The Expert answers:

It all depends, if you are selling it or giving to the city. The city will take care of any plastic whether recyclable or not. They have a system of separating the stuff you give them, anything that can’t be recycled is thrown away. Also having tops on wont bust their big machines. If your selling it then the person who works there can tell you the companies policy of having tops on. If you look at the bottom of the container it will show you a number in side a triangle of arrows. You can check this number with what they are buying to see if they will take it.

The Expert answers:

First. If you are wanting to copy the name and logo, check with the company first to see if they’ll let you. As far as the bins are concerned, the ones i have seen are owned by the refuse or recycling companies. If i understand you correctly you want to make your own bin to be picked up by truck. If that’s correct, i think you’d be best off finding someone to pick up your recyclables first and discuss your project with them. Good luck and have fun!

The Expert answers:

That kind of thing I would just reuse myself.
Do you have anything it could be used for?
It’s better to wash out something and reuse it then to send it to recycling.

The Expert answers:

Here is how it has been done already!

TRAVELODGE HOTEL MADE FROM SHIPPING CONTAINERS

Your biggest problem will be planning permission and all the jobsworths who want to stop you! OK company like Travelodge has the financial might to take on the bureaucrat’s but it would bankrupt you!

Good idea but think of something else!

The Expert answers:

There is no reason to buy a recycle specific container. You can look at a variety of choices, I’ve seen people use canvas bags on hooks, old toy sorting bins, unused dresser etc. I use a regular garbage can and put everything into it an sort it when I get to the garbage area.

The Expert answers:

An aunt used to collect them herself. She never bought paper-plates, but used clean meat trays instead. That was in the days before the absorbent liner was bonded directly to the surface. It may be harder to disinfect them now.

I do not know of a recycling effort, but you can use them for household tasks – craft and paint trays, cushions for mailing items, trays for organizing items in shallow drawers, etc. Egg trays are great for children to sort small items into.

Http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html
This seems like a pretty simple guide. It doesn’t mention styrofoam.

The Expert answers:

If its recyclable it should have recycling symbol with a number in the middle. You can look up the meaning of these numbers. If there is no recyclable sign. I would throw it out because of the gas used to expel the contents of your aerosol can

The Expert answers:

Go to www.earth911.org to find a local recycle center

The Expert answers:

Storing gasoline in anything other than a container designed- and approved- for such storage is hazardous. There is the possibility that the container will dissolve, causing leakage and potentially result in a fire. Even containers that cannot dissolve are at risk because gasoline is complex; most gas sold in this country has propane dissolved in it (one reason that gas goes “stale” when in storage is that the propane comes out of solution) to increase the octane number. A tightly sealed container of gasoline that degasses propane can rupture.

Speaking as a firefighter who’s had to put out more than one garage fire- spend the extra bucks on a gas can. Your insurance company will appreciate it.

The Expert answers:

Recycling has a lot of benefits that can help people and save the environment as well. Its importance can be observed in many different ways. Here are some great reasons why recycling is important:

Recycling Saves the Earth
Recycling different products will help the environment. For example, we know that paper comes from trees and many trees are being cut down just to produce paper. By recycling it, we can help lessen the number of trees that are cut down. Products made from raw materials that came from our natural resources should be recycled so that we can help preserve the environment.

Recycling Saves Energy
It takes less energy to process recycled materials than to process virgin materials. For example, it takes a lot less energy to recycle paper than to create new paper from trees. The energy from transporting virgin materials from the source is also saved. Saving energy also has its own benefits like decreasing pollution. This creates less stress on own health and our economy.

Recycling Helps Mitigate Global Warming and Reduce Pollution
By saving energy in industrial production through recycling, the greenhouse gas emissions from factories and industrial plants are lessened and the use of fuels that emit harmful gasses during production is also minimized. Recycling non-biodegradable waste (rather then burning it) will contribute a lot to help reduce air pollution and greenhouse gasses that depletes the ozone layer.

Recycling Reduces Waste Products in Landfills
Landfills are mostly composed of non-biodegradable waste which takes long time to decompose. By recycling, we can lessen the waste materials that are placed into landfills and we are able to make the most out of these materials. If we don’t recycle, more and more garbage will go to landfills until they all get filled up. If that happens, where will the rubbish be placed? How would you like a land fill in you backyard?

There are many companies out there that help reduce the problem of overfilling landfills by offering options (like ink cartridges) that make sense. When consumers seek out companies that have established green practices, like Carrot Ink, the consumer wins by not only helping the environment but also by saving money.

Recycling Helps you Save Money
Recycling provides ways to save money. You can sell recyclable materials to organizations that are willing to buy it. Using products that are recycled lessens expenses. Products that are made from recycled materials are less expensive than products made from fresh materials.

At home, you can recycle biodegradable waste like eggshells, vegetable and fruit peelings and use them to fertilize plants. By doing a little research and getting creative you can save money and trips to the market while being kind to the planet.

As the population of the world increases recycling is becoming increasingly more important. Our technologically advanced societies are creating more and products and packaging that look good and are indestructible, but can take centuries to break down.

In order to combat the rise of factors that are produced by non-environmentally conscious groups, it is up to the growing numbers of individuals and companies that want to inhabit a healthier planet to make a difference.

The Expert answers:

Technically all numbers 1 thru 7 can be recycled. 1 being the easiest. 7 the most difficult to recycle. What your community takes in the program depends on what companies will pay them for it. They will buy the easiest ones to recycle. Styrofoam is a 6. Hard to collect, and recycle, cheap to make. When we buy products made with recycled content that helps.

The Expert answers:

BAD PIE Plastic #1: This is polyethylene terephtalate, also known as PETE or PET. Most disposable soda and water bottles are made of #1 plastic, and it’s usually clear. This plastic is considered generally safe. However, it is known to have a porous surface that allows bacteria and flavor to accumulate, so it is best not to keep reusing these bottles as makeshift containers. This plastic is picked up by most curbside recycling programs.

SAFE Plastic #2: This is high density polyethylene, or HDPE. Most milk jugs, detergent bottles, juice bottles, butter tubs, and toiletries bottles are made of this. It is usually opaque. This plastic is considered safe and has low risk of leaching. It is also picked up by most recycling programs.

BAD PIE Plastic #3: This is polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. It is used to make food wrap, bottles for cooking oil, and plumbing pipes. PVC is a tough plastic but it is not considered safe to cook food near it. There are phthalates in this material–softening chemicals that interfere with hormonal development. You should minimize use of #3 plastic around food as much as possible. Never cook using food wrap, especially in a microwave oven. If the wrap is listed as microwave-safe then I would still not let it touch the food while using it in the microwave. #3 plastic is rarely accepted by recycling programs.

SAFE Plastic #4: This is low density polyethylene (LDPE). It is used to make grocery bags, some food wraps, squeezable bottles, and bread bags. This plastic is considered safe, but is unfortunately not often accepted by curbside recycling programs.

SAFE Plastic #5: this is polypropylene. Yogurt cups and similar wide-necked containers are often made from it, as well as water bottles with a cloudy finish. You’ll also find it in medicine bottles, ketchup and syrup bottles, and straws. This plastic is also considered safe, and is increasingly being accepted by curbside recycling programs.

BAD PIE Plastic #6: this is polystyrene, or Styrofoam, from which disposable containers and packaging are made. You’ll also find it in disposable plates and cups. Evidence is increasingly suggesting that this type of plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. I suggest avoiding the use of #6 plastic as much as possible. It is difficult to recycle and most recycling programs won’t accept it.

BAD PIE Plastic #7: This number basically means “everything else.” It’s a mixed bag, composed of plastics which were invented after 1987. Polycarbonate falls into this category, including the dreaded BPA. So do modern plastics used in anything from iPods to computer cases. It also includes some baby bottles and food storage containers which resist staining. Use of #7 plastic is at your own risk, since you don’t know what could be in it. You should dispose of any food or drink related product, especially for children, that is known to contain BPA. I personally also view any other food or drink container made from #7 plastic with a good deal of suspicion. It is difficult to recycle #7 plastic and most curbside recycling programs won’t accept it.

To summarize, plastics #2, #4 and #5 are generally considered safe. Plastic #1 is safe too but should not be re-used due to the risk of growing bacteria. Any other plastic should be used with extreme caution, especially around food or drink. The risk is even greater when heating food. For microwaving in particular, remember that microwave safe containers aren’t necessarily healthy. They just won’t melt. In general, it’s better to avoid microwaving plastic entirely and stick to glass.

The Expert answers:

Plastic, Cans

1. Old bricks, worthless? No, those bricks can be recycled, and are very valuable to some people!

2. Use reclaimed wood for your next project at home. Use your own, or find some on freecycle, Craigslist, at your local transfer station, or recycle.net.

3. There are many places you can exchange or recycle your old electronics.

4. Sell off or post an ad for free metal scrap to be recycled.

5. If you have enough, your old VHS tapes can be recycled

6. Packing tape and stickers cannot be recycled, so use these sparingly in the first place.

7. Tools are very valuable items on eBay. Try selling them in lots to save time, shipping waste, and energy.

8. Empty propane tanks may be able to be taken as scrap metal, or properly disposed of at hazardous waste facilities. Reuse these whenever you can!

