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Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Recycling is certainly no exception.

When you think of recycling do you sigh and think that you just don’t have the time or energy to do it? Do you see visions of hundreds of thousands of empty plastic bottles in some far-away factory getting ready to be melted down? Do you think that recycling is something that has to be hard; otherwise if it’s not hard, then it doesn’t count? I’m embarrassed to say that at one time, these were the thoughts that ran through my head and they justified my reasons for not recycling. I’m here to tell you that I was mistaken; recycling isn’t something difficult, or something you have to go out of your way to participate in and when it’s easy, well, it’s just easy; and it still counts toward recycling.

Here are some of the easy ways I have found to recycle:

I have a terrible habit of leaving lights on when I leave a room. I seem to be someone who, when doing any kind of work, whether it’s writing or stripping wallpaper, I need a lot of light around to do it. The first two ways I found to conserve energy and count myself in as a “recycler” was to turn off lights as I left a room. Sounds easy, right? Well, that’s because it is easy. The only thing I had to do was remind myself that I was no longer going to waste energy by leaving lights on in a room that no one was occupying.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Mind you, I’ve had 43 years of doing things the way I’d been doing them and the change didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen. There hasn’t been a doorway I’ve walked through in the past 6 months or so that I haven’t given a quick inventory before passing through the threshold and thinking, “Did I leave any lights on?” The great thing is, the times that I have left a light on, I’m given the final opportunity to stop and turn around and turn off the lights before leaving the room for good. Is this a difficult change? Like I said, it didn’t happen as soon as I thought about my part in the effort to recycle, but it is something I have allowed myself to consider on a daily basis.

The other way I have found to easily adhere to this recycling thing is that I changed my lightbulbs. Yup, that simple act of replacing a burned-out bulb with one of the new, energy saving kind has really been a big help. The newer bulbs use up to 75% less energy when lighting a room and they will last up to ten times longer, too. How can you beat that? And there wasn’t any effort on my part; all I did was replace the bulb with the new and improved bulb and have made quite the impact on my electric bill.

The good news is this; there are easy ways to stay on track with recycling, and you don’t have to look very far to find them.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

There are so many ways that we can choose to stay environmentally contientious when we travel that there really is no excuse for not doing it.

Here are a few ideas for families that are traveling and still want to stay in their recycle-conscious state of mind.

Before you even leave your home there are ways that you can help save energy and waste. Turn your thermostadts down on your home and your hot water heater. Some heaters have a “Vacation” setting right on them that can be used to set the temperature when no one will be around to need the heat. Just keep in mind the plants that are left behind and as long as they will not be killed off due to the temperature change, you’re set. Be sure to turn off your outside water source, in the event that there is a pipe break while you’re away, this will minimize the damage. When you return home, turn the water back on slowly, where you will be able to be aware of any issues or leaks that may have occurred.

See how much you can learn about Recycling when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

If you are going to be away from home for a few days, stop your newspaper delivery. That way the paper won’t be left to end up in the trash receptical and waste your time when you return home, sorting through what is relavent mail and what is not. You may even want to check to see if your paper can be donated to a school or non-profit organization, where it will be used in your absence.

If you or someone else in your home sleeps on a waterbed, turn the temperature down on that while you’re away, you can go as low as a ten degree difference and it will impact your energy useage. If you have a refridgerator with the ability to make ice cubes, be sure to turn that part off by lifting the wire, and you can lessen the risk of flooding should it break while you’re away.
There are airlines that offer electronic ticketing and by using these services will cut back on the paper waste generated by the airline, on a daily basis. There are even some airlines that charge a fee if you have lost a paper ticket, so rid yourself of any of those problems by opting for the paper-less airline ticket options.

If you are heading out of town, before you leave, go around the house and unplug the items that you would normally leave plugged in, like the TV, the computer, cable converter boxes, appliances, VCRs, stereos, etc. If these items are left plugged in to the outlets they can still draw or “leak” energy, even up to 40 watts per hour, even if they have been turned off. I think this is one of the most important messages to get across before you leave for a vacation; even if your electronics are turned off, they can still cost you money if they remain plugged in. Do yourself a big favor and always be sure to check these items before walking out the door to your vacation.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about Recycling into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about Recycling, and that’s time well spent.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Recycling is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Recycling.

As more and more people worry about the state of the planet, many are now actively advocating about the need to conserve, and wisely use our precious natural resource. Recycling is one of the most popular conservation programs today. It involves the re-processing of old and used materials into new or reusable products. A lot of materials can be recycled.

