The Expert answers:

Different regions have different rules.

I can recycle

– any paper including milk cartons, tetra-packs, cardboard, shiny boxes used for toothpaste or aluminum foil, rolls from toilet paper, magazines.

– any glass, tin or plastic that was used in food packaging. (not broken toys, light bulbs, mirrors etc.)

– plastic bottles from household products – shampoo, dish detergent, peroxide etc.

-plastic bags & food wrap, clean (not greasy) aluminum foil

I can not recycle any styrofoam but my daughter can recycle styrofoam meat trays so I save mine & give them to her.

The Expert answers:

It depends on where you live…. I’ll list all the ones I know:
Blue box- for recyclable plastics, glass, boxes, etc….
Green box- strictly paper
Green Bin- Not recycling,it gets made into compost.

The Expert answers:

Just google for otto malaysia, they made the best rubbish and recycle bin

The Expert answers:

Unfortunately, most cities do not have free recycling and it costs about five dollars a month to participate in the program. In my opinion, it saves to pay it though. You’ll ultimately get the money back through the saving of the world. :] i am a huge advocate of the green movement. :] your local trash collection service should most likely offer a recycling program from which you can buy a recycling bin. Give them a call.! Good luck.! :]

The Expert answers:

I sure hope not….I’ve done that for years.

The Expert answers:

Introduce a little water between the two bins. You should be able to slide them apart after that. Failing that, fill the inner bin with cold water; the plastic will shrink slightly and should come loose.

The Expert answers:

Just say:

Dear Teachers and Staff,

On behalf of the Yourtown School Environmental Club, we would like to remind all staff and students to please use the school’s recycling bins. As a year long project, our club is trying to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling.

If you could please pass this information along to your students and help to remind them to use the bins we would be very grateful.

We hope by the end of the year for the school to recycle 100% of it’s paper, and your help towards this goal would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Your name,
Yourtown School Environmental Club.

(If the bins are new, you might want to add a sentence or two explaining that you now have them.)

===Keep it short and sweet. Get to the point and be polite.Teachers won’t read it if it is too long. Don’t go into statistic about the benefits, the plan, teachers aren’t stupid – they know it’s a good idea – and they don’t really care about the details. All they need to know is to be reminded to use them and remind students. Thats all. ===

The Expert answers:

You heard wrong.

The whole disposal bin is taken away full, and empty ones put in their place. The glass is kept separate for recycling.

The Expert answers:

See only one person got the answer correct. Blue is for the oceans that we are trying to save. Green is for the earth…You’re seeing it only one sided there eddie. And P.S. There is a lot more blue than green that we need to save

The Expert answers:

They are emptied using a hydraulic arm, mounted on a garbage truck. They are way too heavy to lift manually.

They get serviced every day, usually in the morning, by parks staff. Then they go on to do other work on the park gounds.

Jim B. Toronto.

The Expert answers:

Recycling is a giant scam

The Expert answers:

Yes, they will clean them before recycling.

I still clean out glass so it won’t smell too bad in the recycle bins.

The Expert answers:

You don’t want to mix the two types of oil. You don’t want to take the chance of screwing up a legitimate fryer grease processor, as that would really cause problems for them.

Now, if you’re simply asking whether you can use a container that once held grease to then hold motor oil, I wouldn’t see a problem with that except that the container couldn’t be used for fryer grease again.

The processing that used oil undergoes would separate out contaminants like water and other materials. And if the grease stays blended in with the used oil – probably not a problem because 80+% of used oil in the United States is burned for energy recovery.

Kudos for the other poster mentioning earth911 – excellent site- i’ve worked with the people who set this up.

The Expert answers:

Call your local recycling center and check which number plastics/containers they DO collect.. Most plastic containers have a triagle w/ a number assigned to it… Some is recycleable others are NOT and you may have to find another use for them… Also, if they are NOT clean they might NOT take them as well… Just call you local recycling center and they will tell you….

Good luck

The Expert answers:

Most definitely NO.

The Expert answers:

The best explanation I have found is at http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

This is more about the plastic water bottles than the “Returnable” Deposit bottles. It is what happens to the majority of the recyclable bottles from what I understand.

The Expert answers:

I take my used foil and twist it into thin “ropes” I then stuff these into aluminum soda cans before I crush then and toss them into my recycle bin.

I can’t help you with the food containers. I expect that they don’t recycle them because they often contain food scraps (the cost of cleaning them would be higher than the value of the plastic they contain).

The Expert answers:

It is preferred that you rinse them out, but not a requirement to be picked up by the recycle collectors.

The Expert answers:

You are paying for the recycling process… And possibly for the “green” label, whic sucks and that’s where I think it gets suspicious. However, when buying virgin paper, you’re not paying for the cost that went into chopping down trees, etc. With recycled paper… You are paying for the cost of saving all those trees.

One theory to the price is that paper for recycling isn’t always available and isn’t very efficient to get. It’s bought on the open market, which drives up the prices. We’re very efficient at chopping down a tree, getting it to the mill, getting out, etc. There needs to be a more efficient way of getting recycled paper.

As far as “does it really matter” goes, I suppose you are saving trees and all that and in general there is a lot less energy in producing recycled paper than in producing paper from virgin trees. However, recycling’s energy comes more from fossil fuels than does the energy for getting virgin paper. There is a very close call on many benefits and costs for both, though in general recycling is preferable.

But in a practical sense with your business cards… Trees will be planted, and the energy and money you spent could have been used elsewhere…

The Expert answers:

Pollution from Landfill Leachate
Landfills cause another problem in addition to taking up lots of space. The assortment of chemicals thrown into landfills, plus the chemicals that result when garbage breaks down and blends into a toxic soup known as leachate, creates huge amounts of pollution. Leachate can drain out of the landfill and contaminate groundwater supplies. Today, impermeable clay caps and plastic sheeting prevent much of this run off, making the landfills much safer than they were just a few decades ago. Still, any leachate is too much if it’s draining into your neighborhood.

New Goods Use Up Resources
Making a brand-new product without any recycled material causes natural resources to deplete in the manufacturing process. Paper uses wood pulp from trees, while the manufacture of plastics requires the use of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Making something from recycled materials means using fewer natural resources.

Recycling (Sometimes) Uses Less Energy
There’s room for debate on this aspect of recycling, but many recycling processes require less energy than it would take to manufacture the same item brand-new. Manufacturing plastic is very inexpensive, and some plastic goods can be difficult to recycle efficiently. In those cases, the recycling process probably takes more energy. It can also be difficult to weigh all the energy costs along the entire chain of production. Recycling steel certainly uses less energy than the entire process of mining iron ore, refining it and forging new steel. Some contend that the fleet of recycling trucks collecting plastic and paper door to door every week in cities across the United States tips the balance of energy out of recycling’s favor. Energy use is a factor weighed on a case-by-case basis.

Money
Recycling has a variety of economic impacts. For the companies that buy used goods, recycle them and resell new products, recycling is the source of all their income. For cities in densely populated areas that have to pay by the ton for their landfill usage, recycling can shave millions of dollars off municipal budgets. The recycling industry can have an even broader impact. Economic analysis shows that recycling can generate three times as much revenue per ton as landfill disposal and almost six times as many jobs. In the St. Louis area, recycling generates an estimated 16,000 jobs and well more than $4 billion in annual revenue [source: Essential Guide].

The Expert answers:

Salem Oregon Recycles in our schools. Both paper and plastic, they do a great job having a recycle bin in every classroom and a bottle/can collector on every corner

The Expert answers:

Recycling is the process of collecting, separating and converting used or waste products into new products.

Importance:
1. Avoid the depletion of natural resources too quickly. > sustaining future generations.

2. Clean and protect the environment. Example: collecting used plastic bottles, batteries, etc

3. Reduce garbage in land-fields.

4. Job creation. Example: the recycling business (the factory), individuals collecting soda cans on the street to sell to recycling factories.

The Expert answers:

You could baby sit…recycle things..wash cars. See if your neigh boors need basic yard work done. Open a dog walking business and post flayers around your area. Things like that would probably be the best place to start. There aren’t many jobs open for 12 year old sorry =(

hope that helps

The Expert answers:

Lets see. Little money fast. If you live in an area that golfs you could caddie, mow lawns, wash cars, shovel snow, deliver papers, clean garages, do yard work, baby sit, walk dogs recycle cans ($1.55/lb down the street here). Thirty dollars is easy to raise in a day or two. Try lugging packages to some cars in a super market for tips. You could get it in as little as two or three hours, if your lucky.
Keeping the job later will help pay the cell bill. Now your parents probably do that so if you show you are responsible and have a job and use PART of that money to PAY FOR THE BILL, your parents will be MOST IMPRESSED and be much more willing to let you buy other thing you want but don’t need in the future. Face it, you WANT the phone BECAUSE ITS COOL. You have already admitted YOU DON’T NEED the phone.

The Expert answers:

Aluminum cans, steel cans, plastic bottles, are the only things I know for sure you will get money for I dont think you make any money bringing in newspapers anymore.
Try calling your local recycling center and find out what all you can bring in and get friends to drop it off to you that would help too!

The Expert answers:

Age: 43

1. What do you keep your Recycling in?

B) Recycling Bin

2. Does the contents overflow?
A) Yes

3. How often do you take your Recycling to the Recycling Centre (Bottle Bank)?

C) Never, the bin men take some of it and we throw the rest in the normal bin

4. When you get to the Recycling Centre, how long does it take you to Recycle the rubbish?

C) About 0-5 mins

5. Do you find it irritating that you have to take the Recycling to the Recycling Centre?

C) No, it’s fine

6. Does the amount of time Recycling takes up affect how much you Recycle?

C) No

7. Does the Recycling rubbish get in the way or clutter up the house?

B) Sometimes

8. Overall, would you say Recycling is irritating?

B) A bit

9. Do you already have a solution to the problem?

B) Yes, the bin men take some of it and we throw the rest in the normal bin

The Expert answers:

Its a recycling world thats for sure,
One day you’re rich, one day you’re poor,
Depends upon the love we give,
How we choose the life we live.

Recycled boyfriends, recycled cars,
Recycled body parts in glass jars,
Marriage guidance, mechanics fob!
Recycling gives us all a job.

Trust me, its not just the trash,
That’s turned around into cash,
Life to death, without us knowing,
Keeps the eternal circle going.

NB Its not all about junk I think. Recycling used to mean a lot of other things too – in a more natural way. I know we must all think about and take care of our environment and planet, but sometimes its good to go outside this box occassionally.

The Expert answers:

Admittedly I have never taken a debate class but a persuasive speech shouldn’t include your “feelings”; it should include facts.
I’d delete “at least think about it” because that’s not very persuasive. And a clean, neat community IS more appealing to visitors and the community, it doesn’t “sound” more appealing.
Recycling can create jobs, generate revenue, reduce emissions, and ultimately mitigate harming the planet for future generations. It could also improve tourism as there are many “green” or “eco friendly” communities which attract tourists.
I know it’s a first draft and you clearly have good ideas but I think you need to work on this a bit more, add some more facts and statistics and remember to keep your own feelings and opinions out of it. Good luck!

The Expert answers:

If you want this to be a storefront and a fulltime job, you need to hire a advertising firm to make this name and logo for you. Remember BRANDING is the most important thing you can do for a business. Without it you are nothing.

I have started 6 businesses in the past 6 years, 4 are still running, the 2 that are not are ones I made the names for 🙂

The Expert answers:

By giving us the facts, thats the only way you can fix the problem..and each person knows the consequences and much has been done in some place to fix the problem in some areas, and then some quit, and don’t make the recycling bins available anymore, and shut down recycling centers, so its an on again off again relationship we have with mother earth, and to suffer the consequences of losing the land is not what we want, but it is what will happen if we don’t do everything for the love of all things good and learn to get along to get along and save what we have, and fix everything that is broken and go easy on her, and build her back up again…and you can only lead by example, and hope others will follow your lead and help so if you have any ideas that could speed up the process let the right people know, because they could be clueless on what to do, and to keep repeating the same mistakes gets us the same results, and personally i think going back to the glass, returnable bottles would show great improvement and create more jobs locally and to cut out the use of plastic and aluminium , right? And some plants are still sitting that could be renovated and opened again, and not use green land to do it..because now is the time to stop using the greenland we have left and save that for farming, so we will be able to afford to eat, and that their will be food available for our country and to trade with other countries..and that’s another issue i have about how our land is used for strip malls and left empty only to build another next too it, and it’s a waste of land, when renovation would have made more sense..and more housing additions when homes are sitting empty and available to be lived in..don’t you agree, that it is out of hand, and the list goes on..