9. Even large items like BBQ grills can be recycled as scrap metal once the propane tank has been removed.

10. Kids toys have a new life when they’re donated to thrift stores like Salvation Army or local churches.

11. Recycle your old prescription bottles, they have a million uses.

12. After they’ve been used up, recycle your old batteries.

13. How about other plastic numbers, what do those mean? You may be able to recycle some of them.

14. Flip flops can be recycled and repurposed a number of creative and unique ways.

15. Can’t figure out what to do with your old lamps, wall decor, or knick knacks? If you can’t eBay them, donate them to a thrift store for charity purposes. Craigslist and Kijiji are good alternatives, too.

16. Recycle your shipping styrofoam or reuse it.

17. Window treatments have the chance to live again as you recycle your curtains into pillows.

18. Carpet can be recycled if it is clean and usable.

19. Donate it, sell it, or recycle your television.

20. Stop by an Aveda location to recycle your bottle caps.

21. The rumor has been floating around that aluminum can’t be recycled. While the rules may differ per town, you can still reuse it a few times by giving it a cleaning.

22. Reuse your old jeans in these 25 ingenious methods.

23. Why trash it? Your shower curtain is a great drop cloth or apron.

24. Your ink cartridges are accepted at many different locations online and in person, like Staples.

25. You might be able to trade in your old printer for a credit on a new one. They’ll recycle it for you. There’s always earth911, too.

26. Tires are a must to be recycled, and it’s very easy.

27. Learn how you can recycle your roof shingles to become part of our roads.

28. Make sure when installing a new car battery that the mechanic will recycle it.

29. Cardboard boxes can be taken at your local recycling station, or sent curbside if they’re small enough in most instances.

30. Save your old packing peanuts and recycle them by giving them to your local shipping company. They will gladly take them off your hands.

31. Your gently used clothing can be resold on eBay, or donated.

32. Good news! #5 plastics can be recycled at many Whole Foods locations.

33. Potato chip bags and those other foil packaging that often are used to wrap up junk food can be recycled at Terracycle.net.

34. Used (many times) ziploc containers and similar disposable plasticware can be recycled usually as #1 plastics.

35. Shaving cream metal cans are accepted in most recycling facilities with other metal cans.

36. Can tabs can be recycled with your cans. Don’t pull them off, that kidney dialysis machine time rumor is false.

37. You couldn’t have enough options to recycle your cellphone

38. Blankets can be recycled by donating them to animal shelters (if clean).

39. Recycle your own scrap wood and furniture by reusing it, or donate it.

40. Save that box and make some Pizza box art, or maybe just recycle it if you follow these instructions.

41. Mattresses, aerosol cans, even washing machines can be recycled.

42. Bread twist ties will be your new best friend after you read these creative uses.

43. Reading glasses can be recycled and donated, and are always in demand.

44. Old books can be sold on Amazon, donated to thrift stores, donated to schools, and to hospitals. There’s always the yard sale option, too.

45. Freecycle your old sports equipment.

46. Did you know your old aluminum siding could be worth a lot of money?

47. Your old greeting cards can even be recycled creatively.

48. Wrapping paper is just paper and has many ways to be reused or recycled.

49. Don’t forget all types of glass bottles can be recycled — wine bottles, jelly jars, colored glass… These are all accepted at most recycling facilities.

50. Your old screened doors have many ways that they can be recycled

The Expert answers:

I understand why you asked this question after seeing your other concern about someone stealing your phone. I believe that when a cell phone number is recycled it simply is disconnected when not in use and when it is given by a carrier it is turned on again. I think your problem is someone was prank calling you I would not worry because i don’t understand how they could tell you stole their phone just by calling them.

The Expert answers:

Each state has different rules on items that can be recycled because they each have different recycling facilities. Where I live we can only recycle plastic that has either no number, a #1, or #2 on the container because those are the only types of plastic that we have the facilities to recycle.

Check with your local waste management bureau about which items you can and can not recycle. Also, almost every state can recycle paper products but check which types are not able to be recycled in your area!

The Expert answers:

Yes they do, as do landline operators. A telecoms provider has to pay for every number they use so it makes sense to reuse them, also there are only so many combinations starting with 07######### you can have before you run out.

A number is only re-issued after between 6 to 12 months of inactivity.

The Expert answers:

Recycling it is more eco-friendly.
Here’s why:
Re-use is green when it keeps something out of the landfill or sends a message to a manufacturer to slow production.
Recycling your paper keeps it out of the landfill. Handing it off might now.
Leaving it to be re-used won’t affect the number of papers a newspaper produces, so it doesn’t save anything. Maybe a potential paper-buyer won’t buy because he finds your paper, but it’s not enough of a lump to make the paper drop production. It just means one of the papers on the newstand won’t be purchased — and you have to hope it’s recycled.
Here’s where you can make a difference with newspaper recycling: Make a deal to share your paper everyday with someone who would otherwise buy it. This affects subscription numbers, which will make the newspaper take notice and print fewer accordingly.
Till then, recycle that paper unless the next user promises you they will.

The Expert answers:

No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder’s death. Even though we have issued over 415 million SSNs so far, and we assign about 5 and one-half million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system.

From: http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html

The Expert answers:

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each.

Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial, producers. Management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator.

The Expert answers:

Trash collection and recycling services.

The Expert answers:

Waste and recycling
Productivity Commission inquiry into waste managementIn late 2005 the Productivity Commission launched an inquiry into waste generation and resource efficiency. They called for submissions and undertook a series of public inquiries. ALGA participated in both processes. The ALGA submission covered some broad areas for concern, while the State Associations provided more detailed submissions.

In May 2006, the Productivity Commission released their draft report Waste Management which invites further comment and will be followed up with another series of public hearings. ALGA will continue to input into this inquiry.

DrumMUSTERThe drumMUSTER program has been operating since 1 February 1999 and is a joint initiative between the National Association for Crop Production and Animal Health (Avcare), together with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and the Veterinary Manufacturers and Distributors Association (VMDA). As at 1 June 2002, 378 Councils across Australia are participating in the program. Of these, 88 have been identified as high priority councils (because of the high number of drum sales in the LGA). Ninety-eight per cent of high priority councils have signed up to drumMUSTER and are regularly running collections. ALGA continues to be involved in the drumMUSTER Advisory Committee which meets 4 times per year.

National Packaging CovenantAustralian and state governments have extended the National Packaging Covenant for a further five years following a meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in July 2005. The National Environment Protection Measure for Used Packaging Materials has been streamlined to support the Covenant and to ensure voluntary action is backed by legislation and obligations are met. Changes to the NPC affecting local government and industry signatories include:

Increase in the national packaging recycling rate from 48 per cent to 65 per cent by 2010.
No further increase in packaging waste disposal to landfill by the end of 2010.
The local governments who were signatories to the last Covenant have not yet had time to determine if they will sign the updated Covenant.

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) opposes the National Packaging Covenant (the Covenant) in its current form. This opposition arises from the failure of the Covenant to require the packaging industry to take enough downstream responsibility for packaging waste.

Notwithstanding the specific concern over the Covenant as it stands, it should be noted that ALGA supports any waste minimisation initiative that involves all three spheres of Government, together with a voluntary approach by industry.

The concerns with the Covenant, as determined and resolved by the Australian Local Government Association early in 1999 and subsequently reaffirmed, are as follows:

The Covenant definition of product stewardship is based on a principle of “shared responsibility” which is directly at odds with Local Government’s view that the packaging industry should take responsibility for the waste it produces
The Covenant does not commit industry to paying a fair price (ie. At least a cost recovery price) for recyclables, requiring only payment of market prices
The Covenant is totally reliant on kerbside collection as the means of recycling, and fails to explore other proven initiatives such as industry run collections/drop-offs and container deposit legislation
In March 1999, the Australian Local Government Association resolved, on behalf of member State and Territory Associations, to refuse to sign the Covenant until the covenant is amended in terms acceptable to Local Government. On 14 May 1999, this position was reaffirmed and the required changes to the NPC were itemised. It was resolved (in part) as follows:

The ALGA reaffirms its position that the Covenant in draft form is unacceptable to Local Government and as such will not be signed
That ALGA believes there must be an included statement that industry must accept responsibility for the materials created throughout the lifecycle of the product
The packaging industry must commit to the waste hierarchy as set out below:
Most preferred:
Avoid
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Recover (eg energy)
Least preferred:
Treat
Dispose
The principle of waste minimisation must be explicitly included in the Covenant as a fundamental goal
The Covenant must accept that Local Government is not part of the packaging chain but may use its infrastructure for the recovery of materials
That the Covenant term “shared responsibilities” must be replaced by “industry lifecycle responsibility”
That the Covenant should provide for the development of a variety of collection systems rather than just kerbside collection, including collection depots, surcharges and Container Deposit Legislation
The packaging industry must agree to meet the real cost of recyclable material collection
The majority position not to sign or support the National Packaging Covenant has been reaffirmed by ALGA, noting however that the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Local Government Association of Queensland have signed the National Packaging Covenant.

Link to the National Packaging Covenant homepage.

Meinhardt Report (393 kb PDF): A Report on the covenant’s operation from a council perspective by Meinhardt Infrastructure and Environment Pty Ltd

The Expert answers:

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials.The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics.

Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each.