Apart from metal, glass, plastic, aluminum, textiles, paper and electronics, organic wastes can also be composted and made into fertilizer. Rubber tires can now also be shredded and turned into insulation, erosion barriers and other unique products. Here’s a review of the popular and widely-accepted recycling programs of today.

In the US and elsewhere around the world, recycling and waste-recover programs take different forms. The United States recycles as much as thirty percent of its solid waste; European countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands however have recycling rates of as high as 60 percent. Here’s a look at the most popular recycling programs today.

? Drop-Off Centers For Recyclables

A drop-off center refers to a central location that’s established to accept different types of recyclable materials. Even if a town or city has special curbside pick-up points, consumers may wish to transport their used materials here, especially if they have hazardous or toxic materials at home, and don’t know how to safely store these.

? Curbside Pick-Up Points

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

In a curbside recyclable pick-up program, specially-fitted trucks with separate containers roam the streets just like garbage trucks. Garbage-disposal crews then sort the materials that are thrown into the truck. However, some towns and cities require their residents to first sort the recyclables themselves, to make it easier for garbage crews to handle the recyclables.

? Refund or Deposit Programs

This program is popular in the US, especially for buyers of canned or bottled beverages. The beverage bottles or cans have a deposit added to the purchase price. Consumers may return the empty can or bottle to a collection facility, and redeem the deposit, which usually goes from one to five cents.

? Buy-Back Centers

These recycling centers operate in the same way as drop-off centers. However, these pay homeowners or consumers a price that’s based on the market value of their items.

Recycling offers a wide array of economic and environmental benefits. Recycling can help save millions of dollars from city or municipal budgets, because there’s less demand for landfills or new garbage collection trucks. Recycling can also generate as much income per ton as a landfill, and also generates six times as many jobs. A wide array of used consumer items are also collected and converted back into raw material, and are remade into new items or products.

This generates considerable savings for both manufacturers and consumers, and significantly reduces the volume of trash disposed in landfills.

If you’ve picked some pointers about Recycling that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won’t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don’t use it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

The word cardboard generally refers to any heavy-duty paper product. The most common form of cardboard is corrugated cardboard. This type features a wavy cardstock sheet that’s squeezed between two other cardstock sheets.

Corrugated cardboard is made from sturdy and long-lasting material, and is best used for packaging. The production of cardboard is often considered a costly one, because more resources are required to complete it. The good thing is that cardboard can be recycled. Here are a few tips for the proper recycling of cardboard.

Which Types Of Cardboard Can Be Recycled?

According to recycling experts, two types of cardboard can be recycled. These are flat cardboard and corrugated cardboard. Flat cardboard is generally used in packing cereal and shoe boxes, while corrugated cardboard is often used in packing boxes, because it has a ruffled layer between two pieces of cardboard. These two variants can easily be recycled through your tow o city’s curbside recycling program.

While it’s quite rare to find 100 percent recycled cardboard material, most recycling facilities create a blend of both recycled and new material, to make the end-product much sturdier. The packaging may sometimes be identified as using ?25% recycled or post-consumer material?.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Recycling is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Recycling.

How To Recycle Cardboard

? Before you contact your local recycling facility, first tear or break down all the cardboard boxes you have at home, until they are flat in a stack. You may also need to break cardboard down, depending on your town or city’s recycling program, so that it easily fits in a brown paper bag. You may also bring it along with your mixed paper wastes.

? Cal or notify your local community recycling facility, and find out whether they accept corrugated and flat cardboard. If your local recycling program doesn’t accept one or both cardboard types, then take your boxes to the local supermarket, since most supermarkets will take in the boxes.

? Also determine whether your local recycling facility accepts or recycles waxed cardboard. Waxed cardboard types include milk and juice cartons. Call your state or county recycling department for more information regarding waxed cardboard recycling.

These days, it’s easy for consumers to recycle the cardboard items they have at home. Most city and municipal recycling agencies collect different types of cardboard, along with other common recyclables such as metal, glass, plastic, textiles, aluminum and electronic products. Consumers can also deliver cardboard by bulk to a recycling facility. By promoting the recycling of cardboard and other materials, we help promote the use of recycled materials, and also help reduce the number of trees that need to be harvested for producing paper products such as cardboard.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

When most people think of Recycling, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Recycling than just the basics.