The Expert answers:

What is your source please? I was under the impression that the only places that can make paper, whether recycled or not is paper mills. There is a paper mill in Snowflake AZ that is completely re-tooled to make paper out of recycled paper. I have been there. I have also been to most of the paper mills in the western states and they all recycle to make paper. I think that the problem that closed down some paper mills was the lack of raw materials and the increased efficiency of making paper from paper instead of wood. The cellulose breakdown has already occurred with the first making of paper, so you don’t need as much processing to turn it in to paper the second time. The unions had a lot to do with making the old mills unproductive too. I blame them as much as I blame the environmental stupidity that destroyed so many jobs.

I was part of the mass exodus from Oregon in 1990 when hundreds of thousands of workers in the wood products industry lost their jobs. I lived it.

Does recycled toilet paper have little chunks of peanuts and corn in it?

The Expert answers:

Yes it is not a allegation it is a fact and China is violating WTO rules by placing banking tariffs to raise the exchange.

The fact is that of the money China lent us only 200 billion is in bonds and has to be paid back!

Food Workers Cost over seas $6 to $500 per outsourced job price here $20,000 to $70,000 Unfair

Steel workers Cost over seas $8 to $1500 per outsourced job price here $25,000 to $80,000 Unfair

Lab Research Cost over seas $50 to $15,000 per outsourced job price here $45,000 to $150,000 Unfair

Engineering Cost over seas $40 to $10,000 per outsourced job price here $40,000 to $120,000 Unfair

Auto Workers Cost over seas $10 to $8,000 per outsourced job price here $25,000 to $67,000 Unfair

Jobs stolen in the last 15 years over 11.5 million and that is why a poll shows 91% of real Americans support Buy American.

We Import 80% of house hold goods and in 1929 we imported 3% this is unsustainable.

The Expert answers:

Switching everything you do and/or eat over to Organic all at once will be expensive and is an overwhelming task!

Take it one step at a time and you will find that it really isn’t that much more expensive, in fact it the long run it is less expensive. Some times it’s easier to take an “all natural” approach rather than everything-must-be-100%-organic.

Try cooking with more real ingredients like fresh veggies instead of canned or boxed. One tip is to shop around the perimeter of the store. Packaged goods are more expensive and loaded with refined sugar, preservatives and chemically altered ingredients.

There are less expensive natural alternatives to toxic cleaners too, if that is something you are also interested in changing. It is just as important to eliminate free-radicals in the air as well as from the foods you eat.

Sure, not all of us can afford to drive hybrid cars or buy Energy Star appliances, but don’t throw your arms up in the air and say “I’m too poor to save the planet”. There are little things that you *can* afford to do and be *proud of* for doing your part. Like using common sense about how you use electric will actually save you money. Taking reusable bags to the the grocery store instead of using plastic. Recycling anything that doesn’t need to go into the trash. Going to yard sales, thrift stores, even Freecycling… Instead of buying everything new. There are tons of ways to be green and thrifty!

I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on the subject and I am still in the process of making small changes myself, but what I can say is that changing my family’s menu options and living a greener lifestyle has definitely been worth it for our well being. And we certainly aren’t “well off” by any means either, but we do what we can and that’s all we can do. I just want you to know that it can be done if you truly are willing to make that change, it just takes time.

Good Luck!

The Expert answers:

Of course your plan is already in effect in most major urban centers. It is an ill conceived plan, in my opinion. We currently pay deposit and environmental levies on a variety of plastic containers and tetra packs. In addition we pay fees for recyclable collection and for the recycling itself. The plan falls apart because of “free enterprise” (see later). The contribution by the person doing the sorting, you and me, is substantial and is not included as a cost in the full cycle economics of the process. It is dubious whether, even without the hidden and unaccounted cost, that there is any economics in recycling as a stand alone contrast to landfill. Otherwise, no government levies or subsidies would be required.
The argument put forth by environmental advocates is that “new” end products are created by the recycled plastic, rubber and other items. The facts appear however to be different. There is no doubt that paper products are truly recycled. We see them every day in the products we use such as flyers, stationary or even paper towels. Please note however, that most of these products are virtually un-necessary in any event. So was the process of recycling then even necessary or desirable?
I saw a TV story about 2 years ago on recycled plastics in the US. I believe it was ABC News. According to the piece, about 30% of US recyclable plastic ends up in China! They showed pictures of the place and it looked like a bad version of a moonscape! Plastic bags hanging from trees, open toxic sewage and so on. The plastic is recycled in China and resold to Americans as cheap processed goods such as golf club covers. On all the TV ads in Canada, the recycled plastics show up as processed plastic “beads” which are “made into a variety of useful everyday household products”. According to the news piece, this is a bit of an exaggeration! If it is cheaper to export the problem, beyond your countries shores, and pocket the various forms of subsidies, THEN the economics are favorable, not before. This is the nature of a “free market” solution, with government socialistic policies as a driver. This would never be tolerated in a wholly free enterprise solution!
The second major issue that is apparent in the recyclable issue is the environmental friendliness of the process. Advocates point to the reduction in landfill gases such as Methane, as a noble reason for eliminating landfill waste. Only problem is that Methane is generated for the most part by the decomposition of ORGANIC waste such as table scraps, fruits and vegetables and animal and human waste (read diapers) and bacterial decomposition of wood products (very slow process). This stuff still continues to go to the landfill! Plastics take such a long time to decompose, that the Methane release rate is virtually negligible!
What is NOT negligible however, is the CO2 and emissions from the diesel truck that picks up the “blue box” then drives it to a sorting plant which generates its own emissions, then a train or a variety of different trains with a variety of end destinations (with more diesel missions) picks it up from the sorting plant, then another truck unloads it from the train and drives it to a variety of recycling plants where it is either made into a variety of recycling “feedstock” such a plastic beads or pulp mash. Then, whatever the recycling broker can pawn off on a third party, may end up being loaded on a barge, which again burns bunker “c” oil and generates emissions so that another plant in a third world country, can burn more fuel in order to reprocess either raw recyclable or feedstock into a useless item which will be purchased back in the US.
If people are so concerned about environment and conservation, they should attempt to look beyond the mythology of the process of recycling and demand actual FACTS about the process and its economies and environmental sustainability on a “full cycle” basis! I suspect that the energy usage alone, regardless of emissions problems, is enormous and inefficient on a cost basis. The problem, as I see it, is that like most things being produced in the modern era, about 70 % of costs associated with production are energy costs that are incurred either directly or indirectly. Please remember, that even salaries and fixed capital costs have a very large energy related component since most of those monies will be expended on additional energy related items such as food or subsequent transportation and so on.
I demanded a copy of the full cycle environmental and economic audit that should have been performed prior to my city instituting recycling, the politicians thought I was nuts or did either did not follow through on delivery and the engineers that I was referred to, did not return my calls.
The bottom line is probably this: Where there is ready access to landfill sites, such as where I live, it is probably not necessary nor is desirable to recycle. In cities where there is very little landfill availability

The Expert answers:

Improve PC Performance Tip #1:
CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY (Frequency = Daily)

This is an essential, but often overlooked, task to improve PC performance. In fact most PC users are unaware of the necessity to regularly clean the Registry as Microsoft does not include a cleanup tool in any version of Windows.

Every time a program is installed it makes changes to the Windows Registry – a huge internal database of Windows’ settings. Virtually all Windows programs, and Windows itself, store a massive array of information inside the database. These thousands of entries control the behavior and appearance of virtually everything on your system.

Changes to your PC system are not always handled correctly in the Registry, leading to conflicts and the slowing down of your PC. Over time this leads to a bloated and possibly, corrupted Registry. Reasons for this include:

– frequently installing or uninstalling programs
– removing a program which leaves traces behind
– leftover entries from a hardware uninstall
– unused drivers on your system
– Spyware or similar programs that reappear every time you reboot

You can edit the Registry manually using a Windows program called Regedit, but this is really a job best left for hardened PC experts.

Thankfully, programs are available that can clean up your Registry automatically to help improve PC performance, such as “Registry Optimizer ’06”. This scans your Registry, looks for entries that are redundant or invalid and lists them so that they can be corrected with one mouse click. As an added bonus, to improve PC performance, it runs automatically in the background every time you start your PC. You even get a complimentary PC Windows Health Check.

Improve PC Performance Tip #2:
EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN (Frequency = Weekly)

Regularly empty Windows’ Recycle Bin.

This will release hard drive space and help improve PC performance.

When you choose to delete a file, rather than removing it completely from your computer, Windows first puts it into the Recycle Bin. This gives you a second chance, as it means you can restore flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer.

To ensure optimum PC performance, empty your Recycle Bin weekly (or even daily). To do so, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, and choose Empty Recycle Bin.

Improve PC Performance Tip #3:
REMOVE PROGRAMS (Frequency = Monthly)

Installing programs is easy – but once you have, it’s just as easy to end up leaving them languishing, forgotten, on your hard disk.

Most programs come with their own uninstaller. You’ll find this under the program’s entry in All Programs, from the Start menu.

If the program doesn’t come with its own uninstaller, open Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Your PC will pause briefly while it gathers a list of all the programs you have installed.

Once it has done so, find the program you’d like to get rid of, click it and then select Change/Remove.

Be aware that some programs leave uninstalled traces all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance after an uninstall, it’s essential to clean the Registry.

Improve PC Performance Tip #4:
RUN DISK CLEAN UP (Frequency = Monthly)

Windows’ Disk Clean Up is a fantastic built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance, such as deleting Temporary Internet files, Setup log files, etc.

To start Disk Clean Up, double-click My Computer, right click on your ‘C:’ drive and then select Properties. Now click Disk Cleanup. Your computer will then spend a few moments analysing itself.

When it has completed the audit Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, put a tick in the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the tick next to the item and click OK.

Your computer will then begin the removal process to improve PC performance – this can take some time.

Improve PC Performance Tip #5:
DISK DEFRAGMENTATION (Frequency = Quarterly)

When Windows stores programs on your PC hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces.

This slows down your PC as it has to spend time hunting down the fragments and piecing files together.

There is a simple cure – running the Windows program Disk Defragmenter. This gathers together the fragments of programs and puts them back in the right order.

This makes it far easier for your hard disk to find what it’s looking for, enabling programs and files to load more quickly – a sure-fired way for improving PC performance.

To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment.

The process can take well over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don’t want to go through the process too often.

Defragment your hard disk every 3 months or so – this way you’ll get the best results and optimize the performance of your PC.

Improve PC Performance Tip #6:
EMPTY THE PREFETCH CACHE (Frequency = Quarterly)

To improve the time it takes to load programs, Windows guesses which files are likely to be needed next and loads them into a pool or ‘cache’.

This process is called prefetching, and it generally works well. Overtime, though, the prefetch cache can become clogged with files you no longer need – and that can slow down Windows’ startup.

To clear Prefetch, choose Run from the Start menu, and enter Prefetch into the text box that appears. When you’ve done that, you’ll be confronted by a window filled with icons. Press Alt+A to select them all and press Delete.

The cache will quickly refill with links and files that Windows really needs. As a result, your system will feel more responsive and benefit from a PC performance speed up.

So there you have it, 6 sure-fired PC performance tips to revitalize your PC. Now you know how to improve PC performance – simply follow these steps and repeat them regularly.

The Expert answers:

“Anyway, if I signed the paper it would mean I could no longer back out of DEP, and considering I have no jobs guaranteed it is something I don’t want to sign”

One thing recruiters never tell you. You CAN back out of DEP at any point before you ship. They wont just let you back out. It is a pain to do. But you CAN do it. In fact, you can back out while in boot camp. Again, they make it as hard as possible. But you can do it.

Heck, if they make such a fuss about you getting out, you go back to meps before you ship. Come up with something else to dq you. Gain or lose a ton of weight to not make rank. Umm, the list goes on. Tell them you are a conscientious objector. You ‘found’ a new faith while in DEP. But regardless, all you really have to do is say I want out and you can get out while in DEP.