1.Landfill-Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, and this remains a common practice in most countries.
2.Incineration-Incineration is a disposal method that involves combustion of waste material. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are sometimes described as “thermal treatment”. Incinerators convert waste materials into heat, gas, steam, and ash.
3.Biological reprocessing-Waste materials that are organic in nature, such as plant material, food scraps, and paper products, can be recycled using biological composting and digestion processes to decompose the organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycled as mulch or compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes. In addition, waste gas from the process (such as methane) can be captured and used for generating electricity. The intention of biological processing in waste management is to control and accelerate the natural process of decomposition of organic matter.
4.Energy recovery-The energy content of waste products can be harnessed directly by using them as a direct combustion fuel, or indirectly by processing them into another type of fuel. Recycling through thermal treatment ranges from using waste as a fuel source for cooking or heating, to fuel for boilers to generate steam and electricity in a turbine. Pyrolysis and gasification are two related forms of thermal treatment where waste materials are heated to high temperatures with limited oxygen availability. The process typically occurs in a sealed vessel under high pressure. Pyrolysis of solid waste converts the material into solid, liquid and gas products. The liquid and gas can be burnt to produce energy or refined into other products. The solid residue (char) can be further refined into products such as activated carbon. Gasification and advanced Plasma arc gasification are used to convert organic materials directly into a synthetic gas (syngas) composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is then burnt to produce electricity and steam.
5.Waste handling and transport-aste collection methods vary widely between different countries and regions. Domestic waste collection services are often provided by local government authorities, or by private industry.

Hope this helps…

The Expert answers:

RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING
but the public MUST clasify trash otherwise it becomes an impossible and expensive task

organic wastes mixed in with trash is responsible for 70% of soil and fround water contamination

the municipalities should have different trucks collecting different types of wastes iniciating the clasification at the source ,the homes

the truck for plastic only taking plastic and going to its recycling destination

the organic truck going to a worm culture or compost operation ,

and the metal to its recycling destination ,

in this way the whole process becomes viable and can be controlled

the crew of the individual trucks policing the types of trash they collect

The Expert answers:

In the manufacturing industry, not all the “ingredients” that go into making something are consumed. By definition, if they cannot be recycled, they are waste. Environmental waste management means managing wastes, be they chemical, biological, or material, in a responsible manner so they don’t become pollutants.

Chemical waste is easy to envision. When something is burnt in a manufacturing process, there are gases that go up the smokestack. If they are not captured somehow, or reduced, they become pollutants. Think about what comes out of your car’s tailpipe.

For an example of biological waste, a byproduct of beer fermentation is yeast that has been used, but settles out of the tank into a sludge. What do you do do with this? Or when you harvest corn, you have all these stalks and cobs left over. You need to manage them.

Raw materials can also be waste. Scrap aluminum used in stamping plants may be recovered. Sawdust and wood chips from lumbering processes may be made into plywood.

We want to minimize waste to keep costs down, keep pollutants out of the environments, and use our natural resources in the most conservative manner.

I hope this helps.

The Expert answers:

Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling prevents useful material resources being wasted, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the waste hierarchy.

Paper is a thin material produced by the amalgamation of plant fibres, which are subsequently held together without extra binder, largely by hydrogen bonds and to a large degree by fiber entanglement. The fibres used are usually natural and composed of cellulose. The most common source of these kinds of fibres is wood pulp from pulpwood trees, largely softwoods such as spruce. However, other vegetable fibre materials including cotton, hemp, linen, and rice may be used.

Recycled paper is made from waste paper, usually mixed with fresh wood pulp. If the paper contains ink, the paper must be deinked. Deinking also removes fillers, clays, and fiber fragments.

Almost all paper can be recycled today, but some types are harder to recycle than others. Papers that are waxed, pasted, or gummed (or papers that are coated with plastic or aluminum foil) are usually not recycled because the process is too expensive. Even papers that are recycled are not usually recycled together. Waste papers should be sorted. You shouldn’t mix newspapers and cardboard boxes together for recycling.

Different grades of paper are recycled into different types of new products. Old newspapers are usually made into new newsprint, egg cartons, or paperboard. Old corrugated boxes are made into new corrugated boxes or paperboard. High-grade white office paper can be made into almost any new paper product: stationery, newsprint, or paper for magazines and books.

Sometimes recyclers ask you to remove the glossy inserts that come with newspapers. The newsprint and glossy inserts are different types of paper.

Glossy inserts have a heavy clay coating that some paper mills cannot accept. Besides, a paper mill gets more recyclable fibers from a ton of pure newsprint than it does from a ton of mixed newsprint that is weighed down with heavy clay-coated papers.

Unlike most other recyclables, paper cannot be recycled over and over again. Eventually the fibers become too weak and short to be used again. That is why virgin paper fiber is usually mixed with recycled paper when new paper products are made. Most cardboard boxes are a mixture of 50 percent new and 50 percent recycled fibers.

The Expert answers:

Take a look at the track record of the existing government and back… They all blame the “other” guy… One thing we could do as citizens, stop eating so much – control our own waste!- Seriously – we need the public to co-operate – recycle-reuse and REFUSE to buy products that are harmful to our enviorment and cannot be recycled! We have a very long way to go and need to begin teaching at the public school level and especially new immigrants, for many come from cultures were sanitation was unheard of, e.g. Running water and a flush toilet would have been luxury in their country…. But then your trying to work with two levels of government, and that rarely works! Just look at the mess were in here in Ontario…Good Question, you should get bonus points for this.

The Expert answers:

I don’t know where you live, but check with your county or city Waste Management office to find out if there really is no place locally. Plastic is very hard to recycle due to the economics of moving the product around. So first – try never to buy it. Buy aluminum or glass. There are many Do It Yourself (DIY) sites that share projects on re-using just about everything and tons of them feature plastic bottles for the very reason that it is hard to recycle. Look around at sites like: ReadyMade, TreeHugger, Etsy, or just google ‘uses for plastic bottles’ and see what shows up. Most importantly – don’t reuse them for drinking beverages – the jury is still out on how stable plastic is chemically. And definitely don’t melt them. That releases toxic chemicals into the air.

The Expert answers:

Common Recycling Symbols can not be typed, there is no keyboard combination like there is for ®

It’s commonly a stylized drawing of a Mobius strip or loop.

See http://recycle.dpw.dc.gov/recycle/lib/recycle/RecyclingSymbolGreen.JPG

The Expert answers:

Yep, everything in my house that has the recycle symbol on it gets recycled. Its really not hard and theres lots to gain.

The Expert answers:

Yes, if the symbol is on the bottom of the liner they can be recycled. I know most drop ins are recyclable. I used to use the old fashioned playtex liners that you had to fold over the rim (what a pain) and they weren’t recyclable, but the drop ins are.

I just place the rinsed used liner into the produce bags from the grocery store, then toss the bag and liners into my recycling can, it saves a mess of a bunch of liners all over.

The Expert answers:

There are 2 types of recycling symbols. One is found on plastics, that is the chasing arrows with a number from 1-7 that tells you what type of plastic it is, so it can be sorted for recycling. The number 7 is the hardest to recycle, because it is anything that isn’t 1-6.

There is a 2nd set of symbols that tell you it is made of recycled material. The symbol is the chasing arrows inside of a circle. If they have a number inside the arrows that is the percentage of recycled material the item contains. There may be more info about post consumer or pre consumer waste.

I put a link with a lot more info about all the symbols.

The Expert answers:

You can recycle almost anything. Look on the products and you’ll see a recycle symbol. That includes the brush cleaner and makeup remover wipes. I don’t think you can recycle the quad and the pans. They seriously recycle anything like makeup removers, face products, empty pot paints, ummm i dunno what else ? Just look for the recycle symbol. Most of the time i will empty my mac pigments and put them into empty jars and recycle those for free eyeshadows at a MAC pro store only. The counter will only allow lipsticks and lip gloss.
Good luck

The Expert answers:

You could reuse them by washing them out but recycling i don’t think so unless they got the recycle symbol on them.

The Expert answers:

Definitely, the local city council provide large green wheelie bins with yellow lids which are picked up every fortnight. We recycle all paper including newspapers, all plastics with the recycle symbol on them, glass, metal cans (eg baked beans tin corn etc) aluminium drink cans, clothes and fabrics etc. Quite a bit really, its a good initiative on the councils part. Aussies are right into recycling and just about all local councils provide recycling bins and recycling depots. Telstra which is our major phone provider also have bins for those bulky last years phone books and also old mobile phones. Also most of our optometrists take peoples old glasses for 3rd world countries.
All in all we don’t do too bad over here. I always make an effort to recycle.

The Expert answers:

Technically, everything could be recycled but the recycling codes indicate how they can be recycled. If it does not have a code, there has been no determination of how to recycle it and few recyclers can be bothered with figuring it out themselves. A recycler only wants the products he can sell and many recyclable products do not have much of a market hence many with recycling codes are also not wanted. Most recyclers will take recycling code 1 and maybe 2 plastics but not the others as they simply can’t sell them at a high enough price. Likewise, they usually don’t want glass even though glass can be easily recycled. The business model for recycling bins are the monthly fee charged for the pickup, in truth, very little recycling is done.

The Expert answers:

You are referring to the resin identification numbers. You should be able to reuse any number. And you can reheat food in any container, you just may have to be careful with your power setting so you don’t melt the container.

