Recycling Tips & Resources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 75% of our waste is recyclable. This is grand news, particularly because the American Forest and Paper Association states that 87% of the U.S. inhabitants, or 268 million people, have access to curb-side or recycling programs. The delay is a lot of people are [...]
We Can Help Save the Environment through Waste
Management and Recycling Programs…
With the ever increasing population of our earth, and the consumerist society which exists today, it is very important that we help to save the earth’s environment through waste management and recycling programs. There are many different ways to apply waste management and recycling in all areas of the world, but especially with our vast availability of resources here in the United States. The U.S. leads the world in trash production and any of that trash which can be kept out of the landfills helps to save the earth’s environment from pollution.
With the ever increasing population of our earth, and the consumerist society which exists today, it is very important that we help to save the earth’s environment through waste management programs. There are many different ways to apply waste management and recycling in all areas of the world, but especially with our vast availability of resources here in the United States. The U.S. leads the world in trash production and any of that trash which can be kept out of the landfills helps to save the earth’s environment from pollution.
With the age of technology upon us, we need to find ways to recycle technology products which are no longer of use to us. Home computers are recycled in most areas which allow you to safely dispose of your unwanted computers, monitors and printers. Computer recycling is very important because monitor disposal needs to protect the earth from the toxic gasses contained within them. (The same is true for television set disposal.) If your local waste company does not recycle computers, look in your phone book for local electronics recyclers or computer donation programs.
Another important way to help the earth’s environment
through waste management and recycling is to compost as much organic matter as possible. Your local community probably has programs for weed recyclables and Christmas trees. These are great programs to help keep organic matter out of your local landfill.
At your home you can start your own waste management and recycling habits as well. Composting can provide your home garden with wonderful soil. All you need to start composting is a kitchen counter compost container and a pile in your yard to dump it on each day. You do not need any special composting equipment to start.
Another program you can easily start in your own home is as simple as taking aluminum and plastics to your local drop off recycling center, or curbside program. Many areas offer all residents containers to put their aluminum and plastics in for easy processing.
Many common items you use in your home you can substitute with recycled products. You can ask your local grocery stores to use recycled paper shopping bags, or you can bring your own canvas bags to the store with you and use those. You can purchase recycled copier paper and recycled paper checks. Think of how many trees your family and community can save by just doing these few simple things!
It is also easy to recycle moving supplies and packing supplies. You can either save your supplies to use in the future or pass them on to someone else who has a more immediate need for them.
It is very important to the health of our environment to find ways to help through waste management and recycling programs. Think about your life and think of ways you and your community can help out.
Auto Recycling Recycling Scrap Services
Saves Resources and Saves you Money on Parts
What should you do when your car is no longer operable? Maybe you have had an unfortunate accident, or maybe you have been nursing along your 20+ year old car and its last day has just simply arrived. One popular option for disposing of your vehicle is to recycle it. Auto recycling Recycling Scrap Services is one of the oldest recycling programs in the world. People have been dismantling cars for decades and reusing the various parts from them. Once everything is removed from the shell, the car is crushed and the steel sent off for melting and reuse.
A used part from a salvage yard is generally about 50% cheaper than buying a new part from the local automotive dealership. However, the actual price of the part depends on how hard that part is to find on the open market. A rarer part will obviously be more expensive.
Some salvage yards dismantle the vehicles as they come in and sell off the reusable parts.
Generally the first step in the dismantling process of auto recycling is to drain the various fluids from the vehicle. This is a very important step because most fluids in a vehicle are toxic to the environment. Some of the drained fluids are able to be recycled and others are not. Gasoline and brake fluids are resold while power steering and windshield washing fluids are not.
Depending on the type of salvage yard doing the auto recycling, their operations may include dismantling the vehicle, draining fluids from vehicles, crushing the shell of the vehicle, and sometimes even shredding the metal of a vehicle. The metal which is crushed or shredded is then sold as scrap to industrial metal recycling plants. Plastics from the vehicles are either thrown in the landfill or recycled whenever possible. All of the usable drained fluids, parts, batteries and tires are either stored at the auto salvage yard for resale, or properly disposed of.
Environmental contamination is a very real concern for auto recycling businesses. There are many toxic substances contained within each vehicle. The air, groundwater and soil can be contaminated during fluid drainage and part removal. Improper storage of batteries and fluids can also cause environmental problems. This is one of the main reasons why vehicles are generally dismantled outdoors and on paved surfaces where spills can be contained and cleaned up. This also lessens the possibility of fires from flammable liquids such as gasoline and break fluid.
Automobiles also contain other toxic substances such as asbestos, lead and mercury. Proper handling of these substances is one key to keeping them out of the landfill and out of the environment.
When you vehicle has reached the end of its life, know that it can be recycled and its parts used in other vehicles. Auto recycling has been around for decades and it is very easy to see why it makes so much sense.
You might be surprised to know that a lot of heavy machinery is used in your local recycling programs. This recycling equipment is used to sort, compact and help to process your recycling materials into marketable bulk materials. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most common recycling machinery used in recycling centers around the U.S.
They include: One of the most common pieces of recycling equipment is the can crusher. Aluminum is a wonderful metal to recycle because it is 100% renewable. The can crusher helps to remove anything which the consumer may have stuffed into a can, and then crushes the cans down as small as possible for transport to an industrial aluminum recycling plant. Often can crushers also wash the cans in the process!
