Recycling | Go Green

Increasing Popularity of Electric Vehicles

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Due to the increase in the cost of gas, the popularity of electric vehicles is growing. Many people are starting to care a great deal about their environment and what they are leaving for future generations. By making sure that we are responsible stewards over the resources we have, we are helping to make sure those resources will still be available to the next generation.

Many people want to recycle or sell their old, out-dated vehicles fast, but they are not sure how they can do that. They often wonder, “What are used car prices?,” but they do not want to have to deal with placing ads, or trying to convince a dealer to give them the best deal. You can find out how much a local dealer is willing to pay for your vehicle fast and easy with an online car valuations tool. Once you get your quote, you can decide if you want to sell your vehicle.

Many people choose to sell their vehicles after getting the online car valuations because they will soon have a good-sized down payment for the new electric vehicle they want. It is a fast and easy way to position yourself financially to get the car that you really want.

If you are thinking about getting rid of your old car, you should check out this online tool and see just how much of a down payment you can get towards the electric car of your dreams. You will be glad that you did.

Filed Under: Pollution, Recycling · Tagged With: Electric car, Electric vehicle, Transportation

How is paper recycled

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Paper recycling is a common activity. Millions of tons of paper are used every day. All this paper needs to be recycled. Considering this statistic, it is clear the amount of trees that are felled for this purpose. Environmentalists have prodded us always to use recycled paper. But people still do not prefer it. Recycled paper looks a little shabby, but it is perfectly usable.

Studies have shown that unlike glass, plastic, and aluminum, paper is the most recycled thing. When you give up your paper-waste for recycling you are actually helping the environment. Paper disposal causes landfill. By giving up paper waste for recycling you reduce miles and miles of landfill. This gives an opportunity to use the land for constructive purposes.

Offices, schools and other urban centers, have shredder. Paper is shredded to be recycled. This paper waste is collected and transferred to a recycling center. Paper waste is again categorized. Some paper waste might classify as contaminant, while some might classify as trash.

Paper waste might also include other materials that come along with it. All these materials are removed, and paper segregated from them. Paper waste is organized and made free of contamination. This clean paper-waste is then arranged into large containers and sent to a paper mill.

The paper mill uses the fiber of the paper. Mixing the fiber with water, a solid paste is made. The solid paste is cleaned. The solidity is then beaten to a semi-solid mix. From then on the original papermaking process kicks-in. So at the end of it all, you have paper made from paper. And you can use it all over again.

Filed Under: Pollution, Recycling · Tagged With: Paper, Paper mill, Recycling

Recycling for environment

Recycling is method of reusing the materials that are not easily degradable. Recycling means using the certain materials and then remaking them in a way that they can be used again.

recycle This is an attempt to save the environment by reducing the manufacturing of the materials like plastic that cause harm to the environment. Paper is also recycled to minimise the cutting of the trees and deforestation for making paper to meet the increasing needs of the people. The plastics are the non biodegradable materials that do not decompose themselves and thus cause a lot of problems.

The plastics cannot be decomposed and thus once manufactured they require a space to be stored. The waste plastics have caused enough destruction to the environment, they block drainage system, when animals feed on them they cause fatal diseases and ultimately death for the animals. The plastic are very harmful for our environment and thus recycling the plastics is very important. The recycled plastic is same as the one manufactured. The only difference is that they are the used ones which are recycled for reuse and thus saving space for their disposal. Paper can also be recycled which helps to save trees from being cut down. With the rising population there is increase in the demand of these materials and thus to save the earth in the long run it is very important for us to adapt on the practises of recycling of materials to minimise the new manufacturing of these materials which are causing harm to the environment. There are many institutions that work on educating people about the benefits of recycling.

Filed Under: Global Warming, Recycling · Tagged With: Paper, Recycling, Reuse

How Recycling Saves Energy and the Environment

This is a mantra that is repeated over and over again. The press does it, environmentalists say it, even friends and family have jumped on the bandwagon. So why is it being said again? Simply because it can never be said enough.

Recycling is something that tends to get swept under the rug. We toss in stuff that we know can go into the correct bins and do not think about it further. Our gas tanks are filled up on a regular basis without really thinking about the whole of oil production. Our newspapers are delivered on a daily basis and not much thought is given to how many trees have been chopped down to create that paper. In a sense, we have become callous to how recycling really impacts our daily lives.

Oil is more than the gasoline that has been refined for an engine to consume. There are many petroleum byproducts that go int our day to day lives. Plastic is the biggest one. We are surrounded by plastic in many forms. The keyboard you type on regularly is made from petroleum by-products. Casings for objects like portable heaters, printers, monitors, speakers, all are made out of plastic or a resin derived from petroleum. Think about it for a moment. That is a heck of a lot of stuff made from plastic and it is in our homes, our vehicles, our workplaces. These objects play into the cost of a barrel of oil.

