How Recycling Waste Products Benefits Both The Environment And You

How Recycling Waste Merchandise Positive aspects Each The Environment And You

Are you still in the habit of tossing empty milk bottles, beer cans, spent batteries and containers in the nearby landfill? Then you require to stop it quickly. All that stuff you throw in there will merely stay in the landfill, rotting for years, and polluting the environment. Why not opt for an environmentally friendly option, namely recycling, especially considering that it is so hassle-free of charge to use?

Recycling merchandise that you would otherwise throw away has several advantages that aid both you and the environment that sustains you. Reducing pollution is a direct benefit, certainly, but there are a number of other advantages of recycling that are not so readily apparent. Here are a few of those:

Recycling protects you from toxic wastes like battery acid

Recycling assists defend the environment from excess pollution, since all those wastes that contribute to pollution are recycled rather of being left to rot. Besides, some solid waste items, such as batteries, start leaking when left out in the open. The battery acid seeps into the soil, and might eventually reach the underground water, causing lasting harm to the local ecosystem. It can have an effect on even your health, specially if you take place to drink tap water at home. Recycling such wastes will protect you and the environment from disasters.

Recycling conserves natural resources and reduces expenses

Did you know that manufacturing recycled paper costs as a lot as 65% less energy to make than new paper? Apart from that, the process also uses 80% less water, which will go a long way into conserving this highly precious natural resource. Similarly, batteries can be recycled inexpensively, keeping the prices of new batteries in check and protecting the environment in the process too.

Recycling does not require you to invest any cash, nor function tough

Recycling products is turning out to be a entirely hassle free of charge procedure for everyone who wishes to participate in it. All you have to do is collect the items that you would otherwise throw away, and hand those over to any of the firms handling this job in your neighborhood. A number of such businesses also provide to choose up the stuff directly from your house. In that case, all you have to do is collect the stuff at 1 location, and they will pick it up at normal intervals.

So, all you need to have to do to participate in this environmentally advantageous activity is to uncover a business that specializes in recycling. Denver, CO has a lot of such businesses operating in the region. So, do not wait any longer. Get in touch with one of the reputable businesses in the field and get the good work began.

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Paper Products and Green Living

Paper Items and Green Living

Some of the environmental problems that arise from paper production and disposal include the pollution of air and water, high energy use, huge landfill requirements and deforestation. To maintain the impact on the environment to a minimum we require to alter the techniques in which we view paper items and begin to reuse and recycle these produces much more in an environmentally safe manner. Some of these approaches incorporate the use of reusable grocery bags, getting goods made from recycled paper, and using cloth towels and napkins instead of paper versions.

In order to have a smaller environmental impact with paper merchandise, we want to start by decreasing our use of them (certainly!) and reusing products whenever achievable. Instead of reaching for the roll of paper towels to clean up a spill, why not use a dish towel? Or, rather of utilizing a fresh piece of paper to write your grocery list, begin making use of the back of a receipt or the back of and envelope that a piece of mail comes in. These all seem like minor issues, but the impact of doing them all, or the impact that could be effected if we all did one of them, can be pretty profound.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, paper created up the largest share of municipal solid waste in 2006 at 34%. Although about half of paper waste is recovered for recycling or compost, the other half ends up in landfills, where it does not readily decompose. Recycling alone is also not a remedy-all the recycling method as well as production from virgin pulp uses water, energy and chemicals. According to the US Power Data Administration (EIA), paper mills use 40% much less energy to generate paper from recycled material than from fresh lumber, but might use a lot more fossil fuels for recycled paper than for that created from virgin fiber. According to the EIA, recycling also utilizes fewer chemicals than ordinary paper production, and naturally does not pose the very same threat to forests. While recycling paper that we can no longer reuse and purchasing recycled paper products can lighten our ecological footprint, lowering and reusing really should not be forgotten. Investing in durable reusable bags can support us bear in mind to avoid paper bags when shopping.