Shit, if you make it to boot camp and they wont let you out. FAIL PT so bad they recycle you. Granted, you will get recycled and redo some stuff. Fail enough and you are out. Break a leg, or an arm and you are out. Shin splints and you are out. Come ‘out of the closet’. While the military has the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy coming out gets you an honorable discharge. You may have to sort of show you are gay. But they can only ask for so much proof.

See if you can get your eyes waived. Think about you other job options. If you are okay with that or not. What are your reasons for joining the military? Can you put up with a job you don’t want?

Like I said, you can get out at any point before boot camp. You can still get out at boot camp but its much harder to accomplish. They don’t want to tell you this, because they don’t want to let you go after all the work they invested to getting you. But you can. Just push for it.

In the end, make sure you do what you want.

Perhaps try talking to a different recruiter. You can call a recruiter from another state. Or another area in your state. I know someone where his recruiter was 2 states away because his local recruiter wasn’t doing a good job.

The Expert answers:

Firstly, that is so awesome that you want to be greener! Good job!

Usually, there are three main recycling bins:
(1) Paper
(2) Glass
(3) Plastic

Just sort out your trash accordingly. When the trash/recycle man comes, you can hand over your recyclable items separately. It makes it easier.

There are also other methods: Reuse and Reduce (which goes with Recycle so they make up the 3Rs… Reuse, Reduce, Recycle).

Reuse means reusing your old stuff. Like my Mom reuses spaghetti sauce bottles to keep her spices, sugar etc. Or you can store other stuff. Don’t throw paper and plastic bags away. Reuse them.

Reduce basically mean cutting down on what you use. For instance if you have a habit of taking 5 paper napkins in Starbucks/McDonald’s, try cutting down to 2 (which I what I’m doing right now, trying to cut down to 1 but it’s a bit hard).

The Expert answers:

At my apartment complex, there is no recycling program, so what we did was to find the closest place to drop off recycling (you could try looking in the phone book, or your state or city might have a website that you could find the information on), and we found out that the drop-off site has 2 different bins, one for plastic/glass/metal and the other for paper/cardboard/paperboard. So, we got 2 containers from IKEA to put the recyclables in, a big one for cans and plastic or glass containers, and a small one for paper. When the bins get full we load them in the suv and take them to the drop-off place. Sure it’s a bit of a hassle, it’d be better if the city would provide recycling to all its residents, not just those who live in houses, but I think it’s worth it!

For pop cans, I just dump the last drips out into the sink, and then twist & crush them with my hands, just to save room in the bin. For food containers, I rinse them enough so that it won’t smell. That’s all you need to do, because they will take care of all of the cleaning and stuff at the place you take the recycling to. You don’t need to take labels off or anything, even.

Here’s the containers we got from IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=16198&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=40801&langId=-1&categoryId=15776&chosenPartNumber=90076364

They’re great because they stack and don’t take up much room. I bet you could find them at other stores if you don’t have an IKEA near you.

I’ve really noticed a reduction in the volume of garbage since we started recycling!

I don’t really have many ideas on how to start a recycling program, but you might want to contact your city/town first, they might have ideas or things you would need to consider.

If your workplace is small, with just a few people, you could just convince your boss to get another garbage can especially for pop cans, and another one for paper, and either volunteer to take them to a recycling drop off place yourself, or get someone else to. You could contact the city/town to see about the possibility of getting the recycling picked up, maybe.

Good luck!

The Expert answers:

I think its stupid, i mean come on we even have to crush our own cans aswell, what are we payin these people for if we have got to do there job for them its ridiculous! Not to mention we get reported if we don’t recycle!

The Expert answers:

The US does the worst job recycling than every other industrial country. Very little household waste is recycled and lands up in landfills where it stays for thousands of years.

Communities need to establish strict laws for recycling. First ban all water bottles. Tap water is almost as good, cheaper and stored in reusable containers. Next laws need to enacted that would give refuge collectors the power to write tickets to homes that refuse to obey these laws.

Then every container should have a deposit attached to give people incentive to recycle. Every box, can, bottle, bag, and pouch should be covered by a deposit.

Plastic grocery bags should also be banned.

The Expert answers:

You’re right about trees helping to remove carbon monoxide, but mature trees do the job better than fast growing trees planted in managed forests, specifically for producing huge amounts of pulp.
Then, there is the issue of other flora and fauna that suffer as
mature “natural” trees are over-logged. There is a price to recycling paper, but it is less than not recycling! Actually, burning palletized recycled paper produces 10-20% less carbon than coal!

I’ve gathered numerous resources for you, presenting information on both sides of the argument. Recycling actually DOES make sense! Please read each site for complete information.

“Does recycling seem like an antiquated concept, or at least
something that’s just not important to you? Maybe, maybe not. But consider this: In one year, the energy conserved by the current level of recycling saves enough energy to power nine million households for a year.”

“About 1/3 of the waste stream that goes to landfills is paper, which is a real shame since there is a strong market for recycled paper. Reusing more of our waste paper would help us reduce the acres of forest land that are being clear cut every year to provide paper in its myriad forms.”
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/10-05/recycler-recycling-article.htm

“Other uses for recycled paper include the use of shredded paper for packaging. This use is often associated with lower quality recovered paper not appropriate for recycling into writing/printing grade paper. The generation of shredded paper has increased in numerous industries and agencies. The advantages of shredding paper for reuse as packaging are decreased costs in alternative packaging media such as Styrofoam peanuts. Shredded paper can also be composted
as opposed to disposed of in landfills (See Data Sheet: 7-III-7 Paper Shredders).
Another recovered paper reuse alternative is in the production of fuel pellets. Lower grade waste paper is pelletized and utilized as a solid fuel source in industrial boilers.

Pelletized paper has similar physical characteristics to conventional
solid fuels, is easily consumed by boilers, and can be produced at competitive costs. The advantages of using pelletized paper fuel include: a new use for discarded paper; reduction in the consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels; paper provides a higher level of heat generation; and because paper contains little sulfur, its co-firing with coal reduces sulfur emissions. Paper also produces 10-20% less carbon than coal.”
http://p2library.nfesc.navy.mil/P2_Opportunity_Handbook/7_I_A_9.html

There are pros and cons to recycling.

The Disadvantages and Costs:

•Contamination of paper with garbage or dissimilar materials, and weather impacts increase handling costs.
•For some uses, recycled paper is of lower quality than virgin paper.
•De-inking plants are costly to build.
•Market value fluctuations make forecasting economic viability difficult.

The Benefits:
•More landfill space is saved by recycling paper, than any other material.
•Paper recycling reduces air and water pollution.
•Recycled paper serves as feed stock for existing and developing
‘recycled-paper’ mills.
•There is an abundant supply of newspaper and cardboard.
•Paper can not be recycled indefinitely but it can be recycled about five times before the fibers weaken.
Http://www.anchoragerecycling.com/benefits.htm

“Still, Breining was curious how much environmental benefit the state was buying for the extra $22,000 his magazine spent on recycled paper. The benefits turned out to be small: sixteen cords of pulpwood — about what you’d get by clear-cutting a single acre of northern Minnesota aspen woods.
Breining grants that paper recycling has other benefits, such as reducing the need for landfills and the pollution caused by
paper-making. Still, he had to question whether spending $22,000 to prevent the clear-cutting of one acre that cost $400 on the open market was a smart use of taxpayer’s and subscribers’ money.”

“This glut of recovered paper is made into everything from paper to boxes to animal bedding. And while the relatively small amount of recycled papers used for writing and printing are struggling with high prices and sluggish demand, the dominant sectors of the market are doing much better.”

“Another strong area is newsprint. About 5.4 million tons of this material, used for newspapers, is recovered each year, generally to make more newsprint. The market is so promising that the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group in New York, is coordinating the development of a large recycling plant in the South
Bronx.”
http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/paper.html

“Reasons for recycling
To recycle makes economic sense because although it may not be cheaper
than ordinary paper:
•by not importing new pulp the UK can save up to 800 million on balance of payments
•it saves on disposal costs such as burying in landfill sites or
burning in incinerators
•it provides employment for a large work force as waste management
including paper collection is a major industry
To recycle makes environmental sense because it
•reduces pressure for landfill sites
•reduces pressure on natural forests by encouraging planting of managed commercial plantations

Generally speaking the production of recycled paper has less overall environmental impact than producing paper using all new material, when all production activities are taken into account. Recycled paper production does use less energy, less water and creates less pollution. However substantial upgrading of low quality waste, could mean that the environmental advantages of recycling are reduced
or lost.”
http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/campaigns/briefingsmore/paperrecycling.htm

“Benefits of Recycling Paper:
Save Money: Recycling services can be cheaper than trash disposal services in many cases. Paper is usually the largest portion of the waste stream in a business office. By separating your paper from your trash your company may save money in trash disposal costs.

Divert Material from Disposal: Keeping paper out of the waste stream will save landfill space and reduced pollution through avoided incineration.
Conserve Natural Resources: By substituting old paper to be used in place of trees, recycling reduces the pressure to cut down trees.
Save Energy: The steps in supplying recycled materials to industry (including collection, processing and transportation) typically use less energy than the steps in supplying virgin materials to industry (including extraction, refinement, transportation, and processing). But, most energy savings associated with recycling accrue in the manufacturing process itself, since recycled materials have already been processed at least once.

Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: By reducing the amount of energy used by industry, recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions that may lead to global warming. Energy used in the industrial processes and in transportation involves burning fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel and coal1.
Facts & Figures:
•To make one ton of paper using recycled fiber saves the following:

17 trees
3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
360 gallons of water
100 gallons of gasoline
60 pounds of air pollutants
10,401 kilowatts of electricity
(source: United States Environmental Protection Agency)

•Nearly 218,000 tons of shredded paper is used each year for animal
bedding. (source: American Forest & Paper Association)
•Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from virgin timber. (source: Environmental Protection Agency)
•Recycling office waste paper saves valuable landfill space – 3 cubic yards for every ton of paper recycled – and extends the lives of our landfills. (source: National Office Paper Recycling Project, The United States Conference of Mayors)
http://www.wastecap.org/wastecap/commodities/paper/paper.htm#Benefits%20paper

“The current average price paid for loose corrugated delivered to a recycling center in the New York region is $38.00 per ton, while the current average price paid for sorted office paper is $55.00 per ton.
Sorted white ledger is currently valued at $115.00 per ton. (Source: Waste News) Of course, it is understood that there are costs associated with collecting and transporting these materials. These costs, however, are offset by the revenue earned on the materials collected plus the savings resulting from not having to dispose of this material as solid waste. Unfortunately, the avoided cost of disposal is often left out of the recycling cost equation. This is especially significant since solid waste disposal costs continue to rise.”

“Recycling corrugated cardboard, office paper and other materials also makes economic sense on the macro-economic level as these activities create many jobs and add significantly to the state and national economy. According to the National Recycling Coalition, the recycling
industry is comparable in size to the auto and truck manufacturing industry and employs more than 1.1 million people.”
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/recycle/Winter05.pdf

“Recycling Saves Landfill Space.
Americans are producing more waste with each passing year, most of which is hauled off and buried in landfills. What’s wrong with that? Well, it’s expensive and usually controversial to dig new landfills or to build new incinerators. Recycling is one way to reduce the amount of waste that is landfilled.
Recycling Can Reduce the Cost of Waste Disposal.

Getting rid of trash isn’t a free proposition. Garbage trucks must pay to dump their waste at a landfill. The payment is called a tipping fee, and it is based on the weight or volume of the garbage. Tipping fees vary in different areas. In Vermont, one landfill charges about $65 a ton for the waste it receives. Recycling reduces landfill costs because less waste is landfilled. In 2003, recycling and composting
diverted 72 million tons of material from landfills.”
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/recycling.html

“RECYCLING IS BECOMING CHEAPER THAN WASTE EXPORT
Meanwhile, the fiscal outlook is improving for that portion of the waste stream that is or could be recycled.

