tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13792875592135533622024-02-20T05:10:51.192-08:00Think Green... Save Mother EarthThink Green... Think Waste Management...
Let's Think & Work to save our Planet Earth.
What is waste in reverse?
It is waste given a renewed purpose as a resource.
It is a pear that turns into energy as it biodegrades.
Putting the four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover the resource into action is what waste management and this site are all about.
Let's Think Green.Sheranga Pererahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05760038592957168161noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-77076946542363932432009-05-22T16:00:00.000-07:002009-05-22T16:00:00.983-07:00Global Warming<h1 style="margin-top: 0pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Global
Warming</span></h1>
1:
<b>Greenhouse Gas Reduction Determined by Additionality</b>
<div class="summary">
Companies that have facilities which use refrigeration and air-conditioning
systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems have to measure
changes which are imposed upon them due to greenhouse gas emissions. Additionality
is a measure which compares the level of emissions prior to implementation with
the levels after a greenhouse gas reduction project has been introduced.</div>
<br>
2:
<b>U.S. Takes Major Step Towards Carbon Reporting</b>
<div class="summary">
A carbon reporting plan has been proposed by the US Environmental Protection
Agency, that requires industries to send in reports which detail their greenhouse
gas emissions. The EPA has found that harmful chemicals play a significant role
in climate change. The annual report required serves as a step towards regulation
and the eventual reduction of greenhouse gases.</div>
<br>
3:
<b>The Birth of a Star</b>
<div class="summary">
No one could have imagined back in 1992 when a joint venture between the Department
of Energy and the Environmental Protective Agency, known as Energy Star, was
undertaken, that this entity would become 21st Century's leading player in the
world of energy efficiency. With over one billion products sold to date, Energy
Star has become synonymous with energy saving to such a great extent that 70%
of the population recognizes its logo.</div>
<br>
4:
<b>Refrigerant Properties Are Closely Tracked</b>
<div class="summary">
Adequate pressure, efficiency and stability -- these are the three primary refrigerant
properties. These properties are defined as chemical stability in refrigeration
and air conditioning systems or heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems,
vapor pressure and operational efficiency, be it direct or indirect.</div>
<br>
5:
<b>Renewable and Green Energy: The Future</b>
<div class="summary">
The following paragraphs summarize the work of energy experts who are completely
familiar with all the aspects of energy. Heed their advice to avoid any energy
surprises.</div>
<br>
6:
<b>Environmentalists Want Strict Control Of F Gas Emissions</b>
<div class="summary">
Fluorinated greenhouses gases, also known as f gas, are being closely regulated
by the United States and many other foreign countries because they can cause
harmful climate change. The U.S., Canada and member countries of the European
Union have imposed regulations aimed at containing or phasing out certain substances
that increase global warming.</div>
<br>
7:
<b>Global Warming and Climate Change: The Facts</b>
<div class="summary">
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.</div>
<br>
8:
<b>Discovering the Antarctic</b>
<div class="summary">
Antarctica is one of the continents, the fifth largest. It extends 14,000,000
sq km or about 9,000,000 sq miles. 2% of its land mass is bare rock and 98%
is ice - on average 2.5 km thick. It is in fact the largest desert in the world,
meaning that it has a climate with less than 10 inches of annual rainfall (although
it doesn't fit the normal definition of what we would consider a desert).</div>
<br>
9:
<b>Emission Scopes Used to Monitor Greenhouse Gases</b>
<div class="summary">
As emissions of harmful substances contribute to the major problem of global
warming, so the Montreal Protocol and the US Clean Air Act have sought to reduce
them. Emission scopes are now used to categorize and define the chemicals. Facilities
that deal with greenhouse gases can better understand and administer the discharge
level of these gases.</div>
<br>
10:
<b>The Importance of Refrigerant Leak Detection</b>
<div class="summary">
Even the most experienced technician can struggle when it comes to refrigerant
leak detection in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and HVAC systems.
Sometimes a leak can be well hidden, in an operating switch, a system component
or even in the tubing.<br>
</div>
11:
<b>The Make Natural Power Guide Reviewed</b>
<div class="summary">
Over the past year a lot of diy energy guides have appeared on the internet,
promising to teach even a complete technical newbie how to make their own home
solar and wind power, and reduce their energy bills by up to 80%. One those
guides happens to be Make Natural Power. But does it deliver what is promises?
And is how does it stack up to the other guides?</div>
<br>
12:
<b>Scientists Call Manmade Chemicals a Cause of Climate Change</b>
<div class="summary">
Great harm is done to the planet by man-made chemicals, and they are a major
cause of climate change. We do need these chemicals on a day by day basis, as
they help us to operate essential equipment and make our lives easier, but they
present a significant threat. Major governments have introduced regulations
limiting the use of these substances, as they present a threat to the ozone
layer and contribute to global warming.</div>
<br>
13:
<b>EPA Rule Covering Greenhouse Gases Ratified by the EPA</b>
<div class="summary">
The EPA rule categorizing greenhouse gases as a pollutant has now been approved
by the US Supreme Court. As these gases have found to be harmful to the climate,
due to the inability to dissipate once released into the air, they will now
be further regulated. The gases are found in ventilation and air conditioning
systems, fire protection systems, vehicles, refrigeration and cooling units,
power plants, and a number of other man-made processes.</div>
<br>
14:
<b>Refrigerants Have High Global Warming Potential</b>
<div class="summary">
The global warming potential refers to how much a chemical impacts global warming
over a specified period of time in comparison with the same amount of carbon
dioxide. Whereas carbon dioxides potential for global warming is 1.0, refrigerants
are in the hundreds and thousands, which means they stay in the atmosphere longer
and can cause greater damage to the earths climate.</div>
<br>
15:
<b>Global Warming or Hot Air?</b>
<div class="summary">
Global warming, or more accurately man-made global warming is the single biggest
moral and political issue of our age. The western governments have bought into
the notion that carbon dioxide produced by mans industrial activities is causing
a rise in the temperature of the planet, that this temperature rise must be
stopped to avoid global catastrophe. But what substantiating evidence exists
to back up this claim?</div>
<br>
16:
<b>California Climate Registry oversees greenhouse gases.</b>
<div class="summary">
The California Climate Action Registry, also known as the California Climate
Registry, is a program under the supervision of the Climate Action Reserve.The
Registry works to solve the problems caused by climate change through the enhancement
of reporting requirements.</div>
<br>
17:
<b>Fat Al Gore Is Still An Idiot</b>
<div class="summary">
Fat Al Gore and Tipperover were in Sweden or Norway, I'm not sure but they are
in a corner of the world where the clinically obese are honored. But to be fair
with these two, they seemed to have lost a few pounds on the latest Hollywood
crash diet. I heard that where they have been staying for two weeks now has
a lemon shortage. And Tipperover looked good with his new haircut.</div>
<br>
18:
<b>Fat Al Has Dumb Supporters Too</b>
<div class="summary">
One of Fat Al's biggest supporters sued her Manhattan cooperative because they
aren't digging her plan to expand her modest 6000 square foot apartment to 12,000
square feet by buying the unit next door. Now the Material Girl's modenn NY
pad is about three times the size of my modest pad and contains a gym and a
hair salon. She didn't give any word on what she would put in the newly acquired
space, but we know it won't be a library.</div>
<br>
19:
<b>Hiring Grout Cleaning Servicess</b>
<div class="summary">
In this day and age, hiring cleaners for residential places are simply becoming
a necessity. No one has time to clean their own homes as properly as they should
anymore. Because of this, people will be sharing their homes with allergens,
rodents and dust mites. You have to make time to start cleaning or look for
professional help to do it for you, if you want to overcome this. Professionals
will know how to clean every small nook and cranny of your house, they'll provide
janitorial services, or something even more specialized, like cleaning tiles
and stubborn grout.</div>
<br>
20:
<b>Refrigerant 22 Phase-Out</b> The government is phasing
out the use off refrigerant 22, even though it is widely used in a number of applications.As
the phase out continues, facilities with equipment that use the chemical are rushing
to comply with the requirements of the law.<br>
<br>
21:
<b>Refrigerant Recovery Required by EPA</b>
<div class="summary">
New EPA regulations require facilities that use air conditioning and refrigeration
equipment to have a refrigerant recovery plan in place. The plan is needed to
make sure that any harmful gases that might leak are captured. Refrigerant gases
contain hydrofluorocarbons, known to cause severe damage to the ozone layer
and to promote global warming.</div>
<br>
22:
<b>HCFC Phase Out Under Way</b>
<div class="summary">
A government directive has been issued in countries that are impacted by the
Montral protocol or the US Clean Air Act. The HCFC phase out is covered, and
is intended to decrease and eventually cut out production and use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
Those organizations that use air conditioning systems, commercial refrigeration,
industrial process refrigeration appliances, or HVAC systems now have a schedule
for compliance.</div>
<br>
23:
<b>EPA Section 608 Reduces Refrigerant Gas Emissions</b>
<div class="summary">
Under epa section 608 of the U.S. Clean Air Act, regulations are set forth regarding
the handling, recovery and recycling of refrigerants during service, maintenance,
repair, or disposal. Refrigerant gases are a major contributor to global warming
and the depletion of the ozone layer because they contain harmful chlorofluorocarbons
and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.</div>
<br>
24:
<b>Mass Balance Method An Essential Tracker Of Harmful Emissions</b>
<div class="summary">
Current levels of harmful chemicals, including hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons
are calculated and assessed by using the mass balance method. The data enables
environmental scientists to predict future levels of emissions that contribute
to the depletion of the ozone layer.</div>
<br>
25:
<b>The Way to Combating Global Warming</b>
<div class="summary">
Radio, television, and internet all impact our lives to such a degree that they
make it hard to imagine that anyone who owns any of those products could not
have heard of global warming. Press and media outlets have elevated the issue
in the public consciousness through their increased coverage. Though there are
opposing viewpoints, people who are concerned about the problem are well within
their rights to be. There are many concerns for your future descendants if the
reports about the subject are true.</div>
<br>
26:
<b>The Reality of the EPA Penalty</b>
<div class="summary">
With the phase-out program of refrigerant gas underway, facilities are at risk
for a steep EPA penalty if they have equipment that uses this ozone-depleting
gas and do not follow the U.S. Clean Air Act requirements. Equipment that falls
under the law are refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, commercial refrigeration,
heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and fire protection systems.</div>
<br>
27:
<b>Mandatory carbon emissions reporting plan released</b>
<div class="summary">
As air quality continues to deteriorate the USA is working ever more closely
with facilities that produce substances which are known to affect the air that
we breathe. Mandatory carbon emissions reporting is being introduced to help
achieve the goal.</div>
<br>
28:
<b>Flush Your Diapers</b>
<div class="summary">
Just like any new mom, I am learning quite a lot about what new babies really
need. It takes energy to care for a creature who hasn't yet learned to eat on
their own, walk on their own, or even go to the bathroom on their own. As a
result I felt that I was changing my son's diaper constantly throughout the
day. The biggest problem with changing eight to ten diapers a day isn't in wiping
a cute little bum, but disposing of so much waste.</div>
<br>
29:
<b>Fugitive Emission Tracking Fundamentals</b>
<div class="summary">
The United States and a host of other foreign countries are focusing on fugitive
emission tracking for certain industries. The goal is to identify the amount
of substances that are emitted into the atmosphere when a hazardous leak occurs.
