Saturday, November 16, 2024

Your Questions About Recycling

by  
Filed under Recycling Q & A

Charles asks…

Chemistry Safety Protocol Help?

I’m doing chemistry homework about safety protocol but the answers are things not in the book. Most are common sense but I some aren’t specific so I’m not sure. It’s true and false. Please just answer any you know. Thanks.

1. Dispose of chemicals in a recycle waste container.
2. Dispose of organic chemical is a special waste container.
3.When an experiment requires water, use distilled water.
4. Clean glassware with tap water, and rinse with distilled water.
5. Allow porcelain and glassware to cool before moving to the desktop.

The Expert answers:

1) False
2) True
3) True
4) Urm, could be either I guess, you can rinse with distilled water, not really necessary though
5) False, well I do not see it being an issue considering the heat capacity of porcelain/ glass is relatively low so should not do damage to the work area.
Sorry the last 2 answers were not exact, but I am sure you can get the answers right for them if you justify your answers, somewhat weak question to be honest. Sorry if this is not too helpful but I am sure about the first 3

Mandy asks…

Check my quiz about recycling??? URGENT.?

Which of the following is an example of hazardous waste that might come from homes?
A) Pesticide
B) Plastic
C) Leaves
D) Glass containers <–this one.

Recycling aluminum products helps reduce the amount of raw materials needed to create other products.
A) True <— this
B) False

By recycling leaves and using them as mulch, you can reduce the amount you need to water.
A) True
B) False <– this

One way communities are addressing recycling issues is by building landfills to store recyclables.
A) True
B) False <– this

Trees are a non-renewable resource because we cut them down to make paper.
A) True
B) False <– this

I'm not sure if they're right or not so can you help me check?
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/wycd/index.htm
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm

The Expert answers:

Which of the following is an example of hazardous waste that might come from homes?

B – PLASTIC. Pesticides are the most hazardous on the list but they not normally something that comes from the home.

Recycling aluminum products helps reduce the amount of raw materials needed to create other products.

A – TRUE. Recycling means not having to mine or quarry the raw materials and not having to go through the heavy industrial processes of mineral extraction.

By recycling leaves and using them as mulch, you can reduce the amount you need to water.

A – TRUE. Organic material such as leaves retain moisture and so reduce the amount of watering you need to do.

One way communities are addressing recycling issues is by building landfills to store recyclables.

B – FALSE. Landfill sites are for non-recyclable material. The site will be filled then covered over with soil, whatever goes into it stays there.

Trees are a non-renewable resource because we cut them down to make paper.

B – FALSE. We do cut down trees to make paper (and other things) but we also plant new trees to replace those that have been cut down. Done properly there’s a balance and the resource will be renewed again and again.

Ruth asks…

How much money is wasted on aluminum can recycling deposit credit systems?

Of course aluminum cans (and other beverage containers, and plastics and so on…) should be recycled. Throw it all in the “Big Blue Bin”.

Except for those nickel deposits.

Cans and bottles being transported around separately. Machines to collect and crush, trucks to haul the material to a recycling plant – rather than just hopping a ride on the other truck with the other recyclables from the Big Blue Bin.

Seems like a lot of effort, time, and money being spent over nickels.

Why do we continue to put the beverage can deposit up on a pedestal?

The Expert answers:

Lefty, I generally admire your comments, but I disagree with you on this one. There is a financial reason behind this for companies, but I think it has to do with giving people an incentive to recycle as well. “Throwing it in the Big Blue Bin” is not always effective, because it is not properly recycled all time. Directly handing it over to the government to give to a recycling plant is more effective and efficient.

In the long run, it logically makes sense, because aluminum and plastic are resources that cannot be wasted. Without having a proper recycling system, the cost of plastic and aluminum would skyrocket because of the limited resources. Because plastic is made of petroleum, without proper recycling of the material, all petroleum products would go up in cost. Makes sense financially to give people an incentive to recycle.

Companies aren’t losing money because mass production of new products is far more expensive than the process of recycling and the 5 cent incentive.