Newspapers, magazines, cardboard, junk mail, and other paper products make up the single largest portion of the city’s residential waste stream. And for this commodity, the economic benefits of recycling are readily apparent.
New York City is paid for every ton of paper it delivers to recyclers. For example, the Visy Paper Recycling Plant on Staten Island takes about a third of the city’s recycled paper waste from the Department of Sanitation. The Visy plant de-inks these paper products and turns them into paper used to make corrogated boxes and other products. On average, the city is paid $7 a ton for paper sent to Visy and other
paper recyclers. In contrast to paying $66 or more per ton for trash export, New York City benefits economically from every ton of paper it recycles.”
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environment/20030411/7/345

“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.”
“Energy is needed to manufacture both virgin paper and recycled paper but much less total energy is needed to produce recycled paper [5]. Industry quotes for typical energy savings from producing recycled paper range from about 28%-70%[6]. The amount of energy saved will
depend on paper grade, processing, mill operation and proximity to a waste paper source and markets. Moreover, technical improvements to reduce energy use are possible by introducing incremental design improvements at each step of the papermaking process[7].”

“The energy debate has tended to be very narrow. The forest products industry generally excludes, in its analysis, the fuel used in forest management e.g. In drilling, seeding, harvesting, transport of timber to the pulp mill and the pulp to distribution points. The proportion of energy needs met by biofuels will vary from country to country, pulping process and timber used.”
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/paper_recycling.html

Consequences of excessive logging and replanting with “super-pulp” trees:
“Where once grew some of the most biologically rich hardwood forest in North America’s Temperate Zone (which extends from the Gulf of Mexico to southern Canada), there are now row after row of fast-growing loblolly pine trees genetically engineered to yield the most pulp in the shortest time. But the paper industry’s insatiable appetite for
timber has met with unexpected competition from an equally voracious insect. In the last four years, an estimated 50 to 70 percent of the pines planted on the plateau have been devoured by the southern pine beetle.

“The cozy relationship that exists between Tennessee’s public and private sectors, and the impunity and magnitude of the environmental destruction taking place on the plateau, are what you might expect in Guatemala or deep in the Brazilian Amazon, not in our republic, where there are supposed to be laws that protect our wilderness treasures and prosecute conflicts of interest. But a quarter of the world’s
paper and 60 percent of America’s wood products are being produced in the South, and the will to address the abuses of the paper industry, which contributes millions of dollars to the campaign coffers of politicians around the country, just isn’t there — certainly not in Tennessee.” Pease see this site for further information.
Http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/04win/cumberland1.asp

“Genetic engineering of food crops has been a stealth technology, introduced with little public debate and arriving on grocery shelves unlabeled. Now another application of genetically engineered (GE) agriculture is sneaking up on us – the production of transgenic trees by paper and lumber companies. The possibility that the new genes spliced into GE trees will interfere with natural forests isn’t a hypothetical risk but a certainty.

During our lives, genetic engineering may do as much damage to forests and wildlife habitat as chain saws and sprawl. This is not to say that every application of GE is bad. Sierra Club has taken no positions regarding genetic engineering done in labs or in indoor manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. But common sense should warn us that commercial development of out-of-doors applications in
the absence of environmental safeguards is a prescription for
disaster. Sierra Club opposes the out-of-doors deployment of genetic technologies because the genes are free – as free as pollen on the wind – to invade nature, and because once this has happened they can’t be recalled. The arguments below are not intended to be inclusive but only to illustrate the nature of the problem.”

“For instance, GE’d pines might be grown without all those “useless” pine cones. They may be herbicide resistant so that competing undergrowth can be eliminated. They may produce their own pesticides so that many of the insects which live in association with trees are poisoned.

The result, then, may be a silent forest, one which doesn’t support chipmunks or snakes at ground level, holds no birdsong in its branches, has no raptors soaring above. Clearly, such a stand of trees is not really a forest. And worse, the damage can’t be confined to private property as trees live for many years and can’t be closely observed; “birth control” among trees is less reliable than among people and even genetic engineering can’t guarantee that a branch won’t decide to manufacture pollen. Pine pollen can blow hundreds of miles on the wind.”
http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/trees.asp

“But even though it is true that marketing recyclables can actually cost money, this charge is still lower than the fees charged at the landfill for dumping these materials. For example, although a municipality might be paying $25.00 to recycle a ton of newspaper, that same ton in the landfill would cost well over $100.00. This is a savings known as “Cost Avoidance”. Add in the environmental benefits such as reduced pollution and conservation of resources, as well as
saving landfill space for other, non-recyclable materials and
recycling is the clear winner.”
http://www.passaiccountynj.org/Departments/naturalresources/recproco.htm

The American Forest and Paper Association “Recycling -In 2005, a record 51.5 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. (51.3 million tons) was recovered for recycling. Paper recovery now averages 346 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.

While this is a significant accomplishment, we can do more. Our goal is 55 percent recovery by 2012.”
http://www.afandpa.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Environment_and_Recycling/Recycling/Recycling.htm

• The world has lost nearly 200 million hectares of tree cover;
• Deserts are being expanded by some 120 million hectares;
• Thousands of plant and animal species are disappearing quickly
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~career/PRC/destruct.html

“Waste Paper Recycling
The benefits derived from recycling waste paper are:
•reduced water pollution of up to 35%
•reduced air pollution of up to 74%
•reduced energy consumption of 24-54%
•reduced harvesting of virgin forests
•reduced number of trees for paper making being grown in areas where
they cause damage
•17 small trees saved / tonne of paper recycled
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~career/PRC/benefits.html

“Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by Massachusetts recycling:
By reducing the amount of energy used by industry, recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps stem the dangers of global climate change. This reduction occurs because much of the energy used in industrial processes and in transportation involves burning fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel and coal – the most important sources of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.

•Massachusetts recycling reduced greenhouse gas emission by 1,701,604 metric tons of carbon equivalents in 2002, which is equivalent to approximately 8.1% of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perflurocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
• Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled is the equivalent of12 trees. Every ton of office paper recycled is the equivalent of 24 trees.2
•• By recycling 1,365,432 tons of mixed paper, newsprint, and phone books in 2002, Massachusetts reduced the need to cut 16,385,184 trees. On average, a live trees removes 60 pounds per year of air pollution from the environment.
Http://www.massrecycle.org/recycling_benefits.html#saves_environment

“Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water! Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper per year, or about 580 pounds per person.

Paper products make up the largest part (approximately 40 percent) of our trash. Making recycled paper instead of new paper uses 64 percent less energy and uses 58 percent less water.

Every day American businesses generate enough paper to circle the earth 20 times! Every day Americans recover more than 2 million pounds of paper! That’s about 40 percent of the paper we use.

Paper products use up at least 35 percent of the world’s annual commercial wood harvest.
Http://www.resourcefulschools.org/html/facts.html

“So does paper recycling save energy? Yes it does, although the energy savings are not as spectacular as they are with aluminum and steel recycling.
A paper mill uses 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled paper than it does to make paper from fresh lumber. However, a recycling mill may consume more fossil fuels than a paper mill. Paper mills generate much of their energy from waste wood, but recycling mills purchase most of their energy from local power companies or use on-site cogeneration facilities.

Making recycled paper does require fewer chemicals and bleaches than making all-new paper. Although recycled paper is less polluting than paper made from wood fiber, both processes produce different by-products. Paper mills may emit more sulfur dioxide, but recycling mills may produce more sludge. Deinking at Cross Pointe’s Miami, Ohio
mill results in 22 pounds of sludge for every 100 pounds of wastepaper recycled.

Paper recycling does mean fewer trees are used to make paper, but all-new paper is almost always made from trees specifically grown for papermaking. A tree harvested for papermaking is soon replaced by another, so the cycle continues. We are not talking about the rain forest or old growth in the Pacific Northwest, says Champion Paper’s
Martin Blick. Most of the trees cut for paper come from fifth or sixth generation pulp-wood forests.” Note that this last comment comes from the paper industry.
Http://www.eia.doe.gov/

Interesting Facts
==================
Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled saves the equivalent of cutting down 17 trees to make paper.
NRC’s Environmental Benefits Calculator

A single corrugated box can be recycled up to eight times.
Scrap Magazine, November-December 2001
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:7tIeFR-yKD4J:www.swmcb.org/files/rethinkrecycling_paper_recycling_benefits.doc+paper+recycling+benefits&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=16

Further Information
===================
Recycling saves energy
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/DEPUTATE/AIRWASTE/WM/RECYCLE/document/recyclingworks.pdf

Paper Recycling
http://www.paperrecycles.org/paper_everyday_wonder/index.html

The Expert answers:

I’m for reducing consumption of natural resources of the earth, diverting as much recyclables from the landfill, and creating jobs.

When recycling a product that takes more energy/resources(i.e., fuel) than the creating a new product, you’ll have more people against it. Certain recyclable products, such as green glass, take more energy/resource to recycle it back to green glass and therefore it should find an alternative way to be either reused or recycled into another material. Green glass can than be used in repaving roads, as one example.

The cost to get rid of your recyclables, depending on how much a hauler charges, could deter people from recycling also. Some people will also just disagree with the thought of recycling because on some level they think its not the way to go.

The Expert answers:

It is helping the environment and there are so many benefits that our mother earth can get.

Recycling saves energy and resources.
Examples are the following

1.) For every ton of paper made from recycled materials saves 17 trees, 6.953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space, and 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy.

2.)In one year, recycling allows aluminum companies to save the equivalent of more than 19 million barrels of oil – enough energy to supply electricity to about 18 million households for a year.

3.)Recycling one glass bottle or jar saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

4.)Recycling one pound of steel can power a 60-watt light bulb for more than a day.

5.)Recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of 1,000 – 2,000 gallons of gasoline.

Recycling Decreases Pollution
Examples are the following

1.) Making cars from recycling aluminum decreases related air
pollution by 95 percent.

2.) Making recycled paper generates 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less water pollution, and uses 64 percent less energy than making paper from virgin timber.

Recycling decreases tree cutting
1.) If all morning newspapers in the US were recycled for one day, the equivalent of 41,000 trees would be saved and 6 million tons of waste would never end up in landfills.

2.)Every person in the US receives junk mail that represents the equivalent of 1-1/2 trees a year. If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, as many as 150,000 trees annually would not be cut down for paper productions. (One tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year). To remove your name from junk mail lists, contact:

Recycling reduces reliance on imported oil

1.) Motor oil never wears out, it just gets dirty. Oil can be recycled, re-refined, and used again, reducing our reliance on imported oil.
Recycling reduces our reliance on landfills

Recycling reduces our reliance on landfills

1.) In the year 2001, Hamilton County residents diverted 35,900 tons of material from the landfill by recycling at home.

2.) Recycling creates jobs and economic development:

** The recycling industry supports 4.3% of the jobs in Ohio.Recycling supports 3,177 business establishments in Ohio, employing 98,302 people.
**The average wage paid by Ohio’s recycling industry is $36,600.00.
Ohio’s recycling industry annual sales reached $22.5 billion.

The Expert answers:

Aslam-o-Alikum,
How are you sister? I Hope this link helps:

http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/21/Wastewater-Treatment-Plant-Operator.html

I hope I helped

The Expert answers:

Simply put, recycling is reusing the material from which a given product was made. It is different from reusing because recycling focuses on the material itself rather than the prior item. Recycling is a process of turning an item’s material into a form that can be used again for the same item or something else.

Benefits of recycling include:

Less stress on landfills.

Less energy going into mining.

Business opportunities and the creation of jobs.

Getting more out of a single material.

Well-designed and efficient recycling programs cost less than original production.

It helps save money for families, companies, and communities when efficient.

Recycling creates four jobs for every one job created in the waste management and disposal industries.

Recycling and composting diverted nearly 70 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2000, up from 34 million tons in 1990-doubling in just 10 years.

Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.

The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for four hours.

Recycling benefits the air and water by creating a net reduction in ten major categories of air pollutants and eight major categories of water pollutants.

In the U.S., processing minerals contributes almost half of all reported toxic emissions from industry, sending 1.5 million tons of pollution into the air and water each year. Recycling can significantly reduce these emissions.

It is important to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Recycling helps us do that by saving energy.
Manufacturing with recycled materials, with very few exceptions, saves energy and water and produces less air and water pollution than manufacturing with virgin materials.

It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These savings far outweigh the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.

In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings equal to the amount of energy used in 6 million homes (over 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save the amount of energy used in 9 million homes (900 trillion BTUs).

