Think Green... Save Mother Earth

Global Warming

2009-05-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Global Warming

1: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Determined by Additionality

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.

2: U.S. Takes Major Step Towards Carbon Reporting

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.

3: The Birth of a Star

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.

4: Refrigerant Properties Are Closely Tracked

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.

5: Renewable and Green Energy: The Future

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.

6: Environmentalists Want Strict Control Of F Gas Emissions

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.

7: Global Warming and Climate Change: The Facts

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.

8: Discovering the Antarctic

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).

9: Emission Scopes Used to Monitor Greenhouse Gases

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.

10: The Importance of Refrigerant Leak Detection

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.

11: The Make Natural Power Guide Reviewed

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?

12: Scientists Call Manmade Chemicals a Cause of Climate Change

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.

13: EPA Rule Covering Greenhouse Gases Ratified by the EPA

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.

14: Refrigerants Have High Global Warming Potential

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.

15: Global Warming or Hot Air?

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?

16: California Climate Registry oversees greenhouse gases.

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.

17: Fat Al Gore Is Still An Idiot

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.

18: Fat Al Has Dumb Supporters Too

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.

19: Hiring Grout Cleaning Servicess

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.

20: Refrigerant 22 Phase-Out 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.

21: Refrigerant Recovery Required by EPA

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.

22: HCFC Phase Out Under Way

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.

23: EPA Section 608 Reduces Refrigerant Gas Emissions

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.

24: Mass Balance Method An Essential Tracker Of Harmful Emissions

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.

25: The Way to Combating Global Warming

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.

26: The Reality of the EPA Penalty

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.

27: Mandatory carbon emissions reporting plan released

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.

28: Flush Your Diapers

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.

29: Fugitive Emission Tracking Fundamentals

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.

30: Greenhouse Gas Tracking To Become Mandatory

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.

31: Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion

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.

32: Understanding the U.S. Clean Air Act

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.

33: EPA Penalty Can Prove Costly To Companies

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.

34: What is the Climate Registry and its Impact?

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.

35: Phasing Out R22 Refrigerant

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.

36: What is the Climate Registry Requiring of Businesses?

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.

37: Energy Conservation Tips: Components of a Homemade Solar Panel

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.

38: Montreal Protocol 1987 in a Nutshell

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.

39: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

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.

40: Little Known Alternative Energy Resources

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.

41: What It Costs To Buy Carbon Offsets

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.

42: Global Warming: Agricultures Role and Health Concerns

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.

43: Some Solutions of Global Warming

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.

44: Think Right and change your world

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.

45: Extreme Events and Transportations Role in Global Warming

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.

Recycling

2009-05-22T01:01:00.000-07:00

Recycling

Recycling is the practice of recovering used materials from the waste stream and then incorporating those same materials into the manufacturing process.

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.

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.

Where to Recycle

Construction debris. 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.
Plastic. 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.
Electronic Waste. 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.
The Waste Prevention Information Exchange recycling page includes a comprehensive list of recycling databases.
Find Your Nearest Recycling Center. Enter your ZIP code to go to the "Earth's 911" website and find local centers for recycling materials, including household hazardous waste.

Recycling for Schools and State Agencies

School Waste Reduction and Recycling. Schools can help communities reduce their waste, while saving money and teaching kids valuable lessons.
Project Recycle. Recycling programs for State agencies.

Resources and Tools

Beverage Containers. Beverage container recycling is managed by the Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling.
Food Waste. Food scraps can be turned into valuable soil amendments through the simple techniques of composting or feeding a worm box.
Recycling Tools. Helpful tools listed on this page include lists of manufacturers of containers for home and office and of recycling processing equipment.
Tire Recycling. 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.
Used Oil Recycling. Oil doesn't wear out, it just gets dirty! Find out more...
Recycling Coordinator Information and Resources. Materials and assistance to help you set up and operate a successful waste reduction program in your business, office, or locality.

Recycling 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 landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, 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.

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 reuse in producing different materials (e.g., cardboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage 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).

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.

Cost-benefit analysis

Material	Energy Savings	Air Pollution Savings
+ Environmental effects of recycling
Aluminium	95%	95%
Cardboard	24%	—
Glass	5-30%	20%
Paper	40%	73%
Plastics	70%	—
Steel	60%	—

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.

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 CO₂ emissions by 10-15 million tonnes a year. Recycling is more efficient in densely populated areas, as there are economies of scale involved.

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".

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.”

Trade in recyclates

Computers being collected for recycling at a pickup event in Olympia, Washington, United States.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Legislation

Supply

A recycling bin in Half Moon Bay, California.

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.

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.

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.

Government-mandated demand

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.

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.

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.

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.

Process

Collection

Recycling and rubbish bin in a German railway station.

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".

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.

Curbside collection

Main article: Curbside collection

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.

A recycling truck collecting the contents of a recycling bin in Canberra, Australia

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sorting

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.

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.

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.

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.

Finally, glass must be sorted by hand based on its color: brown, amber, green or clear.

Common recyclables

Many different materials can be recycled but each type requires a different technique.

Aggregates and concrete

Concrete blocks

Main article: Concrete recycling

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.

Batteries

Some batteries contain toxic heavy metals, making recycling or proper disposal a high priority

Main article: Battery recycling

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.

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.

Biodegradable waste

Garden waste for composting

Main article: Composting

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.

Clothing

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.

Electronics disassembly and reclamation

An abandoned computer monitor

Main article: Computer recycling

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.

Ferrous metals

Steel crushed and baled for recycling

Main article: Steel recycling

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.

Non-ferrous metals

Main article: Aluminium recycling

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.

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.

Glass

Public glass waste collection point for separating clear, green and amber glass

Main article: Glass recycling

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 cullet 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.

Paper

Main article: Paper recycling

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.

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.

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.

Plastic

Plastic shipping crates

Main article: Plastic recycling

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.

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.

Textiles

Main article: Textile recycling

A brown cloth

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.

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.

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.

Timber

A stack of wooden pallets awaits reuse or recycling.

Main article: Timber recycling

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 green timber 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.

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.

Other techniques

Several other materials are also commonly recycled, frequently at an industrial level.

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.

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.

Sustainable design

Main article: Sustainable design

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 "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things" 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.

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.

History

Early recycling

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.

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.

Publicity photo for US aluminium salvage campaign, 1942

Wartime recycling

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.

Post-war recycling

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.

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.

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.

Criticism

Main article: Recycling criticism

In a 1996 article in The New York Times, John Tierney claimed that government mandated recycling wastes more resources than it saves. Some highlights from the article:

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.
Tree farmers plant more trees than they cut down.
Government mandated recycling is more expensive than putting the garbage into landfills.
Some small towns with landfills are happy to import garbage from other cities and states because it provides jobs and tax revenue.
Today's modern landfills are much cleaner and safer, and much less likely to leak and pollute than the landfills of the past.
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.
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 km²) of parkland."

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, WNYC reported that 40% of the garbage that New York City residents separated for recycling actually ended up in landfills.

Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning

2009-05-22T00:12:00.001-07:00

Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning

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.

"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.

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.

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.

If you are thinking about using a cleaning service for your home, here are some factors to consider:

-- Ask if they are planning to use environmentally friendly chemicals to ensure water supplies are not tainted by harsh toxins.

-- 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.

-- 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.

-- 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.

Manage Green at the Office

2009-05-22T00:10:00.001-07:00

Manage Green at the Office

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.

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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

Everyday Ways to Positively Impact the Environment

2009-05-22T00:09:00.001-07:00

Everyday Ways to Positively Impact the Environment

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.

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.

* 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.

* 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.

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.

* 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.

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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

Going Green Continues to Grow

2009-05-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

Going Green Continues to Grow

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.

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.

Plant for the Planet

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.

Make an Impact

There are many other ways you can help the environment and preserve nature's countless resources.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* Small changes add up. By taking several small steps toward a healthier planet, everyone can make a difference.

Learning About Carbon Footprints

2009-05-21T22:48:00.001-07:00

Learning About Carbon Footprints

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Reduction of the Footprint

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.

Carbon Offsetting

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).

Not only does planting greenery improve the air and environment, it also provides wildlife habitats and makes for a better quality of living.

Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'

2009-05-21T21:56:00.001-07:00

Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'

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.

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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

Did You Know?

2009-05-21T21:55:00.001-07:00

Did You Know?

You can think green when shopping.

One of the easiest ways to help the environment while shopping is to buy items in the largest size your household will use.

For example, instead of buying individual servings of cereal or yogurt, think about buying larger boxes or containers.

Small sizes of items typically use more packaging for each ounce of product than larger sizes.

Smaller sizes may also be more expensive when compared side-by-side to the total net weight or quantity of larger packages.

So shopping in bulk can actually save money and the environment, to boot.

Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover

2009-05-21T21:54:00.001-07:00

Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover

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.

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.

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.

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.

Go Lean and Green

2009-05-21T21:52:00.001-07:00

Go Lean and Green With Multipurpose, High Performing, Earth Friendly Products

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.

How can we maintain our homes well while protecting our environment? Experts say you can reduce toxic impact by taking a few simple steps.

* 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).

* If you aren't sure how to properly dispose of unused or partially empty containers, contact the manufacturer or local disposal company.

* Choose products that have minimum packaging -- and check to see that it is recyclable.

* 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Resolutions

2009-05-21T21:50:00.001-07:00

Resolutions

California Department of Conservation Announces its Top Ten 'Green Resolutions' for the New Year

Commitments That Can Really Make a Difference for the Environment

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.

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.

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 www.bottlesandcans.com to learn more.
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 www.bottlesandcans.com to learn more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/HomeCompost/ to learn about composting at home.
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.
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.
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 http://www.fypower.org/.

Green Decoration

2009-05-21T21:49:00.001-07:00

Green Decoration

Trimming the Tree

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.

Wrapping Presents

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.

Entertaining

When planning festivities, these simple tips are designed to make it easy to be planet friendly:

Make it easy for your guests to recycle at gatherings.
Use plates, glasses and cutlery that can be washed and re-used.

Waste Reduction

2009-05-21T21:35:00.001-07:00

Waste Reduction

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.

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.

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.

General Information

Waste Prevention World. A site about doing more with less, with information for individuals, businesses, and governments on a wide range of waste reduction topics.

Extended Producer Responsibility and Stewardship. 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.

Waste Reduction/Recycling Coordinator Information and Resources. Materials and assistance to help you set up and operate a successful waste reduction program in your business, office, or locality.

Specific Materials

Packaging Waste Reduction. 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.

Paper Waste Prevention. 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.

Specific Venues

Business Waste Reduction. Preventing waste conserves resources, prevents pollution, and saves money. It's just good business sense!

Waste Prevention at Home. Information on how you can reduce waste at home, including junk mail, holiday waste, and yard/garden waste.

School Waste Reduction and Recycling. Schools can help communities reduce their waste, while saving money and teaching kids valuable lessons.

Give Green by Decking the Halls

2009-05-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

"Give Green" by Decking the Halls with Less Waste This Year!

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!

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.

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.

Holiday Waste Reduction Tips

RecycleStore--Showcases innovative recycled-content products and puts you in touch directly with their manufacturers.	It's Time to Open the Gifts--While opening the gifts, here are a few hints to get you through the mountains of ribbon, stuffing, and wrapping.
Rechargeable Batteries--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.	Christmas Tree Recycling--Once the big day has passed and the ornaments are safely packed away for next year, there's just one thing left to do.
No Waste Gift-Giving/Gift-Wrapping Ideas--A few ideas and suggestions on alternative gift wrapping and gift-giving.	eRecycle--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?
Waste Prevention in Gift Wrapping--Breaking the "gift wrap" habit isn't easy, so here are 10 simple ideas to get you started.	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.

Facts & Tips

2009-05-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Facts & Tips

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.

Recycling Facts:

An average California household throws away over 34 pounds of plastic water and soda bottles each year.
Every 90 days a recycled aluminum can makes its way back on the shelf as something useful.
80-100 years - that's the lifespan of an aluminum can that gets tossed into the trash instead of a recycling bin.
700 years - that's how long a trashed plastic bottle will sit in a landfill taking up space and refusing to degrade.
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.

Products Made from Recycled Bottles and Cans:

Plastic - recycled material products made from Plastic Bottles:
- T-shirts: Fourteen 20 oz. plastic bottles yield enough fiber for an extra large T-shirt.
- Carpet: It takes 14 20 oz. plastic bottles to make one square foot of carpet.
- Fleece Sweater: It takes 63 20 oz. plastic bottles to make a sweater.
- Jacket Fiberfill: Fourteen 20 oz. plastic bottles yield enough fiberfill for a ski jacket.
- Sleeping Bag Fiberfill: It takes 85 20 oz. plastic bottles to make enough fiberfill for a sleeping bag.
Glass - recycled material products made from Glass Bottles:
- Glassware
- New glass containers
- Decorative home decor
- Fiberglass Insulation
- Tile
Aluminum - recycled material products made from Aluminum Cans:
- Picture frames
- Decorative home decor: Bowls, vases, etc.
- Baseball bats

Make it a Green Holiday Season

2009-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Make it
A Green Holiday Season

The holidays are a time for giving. Everyone should add the earth to their holiday gift lists.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Think Green

2009-05-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

Transforming Waste:

1. Landfill Gas to Energy

Waste Management creates clean, renewable energy from ordinary waste.

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.

2. Waste-to-Energy

The average person generates 4.5 pounds of waste per day. We reuse it to generate power.

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.

3. Recycling

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.

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.

Recycling World

Last year we recycled enough paper to save 41 million trees.

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.

What Can I Recycle?

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.

See how the actions you take affect the environment.

Start Recycling

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.

What Happens To My Recyclables?

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.

Single-stream Recycling

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.

Second Life.

Using advanced technology, Waste Management is revolutionizing the single-stream-recycling process.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions:

Why doesn't Waste Management provide recycling in my community or city?: 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 clicking here.
Why does the list of acceptable recyclable items vary by area?: 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.
Why aren't recycling facilities available in every city?: 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.

5. Beneficial land Reuse

Waste Management landfills give back to communities and the environment in unexpected ways.

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.

Think Green... Save Mother Earth

Global Warming

Global Warming

Recycling

Recycling

Where to Recycle

Recycling for Schools and State Agencies

Resources and Tools

Cost-benefit analysis

Trade in recyclates

Legislation

Supply

Government-mandated demand

Process

Collection

Curbside collection

Sorting

Common recyclables

Aggregates and concrete

Batteries

Biodegradable waste

Clothing

Electronics disassembly and reclamation

Ferrous metals

Non-ferrous metals

Glass

Paper

Plastic

Textiles

Timber

Other techniques

Sustainable design

History

Early recycling

Wartime recycling

Post-war recycling

Criticism

Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning

Create a Healthier Home With Cleaning

Manage Green at the Office

Manage Green at the Office

Everyday Ways to Positively Impact the Environment

Everyday Ways to Positively Impact the Environment

Going Green Continues to Grow

Going Green Continues to Grow

Learning About Carbon Footprints

Learning About Carbon Footprints

Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'

Get a Jump on Spring 'Greening'

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover

Dorm Life Gets a Green Makeover

Go Lean and Green

Go Lean and Green With Multipurpose, High Performing, Earth Friendly Products

Resolutions

Resolutions

California Department of Conservation Announces its Top Ten 'Green Resolutions' for the New Year

Green Decoration

Green Decoration

Trimming the Tree

Wrapping Presents

Entertaining

Waste Reduction

Waste Reduction

General Information

Specific Materials

Specific Venues

Give Green by Decking the Halls

"Give Green" by Decking the Halls with Less Waste This Year!

Holiday Waste Reduction Tips

Facts & Tips

Facts & Tips

Recycling Facts:

Products Made from Recycled Bottles and Cans:

Make it a Green Holiday Season

Make itA Green Holiday Season

Think Green

Make it
A Green Holiday Season