Have you thought about the chemicals that are employed in paper goods that have been bleached and their impact on the environment? Bleached paper items are carried out with Chlorine, which can cause dioxin, a highly toxic chemical that can trigger cancer and birth defects in humans. Paper mills release these chemicals along with other pollutants, such as sulphur oxides and carbon monoxide into our waterways by means of effluent polluting, contaminating our water and the organisms that live in these waterways, possibly poisoning humans. Paper mills are the largest industrial polluters in North America. By utilizing reusable grocery bags over paper or plastic bags, we will be helping to decrease the impact on the environment that is created through the paper production method.

Finally, we can’t forget about the reality that producing fresh paper requires the harvesting of millions of acres of forest (trees) each and every year. Deforestation causes a quantity of difficulties. It destroys animal habitats, putting species at risk for extinction. It reduces the quantity of carbon dioxide that can be turned in to oxygen which increases the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. This in turn can contribute to global warming. Lastly, really cutting down the tress, shipping them to mills, and so on consumes a huge amount of fossil fuels and generates an unnecessary quantity of pollution. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, over 1 third of the wood harvested in the United States is solely for the production of paper items. Once again, we can lessen these impacts by recycling paper merchandise, utilizing recycled items, and beginning to use much less paper items in general.

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Recycle Now Not Tomorrow

Recycle Now Not Tomorrow

Each and every year Recycle Now, the national organisation for recycling, holds its annual celebration of recycling and being ‘green’ and that got us thinking about environmentally friendly printing and employing recycled paper. It is obviously fairly commonplace to recycle as much of our household and enterprise waste as we can but we still require to build on the quantity of organisations actively deciding on to use recycled goods. 

Here we outline some of the terminology, the advantages as properly as dispelling some of the myths surrounding recycled paper:

What specifically does ‘Forest Sustainable’ mean?

A sustainable forest is a forest that is carefully managed so that as trees are felled they are replaced with seedlings that ultimately grow into mature trees. This is a cautiously and skilfully managed system. The forest is a working environment, producing wood goods such as wood pulp for the paper and card business and wood based supplies for furniture manufacture and the construction industry. Excellent care is taken to ensure the safety of wildlife and to preserve the natural environment.

Why do printers use inks made from vegetable oil?

Vegetable oils are better for the environment as they emit less dangerous pollutants than mineral oils.  There is also a move towards converting diesel delivery vehicles to run on vegetable oil as it is considerably less costly and also greater for the environment.

Is recycled paper a lot more high-priced?

Most paper is evenly priced with non-recycled stock, especially letterheads, envelopes and organization card board. Where recycled papers expense much more, cost differentials are generally really little and most printers will obtain in larger quantities and strategy ahead each of which helps reduce cost premiums on recycled paper.

Is it possible to generate the identical high good quality results on recycled and non-recycled?

Absolutely.  Recycled paper will have the very same feel as virgin paper, it just comes down to deciding on the correct stock.  Colour high quality is not affected either.  The only drawback is that there are a much smaller range of paper, paper sizes and weights but if large quantities or a distinct kind of paper is needed, most printers will be able to source the correct stock in sufficient amounts with some notice.

What is Elemental Chlorine Free of charge (ECF) recycled paper?

With out giving you too a lot science, ECF is the procedure of bleaching paper and compared to other strategies it practically eliminates, not just reduces, dioxin and other persistent chlorinated organics which are harmful to the environment. The other major approach of bleaching paper is called TCF but the paper produced utilizing this method is weaker meaning it can’t be recycled as several times and it calls for 6-10% far more wood to make a ton of TCF pulp than ECF pulp.

Is most paper recycled now, do I actually need to have to ask for it?

At the height of its success, recycled paper only had about 10% of the printing and writing paper marketplace and even those papers contained mostly virgin supplies. Now distributors, printers and paper mills say that demand is dropping simply because buyers believe they no longer have to ask for recycled. As we stated at the start of the write-up, we are all finding far better at recycling but not necessarily far better at then using recycled merchandise.

Isn’t it far better to burn paper for energy rather than to recycle it?

The fibres in fine paper can be recycled up to a dozen times prior to becoming too brief for papermaking, saving resources, water and power, and decreasing pollution every single one of those times. The impact and value of these repeated savings are a lot greater than the minimal quantity of power produced when the paper is burned rather.