Recycling is defined as the process of re-using waste materials or used products, and turning them into new products. The most commonly-recycled materials include plastic, glass, metal, textiles, and different electronic components. However, would it be possible to recycle old or used car tires? Here’s a look at the right methods for recycling old motor vehicle tires.

Used Car Tires Was Once A Recycling Nightmare

Years ago, most people changed their old tires, and simply put the used ones into a road side ditch or abandoned parking lot. Back then, old tires were considered a recycling nightmare, because there were no available options for recovering or re-using them.

Although there were a few companies that were willing to take your old tires, these were simply burned in an open pit. The burning of tires however is environmentally-unsafe, because cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium and other toxic substances are released in to the air when these are burned. The burning of car tires also leads to a host of cardiac and respiratory problems for those who inhale the fumes.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Recycling story from informed sources.

How Used Car Tires Are Recycled Today

With the advent of more advanced technology, old tires can now safely be disposed and recycled. It’s estimated that around 1.3 billion tires are sold each year worldwide. While before only ten percent of discarded tires were actually recycled today more than eighty percent of used tires today now make their way into a recycling facility.

Hundreds of different applications have now been developed for recycling and re-using used car components and materials. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 of the used tires today are re-treaded, and used again in another motor vehicle somewhere else. Many of the used tires today are also ground up, chopped, and used as a base for gravel roads, and as a sand and gravel substitute in road construction activities. Some used tires are also chopped up and mixed as part of the surface for indoor tennis courts or indoor sports playing fields.

Pyrolisis- A New Method For Recycling Used Tires

While the improper disposal or burning of used car tires has not yet completely disappeared, the disposal and recycling of these items has improved. A new process called pyrolisis, is an eco-friendly technique that uses a special mechanism for heating old tires, in a closed and oxygen-free environment. Recently, an electro-magnetic pyrolisis process was also introduced, which helps churn out metal, gas, carbon and artificial oil by-products. Through pyrolisis, a recycled automobile tire now is able to yield one kilogram of steel, four kilograms of carbon, four liters of oil, and 850 liters of reusable combustible gas.

Used vehicle tires can now be recycled in many ways. In some areas, steel mills use old tires as a carbon source, effectively replacing coal and other sources for powering their machines. Used tires are now also used as barriers for rainwater runoff control, erosion control, road collision barriers, and wave-action barriers which protect ports and coastal areas.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or popularly referred to as CFL’s, are a type of fluorescent lamp. Most CFL types were produced to replace incandescent lamps, and these are noted to have efficient life spans, and also feature a considerably reduced light output.

What’s The Average Lifespan of a Typical CFL Lamp?

According to lighting experts, the average lifespan of a CFL unit is from 8 to 15 times that of an incandescent lamp. Incandescent lighting units generally have life spans of around 750 to 1,000 hours. CFL units however, use less power and have longer shelf lives. While CFL’s have a quite higher purchase price, it can save as much as 30 dollars in electricity costs over the lighting unit’s life span.

Environmental Issues Regarding The Use Of CFLs

While compact fluorescent lamps have longer life spans, and save you money on electricity bills, these products contain mercury, which makes their disposal a quite complex one. CFL’s, and other fluorescent lamps generally have small amounts of mercury inside them that are used as vapor inside the glass tubing.

See how much you can learn about Recycling when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

A typical CFL unit will contain as much as 3 to 5 mg of mercury, while some contain 1 mg or less. Since mercury is a highly-toxic material, its disposal in landfills or incinerators poses a major health safety issue, because burning or burying them in the ground can contribute to air and water pollution. This has prompted the National Electrical Manufacturers Association in the US to voluntary cap the amount of mercury placed in each CFL unit.

The European Union has also required lighting manufacturers to cap their CFL mercury content too. The US Environmental Protection Agency also estimates that if all CFL’s produced in the US were dumped in landfills, this would amount to 0.13 metric tons, or 0.1% of all mercury emissions in the US.

How To Properly Dispose And Recycle CFL’s

Here are some tips and precautions for the handling, disposal or recycling or compact fluorescent lamps.

? Find out if your town or city has drop-off points or centers where mercury-containing items are accepted. Because different states have different regulations regarding the handling or disposal of materials containing toxic ingredients, check on your state or city’s recycling regulations first.

? Place a CFL bulb in two plastic bulbs. Most US states require that you place a CFL bulb in two plastic bags, so that it’s mercury content won’t seep out if the bulb gets broken.