This will give government officials a better understanding of the amount of
greenhouse gases harming the environment each year and contributing to global
warming.</div>
<br>
30:
<b>Greenhouse Gas Tracking To Become Mandatory</b>
<div class="summary">
Greenhouse Gas tracking will soon become mandatory in the United States, with
the first reports due in early 2011 for the 2010 year. The federal law affects
businesses and governments with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
or refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, as well as those who produce
industrial chemicals, fossil fuels, cars and engines. It is the responsibility
of companies to review and comply with the new EPA regulations or face substantial
fines.<br>
<br>
31:
<b>Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion</b>
<div class="summary">
There are many causes of ozone layer depletion, all of them manmade compounds
that enter the atmosphere. They are chloroflurocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons,
methyl bromide, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Once
they have been released into the atmosphere, they remain there for as long
as 200 years.</div>
<br>
32:
<b>Understanding the U.S. Clean Air Act</b>
<div class="summary">
The U.S. Clean Air Act is aimed at reducing air pollution to improve the
country's air quality. In addition, the law targets harmful substances that
weaken the stratospheric ozone layer. As such, companies, in particular
manufacturers, utility providers and facilities with equipment that uses
chemical substances, are required to follow the federal law.</div>
<br>
33:
<b>EPA Penalty Can Prove Costly To Companies</b>
<div class="summary">
The phase-out program of refrigerant gas is now in full swing and facilities
that use equipment requiring this ozone-depleting gas are at risk for a
substantial EPA penalty if they fail to follow the requirements outlined
in the U.S. Clean Air Act. Equipment includes refrigeration and air-conditioning
systems, commercial refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning
systems, and fire protection systems.</div>
<br>
34:
<b>What is the Climate Registry and its Impact?</b>
<div class="summary">
Established on May 8, 2007, the climate registry is part of efforts in the
United States and internationally to reduce air pollution. What is the climate
registry and how does it affect your business are questions that continue
to be asked today. Any facility that uses refrigeration and air-conditioning
(RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
should be aware of the climate registry.</div>
<br>
35:
<b>Phasing Out R22 Refrigerant</b>
<div class="summary">
When it comes to harming the environment, R22 refrigerant is one of the
guilty parties. That's why the United States and many other countries around
the world have joined together in an effort to convert usage of R22 refrigerant
in commercial facilities to a more environmentally friendly alternative.
The conversion process is already underway among many organizations to meet
the 2015 phase out deadline. Others are implementing measures to comply
with tracking and reporting requirements required of existing systems.</div>
<br>
36:
<b>What is the Climate Registry Requiring of Businesses?</b>
<div class="summary">
When the climate registry first emerged on the scene on May 8, 2007, the
question most asked was what is the climate registry? That question continues
to be asked today even though the climate registry is an important part
of protocols established in the United States and internationally to combat
air pollution. There are key components to the climate registry that all
companies need to be aware of or they could face substantial penalties.</div>
<br>
37:
<b>Energy Conservation Tips: Components of a Homemade Solar Panel</b>
<div class="summary">
Why solar panels? With the ever-present threat of Global Warming looming
over our heads, clean and renewable energy is an appealing alternative to
electricity generated from fossil fuels. Solar energy can reduce the monthly
cost of electricity. It is a technology amenable to DIY projects.</div>
<br>
38:
<b>Montreal Protocol 1987 in a Nutshell</b>
<div class="summary">
Officially called the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone
Layer, or Montreal Protocol 1987, for short, the international treaty is
aimed at lessening the harm to the stratospheric ozone layer by air pollutants,
among them refrigerant gases. The ozone layer shields the earth from detrimental
UV-B radiation. If damage to the ozone layer continues, it will cause increased
cases of skin cancer, ruin crops and harm marine phytoplankton.</div>
<br>
39:
<b>Reduce-Reuse-Recycle</b>
<div class="summary">
The goal of this article is to inform and inspire you to live a more environmentally
aware lifestyle. We have come to take for granted the luxuries of clean
water and safe food. Our indifference is contaminating our water, food,
and soil. Even the air that we breathe is quickly becoming saturated with
pollution. Don't think that just because you live in a rural area, that
you are safe from toxic influences. Fertilizers and pesticides have leached
from your soil into your water sources, contaminating dairy products, meat
and garden produce.</div>
<br>
40:
<b>Little Known Alternative Energy Resources</b>
<div class="summary">
Alternative source of energy has become a necessity in the recent years.
Usage of this resource will help in saving of money as well. There are many
countries which are using these powerful energy sources and they seem to
be convinced with its prosperity.
Alternative energy like usage of wind, solar, water resources for the
creation of electricity is very beneficial for common man. The natural resources
available in the environment can be used to generate the required day to
day energy and this will also benefit the economy.<br>
<br>
41:
<b>What It Costs To Buy Carbon Offsets</b>
<div class="summary">
Protecting the environment has become big business in the 21st century.
Everywhere you look, there are eco-friendly products and services that
promise to save the planet and make you feel good about being part of
the global effort. Carbon offset providers are a small but rapidly growing
worldwide industry. Today, there are dozens of companies in the United
States, many partnered with bigger businesses and corporations, that
will help you calculate your carbon footprint, determine an appropriate
carbon offset, and allow you to spend your money to benefit the environment
and buy some peace of mind. But, as always, there are plusses, minuses,
and questions concerning these companies and the products and services
they sell.</div>
<br>
42:
<b>Global Warming: Agricultures Role and Health Concerns</b>
<div class="summary">
When you think of global warming, you might envision dramatic scenes
like hurricanes and melting glaciers. The truth is that something as
commonplace as agriculture is already showing signs of the effects of
global warming.</div>
<br>
43:
<b>Some Solutions of Global Warming</b>
<div class="summary">
It is practically impossible to have missed out on discussions about
global warming if you have any exposure to tv, internet, or even radio.
Recent years has seen the topic get increased press coverage. The problem
is highly debated, but if you are concerned, it is with good reason.
After all, if the predictions are right, the earth may not be a safe
place for your future family members.</div>
<br>
44:
<b>Think Right and change your world</b>
<div class="summary">
Human beings have an amazing Power attached to their thoughts. Think
about it. You have amazing POWER connected to your THOUGHTS. Let me
rephrase it: Your have energy connected to your power of thinking. Now
that I've informed you of this, do you instinctively worry about those
thoughts that run endlessly through your head? What about that "babbling
voice" that lives somewhere inside you? And, you know it drives millions
of people to see their therapists every week. When you search for it
- it calls out to you: "Voice? Voice? What voice? I don't hear any voice?"
THAT'S YOUR BABBLING VOICE.</div>
<br>
45:
<b>Extreme Events and Transportations Role in Global Warming</b>
<div class="summary">
Gasoline-burning cars are a major contributor to global warming. In
fact, they are the second largest cause of global warming pollution
in the United States. It would be beneficial if the cars could be more
efficient. If they could burn cleaner fuels, it would even be better.</div>
</div>
</div>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-4197273187703675712009-05-22T01:01:00.000-07:002009-05-22T01:15:44.162-07:00Recycling<H1 class=firstHeading id=firstHeading align="center">
<span style="font-size: 20pt">Recycling</span></H1>
<DIV id=bodyContent>
<DIV id=contentSub></DIV>
<p>Recycling is the practice of recovering used materials from the waste stream
and then incorporating those same materials into the manufacturing process.</p>
<p>Many communities in California now offer curbside collection or drop-off
sites for certain recyclable materials. But collecting materials is only the
first step toward making the recycling process work.</p>
<p>Successful recycling also depends on manufacturers making products from
recovered materials and, in turn, consumers purchasing products made of recycled
materials. Do your part--"close the loop" and buy products made of recycled
materials whenever possible.</p>
<h2><a name="WhereRecycle"><span style="font-size: 13pt">Where</span></a><span style="font-size: 13pt"> to Recycle</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Construction debris</strong>. You can search for facilities by
county that reuse or recycle types of
construction and demolition (C&D) debris, such as asphalt, drywall, and
metal, on our site.</li>
<li><strong>Plastic</strong>. You can also find facilities that reuse or
recycle
specific types of plastic, such as acrylic, nylon, high density
polyethylene (HDPE), and low density polyethylene (LDPE) on our site.</li>
<li><strong><a name="Ewaste">Electronic Waste</a>.</strong> Discarded
electronic products can present environmental hazards if not properly
managed. Find an organization
near you that may handle anything from televisions and monitors to cell
phones and CPUs. To find out more about California's electronic waste
recycling law and what it means to you, please visit eRecycle.org.</li>
<li><strong>The Waste
Prevention Information Exchange recycling page</strong> includes a
comprehensive list of recycling databases.</li>
<li><strong>Find
Your Nearest Recycling Center. </strong>Enter your ZIP code to go to the
"Earth's 911" website and find local centers for recycling materials,
including household hazardous waste.</li>
</ul>
<h2><a name="Schools"><span style="font-size: 13pt">Recycling</span></a><span style="font-size: 13pt"> for Schools and State Agencies</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>School
Waste Reduction and Recycling</strong>. Schools can help communities
reduce their waste, while saving money and teaching kids valuable lessons.</li>
<li><strong>Project
Recycle</strong>. Recycling programs for State agencies.</li>
</ul>
<h2><a name="Resources"><span style="font-size: 13pt">Resources</span></a><span style="font-size: 13pt"> and Tools</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Beverage Containers</strong>. Beverage container recycling is
managed by the Department
of Conservation, Division of Recycling.</li>
<li><strong>Food Waste</strong>.
Food scraps can be turned into valuable soil amendments through the simple
techniques of composting or feeding a worm box.</li>
<li><strong>Recycling Tools</strong>. Helpful tools listed on this page include
lists of manufacturers of
containers
for home and office and of
recycling
processing equipment.</li>
<li><strong>Tire Recycling</strong>.
Californians use a lot of tires, which can be recycled in California to
produce crumb rubber for new products, recycled in rubberized asphalt
concrete (RAC), used in civil engineering applications, or combusted as
fuel.</li>
<li><strong>Used Oil Recycling</strong>.
Oil doesn't wear out, it just gets dirty! Find out more...</li>
<li><strong>Recycling
Coordinator Information and Resources</strong>. Materials and assistance
to help you set up and operate a successful waste reduction program in your
business, office, or locality.</li>
</ul>
<P> </P>
<P><B>Recycling</B> involves processing used materials into new products in
order to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption
of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and
water pollution (from <A class=mw-redirect title=Landfilling>landfilling</A>) by reducing the need for
"conventional" waste disposal, and lower <A title="Greenhouse gas">greenhouse gas</A> emissions as compared
to virgin production.
Recycling is a key component of modern <A title="Waste management">waste management</A> and is the third
component of the "<A title="Waste minimisation">Reduce</A>, <A title=Reuse>Reuse</A>, Recycle" <A title="Waste hierarchy">waste hierarchy</A>.</P>
<P>Recyclable materials include many kinds of <A title=Glass>glass</A>, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. Although similar in effect,
the composting or
other reuse of biodegradable waste – such as food or garden waste – is not
typically considered recycling.
Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up
from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials
bound for manufacturing.</P>
<P>In a strict sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of
the same material, for example used office paper to more office paper, or used foamed polystyrene to
more polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared
with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so
"recycling" of many products or materials involves their <B>reuse</B> in producing different materials
(e.g., cardboard)
instead. Another form of recycling is the <B>salvage</B> of certain materials from complex
products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g., lead from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their
hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from various items).</P>
<P>Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over
its costs. Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in
collection and transportation detract from (and possibly outweigh) the costs and
energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the
recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and
other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as
paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents
further recycling. Proponents of recycling counter each of these claims, and the
validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy.</P>
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<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Cost-benefit analysis</SPAN></H2>
<TABLE class=prettytable
style="FONT-SIZE: 85%; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 15px">
<TBODY>
<TR bgColor=#efefef>
<TD>+ Environmental effects of recycling</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TH>Material</TH>
<TH>Energy Savings</TH>
<TH>Air Pollution Savings</TH></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Aluminium</TD>
<TD>95%</TD>
<TD>95%</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Cardboard</TD>
<TD>24%</TD>
<TD>—</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Glass</TD>
<TD>5-30%</TD>
<TD>20%</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Paper</TD>
<TD>40%</TD>
<TD>73%</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Plastics</TD>
<TD>70%</TD>
<TD>—</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>Steel</TD>
<TD>60%</TD>
<TD>—</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P>There is some debate over whether recycling is economically efficient. Municipalities often
see fiscal benefits from
implementing recycling programs, largely due to the reduced landfill costs.