There is actually no excuse to not use recycled paper nowadays.  Most printing jobs could swap virgin paper for recycled stock with no effect on cost or top quality.  Going green needn’t be an add on, a ‘campaign’ or rely on recycling weeks such as those run by Recycle Now. It can be integrated in to an organisation’s whole printing and communications method with no negative impact.

Following recycling all that you can recycle, it is critical to buy items created with recycled supplies. This is referred to as closing the loop — generating a demand for the materials collected for recycling. Watch this video to learn much more about the various varieties of materials that can be recycled in Montgomery County and how you can do your portion to purchase supplies produced with recycled content.
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Itch to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Itch to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

You can minimize the amount of waste you develop by choosing what rubbish you throw away. Here are few of the ways you can do to cut down your waste:

Crush shopping

Waste reduction begins at the supermarket. By generating slight alterations to your shopping list you can drastically minimize the amount of waste produced in and about the residence.

Acquire only what you want

Lessen unnecessary waste by avoiding those pointless purchases. Items that rarely get utilised can be borrowed or shared with others.

Acquire merchandise that can be reused

Obtain bottles instead of cans and rechargeable batteries. Items such as this create extremely small waste, as they do not have to be thrown away soon after they have been used just when.

Buy all-purpose household cleaner

Instead of acquiring many diverse ones for each cleaning role.

Buy goods with small packaging

So that less packaging ends up in your rubbish bin. For those items you use regularly, acquire them in bulk instead of in smaller amounts. This will save you cash as properly as minimize waste.

Many items found about the property can be used for various purposes. So before you throw those items away, believe about how they can be reused. Below are some suggestions of how to reuse those everyday bits and pieces.

Carrier bags and twist ties.

Carrier bags can be reused in the shops or as bin bags around the residence. Paper bags make valuable wrapping paper and twist ties can be used to secure loose items together, such as computer wires.

Envelopes

By sticking labels over the address you can reuse envelopes. Alternatively, old envelopes can be employed as scrap paper to make notes on.

Jars and pots.

By cleaning glass jars and modest pots, you can use them as tiny containers to store odds and ends.

Tires

Old tires can be given to your local petrol station where they will be recycled. Or you could make a tire-swing by tying a strong rope about a tire and attaching it to a tree.

Rechargeable Batteries

 Rechargeable batteries can be reused several times just before they need throwing away, opposed to normal batteries that develop unnecessary waste.

Recycling is an crucial factor in conserving natural resources and greatly contributes towards improving the environment. Below are some helpful hints about recycling in and around the residence.

Prevent buying hazardous material.

It is hard to recycle items that contain hazardous waste. Attempt to discover safer alternatives to household cleaners and buy non-toxic goods whenever feasible.

Buy goods that have been produced from recycled material.

You can tell if a item is eco-friendly by searching at the label on the packaging.

Recycle bins.

Make positive you have a recycle bin in your house. Maintain it in an obvious place so you will not forget to use it. Your neighborhood council really should be able to provide you with a recycle bin that can be employed for materials such as glass, paper, aluminum and plastic.

Discover ways of recycling diverse materials

A lot of supplies can be recycled, such as paper, plastic, metal and glass. Other items such as furniture, electronic equipment, building material and vehicles can also be recycled but numerous individuals don’t often feel to do so.

Community projects

Become involved in neighborhood community projects concerning recycling by donating cash or delivering and implementing new concepts.

The Decrease, Reuse, Recycle Philosophy are the preeminent approaches to cope up with the growing waste dilemma and landfill tribulations, make it a habit to do at least one of the tips above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Need to recycle electronics

Require to recycle electronics

Electronics are not perishables. You can recycle electronics to make far more relevant and look much better. It is typical that right after making use of some items for a lengthy time you get bored with them besides the fact they also get older, shed either colors and/or shapes. This is the time when you could start off thinking of disposing such equipment and acquiring an additional 1.