1 = Polyethylene terephthalate
2 = High-density polyethylene
3 = Polyvinyl chloride
4 = Low-density polyethylene
5 = Polypropylene
6 = Polystyrene
7 = Other combination of polymers

The Expert answers:

1. Uranium control rods have so much unfissionable U-238 in them that by the time they are taken out of service, the U-238 has been transformed into both reactor grade and bomb grade plutonium which is not being recovered in the US over fears of nuclear proliferation, despite the obvious energy potential of that byproduct.

2. Fortunately the most deadly fission byproducts are the ones that decay the quickest and they need to be stored safely on the order of tens and hundreds of years.

NOTE: The way radioactivity and half-lives work, if they are radioactive for “millions of years” then they are not, by definition, that dangerous in typical quantities and concentrations.

The Expert answers:

Diapers can be recycled into fence posts or housing studs.

Rubber tires can be recycled into rubber mats, new ashpalt roads, or even rubber sidewalks.

Glass can be recycled into new glass containers or can be put into asphault roads.

Batteries can be recycled into new batteries.

Paper can be recycled into new paper, corrugated boxes, newspaper, paper towels, paper packaging, toilet paper, etc.

Wood can be recycled into paper, mulch or compost.

Foam can be chopped up and recycled into carpet padding.

Cloth can be recycled and recycled into carpet padding or other products.

Computer components can be recycled and turned into new computer parts.

Car parts can be recycled into new plastic or metal parts.

Metal can be melted down and recycled into new metal parts.

Pottery can be ground up and used as the grit portion of new pottery.

Concrete can be ground up and used for gravel, asphalt roads or foundations or to make new concrete.

Old asphalt can be ground up and used to help make new asphault.

Food wastes and yard wastes can be turned into compost.

The rest can normally be incinerated by electrical plants and turned into electical or heat energy.

There is very little that can’t be recycled or incinerated for energy and those would mainly comprise of hazardous chemicals such as paint.

The Expert answers:

Upon its removal from French reactors, used fuel is packed in containers and safely shipped via train and road to a facility in La Hague. There, the energy producing uranium and plutonium are removed and separated from the other waste and made into new fuel that can be used again. The entire process adds about 6 percent in costs for the French.

France meets all of its recycling needs with one facility. Indeed, domestic French reprocessing only takes about half of La Hague’s capacity. The other half is used to recycle other countries’ spent nuclear fuel.

Since beginning operations, France’s La Hague plant has safely processed over 23,000 tones of used fuel—enough to power France for fourteen years.

The Expert answers:

1. Purchase the best data-security tools on the market to reassure customers that files and personal information are completely wiped out. Research hard drive wiping tools that eliminate files containing account numbers, passwords and confidential files. Create a template for a certification of data security that acts as a receipt for your data-wiping services.
2. Obtain certification for e-waste recycling, hazardous waste handling and standard business operations from appropriate agencies. Contact your city’s Public Works Department to learn about disposal methods and zoning requirements that must be met before opening for business.
3. Map out a disassembly line in your recycling facility as the first step in the e-waste handling process. Use a conveyor belt to move PCUs, monitors and TVs from the unloading area to the CRT crusher. Your assembly line will be tasked with removing plastic covers, metal bodies and wood paneling to break down e-waste to its internal elements.
4. Purchase a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) crusher to handle glass and metal inside of computers and TVs. The CRT crusher implodes the tube, filters out broken glass and separates metals from glass into individual containers. Your business will need to find recyclers to take these materials to avoid keeping hazardous waste in your facility.
5. Apply higher fees for recycling e-waste that is oversized or shaped awkwardly. Write out a menu of e-waste products that you will accept from customers. Include a provision in your e-waste recycling pricing that says you reserve the right to charge more based on an onsite inspection.
6. Call local recyclers, computer refurbishers and other companies that may be interested in purchasing processed e-waste materials. Work out weekly and monthly deliveries to your contacts to earn some revenue while moving e-waste out of your facility. Target computer consultants and refurbishers who use PCU covers and cords to rebuild computers.
7. Sell USB cords, power cords, speakers and other accessories attached to e-waste that can be salvaged. Maintain a small space in your facility to handle orders from individuals and businesses in need of inexpensive supplies. Ask permission to resell these accessories from your customers without need for compensation.

The Expert answers:

There appear to be two answers to this one. The first is to change product manufacturing process and purchases of things that generate difficult to store and dispose of waste.

The second is to make it easier and cheaper for companies to get rid of some of their stored waste. It may not be easily or cheaply possible for all types of waste. But, I suspect that for some it is easier and cheaper than what we are led to believe. In the US it seems that we “give” business a number of legislated goodies, tax cuts, and the more. It seems, granted without much investigation, that a number of these goodies benefit individuals/departments within a company as much if not more so than the company as a whole entitiy. In the mean time, we expect the company to pay for their own….you name it… Rather than spend tax payer dollars on their problems. It would seem that spending a little governement money and tax dollars in enabling companies to do a better job of recycling, hazardous waste handling, and faciliating the byproduct of one compay’s processes into the input stream of another would cost us all less in the end. If nothing else, it costs us all a lot of money to clean up a mess; and that’s not talking about the ensuing enviornmental costs including the health and welfare of us humans.

In our area of the US there is very little opportunity for business to recycle. If they do, they must take it upon themselves to collect and transport the materials. All the while, local law requires that no solid waste be held on any property; inside or outside of a building. The generally accepted limit is for the duration of one week. But, it can be interpreted to be less than 24 hours and/or within acceptable containers and/or within acceptable and hidden confines. Since there is nothing in code about recycling bins for businesses, there is nothing in writing covering acceptable containers nor confines. All it takes is one complaint… Just enabling more recycling by commercial businesses would reduce the number of items that end up in the local, or transported to out of state, landfills. In the end, it would save us all money.

Larger businsess make for more waste in less space and a bigger target. They often have recycling programs that are encouraged by local municipalities and even the state. But, in doing so, they often sell some of their waste for at least some recouping of the dollars spent managing it. And, in other cases they do some recycling as a way to reduce their garbage rates.

I know of one community whose elected official said of commercial and industrial recycling – We can’t do that. We don’t have the equipment and facilities to handle that number of recyclables. Meanwhile, they are encouraging avid and manditory residential recycling to reduce the city’s shipping of garbage to an out of state landfill. Ok, I’m just an average bear but….the logic of this is not ringing too true to me.

The Expert answers:

It depends on the material being recycled.

Basically, you take out of the waste everything that is reusable. What’s left over is landfiled.

The Expert answers:

Waste recycling is a prominent indicator of environmental sustainability in the pursuit of sustainable development. Exploring the determinants of waste recycling is therefore of importance to policy makers. Current research in recycling has explored several important factors to assess household participation in recycling. The local community policy towards recycling is regarded as an important factor, as it can assist households in collecting recyclables as well as implementing innovative recycling programmes. In this paper we look again at the role of community in recycling by asking to what extent a region’s degree of social coherence, measured as social capital, would influence its recycling rate. Using Taiwan as a case study we applied the fixed effect model in panel data analysis to estimate the impact of social capital on the regional recycling rate. The estimation shows that the elasticity of social capital to regional recycling rate is about 0.38-0.43 at the 5% significance level. This provides evidence that a region’s social relations are highly correlated with its recycling performance; a region’s degree of social capital appears to increase its recycling rate. This finding implies that a successful recycling programme requires interactions between society and the environment. Enhancing a region’s degree of social capital can also be incorporated as a part of that region’s recycling programme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

More…http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V9H-48V7WJ7-1&_user=10&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1254675248&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f5b3b04da9447265b70294f760e0d2ab

The Expert answers:

Today, this country recycles 28 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years. While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 42 percent of all paper, 40 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 55 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 57 percent of all steel packaging, and 52 percent of all major appliances are now recycled. Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the United States, which collected several materials at the curb.

The Expert answers:

Recycling is a process to change waste materials into new products 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 land filling) by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” waste hierarchy. I think during this process the non recyclable materials will go to incinerator

The Expert answers:

What about making some of the facts from www.wiserplanet.org into catchy catch phrases! Or Leaves grow from leaves.

The Expert answers:

Yes! Recycling is VERY important!!!! My class and me & my
teacher are CRAZY about recycling! In fact, my class and I have started a recycling project in the whole school. My class and I made recycling bins and put them around the whole school for the other kids in the school. Especially the 8th graders! Recycling is very, very important! If you’re wondering why I mentioned the 8th graders is because they throw trash all over the school. My school is a K-8 grade school. It is very important to recycle.

The Expert answers:

The reason recycling is important is the fact that it helps keep waste out of the landfill’s. Another reason recycling is important is the fact that raw materials are constantly in demand, and every time we cut down a tree, or dig something out of the ground, we upset the balance of nature. If we can reuse the materials it is less strain on the environment, and leaves our grandchildren something long after we’re gone. A beautiful world. I like the name Sheena for a female robot.

The Expert answers:

Real facts.

Vampires do not exist, and this can be proven with the application of logic, critical thinking skills, and verified scientific and medical data:

1. Vampires, defined as a humanoid being that MUST consume blood or energy to survive do not exist. Cut and paste time, as it is too much work to type this out over and over and I “recycle” my own answers instead of retyping them so here goes. A brief discussion of the human digestive system and then the probable vampire population given an exponential growth rate should explain why vampires are not possible.