A study conducted by the Technical University of
Denmark found that in 83% of cases, recycling is the most efficient method
to dispose of household waste.
However, a 2004 assessment by the Danish Environmental Assessment Institute
concluded that incineration was the most effective method for disposing of drink
containers, even aluminum ones.</P>
<P>Fiscal efficiency is separate from economic efficiency. Economic analysis of
recycling includes what economists call externalities, which are unpriced costs
and benefits that accrue to individuals outside of private transactions.
Examples include: decreased air pollution and greenhouse gases from
incineration, reduced hazardous waste leaching from landfills, reduced energy
consumption, and reduced waste
and resource consumption,
which leads to a reduction in environmentally damaging mining and timber activity. Without mechanisms such as
taxes or subsidies to internalize externalities, businesses will ignore them
despite the costs imposed on society. In order to make such non-fiscal benefits
economically relevant, advocates have pushed for legislative action to increase the demand for recycled
materials.
The United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded in favor of
recycling, saying that recycling efforts reduced the country's carbon emissions by a net 49 million
metric tonnes in 2005.
In the United Kingdom, the Waste and Resources
Action Programme stated that Great Britain's recycling efforts reduce
CO<SUB>2</SUB> emissions by 10-15 million tonnes a year.
Recycling is more efficient in densely populated areas, as there are economies of scale involved.</P>
<P>Certain requirements must be met in order for recycling to be economically
feasible and environmentally effective. These include an adequate source of
recyclates, a system to extract those recyclates from the waste stream, a
nearby factory capable of
reprocessing the recyclates, and a potential demand for the recycled products.
These last two requirements are often overlooked—without both an industrial market for production using the
collected materials and a consumer market for the manufactured goods, recycling
is incomplete and in fact only "collection".</P>
<P>Many economists favor a moderate level of government intervention to provide
recycling services. Economists of this mindset probably view product disposal as
an externality of production and subsequently argue government is most capable
of alleviating such a dilemma. However, those of the laissez faire approach to
municipal recycling see product disposal as a service that consumers value. A
free-market approach is more likely to suit the preferences of consumers since
profit-seeking businesses have greater incentive to produce a quality product or
service than does government. Moreover, economists most always advise against
government intrusion in any market with little or no externalities.” </P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Trade in recyclates</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=120 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Computer_Recycling.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Computers being collected for recycling at a pickup event in
Olympia, Washington, United
States.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>Certain countries trade in unprocessed recyclates. Some have complained that
the ultimate fate of recyclates sold to another country is unknown and they may
end up in landfills instead of reprocessed. According to one report, in America,
50-80% of computers destined for recycling are actually not recycled.
There are reports of illegal-waste imports to China being dismantled and
recycled solely for monetary gain, without consideration for workers' health or
environmental damage. Though the Chinese government has banned these practices,
it has not been able to eradicate them.</P>
<P>Certain regions have difficulty using or exporting as much of a material as
they recycle. This problem is most prevalent with glass: both Britain and the
U.S. import large quantities of wine bottled in green glass. Though much of this
glass is sent to be recycled, outside the American
Midwest there is not enough wine production to use all of the reprocessed
material. The extra must be downcycled into building materials or re-inserted
into the regular waste stream.</P>
<P>Similarly, the northwestern United States
has difficulty finding markets for recycled newspaper, given the large number of
pulp mills in the
region as well as the proximity to Asian markets. In other areas of the U.S.,
however, demand for used newsprint has seen wide fluctuation.</P>
<P>In some U.S. states, a program called RecycleBank pays people with coupons to
recycle, receiving money from local municipalities for the reduction in landfill
space which must be purchased. It uses a single stream process in which all
material is automatically sorted.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Legislation</SPAN></H2>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Supply</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage height=267
alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Recycling_can.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
A recycling bin in Half Moon Bay,
California.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>In order for a recycling program to work, having a large, stable supply of
recyclable material is crucial. Three legislative options have been used to
create such a supply: mandatory recycling collection, container deposit
legislation, and refuse bans. Mandatory collection laws set recycling
targets for cities to aim for, usually in the form that a certain percentage of
a material must be diverted from the city's waste stream by a target date. The
city is then responsible for working to meet this target.</P>
<P>Container deposit legislation involves offering a refund for the return of
certain containers, typically glass, plastic, and metal. When a product in such
a container is purchased, a small surcharge is added to the price. This
surcharge can be reclaimed by the consumer if the container is returned to a
collection point. These programs have been very successful, often resulting in
an 80% recycling rate. Despite such good results, the shift in collection costs
from local government to industry and consumers has created strong opposition to
the creation of such programs in some areas.</P>
<P>A third method of increase supply of recyclates is to ban the disposal of certain materials as
waste, often including used oil, old batteries, tires and garden waste. One aim
of this method is to create a viable economy for proper disposal of banned
products. Care must be taken that enough of these recycling services exist, or such bans
simply lead to increased illegal dumping.<br>
</P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Government-mandated demand</SPAN></H3>
<P>Legislation has also been used to increase and maintain a demand for recycled
materials. Four methods of such legislation exist: minimum recycled content
mandates, utilisation rates, procurement policies, recycled product
labelling.</P>
<P>Both minimum recycled content mandates and utilisation rates increase demand
directly by forcing manufacturers to include recycling in their operations.
Content mandates specify that a certain percentage of a new product must consist
of recycled material. Utilisation rates are a more flexible option: industries
are permitted to meet the recycling targets at any point of their operation or
even contract recycling out in exchange for tradeable credits. Opponents to both of these
methods point to the large increase in reporting requirements they impose, and
claim that they rob industry of necessary flexibility.</P>
<P>Governments have used their own purchasing
power to increase recycling demand through what are called "procurement
policies". These policies are either "set-asides", which earmark a certain
amount of spending solely towards recycled products, or "price preference"
programs which provide a larger budget when recycled items are
purchased. Additional regulations can target specific cases: in the United States,
for example, the Environmental
Protection Agency mandates the purchase of oil, paper, tires and building
insulation from recycled or re-refined sources whenever possible.</P>
<P>The final government regulation towards increased demand is recycled product
labeling. When producers are required to label their packaging with amount of
recycled material in the product (including the packaging), consumers are better
able to make educated choices. Consumers with sufficient buying power can
then choose more environmentally conscious options, prompt producers to increase
the amount of recycled material in their products, and indirectly increase
demand. Standardised recycling labelling can also have a positive effect on
supply of recyclates if the labelling includes information on how and where the
product can be recycled.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Process</SPAN></H2>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Collection</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG
class=thumbimage height=270 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-DeutscheBahnRecycling20050814_CopyrightKaihsuTai_Rotated.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Recycling and rubbish bin in a German railway
station.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>A number of different systems have been implemented to collect recyclates
from the general waste stream. These systems tend to lie along the spectrum of
trade-off between public convenience and government ease and expense. The three
main categories of collection are "drop-off centres", "buy-back centres" and
"curbside collection".</P>
<P>Drop-off centres require the waste producer to carry the recyclates to a
central location, either an installed or mobile collection station or the
reprocessing plant itself. They are the easiest type of collection to establish,
but suffer from low and unpredictable throughput. Buy-back centres differ in
that the cleaned recyclates are purchased, thus providing a clear incentive for
use and creating a stable supply. The post-processed material can then be sold
on, hopefully creating a profit. Unfortunately government subsidies are
necessary to make buy-back centres a viable enterprise, as according to the
United States Nation Solid Wastes Management Association it costs on average
US$50 to process a ton of material, which can only be resold for US$30.</P>
<P> </P>
<H4><SPAN class=mw-headline>Curbside collection</SPAN></H4>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Curbside collection</DIV>
<P>Curbside collection encompasses many subtly different systems, which differ
mostly on where in the process the recyclates are sorted and cleaned. The main
categories are mixed waste collection, commingled recyclables and source
separation.
A waste collection vehicle
generally picks up the waste.</P>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=135 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-ACT_recycling_truck.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
A recycling truck collecting the contents of a recycling bin
in Canberra, Australia</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>At one end of the spectrum is mixed waste collection, in which all recyclates
are collected mixed in with the rest of the waste, and the desired material is
then sorted out and cleaned at a central sorting facility. This results in a
large amount of recyclable waste, paper especially, being too soiled to
reprocess, but has advantages as well: the city need not pay for a separate
collection of recyclates and no public education is needed. Any changes to which
materials are recyclable is easy to accommodate as all sorting happens in a
central location.</P>
<P>In a Commingled or single-stream system, all recyclables for collection are
mixed but kept separate from other waste. This greatly reduces the need for
post-collection cleaning but does require public education on what materials
are recyclable.</P>
<P>Source separation is the other extreme, where each material is cleaned and
sorted prior to collection. This method requires the least post-collection
sorting and produces the purest recyclates, but incurs additional operating costs
for collection of each separate material. An extensive public education program
is also required, which must be successful if recyclate contamination is to be
avoided.</P>
<P>Source separation used to be the preferred method due to the high sorting
costs incurred by commingled collection. Advances in sorting technology (see sorting below),
however, have lowered this overhead substantially—many areas which had developed
source separation programs have since switched to comingled collection.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Sorting</SPAN></H3>
<P>Once commingled recyclates are collected and delivered to a central collection
facility, the different types of materials must be sorted. This is done in a
series of stages, many of which involve automated processes such that a
truck-load of material can be fully sorted in less than an hour.
Some plants can now sort the materials automatically, known as Single Stream. A
30% increase in recycling rates has been seen in the areas where these plants
exist.</P>
<P>Initially, the commingled recyclates are removed from the collection vehicle
and placed on a conveyor belt spread out in a single layer. Large pieces of cardboard and plastic bags are
removed by hand at this stage, as they can cause later machinery to jam.</P>
<P>Next, automated machinery separates the recyclates by weight, splitting
lighter paper and plastic from heavier glass and metal. Cardboard is removed
from the mixed paper, and the most common types of plastic, PET (#1) and HDPE (#2), are
collected. This separation is usually done by hand, but has become automated in
some sorting centers: a spectroscopic scanner is used to
differentiate between different types of paper and plastic based on the absorbed
wavelengths, and subsequently divert each material into the proper collection
channel.</P>
<P>Strong magnets are used to separate out ferrous metals,
such as iron, steel, and tin-plated steel cans ("tin cans"). Non-ferrous metals are ejected by
magnetic eddy currents in
which a rotating magnetic field induces an electric current around the
aluminum cans, which in turn creates a magnetic eddy current inside the cans.
This magnetic eddy current is repulsed by a large magnetic field, and the cans
are ejected from the rest of the recyclate stream.</P>
<P>Finally, glass must be sorted by hand based on its color: brown, amber, green
or clear.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Common recyclables</SPAN></H2>
<P>Many different materials can be recycled but each type requires a different
technique.</P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Aggregates and concrete</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG
class=thumbimage height=135 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Concreteblocks.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Concrete blocks</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Concrete
recycling</DIV>
<P>Concrete aggregate collected from
demolition sites is put through a crushing machine, often along with asphalt,
bricks, dirt, and rocks. Smaller pieces of concrete are used as gravel for new
construction projects. Crushed recycled concrete can also be used as the dry
aggregate for brand new concrete if it is free of contaminants. This reduces the
need for other rocks to be dug up, which in turn saves trees and habitats.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Batteries</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=136 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Four_AA_batteries.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Some batteries contain toxic heavy metals, making recycling
or proper disposal a high priority</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Battery
recycling</DIV>
<P>The large variation in size and type of batteries makes their recycling
extremely difficult: they must first be sorted into similar kinds and each kind
requires an individual recycling process. Additionally, older batteries contain
mercury and cadmium, harmful materials which must be handled with care. Because
of their potential environmental damage, proper disposal of used batteries is
required by law in many areas. Unfortunately, this mandate has been difficult to
enforce.</P>
<P>Lead-acid batteries, like those used in automobiles, are
relatively easy to recycle and many regions have legislation requiring vendors
to accept used products. In the United States, the recycling rate is 90%, with
new batteries containing up to 80% recycled material.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Biodegradable waste</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG
class=thumbimage height=122 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Compost.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Garden waste for composting</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Composting</DIV>
<P>Kitchen, garden, and other green waste can be recycled into useful
material by composting. This process allows natural aerobic bacteria to break down the
waste into fertile topsoil.