David asks…

what to do with all the garbage?

sort the following into 5 sections of (landfill, incineration, recycling depot, composting and household hazardous waste operation. please help me !!!
glass
plastic
metal
paper
newspaper
cardboard
poly coat
textiles
ceramics
multilayer packaging
sanitary products
pharmaceutical and cosmetic waste, including containers
foot wear luggage and handbags
Appliances
hazardous waste
animal waste including kitty litter
treasure
bulky items
building materials
floor sweeping
kitchen organics
yard waste

The Expert answers:

I just put it all in one big bag and let the garbage collectors figure it out. And that’s how I do my homework.

Susan asks…

Are any pharmacy plastic bottles recycleable?

I save my empty containers hoping they can be recycled or used for something else but feel it they create a lot of waste in the world.

The Expert answers:

They are not recyclable in Western Massachusetts (where I work as a recycling professional) and in many areas. This is because they are small; small items such as lids, caps, and medicine bottles fall through the sorting equipment at the recycling facility. They are also a different type of plastic that can have a heat and cold insulating layer, which makes them harder to recycle into something else.
I like what some users have written about reusing them – great!
Here’s a big thing to watch out for: DO NOT flush unwanted medications down the toilet! There is no way to remove these from water and therefore the water supply can be tainted with medications. This tainted water can harm human health and wildlife. Contact your local waste authority of how to discard. Or, to throw away unwanted medications, use the original bottle and tape it up or put inside plastic bag. Put in the trash.

Paul asks…

best answer… Renewable or non-renewable?

Quick answer for best answer =]]
This is a list of raw materials.. classify renewable or non renewable

Waste Paper for recycling
Recycled milk and juice containers
cotton linters –
coal –
paper pulp –
calcium carbonate –
waste paper for making fine paper –

The Expert answers:

Renewable:

*Waste paper for recycling
*waste paper for making fine paper
*cotton linters
*paper pulp
*Recycled milk and juice containers

Non-Renewable

*calcium carbonate
*calcium carbonate
*

James asks…

Why don’t fast food companies go completely green by using 100 % biodegradable containers/cups/flatware?

McDonald’s made a movement years ago where they tried to be “greener” by discontinuing their styrofoam containers in place of paper/cardboard wrappers. With their sloppy sandwiches, those cardboard/paper wrappers never get recycled due to food contamination, so the trash STILL piles up from fast food meals. Why don’t these places go with a greener alternative? There are items made completely from sugar cane, corn, wheat that can be plowed right into the ground after use. Why doesn’t Obama force these companies that make so much landfill waste step up and start using biodegradable packaging/silverware? The prices are not really higher than regular packaging, and the biodegradable companies even offer discounts for larger orders. Why is this technological break thru such a secret yet?
http://whynotbobstore.net/#panel-6

The Expert answers:

Cost to much..They use every method possible to keep the cost down so people will buy their product.

Sure would be nice if they did use biodegradable products so they would just absorber into the ground when people throw them out the window. Then we wouldn’t see Styrofoam, plastic bags and food containers all over the road side like it is now.

Lisa asks…

How to make restaurants to recycle plastics?

So I work at a restaurant, and everyday, I can see how much plastics are being wasted. Soda bottles, plastic cups (used when holding a big banquet), ingredient containers(some glass but most are plastics), plastic containers (take out boxes, pints and quart for soups). its is kinda dumb they want household to recycle things but not restaurant. how can I tell this to the authority or who should i suggest this to ? it must be some kinda the authority that can set up these regulations. Thanks people ! Go Green !

The Expert answers:

Restaurants cannot. They pay a private carter to take their trash. Private carter cannot handle recyclable since there is no profit. It is not economically feasible for a restaurant nor do they have the storage and the Board of Health would be issuing violations every day.

Sandy asks…

Why can’t we recycle plastic packaging in the US?

When I was living in Japan, they collected light plastic wrapping containers and bags every Tuesday. But in the US they are not picked up for recycling, and I can’t figure out why. It’s frustrating, because when I could recycle the stuff, I only had to take out the garbage every other week (and that’s with a small bag). I eat a diet that doesn’t leave any food waste left behind, so all of my trash ends up being plastic wrapping, bags, or unrecycleable containers.

The Expert answers:

Different cities have different recycling capabilities. Where I live, we can recycle plastic packaging.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Sponsored Links

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

You must be logged in to post a comment.