 

Having utilized your electronics for some time, you will discover that you liked its reliability even if it has to lastly grow old or grow to be out of fashion. But all is not lost. When you discover that your old electronics do not have some of the features that comparable but far more recent goods have, you uncover yourself compelled to appear for newer ones. But you can discover an selection. Those who recycle electronics like this organization will make it possible to recycle your old equipment to make far more modern day items out of it. You will need to send the product over, you will be supplied with a range of options as to how it can be remodeled and when you agree and send the needed fee then you get your electronics recycled.

 

Phones are some of the electronics that we have to obtain and dispose quite usually. You find that after every single two years you need to acquire another phone due to the fact the old phone you were utilizing is losing power you can not rely on it even though traveling on a lengthy distance. We have come to know how to recycle electronics like phones. When we recycle electronics we support make them reasonably priced and in effect get to reduce other risks they face. Becoming able to recycle electronics indicates they can turn out to be so abundant that everybody will get something to use consequently reducing the need to steal other people’s.

 

Getting able to recycle electronics is one certain way of controlling costs of new goods since this affects their demand. When you can buy a recycled electronic which most typically is even more durable since they are created of less plastics as opposed to the much more current 1, you can be much more certain that you have far better good quality besides the newly installed capabilities.

 

If you have electronics that require to be recycled but are wondering where to recycle electronics then you require to know you have arrived. When we recycle electronics we achieve a number of objectives in one mission. We help you strengthen your environment by lowering your non-degradable wastes. We have modern machines to recycle electronics cost efficiently and efficiently. When you send us your electronics for recycling, you can anticipate your recycled item back inside the promised time but in a a lot much better shape. Make your dream come true with recycled items.

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Silage Wrap Recycling Some Reasons For Needing More Material

Silage Wrap Recycling Some Reasons For Needing More Material

Silage Sheet Recycling

 

Why is it crucial just now? There is an increasing demand for silage sheets for recycling due to the fact that manufacturers are looking to reuse them and recycle them into new items. Some examples are BPI recycled items in the UK and there are many farm plastic collection schemes arising in the UK mainland Europe and New Zealand appear to be taking a far more positive outlook on the recycling of farm plastics. All governments and societies will turn out to be under greater and higher strain for future resources.

 

Why recycle silage sheets?

 

The economics of silage sheet recycling is fairly straightforward there is a reduction in the production costs to recycle plastic rather than use virgin polymer. This has rewards for both producer and consumer who are occasionally in a closed loop BPI in the UK manufacture plastic liners to store farm plastics these are the recycled and reused in the form of plastic profiles which can be manufactured and worked on with a router to produce all manner of things like hen houses, sheep pens and other agricultural housing.

 

What’s in it for the farmer?

 

Frequently nothing and there is a massive problem with dumping of agricultural plastics some organizations are attempting to ease the burden by providing lower expense drop off points where large volumes of plastic can be collected cheaply. Most of the time it is a form filling physical exercise to keep themselves out of trouble with the authorities who have legislation in place to make positive that more and a lot more farm plastics are recycled.

 

The farmers themselves can make life less complicated and less costly some ideas for this would be to remove crop covers and silage sheets when they are as dry as possible. Some plastics can be over 50% contamination water, dirt, straw and old silage cutting the level of contamination can cut your costs for silage sheet recycling specially as a lot of collectors will charge by weight overall.

 

Removing and debris stones, net wrap and string will help maintain everyone’s expenses down and permit the future collections to be cheaper.

 

What’s in it for the collector?

 

A living but not an straightforward 1 and undoubtedly not a clean 1. Some predictions suggest that the value of plastic for recycling will go up so for very good good quality farm plastic there may possibly be a living to be had.

 

An environment to function in where there is most likely to be growth it is estimated that only 20% of the farm plastics that can be recycled are currently becoming re-processed. There is most likely to be further pressure from government and environmentalists on the farming community as a whole so there is most likely to be an enhance in silage wrap recycling overall.

 

What’s in it for government and company?

 

For business this is a less costly resource than virgin polymer and is extremely desirable as a commodity if it can be used locally then we really should be able to quit the export of these varieties of materials to the far east where labour is more affordable.

