials are fueled by promises of recycling riches.
When these riches fail to materialize in short order, the political will to keep up with such programs often wanes.
An easy way to be sure that your community continues to adequately fund the creation of a recycling programs until it really takes off, is to attend your city council meetings and keep up the political pressure through direct contact and letters to your elected officials.
Another way to keep recycling programs on track is to do your best job at home is to follow the recommended recycling guidelines set up by your waste management company. It is important to encourage your friends and neighbors to comply with easy recycling efforts. Leading by example can afford you the title of your neighborhood’s “Master Recycler”.
Why it’s Important to Keep Recycled Materials at Home
Posted on May 17, 2009
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The sad fact is that the energy budget of many recyclable materials is impacted by the fact that the market for recycled materials is global. As such, cheap oil has made it cheaper, in many cases, to send recycled goods to other countries rather than invest in the infrastructure to recycle and re-manufacture them domestically. Not only is this a problem for transport energy balances, but when these materials are transported, a small percentage of these items seems to inevitably fall into the ocean during the trip.
The easiest way to encourage recycling industries to remain at home is to educate and encourage consumers to preferentially support home-grown recycled products. By purchasing such items, consumers can support the construction of the requisite facilities to handle recyclables at a competitive price.
One may also lobby their legislators to encourage public investment in recycling facilities as well as the industries that use recycled products.
For more information on whyrecycling is so important, visit htp://totalrecyclingwebsite.com
CokaCola to Fund Recycling Program at National Parks
Posted on May 10, 2009
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The CocaCola Company is offering one million dollars to clean up the environment in some of our national parks. This will help the National Parks Service realize their goal of diverting 50 percent of solid waste from landfills through recycling by 2010. This will be a significant plus for the environment.
An article by Jennifer Barry, a staff member at www.Earth911.com, reports that the National Mall in Washington, DC generates 8000 pounds of garbage a day. To read her entire article visit, http://earth911.com/blog/2009/05/07/coke-to-donate-1m-for-recycling-in-natl-parks/
Oregon Leads the Nation in Bottle Recycling
Posted on May 10, 2009
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Glass bottle recycling dates back to the early 1970’s when Oregon passed the first law that regulated container waste in the United States. This “bottle bill” was a piece of landmark legislation.
Hikers and backpackers who were sick of encountering container waste in the forests of Oregon, spearheaded the movement that got this legislation passed.
While British Columbia enacted the very first such bill a year earlier and Vermont passed an abortive attempt to outlaw disposable containers in the early 1950s, Oregon’s bottle bill was to become the model by which several other states and provinces would model their own laws in the next decade.
It has proven to be enormously successful. While states without such bills average about 25% rates of recycling of such containers, Oregon’s rate has held steady at about 90% for over three decades.
Oregon’s law focuses on the specific industries of soda pop and beer, regardless of the type of container that is used. In 2007, the state was also among the first to add plastic water bottles to the list of beverages covered under the bill.
Can you imagine what an impact on cleaning up the environment this would have if all states passed such legislation?
For more information on recycling visit http://totalrecyclingwebsite.com
Would You Want to Work in a Recycling Facility?
Posted on April 29, 2009
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While the recycling industry does provide real, living-wage jobs for many thousands of people, not all these jobs would be considered suitable by many people. For instance, the front line jobs on the sorting line of a recycling facility are usually smelly, noisy and sometimes, downright dangerous.
In urban areas where recycling is an emerging and growing industry, one solution to the problem of finding people to take these jobs is to preferentially give them to homeless people who need to establish a job history. This has worked well in many areas, though turnover rates continue to be rather high, despite relatively high wages.
Of course, the feasibility of any recycling program is dependent upon a skilled workforce that is capable of providing a very pure product. This takes some time on the line to develop the skills necessary to make spot-decisions regarding recycled materials.
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