When looking at it that way, it makes perfect sense to pay more attention to our recyclables. Work on getting as much plastic that can be reused into the bins. Keep it out of the landfills where it will take thousands of years to degrade. Instead, keep it cycling and in use, reducing the demand for more fresh petroleum to make an object.

Filed Under: Global Warming, Recycling · Tagged With: Plastic, Recycling

How the Garbage Collection Companies Have Made it Easy for us to Recycle

We take our recycling out to a bin, drop it off, and forget about it. The only amount of thought that gets put into the whole process on our end is if the item can be put in the bin or not. Putting any more effort into thinking about the process really does not occur because, well, it is still a form of garbage. As long as it is not in the house anymore and on its way elsewhere, that is all that matters. But what really happens to the items we toss?

The first part is the most obvious. A recycling truck comes and empties the cans, then takes it away. From there on, the truck heads to a sorting facility and drops their load. The trash gets onto conveyor belts where employees sort through the items and put them in appropriate containers. After sorting, the materials get baled or crushed, stacked, then shipped on to the company that purchases the contents as raw materials.

Companies that take the paper, plastics and aluminum put them through their own processes. Cleaning, soaking, shredding, melting. Whatever is necessary to get the materials to a state to start the process all over again. From here items like paper for a variety of uses is created, fresh aluminum cans are struck, and plastics find a new life as another product.

All of this is the result from simply putting specific materials in a special container. Garbage collection businesses have brought recycling to a point where we just do not think too much about it. Yet the benefits for all involved are many. The more recycling that gets done, the lower the prices become for items made from recycled content. And some materials can be used over and over again. It is a win-win situation for all involved.

Filed Under: Recycling · Tagged With: Environment, Recycling, Waste Management

Recycling: Why we do it

In the not too distant past, recycling was a bit of a lark. It was not taken that seriously by companies and private individuals. And it was not that it was seen as a “hippie” thing to do. It had everything to do with inconvenience and cost. As a result, the thought process that went into recycling went under the radar. Technological advances and good PR changed the way everyone looks at recycling materials.

Recycling became a necessity when it was realized that landfill space was going to become scarce in the not so distant future. Companies started looking into ways to minimize how much garbage would make it into a landfill. The most visible product that came from this effort is polar fleece. Malden Mills created the material out of discarded 2-litre bottles. From a simple beginning came a whole new way of creating a functional and useful product that we now can not seem to live without. And it feels good to know that our garbage turns into an item that will be used for years on end with out filling up a landfill.

It is easy to become cynical about the whole recycling effort. After all, there are many companies that are making a profit off of what is essentially a free resource, right? Wrong. The costs for recycling may be low, but there are still costs. Separate bins need to be supplied, a separate garbage truck is sent to pick up the bins, and the contents need to be delivered to a sorting facility. So it is not without cost, but there has to be a profit involved or recycling woud not be as easy for anyone to do.

We like to recycle because it is a simpe feel good thing to do. There is a satisfaction in knowing that our garbage will not be sitting in a compost heap, taking an unknown amount of years to degrade. And when we all think about it, we need to recycle as much as possible, or the planet is eventually going to turn into one gigantic garbage dump.

Filed Under: Recycling · Tagged With: Malden Mills, Recycling

Fun Activity to Clean Up and Involve Kids

If you’re wondering what to do with all the candy from the last holiday, put it to use protecting the environment. Neighborhood kids will line up at your door hauling trash.

Decide on a good day and time for weather, school and other activities with neighborhood parents. Announce it with flyers on doors or by word of mouth. You might even put up a poster at neighborhood entrances.

Before the event, put the candy or other prize items in gift bags. Even sandwich bags will work. You can assemble different sizes for different awards if you choose.

Have plenty of gloves (small latex are good for kids and pretty cheap) and garbage bags. Have the kids meet you in your front yard at the appointed time and announce that prizes will be given. Consider awards for the most bags of garbage and the hardest worker.

Have markers on hand to mark names on the garbage bags so you can total them for awards. Provide a place to wash up and hand sanitizer. Make sure that other parents or neighborhood teenagers are available to supervise children around streets or other potentially dangerous areas. If you wish, set a time limit.

As the kids bring the full bags of garbage, mark their names on the bags. When all the kids are finished, total the bags and give out awards.