 

The decreased transportation costs and fuel necessary in production of recycled material will assist governments embracing action towards recycling of materials decrease their carbon footprint and assist ease some of the pressure on resources in the coming century.

 

There is a require for silage wrap recycling with market, government and the collection businesses set to benefit more than the farmer who at present holds the plastic material. This may possibly change but would call for some forward thinking by all involved.

For several years PVC was the one plastic most recyclers weren’t interested in so British Recycled Merchandise are delighted to be able to offer this lovely, powerful and maintenance-no cost range of fencing and gates.
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Low Cost Brand Promotion With Recycled Promotional Gifts

Low Cost Brand Promotion With Recycled Promotional Gifts

Each and every organisation wants to promote its brand and appeal to its clients so that they can get more business. To attain that they continually look for superior and low expense means of marketing its goods and services. In today’s world, every single country is facing a key challenge of environmental pollution. Realising this, advertisers are now using recycled promotional gifts in their marketing and advertising programmes. Using environment friendly promotional products is not only responsible gifting but also economical as it is not that expensive when compared to other promotional solutions. Recycled promotional items have a wider appeal and are excellent at serving the promotional requirements of the company organisations which makes it a efficient advertising medium. 

Recycled items are fantastic promotional gifts simply because it is widely utilised by individuals. An average individual uses one or the other recycled item in his everyday life and with every use these items will display your company name to not only the user, but also to the other onlookers who come across them. By employing the advanced printing tactics, you can readily modify these recycled promotional gifts as per your requirements and print your organisation name, logo and get in touch with data . At our on the internet shop-Ideasbynet, you can discover distinct varieties of eco friendly promotional products designed by an professional team of skilled designers. 

You can distribute these recycled promotional items at exhibitions, seminars, trade fairs, shopping festivals and conferences. You can also gift it to your employees as a part of rewards and appreciation programme. This will act as an effective morale boosters for your work force which will improve productivity and performance. These unique promotional gifts help in building the self-esteem of the workforce in addition to giving them a sense of pride.  

When compared with other marketing and advertising forms, recycled promotional products  score high in cost-effectiveness. While an advertisement in print and electronic media can put a deep hole in your pocket but this is not the case with recycled promotional items. In a couple of pounds, you can good high quality and attractive recycled promotional items which will popularise your brands among buyers for months. The numerous rewards like low cost, high appeal, and it is effectiveness in generating greater impact among the buyers makes recycled promotional gifts  an efficient tool for brand promotion. If you are in the UK and are looking for a dependable gifts supplier to  obtain great-good quality recycled promotional gifts, then you can pay a visit to Ideasbynet. We are the leading supplier of recycled promotional gifts in the UK and numerous best-notch enterprise organisations and prestigious charitable organisations are in our client list. To know much more about our recycled promotional gifts, please click on to www.ideasbynet.com.

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Why Don’t They Recycle?

Why Don’t They Recycle?

Recently, I was invited to a party. The hosts were lovely, the home was large and beautiful in a well-to-do area. Everything about the day was fantastic, except for one thing…they didn’t recycle.

I noticed glass bottles in the trash, I thought maybe some partygoer made a mistake. Then I noticed another and another, no mistake.

Does their township not offer recycling? I can’t imagine these intelligent, well read people would have a blatant disregard for the environment. I didn’t ask. That would be poor etiquette.  I should have though, I could have at least taken those bottles with me and recycled them at my house.

It leaves me wondering, why don’t they recycle? Cans, bottles and paper are the most widely recycled products in the nation. Why not there? I am sure there are many areas of our country that are still in the dark about recycling. We are the self-proclaimed leaders of the world, yet many other countries have far surpassed us environmentally.  There are some countries, such as Sweden where composting your food scraps is mandatory.  They have been able to reduce the amount of green waste going into the landfill drastically.   Food scraps will not effectively breakdown inside a plastic bag in a landfill, in fact it contributes to the production of methane gas, one of the leading destroyers of the ozone.