A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing nearly 25 million cars from the road.

Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water, and minerals.

Every bit of recycling makes a difference. For example, one year of recycling on just one college campus, Stanford University, saved the equivalent of 33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.

Recycled paper supplies more than 37% of the raw materials used to make new paper products in the U.S. Without recycling, this material would come from trees. Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled is the equivalent of 12 trees. Every ton of office paper recycled is the equivalent of 24 trees.

When one ton of steel is recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.

Brutal wars over natural resources, including timber and minerals, have killed or displaced more than 20 million people and are raising at least $12 billion a year for rebels, warlords, and repressive governments. Recycling eases the demand for the resources.

Mining is the world’s most deadly occupation. On average, 40 mine workers are killed on the job each day, and many more are injured. Recycling reduces the need for mining.

Tree farms and reclaimed mines are not ecologically equivalent to natural forests and ecosystems.

Recycling prevents habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion associated with logging and mining.

The Expert answers:

Yes, recycling is totally worth it.. I did an 8 page research paper on it just last semester. The information I found was excellent.. People claim that recycling isn’t worth it because of OLD technology.. That made it so it wasn’t worth it..
NOW most common recycling plants use lasers to sense the different types of materials, as well as sort them by hand and some other techniques. There have been all kinds of scams by people trying to make money and will say they can dispose of something properly and don’t. Now the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a lot stricter guideliness and do monitor those things. So just because it HAS in the past been a scam it is rare to find them now.

Also recycling has actually become very profitable for cities, that is the cities where people actually participate in the recycling programs. The more and more people recycle.. The more and more profitable it is to have the program and are able to sell them and remake them into other marketable commodities. Think about it.. The more you recycle, the more worthwhile it is for the trucks to be picking up from every house. The people who don’t make any effort are the reason a recycling program wouldn’t be beneficial financially.
But any effort is beneficial environmentally.

AND RECYCLING ACCOUNTS FOR MORE JOBS THAN FAST FOOD INDUSTRYAND HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY WHICH ARE SOME OF THE LARGEST JOB PRODUCERS IN THE COUNTRY!! AND IT IS ALSO HAS HIGH PAY ROLL

Id be more than happy to show you some statistics on them.

Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and incineration.

The more people recycle, the cheaper it gets.

Two years after calling recycling a $40 million drain on the city, New York City leaders realized that a redesigned, efficient recycling system could actually save the city $20 million and they have now signed a 20-year recycling contract.

Recycling helps families save money, especially in communities with pay-as-you-throw programs.

Well-designed programs save money. Communities have many options available to make their programs more cost-effective, including maximizing their recycling rates, implementing pay-as-you-throw programs, and including incentives in waste management contracts that encourage disposal companies to recycle more and dispose of less.

[ANYONE WHO THINGS RECYCLING IS A WASTE OF TIME OR MONEY IS MISINFORMED OR JUST IGNORANT!]

The Expert answers:

Los Angeles printing service says they’ll be willing to print for any paper stock. They recycle their paper from paper scraps from previous print jobs and use soy/vegetable based inks. They say they give free proof before you pay and free paper sample kits.

A disclaimer though; I don’t work for Los Angeles printing service no have i tried out their service yet. But it’s worth trying out i guess?

Goodluck!

The Expert answers:

Well I dont know much about recycling jobs, but if you value it and it cost £75, I know I’d leave it at home…

The Expert answers:

Some people collect cans and bottles as a job, also you can find a recycling location by using earth 911. There is a link to it on are blog.

Http://youthgreenteam1.blogspot.com/p/go-green.html

The Expert answers:

Recycling is an easy way to serve your community, preserve natural resources and turn waste into income. Good job wanting to do this.Planet Recycling Company is a full service recycler established in 1995 to meet the increasing demand for recycling. Through participation in a recycling program, you can receive income for materials that may be currently going to your landfill. With the ever-growing demand for recycled products, now is the time to get involved and make a difference. Check them out.

The Expert answers:

Marcia did a great job of answering but to put it shorter:

If you have a large volume of anything that is sorted out; it can be recycled. If you have small volumes or it isn’t sorted it likely isn’t economical.

The Expert answers:

Positively:
1) Recycling allows materials that would become waste to be used as valuable resources. The recyclables that you place in your bin or take to a drop-off center end up on the market as valuable commodities that contribute significantly to the economy.

2) Recycling helps businesses, other organizations and communities avoid disposal costs associated with landfills and incinerators.

3) Recycling stimulates the development of green technology. Recycling allows for and encourages the development of more environmentally friendly products. The vast supply of low-cost materials from local collection programs has spurred many businesses to develop cutting-edge technologies and products.

4) Recycling creates jobs.

I can’t really think of a negative impact of recycling on the economy, but one problem with recycling is that there needs to be a sufficient volume of recyclable materials in an area to make it a profitable venture.

The Expert answers:

Too broad of a statement, and you do not seem to be aware of the realities of industry. Your statement lumps consumers and the retail environment in with the manufacturers, which is not a fair thing to do nor is it truthful.

Most of the metal products manufacturers themselves are highly efficient. Iron has been recycled for easily a century. Copper and other metals probably about as long as they have been available to industry as well.

Most retail is highly wasteful, by the nature of the business.

People- the consumers- it varies.

To accuse industry of being wasteful when it is not, and to lump them in with wasteful retail, and people who tend to fall on one side of the fence or the other- is not a fair assertion, nor is it one seeking accuracy.

So I highly disagree with your general assertion. I have worked in industry and other areas and you do not account for people just being frugal. I would wager you have a game console- I do not- with your reasoning I am much greener than you are.

If you really want to find out more information, and I strongly suggest it.

Http://www.wastenews.com
http://www.resource-recycling.com/
http://www.wasteage.com
http://www.mswmanagement.com

The Expert answers:

All the comments above me are right.. But there is one more thing I want to add..

21 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Recycle

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org.

2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they Boxcan use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, www.auraltech.com.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. ShirtsDonate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, www.dressforsuccess.org. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on a new fall wardrobe and back-to-school clothes.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: www.ikea.com.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at www.findacomposter.com.

8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses Glassesare reground and given to people in need.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. IReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, www.recycleoil.org.

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell Cellphoneit to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, www.collectivegood.com. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: www.donateaphone.com. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, www.reclamere.com.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, www.playitagainsports.com.

17. “Technotrash”: Project KOPEG offers an e-waste recycling program that can help you raise funds for your organization. Use Project KOPEG to recycle iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, www.greendisk.com.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. Www.nikereuseashoe.com. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. Www.oneworldrunning.com.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from ToothbrushRecycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups. 888/354-7296, www.recycline.com.

20. Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.

The Expert answers:

Hi

The best advice (I am a New Zealander by birth) is visit the country first for at least 3 – 6 months and explore it first to see if you really like it or not. What you see from afar is not often the same when viewed or experienced for real.

Yes we are a green country in terms of flora and flauna. Yes it does look under-populated, with wide open spaces, beaches, bush, forests and so on. Plenty to explore and do if you an outdoors person by sound of it you are.

Being on holiday is a lot different to having find a job to make a living here and there is a bias in employment because of the economic downturn to employ NZ citizens first. The reality is that there people in this country with professional qualifications and experience employed in jobs that are below their capabilities (i.e. Overseas doctors driving taxis).

I have friends, qualified and experienced who were made redundant and have been searching for the past 12 months applying for jdifferent jobs without much success. Two of them have left for Australia and have managed to secure jobs.

Agencies will deny it but it is true and it is a fact.

Wages and salaries are not high some people work two jobs to make ends meet.

It is a small country with small economic base, if there is a downturn worldwide its effects are felt pretty quickly.

Do not believe all the hype that we are ‘clean and green’ we have our environmental issues as well, yes there are areas of this country that are pristine but you are living in a fool’s paradise to think that we have got it made.

The culture here is more reserved to what you have experienced in the USA, New Zealanders are generally ok, but can be quite reserved and from comments I have heard from others, inward looking and to a degree I agree. I have met a lot of good people and worked with them, but not everyone is extrovert and not everyone is welcoming.

Sure there are plenty of nice people around do not get me wrong but responses will be mixed. But if you come you must come with your eyes wide open and get to know the place before making any final decisions.

You need to check what the employment situation is like here and what jobs you could possibly apply for. Even the most basic of jobs require either experience or some kind of recognised certification or both that is recognised in this country or has an a recognised equivalent

If you do not like sport such as rugby, you are not a true Kiwi (it is what we call ourselves after a flightless, ground dwelling, blind as a bat, native bird – impressive I know) so get to learn about the game if you want to ‘fit in’.

I would not at all be surprised that some of my fellow countrymen will refute what I have written here, but if they wish to see things through rose-tinted glasses that is their business, but what I am trying to advise you here is the reality of living here.

It is nice country to visit, reasonably safe, but you still need to be aware of your personal security.

The main centres such as Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington (North Island) , Christchurch, Dunedin (South Island) are where most jobs are located. Living in Auckland is expensive.

Come by all means, you are welcome, you might be lucky and fit in well, but have alternative plans if things to do not work out here for you.

It is not intended to show my country up in a negative light but given your age you need to be alerted to the realities of living in another place.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Mr Books

The Expert answers:

It certainly sounds like you have been infected with some kind of malware. Unfortunately, if you find one infection, it is highly likely you have another one. A virus, trojan or worm are all different types of infections/malware and there are some great FREE programs that can help you.

First, clean up (delete) your cookies, temp files and temporary internet files. I prefer to use Ccleaner (available at www.filehippo.com) to do this, rather than the built-in DISK CLEANUP, as I feel it does a much more thorough job – for example, it will clean out the index files on your next reboot.

If you want to use Disk Cleanup, you can find it if you:
– Double-Click on My Computer to open it up
– RIGHT-click on your C: drive
– Choose PROPERTIES and then click on the DISK CLEANUP button
– When done, reboot your computer.
Delete these files daily or run Ccleaner every day right before you shut your computer down.

2 – You should also have a good anti-virus program to help protect your computer. AVG FREE is an excellent anti-virus program, which can be downloaded from www.download.com. You might also choose Avast or Avira, both also free programs from www.download.com.

3 -Since NONE of the anti-spyware/anti-adware programs are 100% accurate in finding and removing spyware, you need at least two programs which you will run one after the other, not at the same time.

There are three excellent free ones:
–Spybot, Search and Destroy
–Ad-Aware
–Spyware Blaster
All are available FREE from www.download.com

You will need to download, install, update (and IMMUNIZE in Spybot) and run them, one at a time. Be careful with the NAME of these programs – there are “look-alikes” with very similar names, that are in fact spyware themselves! Reboot after you install each one!

After this current infection is cleared up, be sure to run both of the above programs at least once a week if you are on the internet frequently and/or like to download music or files.

NOTE: Some infections prevent your from downloading the above programs. You may have to use a clean computer to download the programs and copy them to a thumb drive or CD. Then transfer the install files to the infected computer and run.

–Occasionally you will not be able to run these programs without being in SAFE MODE. To get there, reboot your computer and tap the F8 key, repeatedly until a menu comes up. You want to choose SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING.

4 -You should also have a good firewall to help protect your computer. Zone Alarm makes a totally free version (watch you don’t download the 30-day free trial of the paid version). You can download this from the manufacturer at www.zonelabs.com

The Expert answers:

–You are tired of news on TV that exploit other people’s misfortunes. Tell why it is unethical for journalists to make money on deaths and war. Persuade others to view this issue as you do.
–Take any common fallacy/lie/misconception (such as the common misconception that addiction is something that addicts can control, when in fact, addiction is a disease), and persuade others why it is wrong, supporting your point with facts and data.
–You have your own point of view on marriage and family. Convince your readers why it is correct.
-Persuade others why job satisfaction is more important than what the job pays. Or vice versa.