Much composting is done on a household scale, but municipal green-waste
collection programs also exist. These programs can supplement their funding by
selling the topsoil produced.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Clothing</SPAN></H3>
<P>Recycling clothes via consignment or swapping has become increasingly popular. In
a clothing
swap, a group of people gather at a venue to exchange clothes amongst each other. In
organizations like Clothing Swap, Inc., unclaimed clothing is donated to a local
charity.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Electronics disassembly and reclamation</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=149 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Monitor_in_gutter.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
An abandoned computer monitor</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Computer
recycling</DIV>
<P>The direct disposal of electrical equipment—such as old computers and mobile phones—is banned in
many areas due to the toxic contents of certain components. The recycling
process works by mechanically separating the metals, plastics, and circuit boards contained in the
appliance. When this is done on a large scale at an electronic waste recycling
plant, component recovery can be achieved in a cost-effective manner.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Ferrous metals</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=135 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Steel_recycling_bales.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Steel crushed and baled for recycling</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Steel recycling</DIV>
<P>Iron and steel are the world's most recycled materials, and among the easiest
materials to reprocess, as they can be separated magnetically from the waste
stream. Recycling is via a steelworks: scrap is either remelted in an electric arc furnace
(90-100% scrap), or used as part of the charge in a Basic Oxygen Furnace
(around 25% scrap).
Any grade of steel can be recycled to top quality new metal, with no
'downgrading' from prime to lower quality materials as steel is recycled
repeatedly. 42% of crude steel produced is recycled material.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Non-ferrous metals</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Aluminium
recycling</DIV>
<P>Aluminium is one of the most efficient and widely-recycled materials. Aluminium is shredded
and ground into small pieces or crushed into bales. These pieces or bales are
melted in an aluminium smelter to produce molten aluminium. By this stage the
recycled aluminium is indistinguishable from virgin aluminium and further
processing is identical for both. This process does not produce any change in
the metal, so aluminium can be recycled indefinitely.</P>
<P>Recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy cost of processing new
aluminium.
This is because the temperature necessary for melting recycled, nearly pure,
aluminium is 600 °C, while to extract mined aluminium from its ore requires
900 °C. To reach this higher temperature, much more energy is needed,
leading to the high environmental benefits of aluminium recycling. Americans
throw away enough aluminum every year to rebuild their entire commercial air
fleet. Also, the energy saved by recycling one aluminum can is enough to run a
television for three hours.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Glass</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage height=135
alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Glass-recycling.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Public glass waste collection point for
separating clear, green and amber glass</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Glass
recycling</DIV>
<P>Glass bottles and jars are gathered by a curbside collection truck and bottle
banks, where the glass may be sorted into color categories. The collected glass
<I>cullet</I> is taken to a glass recycling plant where it is monitored for
purity and contaminants are removed. The cullet is crushed and added to a raw
material mix in a melting furnace. It is then mechanically blown or molded into
new jars or bottles. Glass cullet is also used in the construction industry for
aggregate and glassphalt. Glassphalt is a road-laying material which
comprises around 30% recycled glass. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as its
structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Paper</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Paper
recycling</DIV>
<P>Paper can be recycled by reducing it to pulp and combining it
with pulp from newly harvested wood. As the recycling process causes the paper
fibres to break down, each time paper is recycled its quality decreases. This
means that either a higher percentage of new fibres must be added, or the paper
downcycled into lower quality products. Any writing or colouration of the paper
must first be removed by deinking,
which also removes fillers, clays, and fibre fragments.</P>
<P>Almost all paper can be recycled today, but some types are harder to recycle
than others. Papers coated with plastic or aluminium foil, and papers that are
waxed, pasted, or gummed are usually not recycled because the process is too
expensive. Gift-wrap paper also cannot be recycled due to its already poor
quality.</P>
<P>Sometimes recyclers ask for the removal of the glossy inserts from newspapers
because they are a different type of paper. Glossy inserts have a heavy clay
coating that some paper mills cannot accept. Most of the clay is removed from
the recycled pulp as sludge which must be disposed of. If the coated paper is
20% by weight clay, then each ton of glossy paper produces more than 200 kg
of sludge and less than 800 kg of fibre.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Plastic</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=120 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px--_Plastic_boxes_-.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Plastic shipping crates</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Plastic
recycling</DIV>
<P>Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastics and
reprocessing the material into useful products. Compared to glass or metallic
materials, plastic poses unique challenges. Because of the massive number of
types of plastic, they each carry a resin identification code,
and must be sorted before they can be recycled. This can be costly; while metals
can be sorted using electromagnets, no such 'easy sorting' capability exists for
plastics. In addition to this, while labels do not need to be removed from
bottles for recycling, lids are often made from a different kind of
non-recyclable plastic.</P>
<P>To help in identifying the materials in various plastic items, resin
identification code numbers 1-6 have been assigned to six common kinds of
recyclable plastic resins, with the number 7 indicating any other kind of
plastic, whether recyclable or not. Standardized
symbols are available incorporating each of these resin codes.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Textiles</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Textile
recycling</DIV>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage height=135
alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Singlejersey.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
A brown cloth</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P>When considering textile recycling one must understand what the material
consists of. Most textiles are composites of cotton (biodegradable material) and
synthetic plastics. The textile's composition will affect its durability and
method of recycling.</P>
<P>Workers sort
and separate collected textiles into good quality clothing and shoes which can
be reused or worn. There is a trend of moving these facilities from developed
countries to developing countries either for charity or sold at a cheaper
price.
Many international organisations collect used textiles from developed countries
as a donation to those third world countries. This recycling practise is
encouraged because it helps to reduce unwanted waste while providing clothing to
those in need.
Damaged textiles are further sorted into grades to make industrial wiping cloths
and for use in paper manufacture or material suitable for fibre reclamation and
filling products. If textile reprocessors receive wet or soiled clothes however,
these may still be disposed of in a landfill, as the washing and drying
facilities are not present at sorting units.</P>
<P>Fibre reclamation mills sort textiles according to fibre type and colour.
Colour sorting eliminates the need to re-dye the recycled textiles. The textiles
are shredded into "shoddy" fibres and blended with other selected fibres,
depending on the intended end use of the recycled yarn. The blended mixture is
carded to clean and mix the fibres and spun ready for weaving or knitting. The
fibres can also be compressed for mattress production. Textiles sent to the
flocking industry are shredded to make filling material for car insulation,
roofing felts, loudspeaker cones, panel linings and furniture padding.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Timber</SPAN></H3>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage
height=135 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Tidy_Stacks_of_Pallets.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
A stack of wooden pallets awaits reuse or
recycling.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Timber
recycling</DIV>
<P>Recycling timber has become popular due to its image as an environmentally
friendly product, with consumers commonly believing that by purchasing recycled
wood the demand for <I>green timber</I> will fall and ultimately benefit the
environment. Greenpeace also view recycled timber as an environmentally friendly
product, citing it as the most preferable timber source on their website. The
arrival of recycled timber as a construction product has been important in both
raising industry and consumer awareness towards deforestation and promoting
timber mills to adopt more environmentally friendly practices.</P>
<P>Wood recycling is a subject which has in recent years taken an ever greater
role in our lives. The problem, however, is that although many local authorities
like the idea of recycling, they do not fully support it. One of the countless
examples, which has been in the news is the concept of actually recycling wood
which is growing in the cities. Namely, recycling timber, trees and other
sources.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Other techniques</SPAN></H3>
<P>Several other materials are also commonly recycled, frequently at an
industrial level.</P>
<P>Ship
breaking is one example that has associated environmental, health, and
safety risks for the area where the operation takes place; balancing all these
considerations is an environmental justice
problem.</P>
<P>Tire
recycling is also common. Used tires can be added to asphalt for producing road surfaces or to
make rubber
mulch used on playgrounds for safety. They are also often used as the
insulation and heat absorbing/releasing material in specially constructed homes
known as earthships.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Sustainable design</SPAN></H2>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Sustainable
design</DIV>
<P>Much of the difficulty inherent in recycling comes from the fact that most
products are not designed with recycling in mind. The concept of sustainable
design aims to solve this problem, and was first laid out in the book "<I>Cradle
to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things</I>" by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart. They
suggest that every product (and all packaging they require) should have a
complete "closed-loop" cycle mapped out for each component—a way in which every
component will either return to the natural ecosystem through biodegradation or
be recycled indefinitely.</P>
<P>As with environmental economics, care must be taken to ensure a complete view
of the costs and benefits involved. For example, cardboard packaging for food
products is more easily recycled than plastic, but is heavier to ship and may
result in more waste from spoilage.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>History</SPAN></H2>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Early recycling</SPAN></H3>
<P>Recycling has been a common practice for most of human history, with recorded
advocates as far back as Plato
in 400 BC. During periods when
resources were scarce, archaeological studies of ancient waste dumps show less
household waste (such as ash, broken tools and pottery)—implying more waste was
being recycled in the absence of new material.</P>
<P>In pre-industrial times, there is
evidence of scrap bronze and other metals being collected in Europe and melted
down for perpetual reuse.
In Britain dust and ash from wood and coal fires was collected by 'dustmen' and
downcycled as a base
material used in brick making. The main driver for these types of recycling was
the economic advantage of obtaining recycled feedstock instead of acquiring
virgin material, as well as a lack of public waste removal in ever more densely
populated areas.
In 1813, Benjamin
Law developed the process of turning rags into 'shoddy' and 'mungo' wool in
Batley, Yorkshire. This material combined recycled fibres with virgin wool. The
West Yorkshire shoddy industry in towns such as Batley and Dewsbury, lasted from
the early 19c to at least the First World War.</P>
<DIV class="thumb tright">
<DIV class=thumbinner style="WIDTH: 182px"><IMG class=thumbimage height=140 alt=""
src="Recycling%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia_files/180px-Salvage.jpg"
width=180 border=0>
<DIV class=thumbcaption>
Publicity photo for US aluminium salvage campaign,
1942</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Wartime recycling</SPAN></H3>
<P>Resource shortages caused by the world wars, and other such world-changing
occurrences greatly encouraged recycling
. Massive government promotion campaigns were carried out in World War II in
every country involved in the war, urging citizens to donate metals and conserve
fibre, as a matter of significant patriotic importance. Resource conservation
programs established during the war were continued in some countries without an
abundance of natural resources, such as Japan, after the war ended.</P>
<P> </P>
<H3><SPAN class=mw-headline>Post-war recycling</SPAN></H3>
<P>The next big investment in recycling occurred in the 1970s, due to rising
energy costs. Recycling aluminum uses only 5% of the energy required by virgin
production; glass, paper and metals have less dramatic but very significant
energy savings when recycled feedstock is used.</P>
<P>Woodbury, New Jersey was the
first city in the entire United States to mandate recycling.
Led by Rose Rowan
in the early 1970s, the idea of towing a "recycling" trailer behind a waste
management vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at
the same time emerged. Other towns and cities soon followed suit, and today many
cities in the U.S. make recycling a requirement.</P>
<P>In 1987, the Mobro
4000 barge hauled garbage from New York to North Carolina; where it was denied.