2. The human body is not designed to process large amounts of blood for nutrition. There is not enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats present in blood to maintain a complex creature such as Homo Sapiens or any theorized offshoot mutations. When a human ingests food it is first broken up into a bolus by chewing, then churned up in the stomach with digestive juices to form a mass called chyme. It then passes through the pylorus into the duodenum, part of the small intestine where it mixes with bile salts and secretions from the pancreas and liver which continue breaking it down on a molecular basis, mostly affecting fats at this point. The broken down nutrients pass through the wall of the intestines and into the bloodstream where they are carried to each cell or stored for later use. Indigestible bulk continues through the intestines, turning a dark brown from the bile. Water is absorbed from this mass in the large intestine depending on the needs of the body – a well-hydrated person will usually have a softer stool than a dehydrated person will. Water also enters the bloodstream, and this is what helps to maintain blood pressure. The pressure tends to balance itself in a healthy person because the bloodstream goes through a formation in the kidney called the Loop of Henle, where the narrowing blood vessel forces excess water and cellular waste such as urea out through the cellular wall into the kidneys, where it is excreted through the ureters into the bladder, and then out of the body via the urethral passageway.

3. IMPORTANT – A person physically unable to process his own food for nutrition therefore also could not process blood – it’s the same process. Ingested blood does not transmit directly to the veins anyway – it would be chemically broken down by the digestive system.

4. Theoretical ingestion of blood to supply these nutrients would therefore have to occur at least once a day, and would require the ingestion of the entire blood supply which could not happen as the stomach is far too small to hold that much liquid volume. Hold up your clenched fist – under normal conditions your stomach is about that size. Furthermore, such a mass would be difficult to pass thru the intestines as it has no fibrous bulk, would create an intestinal impaction, causing massive vomiting from the large concentration of iron present, and any “real” vampire would have to eventually expel the waste, which would come out as a black, tarry, smelly goo, just as stool does when blood is present from a upper GI bleed.

5. These humans that affect the whole “vampiric lifestyle” are NOT vampires. They are simply humans playing their own little game, in their own little fantasy world, usually pandering to their own little sexual fetish, which may or may not actually be sexual. I too, play my own little game, in the SCA, but mine is a game where the deeds that I do are determined by the strength of my arm and sword – I am a warrior, with just as much skill and ability as any warrior of ancient times. The difference is that I am claiming to be something physically possible: a warrior, and I prove it everytime I strap on my armor and walk onto a SCA battlefield. The so-called “vampires” are claiming to be something physically impossible: a walking corpse, and all they prove is that black Victorian clothing, a pair of false fangs, and a little makeup make for a good Halloween costume – it does not make you a vampire.

6. Even if a vampire feeds once a week, and his victim also becomes a vampire, that is exponential growth, with four iterations a month. First iteration: One makes one, total two. Second iteration: Two make two, total four. Third iteration: Four make four, total eight. Fourth iteration: Eight make eight, total sixteen. 16 vampires at the end of one month, 256 at the end of the second month, 4096 by the end of the third month, 65,536 by the end of the fourth month, 1,048,476 at the end of the fifth, and 33,572,832 vampires at the end of half a year! By way of comparison, there are currently approximately 33 million people who have HIV/AIDS and the disease is a world-wide epidemic. I see people every day in the hospital with AIDS, but never has there been one documented case of a vampire attack. Do the math – vampires are a mathematical impossibility.
As for the idea that vampires existed “a long time ago” consider the estimated global population 5,000 years ago – using the above mathematical rationale, a single vampire could have converted every human on the globe in less than six months. This falls therefore, under the logic of Occam’s Razor – which states that when you have removed every impossible answer, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Since there is no “vampiric plague” swarming the earth, the logical deduction is that they don’t exist.

7. Point of clarification about “vampire” bats: vampire is simply the name we have given them because they do drink blood, same as a flea, mosquito, leech, or spider. Are these creatures vampires? No. They are living creatures, not legendary monsters. They can subsist on blood because of their smaller size and proportionately larger stomach volume. Drinking blood does not make you a vampire anymore than eating raw meat makes you a werewolf, although it might make you a mosquito.

8.The humans who profess to be vampires are victims of an all-encompassing self induced delusion. They are as human as you or I, regardless of their claims, and if they ingest HIV tainted blood they can most certainly contract the disease, esp. If they have any cuts, sores, or lesions in and or around their mouth. It is a very dangerous delusion to be laboring under. Note that there is absolutely no scientific or medical proof that these people derive any benefit at all from the ingestion of blood, and even worse are the so-called “psychic” vampires, because their delusion is one that they cannot substantiate with any concrete evidence at all.

9. There is no “vampire” gene. People are not “born” as vampires. When a woman goes to the hospital for prenatal care there are many tests done on mother and child, even while still in the womb, to check for many things, including genetic anomalies that result in deformities and birth defects. If such a gene existed, in today’s world with today’s technology it would have been found – we have already completely sequenced the human genome. It would also have to follow Mendel’s law of dominant/recessive gene theory. Again, the odds on that many “vampires” all escaping the notice of the medical/scientific community are so low as to be almost nonexistent. The idea that there is a global “vampire community” engaging in controlled breeding to keep the “bloodline pure” is delusional in the extreme.

10. There is no “vampire virus” – as I have already pointed out, HIV is a virus, and look at how fast it has spread – virtually everyone knows someone with the affliction. According to the “vampire websites” there are “thousands” of vampires running around. If that was so then at least one of them has ended up in a hospital for bloodwork when they became pregnant, had a bloodborne infection, was injured in a car wreck, etc, etc, ad nauseum. The anomaly would have been detected and medical science would have isolated it, studied it, applied for research grants on it, published papers on it, and turned it into the talk of the medical and scientific community, as well as making its “discoverers” celebrities and rich beyond their dreams. A virus cannot alter your DNA in such a radical fashion without killing you.

The Expert answers:

Tires don’t decompose for a very long time, not sure how long but it’s certainly hundreds and possibly thousands of years. If they weren’t recycled they end up in landfill sites or dumped on the roadside.

A lot or recycled tires end up as ‘crumb rubber’ which can be used as bonding layers and underlays, incorporated into road surface or as safety surfaces in children’s play areas. Recycling them in this manner means less raw materials are needed for the surfaces – less mining and quarrying, less costs, less pollution, less oil etc.

There’s more info here… Http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires/

The Expert answers:

I recycle all glass, paper and cans but I don’t recycle plastic, simply because the council don’t take our plastic for recycling and I don’t have time (or space to store loads of plastic until I can take it) to make regular trips to the local recycling depot.
I did ask the council why they take our glass, cans and paper but not plastic and they told me that it was “too expensive”.
It does make me feel a little bad though when I’m throwing away plastic milk bottles every week and knowing that they can be recycled.
Recycling never used to bother me, in fact if I’m honest, I thought it was a waste of time and pretty annoying but since the councils have started recycling collections and I’ve been seperating our rubbish, it is shocking just how much of it goes into the recycling containers rather than the binbag and it makes me think.

The Expert answers:

Facts not Myths.
Http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/paper_recycling.html

Paper Recycling: Exposing the Myths
INTRODUCTION

Every year more than 11 million tonnes of paper and board are consumed in the UK [1]. Much of this comes from Scandinavia. In order to satisfy our increasing demand for wood and paper products, the majority of the natural boreal forest in Scandinavia has been converted into intensively managed secondary forest or plantations, where the inhabitants of a true and complex forest eco-system struggle to survive. About 5% of Scandinavian old-growth forest remains, and yet this is still being logged [2]. As a result, hundreds of plant and animal species are endangered. The traditional way of life of indigenous people, such as the Saami, is also threatened and their cultural identity is in jeopardy.

Despite the ecological and human cost of paper production we continue to throw vast amounts of this resource away after using it only once, even though the capability exists to recycle much of it. Less than half of the paper used in the UK is recovered and over five million tonnes gets dumped in landfill sites [3] adding to the mounting waste disposal problem faced by this country and many others around the world.

Yet if paper is recycled the amount of waste going to landfill is cut and less timber is used. Managing our insatiable demand for timber should reduce the need to clear old growth forests, rich in biodiversity, which must instead be protected from commercial logging.

Despite these clear benefits of paper recycling it has been criticised both as a product and as a process. It has been suggested that producing recycled paper uses more energy than virgin paper production, is more polluting and may make a greater contribution to climate change. Such arguments have been used to promote the view that it is preferable to incinerate paper to produce energy rather than to recycle it [4].

This briefing examines the arguments surrounding the potential environmental impacts of paper recycling in relation to energy use, pollution, contribution to climate change and in comparison to incineration as a waste management option. Market barriers to increased recycling are explored, along with waste paper recovery rates in the UK and other countries. Throughout, the term recycled paper refers to post-consumer waste i.e. Paper that has been used and is then recycled.

Http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/paper_recycling.html

Incidentally………I acre of hemp produces the same amount of paper in a year as does 1 acre of softwood trees in 20 yrs and of much greater quality and much less damage to the environment.

The Expert answers:

Yes, in fact the shredded paper is easier and better for recycling because it takes up less space in the first stages of the recycling process.