More persuasive essay topics to choose from:

-Should the driving age be raised to 18?
-Should semi-automatic weapons be banned?
-Should teens who murder be executed?
-Should hunting be outlawed?
-Should recycling be mandatory?
-Should schools require student uniforms?
-Should college athletes be paid?
-Should the death penalty be abolished?
-Should handguns be banned?
-Should assisted suicide be permitted?
-Should legal immigration be stopped?
-Should dying people be kept on life support?
-Should tobacco products be banned?
-Should the logging industry be allowed to harvest public forests?
-Should state lotteries be banned?
-Should alcoholic beverages be banned?
-Should alcoholic beverages be legalized for all ages?
-Should the Internet be censored?
-Should school prayer be allowed?
-Should music lyrics be censored?
-Should extremist groups (i.e. KKK, skinheads)
be banned?
-Should parents of teen vandals be held responsible for their child’s damage?
-Should research on cloning be discontinued?
-Should convicted sex offenders’ names be made public?
-Should affirmative action laws which give special privileges to minorities be eliminated?
-Should a rookie salary cap be enforced in pro sports?
-Should the U.S. Provide foreign aid?
-Should females in the military be excluded from combat and other “hazardous” duties?
-Should high schools be segregated by the sex of the student?
-Should parents of students who are excessively absent from school be prosecuted under the law?
-Should “home schooling” be permitted?
-Should Native Americans be allowed to have gambling casinos on their reservations?
-Should students failing their classes in high school have their driver’s license revoked?
-Should pros be allowed to draft college athletes before they graduate?
-Should wolves be reintroduced to public lands?
-Should free, disposable needles be given to drug addicts?
-Should adopted children be given the choice of contacting their biological parents?
-Should mothers who give their children up for adoption be allowed to keep their identity secret?
-Should welfare be limited by time?
-Should all pregnant women be required to take an AIDS test?
-Should off-shore drilling be banned?
-Should school funding come from local property taxes?
-Should casino gambling be legalized in Ohio?
-Should the U.S. Phase out the Electoral College (regarding presidential elections)?
-Should students be required to pass proficiency tests in order to graduate from high school?
-Should people pulled over fur DUI have their license suspended for life?
-Should pagers and cell phones be allowed in school?
-Should families of victims be allowed to decide the punishment of those who commit crimes?
-Should smoking be allowed in school?

The Expert answers:

Whimsy? “Protecting the environment and finding better ways to blah, blah, blah”, does not create jobs. Recent statistics generated on the early results of Obama’s so called stimulus plan indicate that every green job produced causes 2.2 normal jobs to be lost. How does that equate to job creation?
The fact is that God gave us this earth to live on and cherish. We should be good stewards of the gift we have been given. Recycling and conservation are noble gestures that take little time and go a long way towards preserving this wonderful planet. However, it is precisely Obama’s goal to stifle the growth and access to resources that we need until we can install new forms of energy production. Cap & Trade will put us all on a quota of energy that we can consume. If we use too much, we pay a tax.
We all should have the freedom to make our own decisions as to how to spend our money. With gov taxation, that freedom is denied. We all should also be able to take a few seconds and chunk aluminum cans and newspapers into a recycle bin. Just a little effort goes a long way.

The Expert answers:

What is the solid waste management hierarchy?

Pyramid depicting the solid waste management hierarchy. Source reduction is at the top, followed by Reuse, then Recycling/Composting, then Incineration, then Landfilling.The solid waste management hierarchy (shown in the pyramid below) ranks the most preferable ways to address solid waste. Source reduction or waste prevention, which includes reuse, is the best approach, followed by recycling. Waste that cannot be prevented or recycled can be incinerated or landfilled according to proper regulations.

Why is source reduction at the top of the hierarchy? Because the best approach to managing solid waste is to avoid creating it in the first place. This means reducing the amount of trash you discard and reusing containers and products instead of throwing them away.

Once waste is created, recycling, which includes composting, is one of the most effective methods of reducing the amount of material in the waste stream. If waste cannot be recycled, incineration or sanitary landfilling are the next preferred methods of treatment.

Is recycling worthwhile?

Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century. Recycling, which includes composting, diverted over 72 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2003, up from 34 million tons in 1990—doubling in just 10 years. Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. As a matter of fact, collecting recyclable materials is just the first step in a series of actions that generate a host of financial, environmental, and societal returns. There are several key benefits to recycling. Recycling:

* Protects and expands U.S. Manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. Competitiveness in the global marketplace.
* Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
* Saves energy and prevents pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials and the manufacture of products using virgin materials.
* Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
* Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
* Helps sustain the environment for future generations.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of recycling.

Recycling not only makes sense from an environmental standpoint, but also makes good financial sense. For example, creating aluminum cans from recycled aluminum is far less energy-intensive, and less costly, than mining the raw materials and manufacturing new cans from scratch.

Because recycling is clearly good for human health, the nation’s economy, and the environment, many people wonder why the federal government does not simply mandate recycling. The primary reason is that recycling is a local issue—the success and viability of recycling depends on a community’s resources and structure. A community must consider the costs of a recycling program, as well as the availability of markets for its recovered materials. In some areas, not enough resources exist to make recycling an economically feasible option. State governments can assess local conditions and set appropriate recycling mandates. For information about recycling in your state, contact your EPA regional office, or your state agency.

What costs my community more—recycling or throwing trash away?

Image of garbage can and recycling bin, with dollar signs floating above themThe answer to this question will vary depending on where you live, and comparing recycling program and waste disposal costs is a complex undertaking. Disposal fees for landfills, waste transfer stations, and incinerators vary across the country, but in many areas, particularly on the heavily populated East Coast, they are significant expenses. Costs and returns for recycling programs also vary greatly, depending on the local resources and demand for the recovered materials.

Recycling does cost money, but so does waste disposal. Communities must pay to collect trash and manage a landfill or incinerator and so also should expect to pay for recycling. Assessing how recycling will impact your community requires a full appraisal of the environmental and economic benefits and costs of recycling, as compared to the one-way consumption of resources from disposing of used products and packaging in landfills and incinerators. Analyzing all of these factors together will help you determine if recycling is more cost effective in your community.

The report, Anti-Recycling Myths: Commentary on Recycling is Garbage Exit EPA, by John F. Ruston and Richard A. Denison, Ph.D. Of the Environmental Defense Fund, provides one point of view on the costs and benefits of recycling and waste disposal.

The Business and the Environment Allied for Recycling (BEAR) is conducting a value chain assessment that analyzes the costs of curbside recycling and bottle bills. The report will be available through BEAR’s Web site Exit EPA.

If there is plenty of landfill space, then why should I recycle?

Recycling offers a host of environmental, economic, and societal benefits (see Question “Is Recycling Worthwhile?”). While landfill space is plentiful on the national level, some areas of the United States, particularly the heavily populated East Coast, have less landfill capacity and higher landfill costs.

Communities can make money and avoid high disposal costs by selling certain recyclable materials. Markets for recovered materials fluctuate, however—as markets do for all commodities—depending on a variety of economic conditions. Find more information on the value of recovered materials Exit EPA.

A report released by the National Recycling Coalition Exit EPA at the end of 2001 offers perhaps the most compelling evidence of how and why recycling makes good economic sense. Simply put, recycling creates jobs and generates valuable revenue for the United States. According to The U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study, more than 56,000 recycling and reuse establishments in the United States employ approximately 1.1 million people, generate an annual payroll of $37 billion, and gross $236 billion in annual revenues. According to the report, the number of workers in the recycling industry is comparable to the automobile and truck manufacturing industry and is significantly larger than mining and waste management and disposal industries. In addition, wages for workers in the recycling industry are notably higher than the national average for all industries, according to the report. For additional information on the economic impact of recycling, visit EPA’s Jobs Through Recycling Web site.

How does recycling save energy?

Harvesting, extracting, and processing the raw materials used to manufacture new products is an energy-intensive activity. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite. The amount of energy saved differs by material, but almost all recycling processes achieve significant energy savings compared to production using virgin materials.

In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings of at least 660 trillion BTUs, which equals the amount of energy used in 6 million households annually. In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save 900 trillion BTUs, equal to the annual energy use of 9 million households.

For more information on recycling and energy reduction, check out the EPA brochure Puzzled About Recycling’s Value? Look Beyond the Bin. (PDF) A white paper on the energy benefits of waste management is available at EPA’s Climate and Waste Web site, under the “Publications and Tools” link.

What effects do waste prevention and recycling have on global warming?

Image of the Earth with its ozone layer and the sun shining down on itEveryone knows that reducing waste is good for the environment because it conserves natural resources. What many people don’t know is that solid waste reduction and recycling also have an impact on global climate change.

The manufacture, distribution, and use of products—as well as management of the resulting waste—all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the upper atmosphere, occur naturally and help create climates that sustain life on our planet. Increased concentrations of these gases can contribute to rising global temperatures, sea level changes, and other climate changes.

Waste prevention and recycling—jointly referred to as waste reduction—help us better manage the solid waste we generate. But reducing waste is a potent strategy for reducing greenhouse gases because it can:

Reduce emissions from energy consumption. Recycling saves energy. Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials. When people reuse goods or when products are made with less material, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials and to manufacture products. When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere.

Reduce emissions from incinerators. Recycling and waste prevention divert materials from incinerators and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from waste combustion.

Reduce methane emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (including composting) divert organic wastes from landfills, reducing the methane that would be released if these materials decomposed in a landfill.

Increase storage of carbon in forests. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood in a process called “carbon sequestration.” Waste prevention and recycling paper products allows more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

For more information about the relationship between solid waste and climate change, go to EPA’s Climate Change & Waste page.

How does the U.S. Municipal solid waste generation rate compare with other countries? What about recycling rates?

The United States leads the industrialized world in MSW generation, with each person in the United States currently generating on average 4.5 pounds of waste per day. Canada and the Netherlands come in second and third, with 3.75 and 3 pounds per person per day, respectively. Germany and Sweden generate the least amount of waste per capita for industrialized nations, with just under 2 pounds per person per day. The United States, however, also leads the industrialized world in recycling. The United States recycled 24 percent of its waste in 1995, the most recent year for which comparative international data is available. Switzerland and Japan came in second and third, recycling 23 percent and 20 percent of their discard stream, respectively.

More information on international waste management issues is available through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Exit EPA, an international organization that helps governments tackle the economic, social, and governance challenges of a globalized economy. The group provides information on environmental performance and outlook issues for countries around the globe, including information on waste minimization, recycling, environmental and economic sustainability, and more.

What materials are most commonly recycled in the United States through collection programs?
Bar chart depicting U.S. Recycling Rates for 2001.

U.S. Recycling rates for commonly recycled consumer goods in 2003 are listed below:

Newspapers: 82.4 percent
Corrugated Cardboard Boxes: 71.3 percent
Steel Cans: 60.0 percent
Yard Trimmings: 56.3 percent
Aluminum Beer and Soft Drink Cans: 43.9 percent
Scrap Tires: 35.6 percent
Magazines: 33.0 percent
Plastic Milk and Water Bottles: 31.9 percent
Plastic Soft Drink Bottles: 25.2 percent
Glass Containers: 22.0 percent

EPA’s annually updated report, Municipal Solid Waste in the US: 2003 Facts and Figures, describes the national MSW stream based on data collected since 1960. The historical perspective provided is useful for establishing trends in the types of MSW generated and the ways in which it is managed.

What product is taking up the most space in US landfills?

The item most frequently encountered in MSW landfills is plain old paper—on average, it accounts for more than 40 percent of a landfill’s contents. This proportion has held steady for decades and in some landfills has actually risen. Newspapers alone can take up as much as 13 percent of the space in US landfills.

Organic materials, including paper, do not easily biodegrade once they are disposed of in a landfill. Paper is many times more resistant to deterioration when compacted in a landfill than when it is in open contact with the atmosphere. Research by William Rathje, who runs the Garbage Project , has shown that, when excavated from a landfill, newspapers from the 1960s can be intact and readable.

What materials are not safe to throw in my trash?

Image of examples of household hazardous waste: Cleaning fluid bottle, panint can, paint brush, and batteriesChances are, there are certain items or products in your house that you should not throw out in the trash. Many common household items, such as paint, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, contain hazardous components. Leftover portions of these products are called household hazardous waste (HHW). These products, if mishandled, can be dangerous to human health and the environment.

Certain types of HHW can cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets, and present hazards to children and pets if left around the house. Some communities have special programs that allow residents to dispose of HHW separately. Others allow disposal of properly prepared HHW in trash, particularly those areas that do not yet have special HHW collection programs in place. Call your local Department of Sanitation or Department of Public Works for instructions on proper disposal. Follow their instructions and also read product labels for disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting, leaking, mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a disposal facility. Even empty containers that used to contain HHW can pose hazards because of the residual chemicals inside.