It is our responsibility, to hold our government and ourselves accountable. The USA is more than capable of implementing recycling in every state, county and municipality… we should insist on it.

It is more cost effective over the long term to have these programs in place.  Recycling products, makes new products with  a smaller footprint than products using virgin materials.  Recycling saves thousands of acres of landfill space every year.  Recycling also reduces the amount of methane gas being produced in landfills and chemicals from leaching into our soils and making its way into our ground water supply.  Once the damage is done, it is difficult and costly to undo.

As my Mother always said, “Do it right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it again.”  We only have one country, one Earth, we should honor it, revere it and take care of it.  Over the last 100 years of the world’s growth we have taken for granted that the Earth would just sustain.  It would always be here for us to manipulate it and abuse it as we chose.

What can one do if recycling is not offered in your area?  Take Action, write a letter to your local newspaper, the township officials and your county freeholders.  Make everyone aware of the damage that is being done.  You voice will be heard.  Get children involved in your quest for a better world.  Children are innovative thinkers and can make a real difference.

For example:  Recently a local Boy Scout Troup in our area provided a hard plastics pick up to their community. Hard plastics are items like: Plastic lawn furniture, kids molded plastic play sets, 5gal water bottles, etc. Any large hard plastic items. They sent out fliers, collected these items on a particular date and took them to the township Public Works Facility, where from there it was taken by the township to the County Recycling Facility. They collected over 500 pounds of hard plastic that would have ended up in the dump!

It does take some effort on our part to recycle hard plastics, however a quick trip to the Township Public Works Dept. will keep these items out of our landfills. They can then be recycled and turned into other useful products, like Polywood Furniture. By asking our local municipalities, maybe they will offer one or two pickups per year. By recycling these hard plastics we can save valuable space in our landfills.

These young boys made a difference in our community and our environment. We should all follow their example. If everyone nationwide would make this small extra effort to recycle, the effects would be staggering. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Vera Pappas is author of several articles on organic gardening and environmental issues and is owner of Green Nation Gardens, an online retailer of Green Living Products for the home and garden.  Visit greennationgardens.com today!

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Paper and Plastic Recycling Can Save the World

Paper and Plastic Recycling Can Save the World

“Please recycle” is a common phrase in almost all labels of plastic and paper products in the market. Manufacturers of plastic and paper strongly encourage consumers to get involved in paper recycling, as well as plastic recycling. But for one to recycle plastics, one has a lot to understand first. You see, there is a certain process to follow in waste recycling especially plastic products.

Plastics are one of the most difficult to recycle and before the recycling process can begin, all plastic materials have to be sorted first according to the Resin Identification Code. This will serve a guide for recyclers.

There are almost 50 different main groups of plastics, each containing many different varieties. The Resin Identification Code system was introduced to make the sorting of recyclable products easier and more universal.

This is the Resin Identification Code used for plastic materials.

Name of Polymer Abbreviation Common Uses When Recycled PET / PETE Polyethylene terephthalate Polyester fibre, soft drink bottles HDPE High density polyethylene Bottles, plastic carrier bags, recycling bins PVC / V Polyvinyl chloride Pipe, fencing, non-food bottles LDPE Low density polyethylene Plastic bags, containers, dispensing bottles PP Polypropylene Auto parts, industrial fibre PS Polystyrene Coffee cups, toys, video cassettes OTHER Other Plastics Various

Sorting plastics is expensive and time-consuming but this is essential in the recycling process. Despite the challenges, more and more plastics are being recycled every year. The amount of plastics that are recycled has increased since 1990. According to American Plastics Council, almost 1,800 U.S. businesses reclaim post-consumer plastics. Still, with this number, the United States only recycled about five percent of the plastics produced domestically.