And as far as I know, the ink should not be a problem. In schools, recycling paper is a big thing. Instead of throwing their printed/written on papers away, they recycle them. (Ink and all! (= ) Plus, many things are recycled with ink on it including aluminum cans, bottles, and boxes.

Hope I could help! =)

The Expert answers:

I really like this fact that I have been using lately, when I first researched it I really was shocked at the energy that was used through production of aluminium.

By recycling aluminium cans, it takes only 4% of the energy to recycle them than to produce them from raw materials. Saving 64 300 kWh/t. Taking the UK average price of 7.52p/kWh, this equates to a saving of £4 835/t of aluminium in energy costs and emissions of about 29t of Co2. This is enough to power a Virgin Pendolino train for 4537km, that’s over 15 one-way journeys from London Euston to Manchester Picadilly.

Ultimately the cost of production of packing is bourne by the consumer.

There are also details of energy savings by recycling here;

http://howtosaveenergy.blogspot.com/2007/04/why-recycle.html

Energy Saving
http://howtosaveenergy.blogspot.com
support@howtosaveenergy.co.uk

The Expert answers:

Recycle! Make it part of your everyday cycle!

Don’t pollute, you’ll be cute!

If you pollute then you’ll get the boot.

If none of these work then you can always go
onto rhymezone.com
its a big helper and time saver!

The Expert answers:

I actually recycle a lot less than I did five years ago, because we buy a lot less of everything. Some things we used to recycle we no longer recycle at all such as magazines, telephone directories, junk mail, video tapes, children’s toys/games etc etc. We have stopped all of these at source, such as registered with the mailing preference service, we don’t buy magazines, videos etc. So we no longer have anything to recycle at all.

Recycling has changed a lot in the past five years. There are now loads of car boot sales where people sell on their unwanted items. Locally we can now recycle clothes, shoes, old spectacles, books, linen, timber etc etc, which were not available options before. Again though we buy less of everything so we have very little to recycle.

The Expert answers:

It depends on the recycling program in your area. All paper is NOT created equal. It is either made by physically pulping the wood or by chemically pulping the wood. Each has their advantages but it affects how they are used and how they are recycled.

The problem with mixing is it may contaminate the paper it is mixed with causing it all to be down-cycled and in some cases thrown away. You should contact the company doing your recycling.

The Expert answers:

Their is recycled air in the carbon dioxide and oxygen cycle and no recycled air in the carbon cycle.’

The Expert answers:

Recycling of metals is very very effective in reducing energy use as well as pollution.
Recycling of paper is not so obvious, but according to whole cycle studies, it reduce overall pollution, water use and energy use too.

The Expert answers:

Nitrogen is constantly being recycled in the nitrogen cycle. Here is how:

1. The atmosphere contains about 78% nitrogen gas, N2. This is very unreactive so it can’t be used directly by plants or animals.
2. Nitrogen is needed for making proteins for growth, so living organisms have to get it somehow.
3. Plants get their nitrogen from soil, so nitrogen in the air has to be turned into nitrogen compounds before plants can use it. Animals can only get proteins by eating plants or other animals.
4. Decomposers break down proteins in rotting plants and animals, and urea in animal waste, into ammonia. So the nitrogen in these organisms is recycled.
5. Nitrogen fixation is the process of turning N2 from the air into nitrogen compounds in the soil which plants can use. There are two main ways this happens:
a) Lightning- there’s so much energy in a bolt of lightning that it’s enough to make nitrogen react with oxygen in the air to give nitrates.
B) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in roots and soil.
6) There are four different types of bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle:
a) Decomposers- decompose proteins and urea and turn them into ammonia.
B) Nitrifying bacteria- turn ammonia in decaying matter into nitrates.
C) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria- turn atmospheric N2 into nitrogen compounds plants can use.
D) Denitrifying bacteria- turn nitrates back into N2 gas. This is of no benefit to living organisms.

The Expert answers:

You have them in the wrong order, if you reduce and reuse there is less need to recycle.

If you are in school why not give a specific example of how a student can do all 3.

Reduce- If you keep all your school supplies in a central location you won’t buy things you already have. If you use both sides of the paper to do school work you can reduce your paper consumption by 50%, If you shut off your computer when you go to sleep or leave the house you use reduce electricity usage. If you pack a waste free lunch you reduce waste. Buy fewer clothing items for the new school year.

Reuse- You can use many school items for several years, backpacks, binders, pencil pouches, partially used notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, calculators etc. Donate unwanted clothing items instead of throwing them in the garbage. Rent a prom dress instead of buying one.

Recycle- Complete the cycle, buy recycled, almost all of my sons school supplies are made with recycled content, everything from pencils to binders.

The Expert answers:

Re-cycling helps in conservation of environment. We use different kinds of non-degradable things like plastics, tin cans etc. In our daily life. Degradable things like papers are also used in tremendous amount. Recycling non-biodegradable materials helps in minimizing pollution. Burning such wastes cause air pollution, dumping them in land or water might cause land and water pollution. Papers are produced from trees, recycling them helps to minimize deforestation. To conserve environment, one should practice recycling.

The Expert answers:

Everything is cycling from cloud to ocean, from earth to bottle. I’m thinking we are succumbed to our governments directions and conformity’s and all we can do is try to “re” duce the cycling of new earth matters into wasteful matters

The Expert answers:

It can be mixed with waste motor oil.

The Expert answers:

Recycling is good but not perfect. Energy is used to convert less than 100% of the original product into a new one. Recycling helps reduces the RATE at which resources are being used up but only ABSTINANCE will stop the resource being used up.

Saying that, we could always mine the asteroids and have plentiful resources (except oil!) Just a couple of those Trillions of bail out bucks and the solar system would be our oyster.

The Expert answers:

Cold climate? Waste oil heater of course. See http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me4.html for that.

Filters go in the crusher, the oil reclaimed of course. See http://www.oberg-crusher.com/automotive_filter_crusher.html

If the climate isn’t such that you would use your output in the heater, talk to a recycler about them putting in a tank for you. They will come and collect your oil where it will be cleaned up and recycled.

The Expert answers:

You reset it manually look for a slot to push your key into next to the odometor

The 3,000 Mile Oil Change MythBy Bill Siuru, Greencar.com provided by: According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73 percent of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported.
Using 2005 data, the Board estimates that Californians alone generate about 153.5 million gallons of waste oil annually, of which only about 60 percent is recycled. Used motor oil poses the greatest environmental risk of all automotive fluids because it is insoluble, persistent, and contains heavy metal and toxic chemicals. One gallon of used oil can foul the taste of one million gallons of water.
» Article provided by GreenCar.com
It’s been a misconception for years that engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles, even though most auto manufacturers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 mile intervals under normal driving conditions.
Greatly improved oils, including synthetic oils, coupled with better engines mean longer spans between oil changes without harming an engine. The 3000 mile interval is a carryover from days when engines used single-grade, non-detergent oils.
For several years, automakers like General Motors, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have installed computerized systems that alert drivers via an instrument panel light when it’s time to change oil. As an example, the General Motor Oil Life System (GMOLS) analyzes the engine temperature, rpms, vehicle speeds, and other driving conditions to calculate the rate of engine oil degradation. Then, software calculates when the oil needs to be changed. Other systems work similarly.
Because of the many external conditions and parameters that have to be taken into account, calculating the precise maximum service interval using mathematical models alone is difficult. Now, Daimler AG has developed a more direct and precise way to monitor oil quality directly on board a vehicle.
Daimler uses a special sensor integrated into the oil circuit to monitor engine oil directly. Oil doesn’t wear out, but rather dirt and impurities cause oil to lose its ability to lubricate properly, dictating the need for a change. Daimler uses the oil’s “permittivity,” that is, the ability to polarize in response to the electric field. If the engine oil is contaminated by water or soot particles, it polarizes to a greater extent and its permittivity increases.
To evaluate the quality of the oil, permittivity is measured by applying an AC potential between the interior and exterior pipes of an oil-filled sensor to determine how well the oil transmits the applied electric field.
Because not all impurities can be measured with sufficient precision via the electric field method, Daimler also measures the oil’s viscosity to detect any fuel that may have seeped into the oil. Daimler researchers measure viscosity while the vehicle is in motion by observing the oil’s side-to-side motion in the oil sump. The slower the oil moves, the higher its viscosity. This movement is registered by a sensor and the viscosity is calculated on this basis.
A single sensor, along with the information already monitored by on-board computers, is sufficient to determine the various parameters of the engine oil. Daimler will likely use the technology first on its commercial vehicles. Here, large oil reservoirs mean larger quantities of oil can be saved. Plus, a predicted 25 percent increase between service intervals and reduced downtime will be of interest to fleets, and thus justify the added cost of installation.

The Expert answers:

Plastics are used in wide range of things. So it is produced in a very huge amount and its convenience is undeniable. Recycling of plastic is very important because it is made from the oil which will cause the regular depletion of this limited resource. With the recycling of plastic we can save oil and can use it for longer time. Moreover recycling do not cause harm to the quality of plastics.
European community has recognized this problem of environment and plastic. So they have adopted Beverage Container Directive to save the raw materials and its affect on environment.