Can Crusher:
Baler: Another very common piece of recycling equipment is the baler. Balers come in many sizes and types depending on what they will be used for. Just as a hay baler turns hay from a field into bales of hay for farms, the recycling baler turns your used recyclable materials into bales of plastic and paper. The size of the bale made depends on the baler used in the process. These bales of plastic and paper are tied and then sold to scrap companies who cart them off to the industrial recycling plants for plastics and paper products. A handy little Can Crusher for Home and lite business use try Northern Industrial Tools Automatic Feed Can Crusher.
Conveyor: Conveyors are commonly used in recycling. They are used to move heavy bales and scrap metals from one area of the recycling center to another.
Sometimes they are used simply to take heavy items from consumers and dump them into a large recycling container, other times they are used to move the large bales from the baler into trucks or storage areas.
Shredder: When we think of shredders we generally think of the small office models we all use to shred our unwanted personal or business papers. Commercial shredders are big pieces of recycling equipment which are able to shred large amounts of paper all at one time. The large paper and document shredders at your recycling center turn your unwanted paper into large bags of shredded material. This material is then sent off industrial to paper recycling plants where it is converted back into paper pulp and new paper and corrugated supplies are made from it.
Solvent Recycling Equipment: Another common piece of recycling equipment is used for solvent recycling. This equipment generally uses a distillation process to turn harmful solvents back into water and useful components.
Tire Shredder: Another popular piece of recycling equipment is the tire shredder. This impressive machinery takes a tire and shreds it down into more manageable pieces of rubber. This rubber is then used in things like road pavement and playgrounds.
As you can easily see there are many kinds of large equipment used in the recycling process. See which ones you can spot on your next trip to your local recycling center!
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When asked why they do not recycle, the number one answer people give is that they do not have an area in which to store their recyclable materials. The second answer is generally that they are confused as to which items are recyclable and which are not. There are some very simple solutions to both of these issues and with a bit of education more people would begin to recycle.
The first thing you need to do to start a recycling program in your home is to contact your local community recycle center. Your local recycling center is there to help you better understand the process and also to help you with which items can be recycled in your specific area of the country. You can give them a call or visit their location. You will want to ask them about their programs in your area and how they want to see materials coming into their center. For example, do you need to wash out your cans and bottles before bringing them in? Or, do you need to smash your aluminum cans at home before bringing them?
Once you understand what your local recycle center accepts, it is time to work on getting the right recycling bins for your needs. Recycling bins are available in a lot of different shapes, sizes and colors. How many bins you will need depends on which items you will be recycling, and how much space you have readily available for you to work with.
Most community recycling centers today will accept aluminum, plastic, glass, cardboard and newspapers to be recycled. You may want to have bins for each of these different types of materials, or you may want to keep just one or two bins and separate your materials before you get to the center.
Aluminum Recycling Bins: For aluminum cans you will want a large bin if you drink lots of soda which comes in cans. You do not need an aluminum recycling bin if you do not drink soda.
Plastics Recycling Bins: For plastics you will want at least one recycling bin and possibly more, to save space consider stackable recycling bins, if you have a lot of plastic waste in your home. Community recycling centers generally require you to sort your plastic recyclables by plastic type. You can generally find the type of plastics by the number on the bottom of most plastic containers.
Glass Recycling Bins: You will probably only need one recycling bin for glass, however you will have to sort the glass into colors at the recycling center.
Cardboard Recycle Bins: If you use a lot of boxed products, then you will find a recycling bin for cardboard will come in handy. Newspapers and other paper can generally be kept in a paper grocery bag and taken to the recycling center in that.
If you have a small space, but a lot of materials you want to recycle on a regular basis, consider purchasing stackable bins. Stackable recycling bins use vertical space and are widely available for purchase. Another option is to use recycling bins which sit in bottom cabinets in your kitchen. These bins sit on sliders and you pull them out of your bottom cabinet to insert your recyclable materials into them. Also, check out this recommended resource Eco Books; Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin
If you have a large garage or other storage area where you can hold more recyclable materials, I would suggest purchasing the ten gallon tubs with handles at your local home improvement store. You can easily put them into your vehicle to take to the recycling center because the are light and easy to carry.
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Natural Home Stainless Steel Compost Bin $29.99 WP77 Features: -Kitchen compost bin.-Durable.-Crock holds 1.3 gallons.-Stainless steel does not leach chemicals. Construction: -Recycled stainless steel construction. Dimensions: -Overall dimensions: 15” H x 7.25” W x 8” D…. |
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EcoSafe GKL032195-1 2-1/2-Gallon Compostable EcoBio Bags, 25-Count $4.50 Compostable bags for mini kitchen organics made with ecosafe compostable plastic.25 – 2.5 gallon bags per box.Size2.5 GALLONColor GREENBCI – 066050… |
| A used part from a salvage yard is generally about 50% cheaper than buying a new part from the local automotive dealership. However, the actual price of the part depends on how hard that part is to find on the open market. A rarer part will obviously be more expensive.Some salvage yards dismantle the vehicles as they come in and sell off the reusable parts. Generally the first step in the dismantling process of auto recycling is to drain the various fluids from the vehicle. This is a very important step because most fluids in a vehicle are toxic to the environment. Some of the drained fluids are able to be recycled and others are not. Gasoline and brake fluids are resold while power steering and windshield washing fluids are not. |
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