Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

Recycling centers really differ when it comes to buying recyclables. Paper and newspaper have been mentioned, copper pays quite well. Many recycling centers will also pay for scrap metal of all kinds, cardboard, and clean composition carpet pads.
It’s really best to call the recycling center closest to your home, and ask them directly what they are buying.

The Expert answers:

The mining itself has no meaning.

Bauxite for example is a very common mineral in the earth crust.
Large quantities of energy are needed to come from the status of ore (Bauxite) to aluminite and then aluminium.

Primary aluminium is produced using an electrolysis and consumed around 15 GJ of energy per tonne produced.

Secondary aluminium (recycled aluminium) can directly be melted. This process requires between 5 and 10% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium. It is therefore extremely profitable

As aluminium is aluminium, the market price is roughly the same for primary and secondary (recycled) aluminium.

The main factor is really the energy cost as the electrolysis for primary aluminium requires large amounts of electricity.

The Expert answers:

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4o-TeMHys0

The Expert answers:

Aluminum can recycling prices can be obtained at http://www.scrapmetalpricesandauctions.com

The Expert answers:

Look in the phone book

Aluminum Association | Aluminum Beverage Can Recycling Rate Rising
… C., May 20, 2005 – The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) … Aluminum can recycling helps fund the entire collection system. …
Aluminum.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&template=/…&ContentID=8587 – Cached
Aluminum Association | Fun Facts
How Is An Aluminum Can Recycled? Fun Facts. Aluminum Industry. Order … Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that …
Www.aluminum.org/ACBHTemplate.cfm?Section=Fun_Facts&NavMenuID=359 – Cached
How is an aluminum beverage can made?: Information and Much More from …
How is an aluminum beverage can made? Background Ninety-five percent of all beer and soft drink cans in the United States are made of aluminum
www.answers.com/topic/aluminum-beverage-can – Cached

The Expert answers:

Talk to the financial group of the company and tell them that recycling is good for the bottom line. Recycling will reduce the waste stream and you can get lower waste hauling prices because of it.

The Expert answers:

World Spot Market Price Scrap Aluminum Recycling at Monday June 04, 2007 – 11:07 PM . Can Grade with Min and Max $/pound
Used Beverage Cans (UBC loose) = $0.30 to 0.61
Shredded UBC = $0.77 to 0.92
Baled UBC = $0.80 to 0.95
Briquetted UBC = $0.83 to 0.98
New Beverage Can Stock = $0.89 to 1.04

The Expert answers:

Recycling paper might be tricky. Some companies want to shred everything. Look into your local recycling plan. Were I work they have a special green dumpster for recyclables. We also recycled enough cans to buy a TV for the break room. That was 5 years ago. The price of aluminum has went way up since.

The Expert answers:

Most types of paper can be recycled. Newspapers have been recycled profitably for decades, and recycling of other paper is growing. Virgin paper pulp prices have soared in recent years prompting construction of more plants capable of using waste paper. They key to recycling is collecting large quantities of clean, well-sorted, uncontaminated and dry paper.

50% recycled paper,
35% post-consumer.
Soy-based inks.

It is important to know what you are buying in a paper product, for that reason virtually all paper products should be marked with the percentage and type of recycled content, as above (C). Just saying “recycled paper” is not enough. “Recycled paper” could mean anything from 100% true recycled paper to 1% re-manufactured ends of large paper rolls.

“Post-consumer” means the paper that you and I return to recycling centers. From a recycling point of view, the more “post-consumer” paper the better. Soybean-based inks are gaining favor as a renewable alternative to harsh and toxic petrochemical inks.
White Office Paper

One of the highest grades of paper is white office paper. Acceptable are clean white sheets from the likes of laser printers and copy machines. Colored, contaminated, or lower grade paper is not acceptable. The wrappers the paper comes in are of lower grade, and not acceptable. Staples are ok. White office paper may be downgraded, and recycled with mixed paper.
Corrugated Cardboard

In areas that don’t take cardboard from consumers, one can often drop boxes off at a supermarket or other high volume business. Contaminated cardboard, like greasy pizza boxes, is not acceptable. In some areas cardboard must be free of tape, but staples are always OK.
Newspapers

Newspaper is widely available and of uniform consistency, which makes it valuable. The entire newspaper including inserts acceptable, except for things like plastic, product samples and rubber bands. Newspapers may be stuffed in large brown grocery sacks, or tied with natural-fiber twine. Other brown paper bags may be mixed with newspaper.
Phone books

Some phone books are made with a special glue that breaks down in water, while other phone books use a glue that interferes with recycling. Printed in your phone book should be information on the source and type of paper used, the nature of the binding, and where locally phone books can be recycled (C). Note that many phone companies continue to use virgin rain forest to produce directories. In many communities phone books are only accepted during the time new directories are distributed.
Waxed cartons (Milk, juice)

Milk cartons are plastic laminated inside, even if they don’t have a plastic spout. (C).
Mixed Paper

Mixed paper is a catch-all for types of paper not specifically mentioned above. Everything you can imagine from magazines to packaging is acceptable. The paper must still be clean, dry, and free of food, most plastic, wax, and other contamination. Staples are OK.

Remove plastic wrap, stickers, product samples, and those pointless “membership” cards, and most junk mail can be recycled as mixed paper. Due to new technology, plastic window envelopes and staples are generally ok.
Paper that can’t be recycled

Paper that can’t be recycled as normal “mixed paper” includes: food contaminated paper, waxed paper, waxed cardboard milk & juice containers, oil soaked paper, carbon paper, sanitary products or tissues, thermal fax paper, stickers and plastic laminated paper such as fast food wrappers, juice boxes, and pet food bags.

Paper with any sort of contamination or plastic layers can’t be recycled. Plastic laminated paper is bad for recycling plants; such paper should be clearly marked (A).