Plastics are found lying as wastes on the roadsides, beaches, hedgerows etc. They are not biodegradable so they do not decompose on their own and can harm environment. Moreover they affect the beauty of the place because of their visibility. So to deal with these problems there are two ways one is to use less plastics and other is to give the plastics in the recycling markets.

The most common type of plastic packaging we come across is large plastic bottles of soft drinks. These bottles cannot be refilled and used so the one way to use this plastic is to recycle. One more thing the plastic manufacturer can do is to make those qualities of plastic that can be easily recycled. Disposal of plastic is causing landfill and nearly 114000 tones of plastic packaging is disposed every year by local authorities

The Expert answers:

Phone whatever the waste management facility is in your area, they’ll have more detailed info. Burying it will only attract pests. All municipalities will have some sort of plan for dealing with oils since they don’t want it clogging up the sewers.

The Expert answers:

Here;s the first 7

1 – PETE Polyethylene Terephthalate : PET is one of the easiest plastics to recycle and also one of the most common plastics used by consumers. It is inexpensive, lightweight, and in high demand. PET is used in soda bottles, medicine containers, water bottles and many common food packages. It can be recycled back into bottles and containers or manufactured into polyester fibers, and can be picked up in curbside recycling programs.

2 – HDPE High density Polyethylene : HDPE is also a readily recyclable plastic that can be found in numerous household products and is recycled in most curbside programs. It is primarily used for heavier packaging such as detergents, bleach, milk containers, hair care products and motor oil. It can be recycled into more bottles or bags, recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber, rope, pens, and drainage pipe.

3 – PVC Polyvinyl Chloride: PVC is an abundant yet difficult plastic to recycle, and can be a major environmental and health hazard. The production of PVC releases toxins and other persistent organic pollutants into the air and when burned releases hydrogen chloride gas that is fatal when inhaled. PVC is used in pipes, toys, furniture, packaging, wire jacketing, and windows.

4 – LDPE Low-density Polyethylene: LDPE lacks the stiffness, hardness and strength of HDPE do to its lower density, yet it is very ductile. LDPE is used for many different kinds of wrapping, squeezable bottles, grocery bags, sandwich bags and clothing, LDPE can be recycled back into many its original products and is commonly used in curbside recycling programs.

5 – PP Polypropylene: PP can be used in bottles, tubs, caps, straws, rigid containers like Tupperware and fabric for clothing. It can be recycled into fibers, bins, pallets, and trays.

6 – PS Polystyrene: PS (Styrofoam) can be used in cups, foam food trays, packing peanuts. Polystyrene can be a real problem as it’s bulky yet very lightweight and not always cost effective to recyclers. Discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade, and its low scrap value does not lend itself to widespread use in curbside pickup programs.

7 – Other: These could be a mixture of any and all of the above, or plastics not readily recyclable such as polyurethane. Compostable plastic made from corn, bagasse, or potatoes is also labeled as number 7 as it doesn’t fall into any other categories. Many recyclers avoid plastics labeled as #7 and deem them destined for the waste stream. Other types of #7 plastics include acrylic, PLA, polycarbonate, nylon, fiberglass, and others. This category contains many thermoset plastics that cannot be melted down once they have been cured.

The Expert answers:

Hi Kari,

In general there is far less energy needed to recycle products than is required to manufacture them from raw materials.

For example… anything made from metal starts out having to be extracted from the ground. This involves massive mining and quarrying operations and almost all the material that is extracted is spoil, only a small proportion is the required metal. More than 90% of the energy used simply produces waste material.

Next comes the extraction of the metal from the ore, and this uses massive amounts of energy. To produce just one tonne of aluminium requires as much energy as a family uses in 20 years [1], a single aluminium drinks can requires the same amount of energy to make as you use in 9 hours [1 and 2]. These plants use so much energy that most of them have their own power stations [3].

Recycling aluminium uses 95% less energy than is needed to produce it in the first place. When you take into account the mineral extraction and transportation that is originally required, then the overall energy saving is in excess of 98% [4].

By recycling there are not only massive savings in the amount of energy, and therefore significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also preserving dwindling resources and significantly cutting costs.

Other products aren’t as energy saving when they’re recycled. Glass for example is made up primarily of silica and there’s a smaller saving in energy requirements when recycling as compared to original production.

When plastics are recycled they are often turned into something completely different, a lot of insulation products, carpet underlay and fleece jackets come from recycled plastics. Unlike metal and glass, plastic can’t be reused in it’s original form quite so easily.

Plastic products start out as oil, another industry that produces huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions during the extraction and processing stages. By turning plastics into another product there are large energy savings to be made and it helps to preserve oil supplies. Recycled tyres often end up in bitumastic products such as road dressings and again cut down on the use of oil.

Recycled food also has environmental benefits as it ends up being used as fertilisers on farmers fields and so cuts down on the use of chemical fertilisers and greenhouse gas emitting nitrogen based fertilisers.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcan_Lynemouth_Aluminium_Smelter
[2] http://www.cancentral.com/gacr/ffacts.htm
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aluminium_smelters
[4] http://www.world-aluminium.org/cache/fl0000181.pdf

The Expert answers:

We recycle so that we dont fill our earth with more waste because eventually our earth will be nothing but trash. Most plastics are made of oil so it is good to recycle them so we dont waste oil on making more plastic, we need the oil for our cars. Paper is important to recycle because the more paper we recycle the less trees we have to cut down. Trees help us to breath by putting out oxygen that we breath in(or inhale) and by taking in the carbon dioxide we breath out (or exhale).

The Expert answers:

It seems safe to say that the media can, as so often, be accused of distortion. I’m assuming that the report was to highlight the need to recycle and avoid dumping in landfill sites.

Whilst I wholehearedly agree with the principle I do wish the mdia would be more realistic. How many houses have you seen yourself that have 22 black bags outside them on bin-day. I think 3 or 4 bags per household per week would be more realistic.

Just looked up the figures from Defra and each person produces 517kg of waste per year of which 113kg is recycled and the remaining 404kg is not recycled – a little over 20% recycling rate. Although it’s not a lot we’re moving in the right direction and the amount of waste recycled has approximately quadrupled in the last 10 years.

Seems that GMTV have exaggerated the figures or specifically chosen what must be two of the most wasteful families in the country.

Http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/waste/kf/index.htm

The Expert answers:

Depends on if you can re-sample, which means – can the 2 men be recycled? If you select one man for a committee, can you then use that same man in another committee?

The Expert answers:

How about talking about how many trees we have to chop down every year for paper products. And how long it takes for the trees to grow. Statistics often get people’s attention.

The Expert answers:

From The Keep America Beautiful organization:

7 top sources of litter are:

1-Pedestrians or cyclists who do not use receptacles.

2-Motorists who do not use car ashtrays or litter bags.

3-Business dumpsters that are improperly covered.

4-Loading docks and commercial or recreational marinas with inadequate waste receptacles.

5-Construction and demolition sites without tarps and receptacles to contain debris and waste.

6-Trucks with uncovered loads on local roads and highways.

7-Household trash scattered before or during collection

Cigarette butts are the most littered item in America.

“According to public works officials, Virginia Beach exceeded its budget to clean storm drains by more than $3 million – and cigarette butts were a significant component in these costs.”¹

During the Ocean Conservancy’s 2006 Annual International Coastal Cleanup, U.S. Communities reported that cigarette butts were the most littered item on roadways, beaches, and sidewalks-representing 35% of items collected.

A 2006 New South Wales Australia litter survey of over 100 sites found that cigarette butts and related items comprised 59.5% of all litter items-up from 55.4% in 2004.

A cigarette butt dropped to the ground seems insignificant. But follow that butt as it’s carried off by rain into storm drains and eventually to streams and rivers. It now adds up to a big impact on the places we live:

Cigarette litter creates blight. It accumulates in gutters, and outside doorways and bus shelters. Increasing amounts of litter in a business district or recreation area create a sense that no one cares, leading to more community disorder.

Cigarette butts don’t disappear. About 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which does not quickly degrade and can persist in the environment.¹

Filters are harmful to waterways and wildlife. About 18% of litter, traveling primarily through storm water systems, ends up in local streams, rivers, and waterways. Cigarette litter can also pose a hazard to animals and marine life when they mistake filters for food.¹

56% of debris found in the U.S. Originated from land-based activities such as picnics, festivals, sports, and days at the beach. Litter washed from streets, parking lots, and storm drains also contributed to this category of debris.¹

source and more info here:
http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Focus_litter_prevention

Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup™ – 2007 Results
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers/attendees participated: 2,800,000
Volunteer hours: 7,700,000
Communities involved/events: 17,000/30,000
CLEAN-UPS
Pounds of litter & debris collected 200,000,000
Miles of roads, streets & highways cleaned: 178,000
Mile alongside railroad tracks cleaned: 1,900
Acres of parks & public lands cleaned 121,000 Miles of hiking, biking, nature trails cleaned 3,900
Playgrounds & community recreation areas cleaned: 3,300 restored, constructed
Miles of rivers, lakes & shoreline cleaned: 7,000
Underwater clean-ups conducted: 147
Acres of wetlands cleaned & improved: 2,100
Illegal dump sites cleaned: 3,500
Junk cars removed: 10,400
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Pounds of clothing collected for reuse: 4,500,000
Pounds of aluminum & steel recycled: 22,400,000
Pounds of newspaper recycled: 23,000,000
Tires collected for recycling: 2,200,000
Batteries collected for recycling: 115,000
Pounds of electronics recycled: 5,300,000
Pounds of cell phones/equipment collected for recycling: 592,000
PET bottles collected for recycling 70,600,000
BEAUTIFICATION
Trees planted: 121,000
Flowers and bulbs planted: 4,500,000
Residential & commercial buildings painted
renovated, built: 2.400
Graffiti sites abated: 11,000
EDUCATION
Educational presentations/workshops: 6,500
Educational workshop attendees: 485,000
General awareness events held: 2,500

source and more info here:
http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/Fact_Sheet_2008.pdf?docID=1241

The Expert answers:

Http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/United_States_Recycling_Statistics

http://www.greenhq.net/recycling/united-states-recycling-statistics/

The Expert answers:

Sorry no link for you but that company would be the exception, not the rule for a construction company. Frequently a separate company would d o the demolition and they get paid to do it plus make a considerable amount of money on recycling. There is frequently a lot of waste in both demolition and construction which falls by the wayside due to things getting done in a hurry.