Find more information on household hazardous waste and its safe disposal.

How do I know what materials are recyclable in my community, and where can I take these materials to be recycled?

Most communities employ recycling coordinators—government officials who have information on local recycling resources—who can answer specific questions about recycling and waste management in your city or town. Look in your phone book under “Recycling Coordinators,” or contact the relevant city or county government office (often called Department of Sanitation or Department of Public Works). Your state Department of Environmental Protection or Department of Natural Resources also may have helpful resources. EPA’s Web site has links to these state offices.

Earth’s 911 Exit EPA is another helpful resource that allows you to type in your ZIP code or find your state on a map to locate recycling centers in your community for all types of recyclables. You also can visit the National Recycling Coalition Exit EPA for a list of state recycling organizations.

Your local recycling program should be able to provide you with a list of materials that can be collected for recycling in your community. Following is a short list of the most common materials that are recycled in many communities:

Paper: Newspaper is almost always recovered in community recycling programs. Some communities also collect white and colored paper (sometimes combined as “mixed paper”) and used cardboard boxes, such as cereal boxes.

Plastics: Not all communities recycle all types of plastic. Investigate your community’s plastic collection through the resources listed above. Most communities recycle plastic items such as detergent bottles, beverage containers (e.g., soda, milk, and juice), and containers for various household products, from shampoo, lotion, and mouthwash containers to plastic peanut butter containers. Also, many grocery stores collect used plastic grocery bags on site for recycling.

Aluminum: Almost all recycling programs include aluminum beverage cans. One of the most highly recycled products, aluminum cans are made into new cans in as little as 90 days after they are collected. Some communities also collect aluminum foil for recycling.

Steel: Many steel products manufactured in the United States contain a high percentage of recycled steel. Some are even made from 100 percent recycled steel. Many communities collect soup cans and other steel food packaging containers, as well as steel aerosol cans, for recycling.

Glass: Glass food containers, such as jars and bottles for pickles, juice, jam, or wine, are usually recyclable in many communities.

Yard Trimmings/Food Scraps: Many communities have regular or seasonal programs in place to collect yard trimmings, such as leaves, branches, and grass clippings, from residents. Other communities encourage residents to practice backyard composting for yard trimmings and food scraps.

What happens to my recyclables after I put them out at the curbside?

Image of chasing arrows indicating the three steps of the recycling process: 1) Collecting and processing materials; 2) Manufacturing new products from recovered materials; and 3) Purchasing products containing recycled-contentAfter you put your recyclables out on the curb, they begin a circular journey during which they are processed and manufactured into new recycled-content products, which are sold in stores to consumers, who can then repeat the process. Below is a brief summary of the three phases of the recycling loop. For a more detailed description, click here.

Step 1. Collection and Processing
After recyclables are collected at the curb or from a drop-off center, haulers take them to a materials recovery facility, where they are sorted and baled.

Step 2. Manufacturing
Once they are cleaned, separated, and baled, recyclables are remanufactured into new products. Many consumer products, such as newspapers, aluminum and steel cans, plastic containers and other plastic products, and glass bottles, are now manufactured with total or partial recycled content.

Step 3. Purchasing Recycled Products
Purchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop. By “buying recycled,” governments, businesses, and individual consumers each play an important role in making the recycling process a success. Click here to learn more about recycling terminology and to find tips on identifying recycled products.

How can I start a recycling/composting program in my community?

Starting a local recycling program might not be as tough as you think. Your first step should be to get in touch with the proper authorities in your area. Most communities have recycling coordinators—government officials who have information on local recycling resources. Look in your phone book under “recycling coordinators” or contact your local Department of Public Works or Department of Sanitation.

You also can visit EPA’s Office of Solid Waste Concerned Citizen page and EPA’s WasteWise Web site to find information and resources to help you start, maintain, or expand a recycling program in your community.

If you have specific questions about solid waste management in your community, contact your EPA regional office, or your state agency.

Can you help me find informational materials (posters, pamphlets, etc.) to encourage participation in recycling and other issues in my community?

View a list of EPA’s recycling publications and materials. These materials are downloadable or available from EPA at no charge.

EPA offers the following additional materials designed to encourage children and adults to recycle. These materials are available on EPA’s Web site.

Planet Protectors Club Kit (EPA530-E-98-002) is a kit that takes children on a learning adventure with challenging activity books, educational games, and mysterious stories that illustrate “the three Rs.” The kit includes the following resources, which also are available separately:

Ride the Wave of the Future: Recycle Today! (EPA 530-SW-90-010)
Promotes recycling through a colorful poster designed to appeal to all grade levels. Can be displayed in conjunction with recycling activities or used to help foster recycling.

A Collection of Solid Waste Resources (EPA 530-C-00-003)
Interactive CD-ROM containing all of the electronic files for publications and materials created by EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, with topics ranging from recycling and municipal solid waste to home health care, household hazardous waste, composting, and life cycle management. The most recent addition also contains games and activities for children.

Volunteer for Change–A Guide To Environmental Community Service (EPA 530-K-01-002)
Resource booklet designed to assist citizens interested in initiating environmental volunteer projects. Includes “the ABCs of volunteering,” as well as short descriptions of 12 environmental volunteer activities undertaken by citizens across the nation.

Non-EPA resources to promote recycling include:

Sample Recycling Posters Exit EPA

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) Exit EPA is offering free recycling information materials to support office paper reduction campaigns. CIWMB also provides clip art Exit EPA and publications and resources Exit EPA to help promote any recycling effort.

Plastic.Org Exit EPA provides resources and educational materials to help promote plastic recycling in schools and communities.

The Glass Packaging Institute Exit EPA provides recycling resources and a recycling educational guides for teachers.

The Steel Recycling Institute Exit EPA provides steel recycling resources, publications, and educational materials.

TAPPI, Exit EPA the technical association for the worldwide pulp, paper, and converting industry, provides an educational Web site for teachers and students about paper recycling that includes a variety of resources and links.

The National Recycling Coalition (NRC), Exit EPA a coalition of businesses, environmental groups, and individuals interested in promoting recycling, includes recycling resources and recycling advocacy information.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) Exit EPA is a nonprofit organization that provides information to educate individuals about litter prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and properly manage waste materials.

My community just started to charge residents based on the amount of garbage they throw away. Why is this necessary? What are the benefits of Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) programs?

Image for a Pay-As-You-Throw program, representing a container and a bag with whcih waste is collected, and a recycling bin with which recyclables are collectedTraditionally, residents pay for waste collection and disposal through property taxes or a fixed fee, regardless of how much—or how little—trash they generate. Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) programs break with tradition by treating trash services just like electricity, gas, and other utilities. Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of garbage they throw away. More than 5,000 communities across the United States have a PAYT program in place. In most of these programs, residents are charged a fee for each bag or can of waste they generate. The less individuals throw away, the less they pay.

EPA supports this approach to solid waste management for three main reasons:

Environmental sustainability. Communities with programs in place have reported significant increases in recycling and reductions in waste, due primarily to the cost incentive created by PAYT. Less waste and more recycling mean that fewer natural resources need to be extracted.

Economic sustainability. PAYT is an effective tool for communities struggling to cope with soaring MSW management expenses. Well designed programs help communities generate the revenues they need to cover their solid waste management costs, including the costs of recycling and composting programs. Residents benefit, too, because they have the opportunity to take control of their trash bills.

Equity. When the cost of managing trash is hidden in taxes or charged at a flat rate, residents who recycle and prevent waste subsidize their neighbors’ wastefulness. Under PAYT, residents pay only for what they throw away.

For more information, visit EPA’s PAYT Web site.

What are deposit-refund systems?

Under a deposit-refund system, certain products or containers have a special front-end surcharge, or deposit, placed on them by manufacturers. This surcharge is then refunded to the consumer when he or she returns quantities of the containers or products for recycling or proper disposal.

Historically, deposit-refund systems have been applied, primarily at the state level, to glass, aluminum, or plastic drink bottles and cans. Nine states currently have a 5-cent deposit-refund on soft-drink bottles and cans, and one state has a 10-cent deposit-refund. These systems are being expanded to include other types of products as well. For example, in some areas deposit refunds are being applied to office products, such as photocopy machine toner cartridges. States like Maine and Rhode Island have established deposit-refund systems to encourage the recycling of lead-acid/automobile batteries.

State deposit-refund systems provide an incentive to recycle and, therefore, reduce the quantity of solid waste produced. The systems also can help state regulatory agencies reach their enforcement and compliance program objectives by reducing the need for additional regulatory resources. Theoretically, any product that is currently disposable and contains materials that can be reused is a candidate for a deposit-refund system.

The Expert answers:

What Is Biodiesel ?
Bio-diesel is the ‘green’ fuel for the future.
It is a truly sustainable environmentally friendly biofuel and generates no harmful emissions. It can be used in standard diesel engines without modifications being required. Its ingredients are waste cooking oils and fats but it can also be made from organic oil, rapeseed oil, Soya or other vegetable oils.

In chemical terms, Bio-diesel consists of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable lipid sources. The lipid (vegetable oil, animal fat or, as in our process, cooking oil) is treated with a light alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. This gives two products, glycerine and Bio-diesel, both of which are bio-degradable and non-hazardous.

When used in diesel fuel engines, Biodiesel performance is similar to petroleum-based diesel fuel. Its higher viscosity can be reduced by a variety of relatively simple processes giving better atomisation in the injector system and an improved spray pattern.

Fleet managers have found that Biodiesel gives similar operating performance to conventional diesel fuel and requires no changes in facilities. This gives it a major advantage over other possible ‘alternative’ fuels.

The waste cooking oil is readily available from our sister company, Oilco Cooking oils. About 85% of the output is Bio-diesel and the remaining 15% is glycerine. Naturally occurring micro-organisms attack and degrade glycerine with no harmful effect. This by-product can therefore be disposed of without requiring complex ‘decontamination’ systems or long-distance transport to specialist disposal premises.

Is It Safe ?

Many tests have been carried out on various aspects of the safety of Bio-diesel and the key points that emerged were :

Its toxicity in water is far lower than the toxicity of petroleum-based diesel fuel by a factor of between 15 and 200.

Its flash point is much higher than that of petroleum-based diesel fuel and it is therefore safer to store and to use. The air/fuel vapour produced by Biodiesel is not explosive.

There is a major reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particles (in particular the sulphate fraction is eliminated and the solid hydrocarbon fraction is greatly reduced). The nitrogen oxide levels are not significantly changed.

Who Gains ?

We all do.

Indirectly we will all benefit from any move towards a fully sustainable non-polluting biofuel such as Biodiesel rather than using the ever-decreasing fossil fuel resources. This combines with the benefits of nil emissions, and a useful and bio-degradable by-product in the production process. It has been shown that Bio-diesel has a far shorter bio-degradation time than standard diesel fuel (and that a 20% admixture of Bio-diesel significantly reduces the degradation time for standard diesel).

Direct gains will occur for Companies who use Biodiesel as the nil emission level will reduce the tax payable on Company vehicles and many tests have shown no difference in performance. After all, the first diesel engine was engineered to be run on peanut oil and not mineral oil. Most car manufacturers recognise Biodiesel as a ‘real’ fuel and will honour warranties as a result.

Another direct gain will come for businesses needing to dispose of waste cooking oil. Most such waste oil is currently recycled, under strict controls, in animal feeds and we use about 35,000 litres a week for making Bio-Diesel. There is a plan to ban the use of waste oil in animal feeds and, if this occurs, catering and other industries will be looking for alternative ways of disposing of their waste. It is therefore likely that our usage will increase to over 100,000 litres a week.

We at Greenstar Biofuels feel that the government should themselves be introducing Bio-diesel into the market place within the next few years with a target of 2-3% of total fuel used in the UK, increasing to 10% in ten years. Quite apart from the cost savings to the consumer there would be a triple environmental advantage : lower emission levels, reduced use of the limited petroleum resources and an efficient disposal system for a waste product. Taken as a whole this has to be a good political plus point !

Who Loses ?

