Category Archives: HDPE Plastic

HDPE Plastic

Waste Recycling of Unwanted Plastics

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A recent research study at the University of Texas in Austin indicated that if only 5% of all unusable materials at U.S. recycling facilities were converted to fuel, it would create energy to annually power almost seven hundred thousand homes.

Led by Dr. Michael Webber, the associate director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, the research study determined that fuel created from unrecyclable plastics had a higher energy capability than select grades of coal and could be used in industrial settings.

The study was part of a project designed to demonstrate that fuel from non-recycled plastics, paper and cardboard could successfully power a cement kiln.

In addition to the energy produce, the study also indicated that carbon and sulfur emissions were reduced – almost to the equivalent of remove a million automobiles from U.S. roads.

The study was funded by the American Chemistry Council, which is interested in finding new ways to harness and profit by America’s most abundant and affordable energy resource – those materials disposed of in landfills.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: One business’s trash can be another’s treasure. When was the last time your business did a waste disposal and waste recycling audit? There may be innovative new ways to save green all the way around!

 

Billions of Dollars in Recyclables Wasted Every Year

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In 2010 over four million tons of recyclable cardboard, estimated at a value of over one billion dollars, was disposed of in landfills.

This information comes from the non-profit group As You Sow that advocates for corporate social responsibility and environmentalism.

The group also reports that PET materials with a value of almost three billion were sent to landfills in the same year. While close to half of all aluminum cans are recycled, at a value of one an a half billion, the total number of PET recycling is closer to 25%.

HDPE materials such as laundry detergent bottle and milk jugs was ranked second, after cardboard, as the most valuable discarded recyclable, worth almost three billion dollars.

As You Sow encourages companies to increase their responsibility for the recyclable material that they generate during the manufacturing process, and also suggests that municipalities improve their waste and recycling collection methods to obtain larger amounts of these valuable goods.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Are you leaving money on the table by not recycling and reselling items that you are currently paying to dispose of as garbage? Take a look at your waste stream and see if your trash can be someone else’s treasure!

 

Waste Recycling Solution for HDPE

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Denton Plastics in Portland, Oregon will be the second major recycler of plastics in the United States to invest in a wash line to recycle and process high density polyethylene (HDPE).

The investment, which includes grinding and washing equipment and a 40,000-square-foot building space, is expected to cost between four and five million dollars. The new infrastructure will allow Denton to handle bulky rigids such as crates, buckets, carts, baskets, lawn furniture, and toys. The launch is schedule for spring 2013 and will take 18 months to reach maximum operation.

Currently, the other large-scale HDPE wash line in the U.S. is at KW Plastics in Troy, Alabama which has the capacity to recycle between 10 and 12 million pounds of HDPE monthly.

Denton is in negotiations with material recovery facilities and grocery chains for sourcing a steady stream of HDPE containers. This opportunity presents a major cost savings for supermarkets who can now recycle their back-room containers instead of paying for waste disposal and landfill costs. It is estimated at over 354 millions pounds of HDPE materials are used annually at supermarket chains in bakery, seafood, and prepared food departments.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If your business uses HDPE plastics, now is the time to look into recycling opportunities. You’ll save money by switching from waste disposal to waste recycling!

 

Waste Recycling for Apartments

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The new law that went into effect on July 1 in the state of California now requires all apartment buildings, commercial businesses, and institutions to implement recycling programs.

Signed by California Governor Jerry Brown in October of 2011, the law requires all apartment buildings with five units or more to provide recycling services to tenants as well as businesses generating more than four cubic yards of solid waste weekly.

The new law also established a deadline for reducing the amount of solid waste with overall goals of recycling or composting 75% of all waste by the year 2020.

California now joins the state of Florida with establishing the country’s most aggressive recycling, composting, and waste reduction goals.

California has long been a national leader in waste recycling and over the last twenty years has created over 125,000 jobs in this employment sector.

Additionally, California will provide financial incentives for businesses who process and manufacture recycled plastic. California currently collects over 500 million pounds of recyclable plastic containers yearly but much of that has been historically shipped oversees for processing. The new funding will allow for the creation of jobs and reduce the need to transport the waste recyclables outside of the United States.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: While California and Florida may be the leaders in waste recycling, there’s work that all states can do to improve recycling, help to save our environment, and create green jobs!

Prevent Marine Debris

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Shorelines and coastal waters are witnessing a growing problem of marine debris. Marine debris is any man-made item that enters the ocean or coastline from the land or water. The coastlines are popular places to live, work, vacation, and engage in recreational activities and as a result the level of debris is increasing resulting in a contamination of the environment.

Marine debris is typically the result of poor waste management from human activities – both municipal and industrial. The debris very often includes a high percentage of recyclable items such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, and aluminum cans. By making waste collection and recycling more convenient along coastal areas, the likelihood of these items ending up in the water is greatly reduced.

Mismanagement of waste and recycling collection will also contribute to marine debris as overflowing containers scatter their belongings along the ground. Municipalities play an important role by ensuring that trash and recycling receptacles are covered, secured, and frequently emptied.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Whether your working or vacationing along the coastline, take a moment and make sure you’re properly disposing of your waste and recyclables. Keeping the marine environment clean makes it enjoyable and profitable for all!

Reduce Energy Use By Recycling

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Do you want to see the immediate energy saving benefits of what recycling can do? Visit the iWARM calculator available on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website and learn about how recycling workplace and household items equates to energy usage.

Here are just a few fun facts: Making the choice to recycle an aluminum can rather than put it in the garbage, produces energy equal to operating a 60W incandescent light for a little over 4 hours, or a compact fluorescent light for over 20 hours?  Think about all the cans of beverage you, your family, and your co-workers consume in a given day – if all those cans were recycled that’s enough to light an entire house or small building!

But the iWARM calculator shows more than just the energy benefits of recycling cans. It can also help you determine the energy savings for all these common items:

  • Metal coat hangers
  • Glass bottles
  • Steel cans
  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Gallon plastic (HDPE) milk jug
  • Gallon plastic (HDPE) detergent container
  • Plastic grocery bag
  • Plastic (PET) bottles
  • Catalogs
  • Weekly magazines
  • White business envelopes
  • Paperboard Cereal boxes
  • Daily newspapers
  • Printer paper
  • and much more!

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Most homes and business have all the recyclable items listed above. Are you recycling them or adding them in with trash? If you aren’t recycling then you’re adding additional costs to your bottom line! Disposing of your waste and recycling in an efficient, compliant manner can help to save the environment and save you money!

Bags: Reusable Versus Disposable

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If you’re responsible for purchasing bags for your business, this is an important question: Which is better for the environment? Paper or plastic shopping bags? Or reusable versus disposable bags?

Without a doubt, reusable shopping bags or reusing previously acquired paper or plastic bags is the best course of action. Putting items in a bag may not even be necessary – so be sure to give customers an option to go “bag-free” if they choose.

The Environmental Protection Agency encourages businesses and consumers to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper and plastic bags.  It is easy to establish recycling collection bins at your business or offer small incentives to those customers who bring their own bags.

Businesses can help to reduce waste and encourage consumers to get into the “green habit” by offering inexpensive reusable shopping bags. Using reusable bags helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy, and avoid environmental impacts associated with the production of new paper and plastic bags.

It is important for everyone to properly dispose of their waste and businesses can encourage this behavior by providing both trash and recycling bins and encouraging customers to use them.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: More and more consumers care about preserving the environment every day, so show your customers you’re listening but providing options and incentives to reward their green behaviors. They’ll be more loyal to you as a result!