Back in the 70s there as a great deal of environmental concern over our landfills becoming engorged with disposable diapers (gaining popularity then) SO one of the universities (forget who) did a study on landfills. They picked a community which was representative of US cites and dug it up. Lo and behold what they found was the bulk of the waste was construction materials chunks of cement, re-bar, lumber, drywall…etc etc etc AND diapers got a temporary reprieve.

Good question and there is still definitely a lot to be done in that area. I think if you did a little googling you would find that the green construction companies are heavily weighed on the side of recycling.

The Expert answers:

Heya,
I’m going to give you some links which maybe helpful to you because I think it’s easier for you to read rather than me just copy and paste and give you a huge answer to read.
I’ve but spaces at the start of some of the links as I can only give 10 max.
Aluminium can recycling facts:
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page712.aspx
what happens when aluminium drink cans are recycled?:
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page710.aspx
The aluminium can recycling loop
Stage 1: Collection
Stage 2: Recycling
Stage 3: Rolling
Stage 4: Can Making
Stage 5: Filling
Stage 6: Selling
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page711.aspx
Aluminium Contacts:
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page705.aspx
How much Aluminium is produced each year:
24 million tonnes of aluminium is produced annually, 51,000 tonnes of which ends up as packaging in the UK. Http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ahQGNydSyrQJ:www.recycling-guide.org.uk/facts.html+aluminium+produced+each+year+statistics&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091003055752AAjeAp1
We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year. Http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cwblnTNTO8kJ:www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html+aluminium+produced+each+year+statistics&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Process:
http://www.rocksandminerals.com/aluminum/process.htm
Recycling Metals:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OJecMV7tO9wJ:www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/metals.htm+how+much+aluminium+is+produced+each+year&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Other (see metals and aluminium cans near bottom of page):
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8U5LsB14El8J:www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html+aluminium+is+produced+each+year&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
How are Aluminium cans recycled:
http:// www.wisegeek.com/how-are-aluminum-cans-recycled.htm
http:// earth911.com/recycling/metal/aluminum-can/how-is-an-aluminum-can-recycled/
Video: http:// www.ehow.com/video_5113358_aluminum-recycled_.html
Why is it important to recycle aluminium:
http:// www.ehow.com/about_6466706_important-recycle-aluminum_.html
http:// uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081119095722AAn2zd4
http:// www.care2.com/greenliving/recycle-most-important-thing.html
http:// myzerowaste.com/articles/food/why-recycle-tins-and-cans/
http://www. Livestrong.com/article/130738-important-recycle-much-aluminum-possible/
Statistics:
http://www. Recycling-guide.org.uk/facts.html
http://www. Ehow.com/facts_7257135_recycling-statistics-aluminum.html
http://www. Reuters.com/article/idUSLM8880520090722
http://www. Nationmaster.com/graph/eco_wor_tra_exp_alu_ore_con_etc-exports-aluminium-ores-concs-etc
http://www. Nationmaster.com/graph/eco_wor_tra_exp_alu-economy-world-trade-exports-aluminium

Good luck with the article,
Hope this helps =)

The Expert answers:

In many of the poorer countries there is almost nothing in the way organised recycling facilities. However, the abject poverty means that waste dumps are scoured by people looking for anything that can be recovered and sold on.

In this respect plastics, metals and glass are pulled by hand, often by children, from the garbage dumps. It’s something I’ve observed first-hand and it’s a truly hideous sight. With little controls in place these garbage dumps can contain anything – dangerous chemicals, human body parts, toxins etc. Often to recover the metal parts from appliances and wiring the material is burned resulting in clouds of toxic smoke that the workers live and breathe all day long. Thousands of people live on the garbage dumps, that’s where they’re born and it’s where they die.

Here’s a typical scene: http://image.guim.co.uk/Guardian/theobserver/gallery/2008/mar/20/climatechange.carbonemissions/GD6551928@ENVGALLERY-A-girl-car-7348.jpg
And here’s a page with several photos: http://www.uncoached.com/2011/09/02/maputo-garbage-dump-in-africa/

One problem in answering your specific question is that the authorities in many developing countries don’t publish statistics on waste management and recycling, usually because such facilities are minimal. You could pick almost any country in central or Sub-Saharan Africa and the level or organised recycling will be virtually nil.

With no waste collection facilities, in many parts of these countries people simply dump their refuse in water courses where it degrades and breeds diseases and disease vectors such as mosquitoes. In the typically hot climate the stench of decay is almost unbearable at times.

Countries that have little or no official recycling facilities are listed below, with the exception of Pakistan and Yemen, they’re all in Africa. Some of the countries have limited facilities but the infrastructure supporting them isn’t working.

Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Pakistan
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leona
Somaliland
Somalia
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
Zanzibar
Zimbabwe

The Expert answers:

There’s a link at the bottom of this link that might be helpful:

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/United_States_Recycling_Statistics

The Expert answers:

You can call Elgin Recycling in Elgin, Illinois. They pick up all around Chicagoland area and wouldn’t be surprised if they cross the border for you. Www.elginrecycling.com

The Expert answers:

Recycling old electronics is easy. Some likely options:

1. Goodwill Industries will take it as is and give you a receipt that could be a tax deduction. The Salvation Army may do the same.

2. Your local trash collection company may have free electronics recycling days. Call and ask. (Mine has 4 per year.)

3. Watch for ads by charitable groups or others who conduct recycling events. Schools, public service clubs, etc. Do this fairly often.
– – – –
Per your Additional Details. No offense, but I don’t think you did “all” of that. Goodwill Industries absolutely will take it. Yes, you may need to get the TV do them, but you’re going to have to get it to *someplace* one way or another. So find someone to help you that has a pickup or a van and haul it to Goodwill. I’ve done this a lot — they take any electronics, any condition, and they’ll take yours.

Per your followup: interesting. It sounds like the guy was considering your TV as something to resell instead of recycle. The Goodwill stores I’ve dealt with are happy to take all electronics for recycling because there is a small cash value to them. That’s the same with all the other recyclers, and that explains why you see schools (etc.) doing it on occasion.

Here’s another thing to try: a Craigslist ad for a free TV. Describe its make and model and condition, and someone may come get it for the recycling value, if not for parts or something. You could also check the classified ads in your local paper for recyclers. I’ve done that and had old computer monitors picked up at my front door. One guy gave me $5 for a couple CRT monitors.

The Expert answers:

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products 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 reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” waste hierarchy.

Saves energy
Saves money
Saves trees
Helps for a better enviroment

common recyclables:-

Batteries
Biodegradable waste
Clothing
Electronics disassembly and reclamation
Ferrous metals
Non-ferrous metals
Glass
Paint
Paper
Plastic
Textiles
Timber

The Expert answers:

Questions about Recycling
What items can residents recycle in Clearwater?
What should I do with old electronics such as computers, TVs, and microwaves?
How can I dispose of junk, old appliances or scrap metal?
Where can I get free mulch?
How does the County create mulch?
What is accepted for recycling curbside in Clearwater?
Why are some materials not accepted for recycling in Clearwater?
How do I get a yellow curbside recycling bin?

The Expert answers:

There should be recycling instructions for electronics on the recycling page in your local yellow pages phone directory. At my location we have to pay 5-10 USD per unit.

The Expert answers:

If you are aware of the fact that there are different2 recycle bins to throw products in it.. If you put electronic thing in some other material then it will go to that recycling process and may effect other things.. So it’s dangerous and can harm environment..

The Expert answers:

Probably your best bet is to get online and visit the site http://earth911.com. You can enter your location and what you want to recycle and it will give you your best options.

Best Buy does take electronics. They’ll charge you $10 for a television, but will give you a gift card in exchange.

That’s my understanding anyway.

I work for an electronics recycler in Kentucky, so if you just happen to live here, you can always visit us!

Www.gesrecycles.com

Good luck!

Alexa

The Expert answers:

You either have to know people, or be recognized by hardware vendors as a trustable reviewer. Of course, in most cases review devices are just on loan, and must be return.

If you know people at recylcing depots, you can get some recycled electronics.

The Expert answers:

Recycle Responsibly , Sell items online i.e., Amazon,eBay, Set the items outside and just wait to see if anyone takes them or just donate them to the Goodwill or Thrifttown.