It was then sent to Belize;
where it was denied as well. Finally, the barge returned to New York and the
garbage was incinerated. The incident led to heated discussions in the media
about waste disposal and recycling. The incident is often referred to as
igniting the recycling "hysteria" of the 1990s.</P>
<P> </P>
<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Criticism</SPAN></H2>
<DIV class="rellink noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: Recycling criticism</DIV>
<P>In a 1996 article in <I>The New York Times</I>, John Tierney claimed that
government mandated recycling wastes more resources than it saves.
Some highlights from the article:</P>
<UL>
<LI>In cases where recycling truly does save resources, such as with large
scraps of aluminum, this will be reflected in market prices, and voluntary
recycling will take place. Thus, there is no need for the government to
mandate it.
<LI>Tree farmers plant more trees than they cut down.
<LI>Government mandated recycling is more expensive than putting the garbage
into landfills.
<LI>Some small towns with landfills are happy to import garbage from other
cities and states because it provides jobs and tax revenue.
<LI>Today's modern landfills are much cleaner and safer, and much less likely
to leak and pollute than the landfills of the past.
<LI>Incinerators make more energy than
recycling saves. Also, some things, such as glossy paper, can't be recycled,
and it is better to burn such materials for energy.
<LI>Regarding the claim that the U.S. is running out of landfill space,
Tierney wrote, "A. Clark Wiseman, an economist at Gonzaga University in
Spokane, Washington, has calculated that if Americans keep generating garbage
at current rates for 1,000 years, and if all their garbage is put in a
landfill 100 yards (91 m) deep, by the year 3000 this national
garbage heap will fill a square piece of land 35 miles (56 km) on
each side. This doesn't seem a huge imposition in a country the size of
America. The garbage would occupy only 5 percent of the area needed for the
national array of solar panels proposed by environmentalists. The millennial
landfill would fit on one-tenth of 1 percent of the range land now available
for grazing in the continental United States. And if it still pains you to
think of depriving posterity of that 35-mile (56 km) square, remember
that the loss will be only temporary. Eventually, like previous landfills, the
mounds of trash will be covered with grass and become a minuscule addition to
the nation's 150,000 square miles (390,000 km<SUP>2</SUP>) of
parkland." </LI></UL>
<P>Tierney's article received a referenced critique from the Environmental Defense
Fund, which noted that "the article relied heavily on quotes and information
supplied by a group of consultants and think tanks that have strong ideological
objections to recycling".
In 2003, the city of Santa Clarita, California
was paying $28 per ton to put garbage into a landfill. The city then adopted a
mandatory diaper recycling program that cost $1,800 per ton.
In a 2007 article, Michael Munger, the Chair of Political Science at Duke
University, wrote, "... if recycling is more expensive than using new
materials, it can't possibly be efficient... There is a simple test for
determining whether something is a resource... or just garbage... If someone
will pay you for the item, it's a resource... But if you have to pay someone to
take the item away... then the item is garbage."
In a 2002 article for The Heartland Institute, Jerry Taylor, director of natural
resource studies at the Cato Institute, wrote, "If it costs X
to deliver newly manufactured plastic to the market, for example, but it costs
10X to deliver reused plastic to the market, we can conclude the resources
required to recycle plastic are 10 times more scarce than the resources required
to make plastic from scratch. And because recycling is supposed to be about the
conservation of resources, mandating recycling under those circumstances will do
more harm than good."
In 2002, <A title=WNYC>WNYC</A> reported that 40% of
the garbage that New York City residents separated for recycling actually ended
up in landfills.</P></DIV>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-86185347509402298582009-05-22T00:12:00.001-07:002009-05-22T00:12:22.731-07:00Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Create a Healthier Home With
Cleaning</span></h1>
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<p>Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning Gone GreenThe global climate crisis has
caused people to re-evaluate how their everyday activities affect the
environment. Whether it's individuals or multinational corporations doing right
by the environment, the same green concepts are consistent throughout: reduce,
reuse and recycle, and choose environmentally friendly products in the process.
That is also the goal of The Cleaning Authority, Inc., a leading housecleaning
service with independently owned and operated franchised locations throughout
the U.S.</p>
<p>"The Cleaning Authority provides top quality cleaning and has made the
commitment to become a more environmentally responsible housecleaning company.
It's the right thing to do and we want to make a difference by doing our part to
protect the world we live in," said Steve Robinson, CEO of The Cleaning
Authority.</p>
<p>Cleaning your home can put yourself, your children, your pets, and the
environment at risk. That's because many cleaning products are full of chemicals
harmful to the environment. Also, many individuals fail to dispose of leftover
chemical products correctly. That means chemicals make their way into the water
systems and soil of many areas.</p>
<p>The company cleans approximately 2 million homes annually, which equals
approximately 16 million drains and/or toilets that are receiving the
housecleaning chemicals. The Cleaning Authority's participating franchised
locations are committed to using Green Seal-certified (www.greenseal.org)
housecleaning chemicals, HEPA vacuums, and microfibers.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about using a cleaning service for your home, here are
some factors to consider:</p>
<p>-- Ask if they are planning to use environmentally friendly chemicals to
ensure water supplies are not tainted by harsh toxins.</p>
<p>-- Ensure they use re-usable cleaning cloths that can be tossed in a washing
machine rather than using roll after roll of paper towels while cleaning.</p>
<p>-- Think about hiring a professional cleaning service that respects the
environment. It will free up your time to spend with the family and allow you to
feel good about their service.</p>
<p>-- Ensure that the professional housecleaners are trained, bonded and
insured. For more information on The Cleaning Authority, or to schedule an
in-home estimate, visit green.thecleaningauthority.com. Not all of The Cleaning
Authority locations will use Green Seal certified products for housecleaning
services. Contact your local franchised location to determine what types of
housecleaning products and services are offered in your area.</p>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-81146925923379857972009-05-22T00:10:00.001-07:002009-05-22T00:10:56.399-07:00Manage Green at the Office<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Manage Green at the Office</span></h1>
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<p>The campaign for "going green" has grown considerably over the last 12
months. As fuel prices, utility bills, and even the cost of food have risen
dramatically over that span, more and more people have begun to seek ways to
reduce those costs and to do so in an environmentally friendly way.</p>
<p>Ways to individually help the environment are numerous, as many people have
begun driving less, turning lights off when a room isn't in use, and even
wasting less when it comes to food. But going green can also be done on a much
grander scale, as offices across the country are beginning to embrace a more
environmentally conscious way of conducting business. Offices looking to go
green will find that the following tips not only help the environment, but often
the bottom line as well.</p>
<p>* Replace desktop computers with laptops: Desktop computers are not very
efficient, using far more energy than laptops. A laptop computer helps the
environment in two noticeable ways. First and foremost, laptops use less energy
than dekstops. Secondly, laptops can be used both in the office and at home,
allowing workers to telecommute more effectively, which will lessen reliance on
oil and help reduce air pollution as less people will be driving to work each
day.</p>
<p>* Reduce paper usage: Perhaps nothing is more wasteful in most offices than
paper usage. Unnecessary use of paper adds hundreds of pounds of waste each
year. In lieu of printing documents, embrace e-mail as a more environmentally
(not to mention faster) way of sharing documents. In addition, if sending
invoices to clients, e-mail them as a means of saving paper as well as saving on
costs associated with postage.</p>
<p>* Provide coffee mugs to employees: Disposable paper cups and plates are
another major source of office waste. In lieu of paper cups, provide employees
with resusable coffee mugs or suggest they bring in their own. </p>
<p>* Recycle appliances: Many appliances can be recycled or donated to charity
even if they're no longer useful to a business. Old cell phones, for example,
can be refurbished and given to low-income families. The same can be said for
older computers. Rather than discarding such items, recycle them and help the
environment while helping the less fortunate as well.</p>
<p>* Use water filters on kitchen taps: Companies that provide bottled water to
their employees are thoughtful in doing so, but there's a more environmentally
friendly way to provide employees with clean drinking water. Put a water filter
on taps rather than offering bottled water, which produces large numbers of
wasteful containers.</p>
<p>* Turn the lights off at the end of the day: While most offices turn lights
off at the end of the day, dimmer lights typically stay on, which is often an
unnecessary step to take. If dimmers must be left on, set them on a timer so
even they are turned off later at night when the last employee has typically
gone home for the day.</p>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-70598359485497701632009-05-22T00:09:00.001-07:002009-05-22T00:09:42.673-07:00Everyday Ways to Positively Impact the Environment<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Everyday Ways to Positively
Impact the Environment</span></h1>
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<p>When it comes to the environment, it's easy and understandable to get a
feeling of helplessness. Issues such as global warming seem so overwhelming it's
hard to imagine an individual having an impact that can lessen the blow of
pollution and other damage and directly benefit the environment. </p>
<p>As daunting as some of these issues can seem, there are things individuals
can do on a daily basis that, if practiced on a broad scale, can prove very
beneficial to the environment and paint a very different picture of the world
we'll leave for our children and our children's children.</p>
<p>* Recycle. While it seems hard to believe some communities still don't have a
system of recycling in place, it's true. Paper, plastics, glass, and other waste
can be recycled even in communities where no system is in place. If you must,
recycle such items on your own and make a monthly trip to a nearby recycling
center to drop them off. In the case of some items, such as glass bottles, you
might even be financially rewarded for your good deeds. If your community does
have a recycling system, make sure you and all members of your household follow
its guidelines. </p>
<p>* Unplug appliances. An average household boasts 25 consumer electronics
products. That's a lot of energy being used on a daily basis. What's more, many
of those products are even using energy when they're supposedly "off." That's
because the average consumer electronics product has a standby mode, in which
the products aren't in use but also aren't turned off. </p>
<p>The United States Department of Energy says standby products typically add
$28 to the average annual household power bill. While that's hardly cause for
alarm to most families, when considering the millions of households across the
country, these numbers add up significantly, with the environment paying the
steepest price of all. To combat standby products wasting so much energy, unplug
these products when they're not in use. </p>
<p>* Get creative. When it comes to helping to the environment, there really is
no limit to the ways in which an individual can contribute. Nearly everything we
do impacts the environment, be it positively or negatively. Something as simple
as mailing a greeting card, for example, can negatively impact the environment.