? Find out if there’s a retailer in your town or city who accepts the trade-in of old CFL bulbs. Some retailers like Ikea, have major recycling programs for CFL’s, however they may levy a small fee for disposal. Also determine whether your state allows the disposal of CFL bulbs in your weekly trash. Also dispose broken CFL bulbs by scooping the fragments or powder using a stiff cardboard, and also place the materials in a sealed plastic bag, and stuff this into another bag as well.

Is there really any information about Recycling that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Recycling to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Recycling experts.

Without a doubt the best play time is spent outside in the fresh air and in an effort to remain responsible to the environment there are a few things to keep in mind when out and about.

The best place to play is somewhere that you don’t need to fly to, take a train to, or drive to. Yeah, your own backyard is a good place but not everyone is fortunate enough to live near a national park. There are bike paths to find and trails to hike that can be found all over the place, and can be new journeys of adventure with very little effort. Check with your town or city hall, they may have little treasures all over your community that you go past everyday and are not aware that there is a walking path tucked in somewhere because you don’t take the time to walk in and explore.

Always remember when you are enjoying yourself outdoors that the other people around are trying to enjoy themselves too, so do everything possible to remember to leave the beautiful spaces as beautiful as they were when you arrived. Today, with trash cans everywhere you look, there is no excuse for leaving trash behind and that means cigarette butts, too. Take a few minutes before leaving the area you have been enjoying and be sure that all of your trash goes with you, so it won’t become a burden for the next person to deal with.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Spending a day in a park or at a beach will greatly outweigh the alternative to watching TV and running electronics in your home, depriving yourself the added benefit of fresh air and exercise. Walking the beach will never affect your electric bill and picking up after yourself will only encourage the next person to do the same. The power to make choices about what to do with our leisure time is great and being able to choose an activity that will not impact your financial responsibilities is a wonderful freedom.

If a mode of transportation is needed to arrive at the spot you’re headed to, try to use the least pollutant-adding means possible. Riding a bike is better than driving a car, so depending on the distance that is needed to travel, make the best choices that will not add to the pollutants our air is facing. If it is a possibility, use mass transportation to get to where you need to go. A bus or a train is always better than driving, but if you have to drive, be sure to pack as many people into one vehicle as is possible. You may need to drive, but driving one car is a whole lot better than driving four of them.

Making choices to help our great outdoors is not difficult, but there is some thought involved and don’t we owe it to the planet to take the time necessary to make the choices that will benefit it, in the long run?

Those who only know one or two facts about Recycling can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Recycling.

Are you planning a trip? Whether it is a trip for business or pleasure; you have options and with just a little research you can find a hotel that is environmentally friendly! There are “Green” Hotels in which the hotel does all it can in order to recycle, reuse and reduce.

Some of the ways hotels are becoming environmentally friendly are by letting guests know that they will only clean the room upon request; that cuts down on the amount of laundry that needs to be washed, electricity that needs to be used to vacuum and the man power itself, that it needs in order to accommodate for daily cleaning.

Hotels can also request that you re-use your towels rather than having them laundered every day. There are programs in some hotels that have bins for recycling glass, plastic and aluminum set up for easy recycling by the guests as well as the employees. Just by making these bins available gives no excuse for why recycling can’t be a success.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Recycling experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Recycling.

Hotels that are on the “Green” list are in the forefront of ways to recycle and they are finding that more than 70% of their customers not only abide by their energy and cost saving measures, they have helped to develop them. Many hotels and motels have put suggestion cards in the rooms for their guests to fill out and have implimented some of the ideas that came right from their consumers.

If a hotel is a popular spot for banquets and meetings, changes as simple as using pourers for sugar and pitchers for cream have been able to cut down on the waste of individually wrapped sweetners and individual cups of cream. There is also less left over to add to the unused, end-of-the-day waste. Some facilities have gone as far as to place notices on tables in meeting rooms and some restaurants to advise customers that water will be poured, upon request.

There are some ways hotels are joining in the cause for an environmentally friendly product that most hotel guests will never see. There are water-saving devices that will save the water that is flushed by about 75%, never affecting the flush in any way, but making quite a difference with the utility costs. Devices such as the toilet tank fill diverter and tiny parts that fit into the head of a shower to cut down on the water useage will not be noticed by the guests but make a big impact on the environment.