Plastics are first collected from curbside recycling bins and drop-off locations. From there, they go to a material recovery facility where they are sorted and sent to a reclamation facility. At the reclamation facility, the plastic is inspected and washed. Next it is chopped into small flakes. The flakes are then placed in a flotation tank and then dried in a tumbler. The dried flakes are then placed in a costly extruder where they are melted. The melted plastic is sifted through a screen to remove any contaminants and then it is formed into strands. Finally, the strands are chopped into pellets and sold to manufacturers to make new products. This starts a new life for the recycled plastics. As technology continues to evolve, the cost of the recycling plastic process gradually decreases and hopefully, the amount of recycled plastics will increase. At the same time, consumers have become more aware of the effect of plastic wastes on the planet so they are reducing the use of plastic bottles and bags before it is too late.

We ourselves do our share at home. Why not start separating your plastic items from other waste materials so that at least you have done a little help in saving our planet? It’s not a big task but entails discipline.

Why It Is Important To Recycle Cell Phones?

Why It Is Important To Recycle Cell Phones?

Some of the most toxic products being tossed out as household trash are cell phones and electronic devices. This type of trash is called e-trash, and especially problematic are cell phones.

Cell phones contain a very high level of toxic substances that enter the environment when discarded cell phones are incinerated or when rainwater leaches these chemicals out of the landfills into our drinking water.

Cell phones are known to contain toxins such as antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. These chemicals are listed by the EPA, as persistent toxins (persistent bioaccumulative toxins, PBTS), meaning they do not readily breakdown and remain in the environment for years. Of these metals, lead and cadmium accumulate in both plant and animal tissue, and have been known to be responsible for many disorders in humans.

The dangers of lead has been known for many years. It is thought to be a carcinogen and adversely affects the central nervous system, kidneys, immune system and has been associated with development disorders in children. Lead was banned from paint years ago, and manufacturers are now beginning to eliminate lead from electronic components. Every electronic device contains a circuit board and most often, lead is used to solder components on to these circuit boards.

Another especially toxic component of cell phones is brominated flame retardants. This chemical is added to plastics to reduce the risk of fire. Many components of the cell phone use this chemical. Scientific research has shown that some of these brominated flame retardants are also persistent bioaccumulative and toxic, but it is not know what long term effects this chemical has on humans and the environment.

Some of these flame retardants have been linked to cancer and disturbances in the immune and endocrine systems. When these products are incinerated, they give off highly toxic by- products. As with lead, many manufacturers are eliminating these chemicals from electronic products.

At the time when cell phones first became available to the average consumer, nickel-cadmium was used as a power source. Nickel-cadmium batteries, called Ni-Cds, were the battery of choice because they were rechargeable. The problem is that the metals used in these batteries are highly toxic. Cadmium is a PBT and a probable carcinogen. It has been linked to lung, liver and kidney damage, and has been found to be toxic to wildlife. As with the other toxic chemicals mentioned, cadmium is being eliminated from electronic products by many manufacturers.

The Lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery has typically replaced the Ni-Cds, but they contain their own supply of toxic chemicals.

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation is a non-profit organization that recycles rechargeable batteries. The program, Call2Recycle, has collected millions of pounds of rechargeable batteries and kept them from the landfills. They are trying to educate people on how easy it is to recycle a rechargeable battery or cell phone in the United States and Canada. A Google search on Call2Recycle will direct you to a recycling center near you. It’s free. It’s convenient. It’s responsible. Unfortunately, few people know about this program, so most cell phones and electronics end up in landfills.

Recycling is not the end all to solve our environmental problems. The recycling program is heavily dependent on consumers. When the economy sags and consumers are not buying, the need for recycled materials sags along with the economy. This became painfully evident with the economic crisis that began in October 2009. Recycling plants across the nation were hit hard. The demand for recycled products needed to manufacture new products was severely curtailed. The price for recycled products in some cases dropped 90% taking away the profit from these recycling facilities.

Our only hope is to make an effort to reuse as many products as we can at home, and to aim for zero waste. If recycling is no longer profitable for companies, we may see a future where we are charged for all the garbage we generate, and at a much higher rate than many of us pay now. Disposing highly toxic chemicals may be very expensive for the consumer.

These are the recycled products offered by Close the Loop. If we learn to view our waste as a valuable resource, we can make useful new products out of our waste materials and grow more green manufacturing jobs in the US. Visit us in the Poconos or online at www.closetheloop.com

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