While it seems a simple, friendly gesture, a greeting card is made out of paper,
as is the envelope used to mail it. There's no guarantee such items will be
recycled, and even if they are, there are other options for those who don't want
to mail a paper card and envelope. Web sites offering free e-greetings exist. If
you do choose paper cards, look for ones with recycled paper content. This will
help save the environment by using less paper.</p>
<p>Other creative ways to positively impact the environment include collecting
rain water to water flowers; using bird feeders to attract birds that will feed
on insects and pests, hence lessening the need for pesticides; and using a
walter filter on tap water instead of buying bottled water in plastic bottles.</p>
<p>* Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Paper and plastic bags at the
grocery store are very wasteful. Many grocery chains now sell reusable cloth
bags to carry groceries. Such bags are inexpensive, and simply require you take
them along each time you go to the grocery store.</p>
<p>* Don't use throw-away items. Paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, and
plastic cups might be convenient, but that doesn't make them beneficial to the
environment. Rather than using paper towels in the kitchen, purchase an extra
cloth hand towel or two that can be washed and used time and again instead of
discarded after one use like a paper towel. In addition, purchase an inexpensive
set of reusable utensils for parties or barbecues rather than using plastic
knives, forks and spoons that are good for just one use.</p>
<p>* Turn the faucet off. Gallons upon gallons of water are wasted by the
average person on any given day. Toilets are used as garbage cans to flush
tissues and towels, wasting an average of 6 gallons of water per flush. In
addition, most people leave the faucet running while brushing their teeth or
shaving. Keep faucets off while brushing your teeth, and when shaving, heat up
water and place the hot water in a bowl to use as you shave instead of keeping
the faucet running and wasting more water.</p>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-22094947070318453042009-05-22T00:05:00.000-07:002009-05-22T00:07:22.341-07:00Going Green Continues to Grow<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Going Green Continues to Grow</span></h1>
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<p> </p>
<p>As "going green" has quickly become a worldwide mantra in just a few years, it
seems that many other people are realizing what early environmental pioneers already
knew: that the earth is a resource worth sustaining.</p>
<p>Long before there were hybrid cars or ethanol fuel, there was a concept at the
forefront of the green movement. It simply involved planting trees to benefit the
earth and the people and animals that inhabit it. Today, planting trees and replenishing
the greenery on the planet remains a viable way to improve air quality, reduce carbon
footprints, improve animal habitats and wildlife preserves, change your landscape
for the better, and produce many other positive results. Aside from going out and
planting a tree yourself, you can also support the companies and organizations that
also give back to the earth. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: 14pt">Plant for the Planet</span></b></p>
<p>When Yves Rocher was first established in 1959, the company was a pioneer in
the way it viewed sustainable resources, plants and active botanical ingredients
that went into its beauty and grooming lines. Preserving nature has always been
Yves Rocher's mandate, and nearly 50 years later they're still a trailblazer when
it comes to thinking green. The company's newest objective as part of conservation
observances is a commitment to plant one million trees across the globe over the
next three years in an initiative started by the United Nations Environment Programme
called Plant for the Planet. One way that consumers can help the company do so is
by purchasing the popular Inositol Vegetal line, which includes Inositol Vegetal
Day, Night and Total Radiance treatment. The peel renew action of the Inositol treatments
involves a unique combination of botanical active ingredients for a gradual resurfacing
of the skin. The skin is gradually freed of all imperfections, producing a smooth
surface, which reflects maximum light. When it's time to replenish your Inositol
supply, simply purchase a Inositol Vegetal Day, Night and Total Radiance refill,
to save on product and packaging waste. With each refill purchase, one tree will
be planted as part of the Plant for the Planet campaign.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: 14pt">Make an Impact</span></b></p>
<p>There are many other ways you can help the environment and preserve nature's
countless resources.</p>
<p>* Educate children about conservation and respecting the planet. Children are
the next generation of individuals who will be responsible for protecting the earth.
Mold and instruct these youngsters so environmentalism will be second nature.</p>
<p>* It's one thing for a company to state that they're environmentally friendly.
Research companies before you become a consumer and find out if these companies
really stand behind their green messages.</p>
<p>* Think about what goes into making a product and what waste can be avoided.
Choose products that are moderately packaged and include recyclable or renewable
materials in their makeup.</p>
<p>* Some of the best "remedies," "cosmetic breakthroughs," and health/beauty items
are all derived from natural concepts. Think about ways to use natural products
instead of chemical-laden items throughout your everyday life. Examples include
vinegar for cleaning windows, lemon for cutting through greasy foods, baking soda
for deodorizing, plant botanicals for improving skin appearance and texture, etc.</p>
<p>* Small changes add up. By taking several small steps toward a healthier planet,
everyone can make a difference.</p>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-1883799914713542022009-05-21T22:48:00.001-07:002009-05-21T22:48:27.894-07:00Learning About Carbon Footprints<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Learning About Carbon
Footprints</span></h1>
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<p>When the topic of conversation inevitably turns toward the state of the
environment, the term "carbon footprint" is frequently uttered. While many
people nod their heads in comprehension, many do not have a clue what "carbon
footprint" actually means.</p>
<p>When the words "carbon footprint" are used, they indicate a measurement of
the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil
fuels. The carbon footprint applies in the case of an organization, business or
enterprise -- as part of their everyday operations or, in the case of an
individual or household, as part of their daily lives. Basically it is the
impact people have on the environment based on the levels of greenhouse gases
produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.</p>
<p>According to CarbonFootprint.com, a carbon footprint is made up of the sum of
two parts, the direct/primary footprint and the indirect/secondary footprint. 1.
The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emission of CO2 from the
burning of fossil fuels, including domestic energy consumption and
transportation (e.g. cars and planes).</p>
<p>2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from
the whole life cycle of products we use -- those associated with their
manufacture and eventual breakdown.</p>
<p>A typical person's carbon footprint features a similar breakdown. Home
heating and cooling needs, electricity usage and travel needs make up the
largest shares of the carbon footprint pie. Recreation and leisure, as well as
use of public services make up other high areas of impact.</p>
<p><b>Reduction of the Footprint</b></p>
<p>The goal of being informed about a carbon footprint is to reduce it. Reducing
a primary footprint involves finding more environmentally friendly methods of
running the household, including energy-efficient heating/cooling systems,
conserving electricity and water usage, etc. Reducing a secondary footprint
requires a little more thought, especially when it applies to consumer
purchases. Think about how items are manufactured and from where they are
imported. Avoid goods shipped from far distances or those packaged in a lot of
excess wrapping. These things contribute more to a carbon footprint. In the
majority of areas in the United States, Canada and Europe the water is safe to
drink. So simply eliminating bottled water from your lifestyle can help reduce a
carbon footprint as well.</p>
<p><b>Carbon Offsetting</b></p>
<p>In addition to reducing your carbon footprint, there are ways to offset the
levels of CO2 in the environment. One of the easiest things for a typical family
to do so is surround themselves with more "green," and not the kind stored in a
wallet. Trees, shrubs and other plants absorb CO2 for life and expel oxygen. The
more trees and plants planted, the better the environment will be. It is
estimated that one broad leaf tree will absorb approximately 730kg (1650 pounds)
of carbon dioxide during the course of its life (approximately 100 years).</p>
<p>Not only does planting greenery improve the air and environment, it also
provides wildlife habitats and makes for a better quality of living.</p>Earth Green Earth 911http://www.blogger.com/profile/05845214768814296806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-20758738316410847152009-05-21T21:56:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:56:58.767-07:00Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'</span></h1>
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<p>Spring is the season most often associated with a new beginning. After a
winter spent braving the winter cold, the spring season is a time to get up and
go and enjoy all that nature has to offer.</p>
<p>One of the more common things associated with spring is spring cleaning, a
time when people rid themselves of clutter and get around to those projects
they've been putting off for months. But spring can also be a time for spring
"greening," where homeowners take a new approach to some household chores in an
effort to help do their part for the environment. Fortunately, there are many
easy ways to help the environment without having to expend too much energy. *
Let nature do your drying: Even the most environmentally-friendly dryers use a
significant amount of energy. While some items require using the dryer in order
to dry properly, others can dry just as well when hung on a backyard
clothesline. Bed linens and even towels will dry effectively on a sunny spring
day, and you'll notice a dip in the energy bill to boot.</p>
<p>* Part ways with paper towels: Disposable items that you use only once and
then throw away are very damaging to the environment. Instead of paper towels,
use dish towels for spills and keep extras around the kitchen to be ready for
potential spills. Also, use china instead of paper plates. Since spring is a
time when backyard barbecues begin again, stock up on reusable plastic plates so
the next barbecue can be both fun and environmentally friendly.</p>
<p>* Ready yourself for the rain: Spring is a time for rejuvenation, but it's
also a time for rain. While most people aren't fond of the spring rains, they do
present a good opportunity to help the environment. Rather than let rain run out
of the gutters and into a nearby drain, consider placing a rain barrel at the
bottom spout of your gutters. Rain water will accumulate in the barrel, and that
water can then be reused to water plants and flowers on days when it isn't
raining. While it might seem minor, it will save a substantial amount of water
in the long run.</p>
<p>* Replace the light bulbs: Understandably, many people prefer brighter bulbs
in the winter months, when the sun is not out as long and homes are darker as a
result. However, once daylight savings time comes in the spring, consider
replacing high wattage bulbs with either lower wattage models or, ideally,
energy efficient bulbs. When such bulbs are combined with the increased
sunlight, you won't even notice the difference.</p>
<p>* Organize your errands: Because spring is so commonly used as a time for
fixing up around the house, there always seems to be an excess of errands to
run. Rather than making several small trips, however, take time to write down
the day's errands and tackle them all at once. This will not only save on gas,
but it will save you lots of time, too.</p>
<p>* Ride to work: Now that the weather's warming up, if you live close to your
office consider riding your bike to work rather than driving. Like other
environmentally friendly practices, riding your bike to work has dual benefits,
helping the environment out while simultaneously providing a good source of
exercise.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-56832713546366221672009-05-21T21:55:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:55:41.753-07:00Did You Know?<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 22pt">Did You Know?</span></h1>
<span style="font-size: 14pt">You can think green when shopping.</span><p>
<span style="font-size: 14pt">One of the easiest ways to help the environment
while shopping is to buy items in the largest size your household will use.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt">For example, instead of buying individual
servings of cereal or yogurt, think about buying larger boxes or containers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt">Small sizes of items typically use more
packaging for each ounce of product than larger sizes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt">Smaller sizes may also be more expensive when
compared side-by-side to the total net weight or quantity of larger packages.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt">So shopping in bulk can actually save money and
the environment, to boot.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-9398175621378795432009-05-21T21:54:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:54:17.572-07:00Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover</span></h1>
<table style="margin: 3px 15px 0px 0px;" align="left">
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.toledoblade.com/digitalmedia/ads/think-green/images/content/TF07A036s.jpg" width="200" height="200"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>It has often been said that the future of the "green" movement is in the
hands of the world's youth. That being the case, are you ready to step up to the
challenge? Eco-conscious students just settling in to colleges and universities
can outfit their dorm rooms in ways that are environmentally friendly.</p>
<p>Reuse: The first step to being earth-conscious is to limit waste going into
landfills. One of the simplest ways to do so is to look for secondhand goods
that can get a new lease on life in your dorm room. Search the attic or basement
at your parents' home for things that are gathering dust but may work well in
your dorm or off-campus housing. It's chic to borrow styles from years past, so
those kitschy chairs or funky framed pictures could look fabulous in your space.</p>
<p>Recycle: There are so many manufacturers getting on the green bandwagon these
days, making it easier to find products that are made from recycled or
all-natural materials. From recycled rubber bulletin boards, to hemp rugs and
bamboo sheet sets, buy eco-friendly whenever possible. You can also turn other
items that would end up in the trash into great decor for the room. Think about
making collages from old magazine pictures. Turn old T-shirts into throw
pillows. The ideas are endless.</p>
<p>Unplug: It's hard to live without the electronics you've grown used to. So if
you're bringing them along, plug phones, MP3s, and other rechargeable devices
into a power strip that you can easily turn off at the touch of a button. This
way you're not draining energy when you're not at home.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-83187852559123475462009-05-21T21:52:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:53:44.640-07:00Go Lean and Green<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Go Lean and Green With Multipurpose, High
Performing, Earth Friendly Products</span></h1>
<table style="margin: 3px 15px 0px 0px;" align="left">
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.toledoblade.com/digitalmedia/ads/think-green/images/content/SH082473Bs.jpg" width="200" height="200"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>Most of us are overstocked with stuff to keep our homes looking good and
operating efficiently. An inventory of most garages or basements would reveal an
amazing number of cans of leftover paint, cleansers and repair materials like
adhesives, caulks, sealants, lawn and garden fertilizers, pesticides and
herbicides, etc. Many are toxic and must be disposed of with care. </p>
<p>How can we maintain our homes well while protecting our environment? Experts
say you can reduce toxic impact by taking a few simple steps. </p>
<p>* Use simple, non toxic solutions wherever possible, like vinegar and water
for cleaning windows, floors and other surfaces; rubbing alcohol for removing
sticky substances; or an adhesive low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs).</p>
<p>* If you aren't sure how to properly dispose of unused or partially empty
containers, contact the manufacturer or local disposal company.</p>
<p>* Choose products that have minimum packaging -- and check to see that it is
recyclable.</p>
<p>* Choose products that can be used successfully in many situations and on
many materials. This reduces the number of products needed for the same basic
job -- like cleaning surfaces. There are surface cleansers specifically designed
for each of these materials: granite, ceramic, stainless steel, plastic, glass,
rubber, and so on. It's easy to end up with six or seven different surface
cleaning products cluttering your supply cabinets.</p>
<p>Adhesives also tend to be marketed for specific applications. There's a glue
just for PVC pipe or another one just for paper. A quick survey of your home
will probably reveal at least six different adhesives from white glue to "super"
glues to glues designed for specific materials (wood, ceramic, plastic, etc.)