Hospitality venues that are using these kinds of measures to cut back on our waste and are environmentally contientious should be the places we choose to stay. If we, as concerned consumers, take a stand and only patronize hotels and motels and B&Bs that are taking the idea of recycling to heart and have made changes to help the Earth, the more hotels will realize that we know how to exercise our choice and will do so even when we are away from home.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Among the many things that you can do to help protect the environment, recycling is one of the most popular things to do. Recycling refers to the re-processing of used items or waste products into reusable or new products. Recycling offers a number of eco-friendly and financial benefits. Here’s a more in-depth and balanced look at how recycling helps to benefit both man and the environment.

Recycling Cuts Manufacturing Costs, And Saves Money

According to environment advocates and government planners, recycling saves businesses, governments and households considerable sums of money. According to the Institute for Local Self Reliance, communities save money when they treat recycling as a replacement for traditional waste disposal and handling methods. Through implementing recycling initiatives in local communities, community managers and planners redesign their garbage collection schedules, as well as reduce the operating time of their trucks and equipments.

While some skeptics argue that recycling costs so much more than traditional garbage disposal methods, green advocates say that the prices paid for scrap materials are a direct measure of the immense value of recyclables. For example, scarp aluminum fetches a high price because recycling it eats up less energy as compared to producing a new aluminum can or container.

Recycling Saves Energy

See how much you can learn about Recycling when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, a paper mill actually uses 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled materials, than it does to make paper from freshly-cut lumber. Proponents of recycling also tress that the need to use a second timber or logging truck is defrayed when paper is collected and used for recycled.

The US Environmental Protection Agency also notes that recycling aluminum cans for example saves 95 percent energy as compared to producing aluminum cans from bauxite, its virgin source. Producing recycled paper also consumes less energy and water, as compared to harvesting, processing and transporting timber.

Recycling Provides Additional Jobs

Recycling actually helps provide new jobs. While some critics counter that recycling creates jobs that offer low pay and terrible working conditions, recycling advocates stress that the jobs involving the recovery or processing of raw materials such as in mining or timber production, are actually more dangerous than recycling jobs. Mining, timber extraction and other raw material sourcing activities also often result in creating deplorable conditions for both workers and the surrounding communities.

Apart from saving money and energy, recycling also helps save precious natural resources. Paper recycling for example, helps protect forests, protects wildlife habitats, a and also allows for a wiser management of other natural resources. Recycling also cuts pollution, reduces the need for building more landfills, and also creates more jobs and residual business opportunities.

Those who only know one or two facts about Recycling can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about Recycling? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about Recycling.

During these times, the headlines are often filled with horror stories about pollution, environmental degradation and the outbreak of more serious diseases. While most of us shrug our shoulders in utter helplessness, the truth is that we can actually do something to reverse the tide of environmental degradation, and we can start by doing some simple initiatives right in our own backyards. Recycling is one thing we could easily do. Here are some basic facts about recycling, and why we need to reduce, reuse and recycle.

What Is Recycling?

By definition, recycling refers to the processing or used materials into new products or items, to prevent the wasteful disposal of useful materials, as well as reduce air, water and soil pollution, and lessen the need for conventional waste disposal methods. The recyclable materials include different types of paper, glass, plastic, metal, textiles and electronics.

Other forms of recycling include composting, which involves the reuse of biodegradable wastes like food or garden waste. The process of recycling either involves bringing recyclable materials into a collection center, or these are picked up in garbage bins, and are sorted, cleaned and re-processed into new materials at the local recycling facility.

Important Recycling Facts And Details You Should Know

Most of this information comes straight from the Recycling pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

Here are some disturbing facts that we all need to know, which should remind us of just t how wasteful and irresponsible we have all become.

? According to environment groups, the average American uses around seven trees a year in wood, paper and other wood by-products. The amount of wood and paper that we throw in our landfills each year is more than enough to heat 50,000,000 for the next twenty years.

? Used aluminum beverage cans are among the most easily-recyclable items today. A used aluminum can be recycled and returned back to the grocery shelf in as little as 60 days, and recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television set for 3 hours.

? 2.5 million plastic bottles are used in the United States each day, and most of them are thrown away. The plastics and other types of trash that end up in our seas and oceans are estimated to kill as much as 1 million sea creatures every year. Recycling plastic can save as much energy as compared to burning it in incinerators.

? 16 billion diapers, 1.6 billion pens, 220 million car tires, and 2 billion razor blades are discarded each year in the US alone. The United States is the number one garbage-producing nation in the planet, which amounts to an estimated 1,609 pounds of trash per person.

? A single quart of improperly disposed motor oil is enough to contaminate as much as 2 million gallons of fresh water. Motor oil never wears out, but only gets dirty. Oil however, can be recycled, refined and re-used again.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO