Conserving Resources, Preventing Waste

WasteWise is a voluntary, no-cost Environmental Protection Agency program where businesses work to reduce solid and industrial wastes, resulting in cost savings and saving the environment. WasteWise helps the business involved to meet their goals in reuse and recycling.

United States businesses, non-profit groups, and local governments, of all sizes can join. The WasteWise program provides materials and support to assist these groups to educate their employees and members about the benefits of solid waste reduction.

Members pledge to change and track their behavior in terms of their efforts for waste reduction. This WasteWise program, which was  launched in 1994, now has more than 2700+ members.

What are the benefits of Joing WasteWise?

  • Technical support at no cost;
  • Unlimited Access to WasteWise’s online data tracking tool;
  • Opportunity to receive and participate in the WasteWise Awards which recognize outstanding service and waste reduction accomplishments;
  • Reduced waste disposal and purchasing costs; and
  • Educational and outreach materials.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Joining the EPA’s WasteWise program can be a great way to keep you and your business on-track for reducing waste. Are you ready to give it a try?

Buying and Selling Materials and Waste

Waste materials exchanges are designed for the selling and buying of recyclable and reusable goods. Some exchanges are location-based warehouses advertising available goods online or in catalogs. Others are administered by local or state governments. Still other exchanges are for-profit, privately owned businesses. Each exchange will vary in the types of goods they have available and their service terms. In general, exchanges in the waste category will handle hazardous materials and industrial waste while exchanges in the materials category will handle nonhazardous items.

Exchanges allow participants to post materials on a website. Organizations then  interested in the material can contact them directly. As more individuals and businesses recognize the power of exchanges, the volume and variety of materials available will continue to grow.

Typically, materials exchanges provide brief details about the services being offered, materials available, how to contact the lister, and other required information. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made an effort to compile an accurate list of materials exchanges; however, the landscape is continually changing, so interested individuals should also connect with their state and local environmental agencies for local listings.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Waste and Materials Exchanges can be a great way to turn one person’s garbage into another’s gold!

Reuse and Recycle Yard Waste

If you that have a small garden or yard at your home, disposing of unwanted garden waste can be a chore – especially if your local government does not offering yard waste recycling options. Often, homeowners will bring the waste to the local transfer station or burn it in the yard. A better option would be to re-use that organic matter! This can be done in many ways and can also help you keep your flowers, plants, and vegetable garden in great condition.

By shredding, chipping or breaking down your organic garden waste, you will be able to turn green items into mulch or compost. If you don’t have use for it you can offer it to neighbors or friends or even sell it locally! You can purchase a small chipper shredder unit that will help you with the job of turning small branches, leaves and plants into much smaller pieces. A chipper unit will also allow you to break down smaller branches or twigs which can be used to decorate your garden as wood chip.

If you have a few trees in your garden, you will be well aware of the need to pick up the fallen leaves in the fall. If you want to save time and effort a small electric leaf shredder will work wonders on the leaves, turning them from a large pile of unwanted waste into a manageable bag of shredded material. Shredded leaves are also excellent for adding to your compost bin or for making a mulch with.

There are many reasons for owning a small chipper shredder as they are possibly one of the most useful pieces of gardening and yard equipment you can buy and are reasonably affordable. Some run on electricity too which makes it easier and quicker to use rather than relying on having to use a generator or get petrol for the motor. Stop by your local home & garden shop today and see these great machines for yourself!

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Keeping your yard and garden clean can be good for the environment when you remember to re-use and recycle your yard waste.

PET Containers and Bottles

Article by Ricky Addy

These days, PET bottles and containers have gained lots of attention. But it is helpful for consumers to know what PET is and what it stands for. PET plastic or polyethylene terephthalate plastic is a thermoplastic polymer resin. It belongs to the family of polyester. This plastic is best used as package material for food and non-food products. It is the most desirable material for the manufacturers because its characteristics of transparency, strength, and thermo-stability. Consumers like it because it is very lightweight, inexpensive, re-sealable, resistant to shattering, and recyclable.

You can identify the PET preform by the #1 code present at the bottom of containers and bottles.The first PET plastic bottle was launched in 1973 and since then it has grown in popularity every year. There are various benefits of PET plastic. It is very transparent and strong that can store water safely and easily. PET bottles can be refilled and re-used and is very safe to use. As an inert plastic, it does not leach any harmful substance into its contents even when the beverages are stored opened or when the bottles are refilled. You can re-use the PET plastic but make sure you sterilize and clean it properly to prevent bacteria growth.

Acme Disys is one of the leading PET preform bottle industries offering PET bottles and containers at affordable prices. You can visit them online at www.acmedisys.com.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: While PET plastic is great because it can be recycled, be sure to try to re-use your PET containers to extend their life. Use a PET container to carry your lunch items or a beverage to work or school – you’ll save money on packaging and help the environment!

What Is A Waste Audit?

Article by Lucy Pitt

If you have a company that produces waste then the chances are you employ someone to remove that waste. However, have you ever considered whether your waste removal could cost you less and be more efficient? All company owners will know that in order to adhere to the law there are certain rules and regulations which must be followed when it comes to the removal and recycling of waste.

Many waste management service providers have different ways of charging for different services. Getting a waste audit can remedy the problem of choosing the best provider for you. A company offering a waste audit will look at the details of your company and what your needs and expectations are. They will then use their knowledge of waste management service providers to find the company that is ideal for your needs. A waste audit will help to find not only the best value for money company, but also a company that is most likely to help you reduce the amount of waste you produce, making your company more environmentally friendly and reducing your carbon footprint.

In order to get a waste audit all you need to do is to find a waste audit company, enter a small amount of information on their website, such as the area you operate in and how much money you currently spend on waste removal. After this the waste audit website will generate a report which will find the best value for money and most efficient providers in your area. The audit will be able to offer your company an appraisal which will determine whether or not the best value for money has been achieved in terms of what the waste removal company offer and the costs incurred.

Environmental issues are becoming more and more important and this means that we all need to take as much interest in our effect on the environment as we can. In addition business owners need to take responsibility for the waste they produce and aim to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as they possibly can.The task of saving the environment can seem like a daunting one which is why a waste audit can be so helpful because it allows business owners to break their recycling and waste management tasks into manageable chunks.When recycling processes are made simple and easy it makes it much more likely that people will want to carry them out.So if you want to find out the most efficient and most cost effective way to get rid of your business waste then carry out your waste audit today.

For more information about a waste audit visit compareyourwaste.com.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re looking for a comprehensive way to reduce  waste, recycle, and dispose of waste in the most cost effective manner, then a waste audit can help you to save money while saving the environment.

Creatively Recycle Shredded Paper

by Office Paper Systems, www.opsus.com

Paper shredders are becoming a common household tool as people are using them to shred any documents containing information that someone could use to potentially steal another’s identity. Such documents that should be destroyed include personal checks, expired drivers licenses, bank statements, credit card statements, and paystubs. But what are these people doing with the remains of these shredded documents? Most people just throw them away, however there are many ways that these paper shreds can be recycled and used in beneficial ways.

Ways to reuse your paper shreds:

  • If you own a pet, your old shredded documents would make great bedding for animals like guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters. Or you could use the shreds to fill your cat’s litter box.
  • Paper shreds are also a great way to stuff gift baskets.
  • Paper shreds are a great source for packing material. Not only will they keep any fragile materials you are sending safe, but they are also a better alternative for the environment compared to using the typically packing toxic Styrofoam peanuts.
  • In addition to keeping fragile contents of your packages protected, paper shreds are also great to be used for storage. Whether you are storing priceless and valuable family heirlooms, or just putting the Christmas decorations away, paper shreds will keep your breakables safe from any potential damage.
  • If you have a fireplace, or frequent the campground paper shred make a great tool to get a warm fire blazing!

With these five great tips your extra paper shredding will never go to waste!

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling and reusing saves your home and business money. Before you go out to buy packing material or bedding for a child’s pet, look to your own shredded paper material!

How Is Water Cleaned in America?

How Is Water Cleaned In America is covered in the Absolute Rights newsletter, to reveal exactly what steps are taken to clean water. Most of the waste water treatment plants in America use the same principles outlined below, says the recent Absolute Rights newsletter.

First the water has to be screened, because it contains things that need to be removed like rocks, wood, dead animals and anything else that has fallen into the water, explains the newsletter. Next the water treatment plant uses the force of gravity for the sewage to move to the water treatment plant, reveals the Absolute Rights newsletter, since gravity is the primary force behind this part of the process, water treatment plants are typically located where the ground is lower.

There are parts of the country that it is not possible to place the water treatment on lower ground, so the water will be pumped up into aeration tanks, explains then recent newsletter. After the water has been pumped up, then gravity can be used to move the waste water through all the other processes that the water goes through in the treatment plant.

Then the water is shaken around during aeration, the dissolved gases that smell like rotten eggs, which actually are hydrogen sulfide will be released from the water, adds the Absolute Rights newsletter. Next the water will enter into a series of parallel, long concrete tanks, which are divided into a couple of sections, adds the newsletter.

The stuff in the water like sand, coffee grounds, and any other dense particles will be forced out of the water by the bubbling oxygen, while the organic matter is suspended, reveals the Absolute Rights newsletter. Next the dense stuff is forced out of the water, explains the newsletter, and is pumped into tanks where it is moved to landfills.

Next the water goes into the sedimentation tanks where the organic matter, or sewage called sludge, settles to the bottom of the water and is then pumped out of the sedimentation tanks, reveals the newsletter. While the sludge is going to the bottom of the tanks, there is lighter waste, like oil, soap, grease, plastics, along with other light stuff that floats to the top of the water, adds the Absolute Rights newsletter, and is then raked off the surface. Next, the newsletter reveals, the water goes into the chlorine tank, which is how to make clean water from dirty water because it kills the bacteria

To get more information on the topic how is water cleaned, plus other survival information, subscribe to the Absolute Rights newsletter. The Absolute Rights RSS newsfeed also contains articles that cover topics about how to clean water on the AbsoluteRights.com website.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Recycling and reuse of water is just as important as paper, metals, glass, and other everyday items.  Make a plan to cut back on your water usage and re-use overflow for yard, plants, and cleaning.

The Importance of Commercial Waste Recycling

Article by Louise Longworth

Commercial waste recycling is not only important for businesses but also for the environment. Whatever business you’re involved in, dealing with company waste needs to be a priority.

Most office based businesses, no matter what they do, end up with a lot of waste, whether it be regular trash, like shredded documents and break room garbage, or outdated IT equipment, which is governed by special laws.

For construction sites, all kinds of waste is accumulated on a regular basis, and this also needs to be disposed of before it builds up. There are rules and regulations against letting construction waste build up, and these kinds of companies can be fined for letting it do so.

There are many different environmental laws now in place to prevent businesses from just throwing away their rubbish in land fills, and with good reason. Some waste materials don’t break down, and some of those that do, like batteries, leach toxins into the soil and ground water. Waste in the UK and surrounding areas, as well as across the globe, is controlled not only by local officials, but also by the Environmental Protection Agency. If a business is caught throw always hazardous waste of any kind, they can incur heavy fines, and possibly have their business shut down.

Luckily there is an easy answer to commercial waste recycling. There are specialist companies that come into your place of business and dispose of this waste properly. They are meticulous about coming in on a regular basis, taking out your rubbish, old furniture and IT products and disposing of or recycling these properly.

To put it simply they sort through everything. Products like furniture, if still usable, are donated to charitable organisations to sell or redistribute them. The same goes for your computers, printers, and other electronics. All memory cards, and mother boards are wiped clean, and what can’t be used again or put into other electronics is ground down and recycled into other products. Some companies can also provide businesses with tracking records so they know exactly where their commercial waste ends up.

Just as commercial waste recycling is important to you and the environment, it is also important to find a good recycling company. Choose one that has the relevant licences and experience in dealing with commercial waste, and that will recycle or reuse your waste as much as possible.

Find out how regularly they will collect, as well as what times or days they will do so. Another question you need to ask is what happens to information that may still be present on hard drives? A good recycling company will ensure that sensitive documents won’t end up in the wrong hands.

It is a good idea to shop around for the right commercial waste recycling services. No matter which one you decide to use, you need to check their references, and any agencies that monitor their activities, to make sure they are disposing of waste properly. Using a fly by night operation can not only cause you headaches in terms of reliability, but they could also cause your business to fall foul of the law.

If you are in the United Kingdom, you can find out more about commercial waste recycling options in that country by visiting www.london-junk.co.uk.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember:  Businesses of all sizes are responsible for properly disposing of their wastes and fines can be levied if not done properly. If the task of recycling and disposal is too much to handle, it’s time to contract with an outside vendor to ensure it’s done properly.

Recycle Used Electronics Effectively

Article by Samuel Lukes

Do you have an electronics item that has lost its functioning? You can probably recycle the electronic components instead of just throwing it away. Generally, when you simply throw away the wastes, it remains as a useless and harmful product in the environment. Recycling of paper and plastic materials are quite common but electronics recycling is indeed a recent concept.

In fact, the entire computer can easily be recycled. It is known that these electronic goods are made up of batteries, metals and plastics. So, the plastic part of the electronic good is recycled in a different method. Similarly, the circuit boards contain plastic materials and lead which are toxic in nature. Therefore, these are treated separately. On the other hand, the metals are treated in the respective machine to obtain it separately. Recent studies by the industrial analysts in USA have found that nearly 133,000 computers are reaching recycling centers everyday. Also, it is expected that nearly 500 million used mobile phones are awaiting its disposal.

When these electronic goods are sent to electronic recycling areas for reclaiming, gold, silver, platinum, copper, lithium and zinc are removed. On recycling them, tons of the resultant material can be separated by the appropriate treatments. The resultant material is further recycled to get a purified metal. This metal can then be re-used to create new substances.

When it comes to recycling the computer, it is possible to recycle the monitor, printer and other hardware items individually. If you are concerned about the environment, then spread the awareness about the electronic recycling. This avoids the environmental degradation as well as helps to grow the green economy.

Samuel Lukes has written many articles on how to sell used electronics and recycle cell phones at guzu.com.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Municipalities often have special times when you can bring old computer and electronic equipment for proper disposal and recycling. Check with your town hall or transfer station for dates and times.

10 Practical Recycling Tips

Article by Charles N Taft

If everyone would recycle, this world would be a much better place. To help make recycling easier and simpler, here are 10 practical tips you can follow and share with others:

1. Start a home recycling program. Get everyone involved. Place various recycle bins in different strategic locations inside and outside your house to make it easy for everybody to do their part in the recycling program.

2. Buy recycled items. The number of people buying recycled products can be a good gauge of the success of recycling. Be sure to check the product you are buying to see if it is made from recycled materials.

3. Be choosy when buying products. Buy products that have less packaging to reduce waste. Aside from that, opt to buy and use things that are reusable (buy cloth napkins instead of paper for dining; use cloth rags and sponges instead of paper towels for cleaning.)

4. Invest on cloth shopping and grocery bags to decrease usage of plastic. This will minimize using of plastic bags. If you do end up with a plastic bag, reuse it instead of throwing it in the garbage.

5. Don’t make a habit out of throwing everything into the trash. Before you dispose of anything, be sure to think many times at the possible uses that you can still do with that item. For example, empty bottles may seem useless for you but if you think about it, you can use them as container for a vast array of supplies.

6. Contact local recycling center to inquire what kinds of materials they accept for recycling. This will help you in the formulation of your recycling program.

7. If you are a soda junkie, invest on an aluminum can crusher so that it would be easier for you to crush down your soda cans.

8. Always use or print on both sides of paper to minimize waste. Keep in mind, that recycling paper can help reduction in cutting of trees.

9. When collecting food containers for recycling be sure to rinse containers first so that higher quality recycled products will be produced.

10. Be dedicated in your quest to recycle. Do not do it only for a day. Be consistent. Remember the priceless benefits of recycling whenever you feel like quitting. At first, recycling can be a tiring and demanding work but with so many rewards, that recycling has to offer, you know that all your rewards would be truly worth it.

Looking to get starting on your recycling program? It’s easy to find quality home recycling bins at local stores in your area or online shops such as www.mrzeesshoppingcenter.com.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Get into the recycling habit one day at a time by making slow consistent changes. Before you know it, you’ll be reusing and recycling at a much higher level and helping to improve the environment!