Some waste management companies will provide free bins and removal for neighborhood programs such as this. Call ahead and see what they can offer. This strategy can be used to clean up your neighborhood, camping and picnicking areas or local parks. Remember: keeping the kids safe during this activity is the most important thing.

Filed Under: Pollution, Recycling · Tagged With: Bin bag, Hand sanitizer, Waste container

Zero Waste: Using Waste Products As Renewable Resources

Proponents of zero waste look at garbage as a resource, not waste. Community initiatives are promoting these core values. Community and industry efforts to reduce or even eliminate landfill waste have made huge strides in environmental efforts.

The Zero Waste Alliance is working with business, communities and the government to implement policies that will utilize resources we are throwing away. As land for landfills decreases and our waste products increase, something has to be done.

Their goal is to completely eliminate the word “waste.” They want everyone to see our waste products as another renewable resource in our environment. What we are filling landfills with today will be a gold mine of resources tomorrow.

Communities, businesses, schools and homes are all jumping aboard. Part of the solution is consuming less. Americans buy many unnecessary products each year, and buy much more than what they need. The first step to reducing and eliminating waste starts before you buy.

Government regulations can’t be the only thing we rely on to eliminate waste and preserve the environment. Individuals and private enterprise has to do their share. San Francisco is now recovering 77% of their waste products. Their goal is to be waste free by the year 2020. Los Angeles’ goal is 2030.

Waste products also include toxins. Toxins put in landfills end up in the water supply and food chain. Recent studies have shown that measurable amounts of prescription medicines have found their way into the water supply through sewer systems.

Government funds are available in many areas to help businesses implement greener policies.

Filed Under: Recycling · Tagged With: Business, Landfill, Waste

Businesses Profit From Net Zero Energy Practices

Builders are discovering that green designs don’t only impact the environment; they can help the bottom line. New building designs, from office space to manufacturing plants, are using net zero energy and producing as little as zero waste materials.

Once thought too pricy, eliminating energy and disposal costs means more profits. For business owners, this is a must.

The Commercial Building Initiative (CBI) is one way the US Department of Energy is seeking to make buildings, old and new, more energy efficient. Businesses and hospitals are teaming with CBI. Commercial involvement is important because 18% of the energy used is commercial.

The healthcare industry can certainly benefit from lower energy bills, as healthcare costs soar. Hospital Corporation of America, Kaiser Permanente, the US Department of Veteran Affairs and Catholic Healthcare West are just a few of the hospitals partnering with CBI.

Rising retail costs have prompted many retailers to begin reducing energy costs. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Bust Buy, Lowes, JCPenney and Target are just a few of the retailers who have partnered with CBI to reduce energy costs associated with heating and cooling, refrigerated display cases, lighting and other energy uses.

Net zero energy means that a building produces as much or more energy as it consumes, eliminating the need for public power dependence. The newest office designs produce several hours more energy than they use each day.

Homes can also be built with these technologies. Natural light and plant life and are utilized and heat producing electronics like computers can generate heat for the entire building. The National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado is a wonderful example of this practice.

Filed Under: Recycling · Tagged With: Hospital Corporation of America, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, United States

Proper Disposal of Fluorescent Bulbs

New government regulations will bring fluorescent light bulbs into all American homes. These bulbs should save energy costs, but it is important to know how to handle them.

Florescent bulbs contain mercury, and emit a small amount of toxic gas when broken. They have to be handled with care to prevent breakage, and everyone needs to know the procedures in case one does break.

First, clear the area of everyone who isn’t cleaning it. Pets should be taken out. Never vacuum or sweep broken florescent bulbs. This will break up the mercury and spread it into the air. Close the room off from the rest of the house and open it to the outdoors. Keep it well ventilated for at least 24 hours.

Use disposable gloves to pick up all the pieces. Use cardboard to sweep up smaller pieces. Tape will help gather the smallest pieces. Wrap all the pieces of glass, mercury and anything used to clean it up in plastic.

Your local garbage facility, health department or fire department can instruct you on how to dispose of fluorescent bulbs. Do not put them in with regular garbage pickup. Some locations do not offer pickup, and you may have to take it to them for disposal. While waiting on disposal, keep them wrapped tightly in plastic and out of reach.

Keep children and pets out of the area for at least 24 hours. Make sure to check the entire floor thoroughly because mercury beads can roll a long way on flat surfaces.

Powers are available at hardware and home improvement stores that will dissolve any mercury that remains. It isn’t necessary, but it is an option.

Any fabric or clothing that comes in contact with mercury should be discarded. Never wash these items in a washing machine because the mercury will end up in the water system. Also, do not wash it down the drain.

Filed Under: Recycling · Tagged With: Compact fluorescent lamp, Fluorescent lamp