Many are toxic and overpackaged with non-recyclable materials. </p>
<p>Look for companies like Eclectic Products, Inc., who have developed a glue
for people who want an adhesive that is able to bond with industrial strength to
almost any material indoors and out. Amazing EcoGlueTM manages to outperform
even the popular urethane glues that foam when applied, yet it is
environmentally safe (less than 1 percent volatile organic compounds) for you
and your family. It is a water-based adhesive with virtually no hazardous air
pollutants and no animal derivatives. Even the bottle and packaging are 100
percent recyclable.</p>
<p>Amazing EcoGlue is simple to use and requires no mixing or special tools. It
dries to a tough film with exceptional water resistance. Use it on most anything
with confidence. It performs with excellence on almost any material, including
wood, stone, ceramic, glass, cloth, Styrofoam(R) and more. It also works
particularly well on projects or repairs involving wood. This is an
earth-friendly adhesive that can keep the whole house in shape. </p>
<p>Eclectic Products, Inc. is headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, the top U.S.
Green City in 2006 as reported by the Green Guide. For more information, contact
Eclectic Products at 1-800-767- 4667 or visit our "house" at
www.eclecticproducts.com/ecoglue/uses.htm to see all the things you can do
inside and out with Amazing EcoGlueTM.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-80727482461874994362009-05-21T21:50:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:50:31.527-07:00Resolutions<h2 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Resolutions<!-- #EndEditable --></span></h2>
<!-- #BeginEditable "Content" -->
<h3>California Department of Conservation
Announces its Top Ten 'Green Resolutions' for
the New Year</h3>
<p>Commitments That Can Really Make a Difference for the Environment</p>
<p>Whether it's the season for New Year's resolutions or not, California
Department of Conservation has a few suggestions and small changes that can make
huge impacts on the health of the environment.</p>
<p>The following resolutions include useful tips about how to "be green" all
year round. By committing to even a few of these resolutions, we can help the
environment have a happy new year.</p>
<ol>
<li>Look for Recycling Opportunities: Just finished drinking a bottle of
water? Instead of throwing it in the trash, look for the nearest recycling
bin, or hold onto your beverage containers until you find a recycling center
or get home to your curbside bin. With 2.8 million water bottles alone going
into the trash each day in California, every container you recycle makes a
difference. Call your city or county recycling program or visit
<a target="_blank" rel="external" href="http://www.bottlesandcans.com">
www.bottlesandcans.com</a> to learn more.</li>
<li>Ask for Recycling By Name: Does it ever seem like there aren't enough
recycling bins in California? You're right and you can help change that. If
your gas station or convenience store doesn't have a recycling bin, ask for
one. If you ask for recycling opportunities, you'll get them (it's easier
than you think). At the office? Start an office-wide recycling campaign, or
put a bin next to your trash can for beverage containers and paper. The CRV
money collected from most beverage containers can help your company reduce
costs. Call 1-800-RECYCLE or visit
<a target="_blank" rel="external" href="http://www.bottlesandcans.com">
www.bottlesandcans.com</a> to learn more.</li>
<li>Remember the Other Important "R's" - Reduce and Reuse: Help to lessen
the amount of waste by buying items that use little or no packaging, or
"buying in bulk" which reduces unnecessary and excessive packaging. Also,
find ways to use items over and over again, such as refilling a water
bottle. </li>
<li>Buy Products Made From Recycled Materials: Resolve to "buy green" by
purchasing at least one recycled-content product on a regular basis, such as
paper towels or computer paper. Look for the recycling symbol (or "made from
post-consumer material") on a wide range of products. There is a growing
array of new products made from recycled beverage containers including
backyard planter boxes and fleece clothing.</li>
<li>Make Your Home a Toxic-Free Environment: Keep your home healthy by
reducing unnecessary toxic chemicals. Paints, solvents and other chemicals
should be disposed of safely, not flushed down the toilet or poured down the
drain. Did you know baking soda and vinegar substitute as great all-purpose
cleaners? Other non-toxic household cleaners can be found at many stores.
Cut down on pesticides and fertilizers in your garden and you'll limit what
gets washed into rivers, bays and the ocean.</li>
<li>Get Out of the Car One Day a Week: Resolve to spare the air. Carpool,
use public transportation or bicycle. Using alternative transportation a day
or two a week is manageable, and getting out from behind the wheel can be
relaxing. Plus, riding a bike fulfills the annual resolution to exercise
more.</li>
<li>Start a Compost Pile to Feed Your Garden: Convert those yard clippings
and vegetable peelings and even coffee grounds into nature's fertilizer for
your garden. Home composters can be found at most home and garden centers.
Many counties now offer discounted rates for home composters and many more
counties take yard clipping "donations" for municipal compost piles that
provide soil for local parks. Call your city or county for more information
or visit
<a target="_blank" rel="external" href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/HomeCompost/">
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/HomeCompost/</a> to learn about composting
at home.</li>
<li>Enjoy the Great Outdoors: Visit a local, state or national park. Take
some time to appreciate California's world-class natural areas. Get to know
some of the parks in your area and beyond. Ask about volunteer opportunities
or special nature programs geared toward kids.</li>
<li>Go Local - Volunteer in Your Community: Resolve to improve your hometown
environment. Sign up for the local clean-up day, tree-planting effort or
community garden. Take your kids to a neighborhood creek restoration effort
to show them what an ecosystem is all about. Volunteer at a local park.
Adopt your own space and turn it green.</li>
<li>Conserve Energy: Cut your monthly energy bills 30 percent by replacing
old equipment in your home with state-of-the-art Energy Star products. Get
going on those energy-efficient home improvements you've been putting off
all year. Turn off lights when you leave a room and keep the thermostat at
70 degrees or lower in cold weather months, 78 degrees or higher in the warm
weather months. For more tips on conserving energy, visit
<a target="_blank" rel="external" href="http://www.fypower.org/">
http://www.fypower.org/</a>.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-26876295262148088152009-05-21T21:49:00.001-07:002009-05-21T21:49:49.327-07:00Green Decoration<h2 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Green Decoration</span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt">Trimming the Tree<!-- #EndEditable --></span></h2>
<!-- #BeginEditable "Content" -->
<img src="http://www.greengiftguide.com/images/cube_decorate_trimming.gif" alt="Trimming the Tree" class="photo" width="150" height="123">
<p>When it comes to trees, you have plenty of
beautiful options. With live trees you can have
a tree to enjoy year-round. Ask your local
nursery which trees grow best in your area.
Artificial trees are cost effective and they can
be reused year after year. Cut trees are
beautiful. But be sure to have yours composted
instead of sending it to a landfill.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt">Wrapping Presents<!-- #EndEditable --></span></h2>
<!-- #BeginEditable "Content" -->
<img src="http://www.greengiftguide.com/images/cube_decorate_wrapping.gif" alt="Wrapping Presents" class="photo" width="150" height="123">
<p>For gift wrapping, you can start your own
recycling program. Use old posters, comics,
colorful shopping bags, even old maps. When you
receive gifts, be sure to save the ribbons and
bows.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt">Entertaining<!-- #EndEditable --></span></h2>
<!-- #BeginEditable "Content" -->
<img src="http://www.greengiftguide.com/images/cube_decorate_entertaining.gif" alt="Entertaining" class="photo" width="150" height="123">
<p>When planning festivities, these simple tips
are designed to make it easy to be planet
friendly:</p>
<ol>
<li>Make it easy for your guests to recycle at gatherings.</li>
<li>Use plates, glasses and cutlery that can be washed and re-used.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-59733077015393430852009-05-21T21:35:00.001-07:002009-05-26T02:04:27.763-07:00Waste Reduction<h1 align="center"><span style="font-size: 20pt">Waste Reduction</span><!-- #EndEditable --></h1>
<!-- #BeginEditable "MainContent" -->
<p>Waste reduction (or prevention) is the preferred approach to waste management
because waste that never gets created doesn't have any associated waste
management costs.</p>
<p>An example of waste reduction is reducing unnecessary packaging from
manufactured products and produce. If this excess packaging were never produced
in the first place, no one would have to be concerned with the cost and effort
of collecting the excess packaging, separating it for recycling, breaking it
down, transporting it to manufacturers, and then integrating the recycled
materials back into the manufacturing process.</p>
<p>Waste reduction also helps conserve resources for future generations and
contributes to a cleaner environment. Find out more about reducing waste through
the following CIWMB sites.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><a name="General"><font size="4">General</font></a><font size="4"> Information</font></h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WPW/">Waste Prevention World</a>.</strong>
A site about doing more with less, with information for individuals, businesses,
and governments on a wide range of waste reduction topics.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPR/">Extended Producer
Responsibility and Stewardship</a>.</strong> Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
is a strategy to place a shared responsibility for end-of-life product
management on the producers, and all entities involved in the product chain,
instead of the general public; while encouraging product design changes that
minimize a negative impact on human health and the environment at every stage of
the product's lifecycle.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WPW/Coordinator/">Waste
Reduction/Recycling Coordinator Information and Resources</a>.</strong>
Materials and assistance to help you set up and operate a successful waste
reduction program in your business, office, or locality.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><a name="Materials"><font size="4">Specific Materials</font></a></h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Packaging/">Packaging Waste
Reduction</a>.</strong> Every year Californians generate 66 million tons of
solid waste, of which approximately one third is packaging. Because landfill
space is limited, retailers and manufacturers need to work together to reduce
packaging waste.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Paper/Prevention/">Paper Waste
Prevention.</a></strong> Prevention is the most environmentally preferable means
to reduce paper waste. Printing paper on both sides of the sheet—rather than on
one side—is a classic example of paper waste prevention, as it can reduce the
need for paper by up to 50 percent. Paper waste prevention reduces the
environmental impacts associated with both paper manufacture (including the
demands on our forest resources) and paper recycling.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2><a name="Venues"><font size="4">Specific Venues</font></a></h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/BizWaste/">Business Waste Reduction</a>.</strong>
Preventing waste conserves resources, prevents pollution, and saves money. It's
just good business sense!</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/WPW/Home/">Waste Prevention at Home</a>.</strong>
Information on how you can reduce waste at home, including junk mail, holiday
waste, and yard/garden waste.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools/WasteReduce/">School Waste
Reduction and Recycling</a>.</strong> Schools can help communities reduce their
waste, while saving money and teaching kids valuable lessons.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-14213466302291329452009-05-21T21:32:00.000-07:002009-05-21T21:33:18.819-07:00Give Green by Decking the Halls<h1><span style="font-size: 20pt">"Give Green" by Decking the Halls with Less
Waste This Year!<!-- #EndEditable --></span></h1>
<!-- #BeginEditable "MainContent" -->
<table id="table4" style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the
United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. It is
estimated that between Thanksgiving and the New Year an extra million
tons of waste are generated nationwide each week. In fact, 38,000 miles
of ribbon alone is thrown out each year--enough to tie a bow around the
Earth!<p>As part of its ongoing efforts to reach a Zero Waste
California, the California Integrated Waste Management Board would like
to help you cut the amount of trash you put out at the curb during the
upcoming holiday season and is your one-stop site for all the simple
steps you will need towards keeping holiday waste out of landfills.
These pages are loaded with useful tips on reducing holiday waste. For
more information, please e-mail the Board's Office of Public Affairs, or
call us at (916) 341-6300.</p>
<p>Video: CIWMB information officers Jamie Cameron-Harley and Beatriz
Sandoval being interviewed by Walt Gray of KCRA-Channel 3 with
waste-reduction tips for the holiday season.</td>
<td><br>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/Child2.jpg" align="right" border="0" width="200" height="200"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<h2>Holiday Waste Reduction Tips</h2>
<table id="table5" style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/WoodItems.jpg" alt="RecycleStore products--wooden trees and birdhouse." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>RecycleStore</i>--Showcases
innovative recycled-content products and puts you in touch directly with
their manufacturers.</td>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/Gift.gif" alt="Person about to open a gift box." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>It's
Time to Open the Gifts</i>--While opening the gifts, here are a few
hints to get you through the mountains of ribbon, stuffing, and
wrapping.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/Batteries.gif" alt="Rechargeable batteries." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>Rechargeable
Batteries</i>--Your presents include personal electronics and talking
furry friends? Be sure to stock up on rechargeables, a great gift idea
that keeps giving even after the holidays.</td>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/Tree.gif" alt="Tree in the snow with lit holiday lights." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>Christmas
Tree Recycling</i>--Once the big day has passed and the ornaments are
safely packed away for next year, there's just one thing left to do.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/ToolBox.gif" alt="Toolbox" align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>No
Waste Gift-Giving/Gift-Wrapping Ideas</i>--A few ideas and suggestions
on alternative gift wrapping and gift-giving.</td>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/eRecycle.gif" alt="eRecycle.org icon with a Santa hat." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>eRecycle</i>--I
was so good this year that I got a new plasma TV, PDA (personal digital
assistant), and flat screen monitor. What should I as a consumer do with
my used electronics?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/2006/FingerTie.gif" alt="Hand with a ribbon tied to a finger." align="left" border="1" width="90" height="90"><i>Waste
Prevention in Gift Wrapping</i>--Breaking the "gift wrap" habit isn't
easy, so here are 10 simple ideas to get you started.
</td>
<td>
<img src="http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publiced/Holidays/images/CanvasBag.jpg" alt="Canvas Bag" align="left" border="0" width="90" height="90">Shop,
shop, shop--What can you do so you're not left holding the plastic bag?
It's simple! Here are five helpful ways to get those plastic shopping
bags out of the environment.</td>
</tr>
</table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-21210592886911198682009-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:002009-05-21T21:30:11.833-07:00Facts & Tips<h2>Facts & Tips<!-- #EndEditable --></h2>
<!-- #BeginEditable "Content" -->
<p>In 2007, Californians alone threw more than 7
billion bottles and cans in the trash instead of
the recycling bin. Here are some recycling facts
and tips to help you think twice before trashing
your recyclable beverage containers.</p>
<h3>Recycling Facts:</h3>
<ul>
<li>An average California household throws away over 34 pounds of plastic
water and soda bottles each year.</li>
<li>Every 90 days a recycled aluminum can makes its way back on the shelf as
something useful. </li>
<li>80-100 years - that's the lifespan of an aluminum can that gets tossed
into the trash instead of a recycling bin. </li>
<li>700 years - that's how long a trashed plastic bottle will sit in a
landfill taking up space and refusing to degrade. </li>
<li>1 Million Years - Put a glass bottle in a landfill and that's how long
it'll sit there doing nothing. Recycle it and it can live forever.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Products Made from Recycled Bottles and Cans:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Plastic - recycled material products made from Plastic Bottles:
<ul>
<li>T-shirts: Fourteen 20 oz.
plastic bottles yield enough fiber
for an extra large T-shirt.</li>
<li>Carpet: It takes 14 20 oz.
plastic bottles to make one square
foot of carpet.</li>
<li>Fleece Sweater: It takes 63 20
oz. plastic bottles to make a
sweater.</li>
<li>Jacket Fiberfill: Fourteen 20
oz. plastic bottles yield enough
fiberfill for a ski jacket.</li>
<li>Sleeping Bag Fiberfill: It takes
85 20 oz. plastic bottles to make
enough fiberfill for a sleeping bag.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Glass - recycled material products made from Glass Bottles:
<ul>
<li>Glassware</li>
<li>New glass containers</li>
<li>Decorative home decor </li>
<li>Fiberglass Insulation</li>
<li>Tile</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Aluminum - recycled material products made from Aluminum Cans:
<ul>
<li>Picture frames</li>
<li>Decorative home decor:
Bowls, vases, etc.</li>
<li>Baseball bats</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-44121586633988317642009-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:002009-05-21T20:59:33.487-07:00Make it a Green Holiday Season<H1 align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Make it<BR>A Green
Holiday Season</SPAN></H1>The holidays are a time for giving.
Everyone should add the earth to their holiday gift lists.
<P>Holiday time can be a season of joy, but also a season of excess.
This makes it all the more important for the public to make
conservation efforts whenever it is possible. Having a happy holiday
can also mean having a green holiday. Here are some ideas for
furthering green efforts.</P>
<P>Trimming green: Christmas trees and wreaths are a big part of
holiday decor. Depending upon whether a person chooses an artificial
variety or a real one, smart usage and disposal are key. On the
surface it would seem real trees are more environmentally friendly.
But once the season is over, discarded trees become a large part of
landfill material. Also, some people fail to remove all of the
plastic ornaments or lights from trees, and this can be an
environmental hazard. Live trees can be beneficial if they are
composted after the season and used for landscaping purposes.
Artificial trees are made from plastic, which is a product of oil.
Making these trees and other plastic products will produce carbon
emissions and other environmental contaminants. However, artificial
decor can be reused every year. When lighting up the home, be
conscious of energy usage. Less could be more in these situations,
especially if it helps the environment.</P>
<P>Wrapping green: Wrapping paper, ribbon, cards and bows are
beautiful to look at. But they accumulate to tons of waste.
According to Green Star, if every family reused just two feet of
holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow
around the entire planet. And approximately 2.65 billion Christmas
cards are sold each year in the U.S. These cards could fill a
football field 10 stories high. Reusing wrapping paper, ribbons and
bows is a good way to reduce waste. Save holiday cards from last
year and use the decorative front of the card as a label for this
year's gifts. Also, think about skipping wrapping paper for reusable
items such as stockings, gift bags, fabric and any other materials
from around the house.</P>
<P>Entertaining green: What would the holidays be without parties,
dinners and company? Avoiding excess waste at these functions can
make them more environmentally friendly. Work with vendors and sites
that use linens and china to avoid disposable serviceware waste.
Plan food and beverages wisely so that there isn't much left over.
Reports indicate that more than 100 pounds of extra food per person
is disposed of each year. Encourage people to take home leftovers if
there are any, or donate it to places that feed the needy. Ask
people to carpool to events to save on fuel and car emissions. Plus,
recycle whenever possible to reduce excess trash.</P>
<P>Giving green: People can give gifts that encourage others to
conserve resources and think about waste prevention. Gifts to the
movies, shows, spas, or vacations will be put to good use and may
not end up as trinkets cluttering up someone's house or put out with
the trash. Think about donating to a charity or another cause in the
person's honor. However, don't follow in the footsteps of Seinfeld's
George Costanza and pretend to donate to a fictitious charity just
to save a few bucks.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379287559213553362.post-7117079134027933752009-05-13T23:48:00.000-07:002009-05-14T03:08:54.970-07:00Think Green<div id="flash_container">
<p align="center"><b><font size="5" color="#00240C">Transforming Waste:</font></b></p>
<p> </div>
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<b><font size="4">1. Landfill Gas to Energy</font></b><p> </div>
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Waste Management creates clean, renewable energy from ordinary waste.<p>
Landfill gas is a renewable energy source. Waste Management's landfill
gas-to-energy projects generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes
every day. That offsets almost 2 million tons of coal per year. These
projects also reduce emissions of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere
– an added bonus for our environment. Waste Management currently has 110
landfill gas-to-energy facilities and is working toward a widespread
implementation for the future.</div>
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<p><b><font size="4">2. Waste-to-Energy</font></b></p>
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The average person generates 4.5 pounds of waste per day. We reuse it to
generate power.<p>Wheelabrator is a waste-to-energy technology that converts
solid waste into clean, renewable electric power. Since the 1970s,
Wheelabrator facilities have turned over 145 million tons of municipal solid
waste into 75 billion kilowatt-hours of energy. That's enough to power
700,000 homes EVERY day.</p>
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<p><b><font size="4">3. Recycling</font></b></p>
<p>Today, as natural resources become scarcer and manufacturing costs rise,
recycling is more important than ever. That's why Waste Management is making
recycling easier than ever. </p>
<p>We're working to find the most efficient and forward-thinking approach to
waste. With the help of citizens like you, all of us can help protect the
environment and improve the quality of life on the planet we share.</p>
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<p><b>Recycling World</b></p>
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Last year we recycled enough paper to save 41 million trees.<p>Waste
Management provides environmentally friendly, cost-efficient,
recycling solutions to households, businesses, and municipalities
across the U.S. and Canada. Through its 109 material recovery
facilities, WM processes more than 5.5 million tons of recyclables
each year, making it the largest recycler of municipal solid waste
in North America.</div>
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<p><b>What Can I Recycle?</b></p>
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Thrift, saving, and re-use are habits earlier generations of Americans
knew well. Recycling is simply a modern version of these character
traits, helping us make the best use of our planet's limited natural
resources. Recycling your daily newspaper, plastic bottles and other
items is a great way to help.<p class="see_action">See how the actions
you take affect the environment.</p>
<p class="see_action"><b>Start Recycling</b></p>
<p class="see_action">Thank you for joining in the effort to conserve
natural resources and protect the environment. You can take pride in
knowing that, by recycling, you are making a better, cleaner world for
people today and leaving a better planet for future generations. Click
on the map at the right to find the Waste Management Recycling Facility
nearest you.</p>
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<b>What Happens To My Recyclables?</b><p>Your recyclables are
collected and sent to a recycling facility. There, workers use
advanced equipment to sort the items by material type and other
qualities. The sorted materials are compressed into large
rectangular bales and shipped to processing plants to be made
into new products. This sets the process in motion all over
again, while helping conserve valuable natural resources.</p>
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<b>Single-stream Recycling</b></div>
<p>If you have single-stream-recycling, you don't have to
separate your recyclables. Instead of using one recycling bin
for paper and another for glass, metal, plastics and so on,
everything goes into the same bin.</p>
<p><b>Second Life.</b></p>
<p>Using advanced technology, Waste Management is
revolutionizing the single-stream-recycling process.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions: </b></p>
<dl id="faqs">
<dt><a name="7">Why doesn't Waste Management provide
recycling in my community or city? </a></dt>
<dd>Procuring recycling services is the responsibility of
the municipality. If the citizens of your community would
like to discuss recycling options with Waste Management, you
may reach one of our Recycling Coordinators by
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.wm.com/WM/Inquire/contactlocal_recyclinginquire.asp?id=cshouston@wm.com">
clicking here</a>. </dd>
<dt><a name="8">Why does the list of acceptable recyclable
items vary by area?</a></dt>
<dd>Waste Management tailors specific recycling programs for
each municipality we serve. For this reason, programs may
vary not only by area, but also by community. </dd>
<dt><a name="9">Why aren't recycling facilities available in
every city?</a></dt>
<dd>In order to be economically feasible, recycling requires
that a lot of material be available for recycling. It is
simply too costly to provide a processing facility within
each community. </dd>
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<p><b><font size="4">5. Beneficial land Reuse</font></b></p>
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Waste Management landfills give back to communities and the
environment in unexpected ways.<p>Not only do Waste
Management's beneficial land reuse projects create
environmental habitat programs, they also provide
recreational areas like golf courses and bike parks to a
number of communities nationwide. In addition, Waste
Management develops landfills that are sources of clean,
renewable energy that powers hundreds of thousands of homes
and businesses across the U.S.</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0