The taxman. The duty on Bio-diesel is, at the moment, 27p per litre compared to 47p for diesel. This means that the overall cost should be less by a few pence per litre Biodiesel Emissions

Biodiesel is the first and only alternative fuel to have a complete evaluation of emission results and potential health effects submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act Section 211(b). These programs include the most stringent emissions testing protocols ever required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives. The data gathered complete the most thorough inventory of the environmental and human health effects attributes that current technology will allow.

EPA has surveyed the large body of biodiesel emissions studies and averaged the Health Effects testing results with other major studies. The results are seen in the table below.

Average biodiesel emissions compared to conventional diesel according to EPA
Emission type B100 B20
Regulated:
Total Unburned Hydrocarbons -67% -20%
Carbon Monoxide -48% -12%
Particulate Matter -47% -12%
Nox +10% +2%

Non-Regulated
Sulphates -100% -20%*
PAH (polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons)** -80% -13%
nPAH (Nitrated PAH’s)** -90% -50%***
Ozone potential of specialis -50% -10%

* Estimated from B100 result
** Average reduction across all compounds measured
*** 2-nitroflourine results were within test method variability

The overall ozone (smog) forming potential of biodiesel is less than diesel fuel.
The ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions was 67 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.

Sulfur emissions are essentially eliminated with pure biodiesel.
The exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfafes (major components of acid rain) from biodiesel were essentially eliminated compared to diesel.

Criteria pollutants are reduced with biodiesel use.
Tests show the use of biodiesel in diesel engines results in substantial reductions of unburned
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and par+iculate matter. Emissions of nitrogen oxides stay the same or are slightly increased.

Carbon Monoxide –
The exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) from biodiesel are on average 47 percent lower than carbon monoxide emissions from diesel.

Particulate Matter –
Breathing particulate has been shown to be a human health hazard. The exhaust emissions of par+iculate matter from biodiesel are about 47 percent lower than overall particulate matter emissions from diesel.

Hydrocarbons –
The exhaust emissions of total hydrocarbons (a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) are on average 67 percent lower for biodiesel than diesel fuel.

Nitrogen Oxides –
NOx emissions from biodiesel increase or decrease depending on the engine family and testing procedures. NOx emissions (a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) from pure (100%) biodiesel increase on average by 10 percent. However, biodiesel’s lack of sulfur allows the use of NOx control technologies that cannot be used with conventional diesel. Additionally, some companies have successfully developed additives to reduce Nox emissions in biodiesel blends.

Biodiesel reduces the health risks associated with petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel emissions show decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAH), which have been identified as potential cancer causing
compounds. In Health Effects testing, PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo (a) anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1- nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels.

The Expert answers:

It means youre a whore who needs a job?

The Expert answers:

At our office, they make it to the recycling bin very quickly.

Am I going to take someone seriously who just spams my fax machine? No… In fact, we have no HR people in our local office, so it’s a waste of time and paper.

In business/management consulting, I’d expect a stronger job candidate to use interpersonal skills to contact someone at the organization, know something about the company, and try to be alert and aware to potential jobs that are posted or ask about those that are not.

I’d rather hire a person with those skills than someone who can pay someone to spam my fax.

The Expert answers:

This makes a good point , and not to correct you but you forgot all the big Oaks and Redwoods cut down to make the churches and all the gold and the marble etc. Dug from the Earth so only the wealthy can have the bigass churches to go to and the peasants had to pray in the slums before all the romans slaughtered them. People will never realize that Earth is God and that the only heaven there is. But since God did not do a good enough job man will destroy Earth to prove a point that he is the supreme being over all other living creatures and the Earth will prevail no matter what man does. Well, the Earth will , but man will kill himself off with ignorance and greed for riches that are dwindling down as the decades pass. Recycle the bible ; people will never do that because that is more important to them than a tree . What they are blind about is the fact that for every tree planted it is for a Christmas tree to be cut down and all other trees that are planted are are for wind breaks and quick covers and these trees don’t last but a few years. For 1 tree planted , hundreds are cut down in the rain forrests to graze cattle for the choke and puke’s like McDonalds. As a teenager I worked while in school to clean the highways as Ladybird Johnson so asked ” Clean up America”.The 6 pack plastic ring tops and the metal pop tabs were everywhere. Now this generation of the who cares people, are polluting with plastic bottles , Walmart bags, diapers, and constant throw away plastic toys kiddies out grow. They go to landfills.This is just a sample of the toxic waste. Women are getting cancer from being exposed to estrogen mimicking plastics and don’t even want to hear about it. I have planted over 200 trees on my land in the last 16 years and a lot of which are pines , oaks and maples . The pines provide shelter for the wildlife and wind breaks in the winter. I have several trees that are 75 years old that I have stood and fought the Electric company that hired some company to prune around wires . They want to top the trees but I won and they ended up making a V around the tree top. It still looks like sh!t but instead of running condouite/w electric underground beside the road they pay big bucks to just rip the trees. I like to have electric but you can cut a tree right so it doesn’t harm it .I have never sprayed any chem lawn products and have a lush big yard after all the beautifull dandelions have died and I have honey bees in the clover to help my fruit trees.I only have 1 bible and it was a gift my Mother left when she died and now I have it because the factory my Mother worked at gave a bible for each child born. When it comes to Religion I only know fron the facts I watch on the history and learning channel. I don’t read the bible because it makes no sense to me and what I have heard pepole say about it is so many different tales I don’t have the time to care. I saw an answer on one of your questions ( Ladin) where people said you are supposed to pray in private. Then why go to church to pray! That is a hypocrite to me.I bet we could have National Health Care for the money spent on building and up keep of these churches, not to mention if they were not TAX-exempt. Gesuz can’t save the trees cause he couldn’t even save himself from death. If HUN had not had the Pope pay him off not to attack his village and he had not died at the age of 47 from internal bleeding from probably war injuries Christianity may have never been.This is also something to think on. I did.I do recycle and I don’t shop Walmart. There is too many people on this Earth now for it to substain and I can see the day coming when we will be told that we can have only so many kids and if we disagree, abortion will come into action. Good question here YippyYahQQ.Don’t forget all the people that are cutting down trees right and left to burn for heat because the greedybastard in office has propane so damnhigh people cant afford clean heat ! Plus, you can bet he isn’t going to push alternate car fuels even though he flaps his idiot mouth on TV about how we have got to stop depending on fossil fuels and find other means for fuel.That is amazing!

The Expert answers:

Recycling helps in many many ways,

Reusing materials, objects and resources from the earth helps reduce the amount of pollution, i.e. Greenhouse gases. However, to reuse a lot of things, they need to go through a process, which will use up a lot of energy, putting out more fumes into the atmosphere by actually running the machines.

They say that when you recycle your softdrink cans and any plastic bottles, you are doing a good job for the environment. In a way you are, but as i said before, they need to go through a process, a machine that uses up different resources that are from the earth, like fossil fuels and coal and oil ect.

To get these resources, there are mines, which are major contributors to global warming.

Recycling is one way you can save the world, but behind this there are more ways that are against saving the world.

To every good thing a person does to the world, there is a bad thing done by somebody else, may it be a machine or human…

Global Warming is a natural cause which has happened before. Humans are just a contributor to the cycle.

The Expert answers:

Advantages:

— Recycling helps to limit the amount of glass, paper, plastic, condoms, boobies and dildos that must be produced. This will end with less garbage in landfills because it’s being reused. Currently, 100% of all refuse is recycled.
— Adds jobs to the economy;
— Slows the consuming of natural resources;
— Makes people environmentally aware;
— Promotes scientific advancements in recyclable and biodegradable materials;
— Makes governments and businesses choose programs and apply policies in consideration of preserving and respecting

The Expert answers:

It really depends on where you live google the recycling center for plastic thats where you take paper and little boxes and some places have services that pick them up with your trash you just have to ask for a bin and get it set up. This site should help you. Out and great job helping keep us clean. Also join www.freecycle.org

The Expert answers:

Recycle!…help save the planet!

The Expert answers:

Heres a JOB you can do yourself

HELLO HERE

OK heres a fairly easy way to make a lot of money cash daily !

SCRAP metal recycling !

IF you can find or have some kind of cart to push around it’s easier to do this !

Aluminun cans are up to .64 cents per lb plus the pull tabs on steel cans are aluminum squash them down so you fit more per lb in latrge trash bag

reg aluminium like your storm doors aluminum siding lawn chairs and old tv anetennas 0.57 lb

Copper wire cleaned $3.06 lb

insultaed $1.18 lb

dosent pay to remove insulation on thin braided wire no weight to it at all

Brass as in door knobs , locks , plumbing fixtures $2.10 a lb

carry a magnet with you at all times some things look like brass and are not !

Iron steel dont bother with it not even chrome plated kitchen ware it’s only .09 cents lb

IF ya really good and find a junk car with the catlytic converter still attached to exhast system on outside of it is PLATINUM shiled about four tiny bolts hold in place

also inside the converter is platinum and it’s worth more than gold today at $1200.00

an ounce !

SO look up your yellow pages for nearest scrap metal and iron yard take all your metal to them and get paid !

I’m sure someone will drive you there !

The Expert answers:

One legally finds scrap metal usually as a result of their job (i.e. – they create it as a part of their job).

Other people find scrap metal illegally by going to construction related business and stealing copper, aluminum and steel from the office or job site. The jail time and fines from this are NOT cost effective. Most construction sites now have video survailence to catch people robbing them. Stealing man hole covers for scap is also illegal. The recycling place will often report you to the police for attempting to turn a man hoel cover.

Your items listed are not good for scrap.

If you want to get into metal recycling, try approching places of business (offices mostly) and asking to put recycling cans for plastic and aluminum in the employee break areas. You will need to pick them up every other day, but some places may generate a lot of stuff for you.

I did this while working as a facility manager for a 3 story office building, until management figured out that I was making $200.00 a month from it. Then, they suddenly implemented a recycling program as they felt I had given myself an unauthorized raise.

It was really bad because I was donating the $200.00 a month to a homeless shelter (I was making just above minimum wage and had no extra cash, but wanted to find a way to donate to the shelter).

When I left, they cancelled the program as it was too much work. Plus they started locking the dumpsters so no one could get into it to get the recyclables.

The Expert answers:

Since recycled products are usually recycled within their local region, recycling creates jobs for local workers and helps us utilize resources we already have on our soil. For example, we don’t have to send our money to Brazil, China, Australia, or Russia to get new aluminum, as the pure product already exists in the community.

The Expert answers:

There are huge benefits from recycling, the primary effect is on the local economy, with jobs created in your community. The materials collected can then be sold bringing local funds back to your economy, whether this be to individuals, companies or local government / councils.

By not recycling, we end up using more raw materials, more energy to produce the product and release huge amounts of Co2. The additional cost incurred to the manufacturer is ultimately passed on to the consumer.

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.

For details on Paper, Plastic & Steel …

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

So as you can see, recycling can be beneficial financially and environmentally, however by not recycling additional landfills will need to be constructed by government paid through increases in council taxes. So not only is this a personal commitment, this is a community commitment, spread the word and reap the benefits that recycling can gain for your local economy.

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

The Expert answers:

Recycling promotes political environmental awareness.

Recycling helps stop the production of landfills which helps the environment.

Recycling creates jobs to help the economy.

The Expert answers:

When Audi ran their now famous “Green Police” commercial during the Super Bowl last year, most Americans laughed it off and thought that nothing like that could ever happen in America. Well, it turns out that it is happening in America.

BECAUSE THAT’S THE PLAN.

A growing number of U.S. Cities are actually putting RFID tracking chips in trash cans and recycling bins and are starting to fine residents who do not recycle “properly”. This kind of thing has been going on over in the U.K. For some time now, but very few people expected those living in “the land of the free” to be subjected to RFID trash tracking so quickly. But it is here.

Americans will do absolutely NOTHING about it, because they have been so conditioned to do as they are told by the almighty Government who RULE them instead of Representing them.

Government snooping on your trash apparently meets the definition of “economic stimulus” in 2010. Perhaps this is what Barack Obama meant when he talked about creating “green jobs”. Local governments are going to need a lot of “trash snoopers” to make certain that we are all recycling acceptably.

In fact, John McCain almost flipped his lid when he found out that Dayton, Ohio was given a half million dollars in “stimulus funds” to put RFID tracking chips in recycle bins. Not that McCain is a friend of liberty and freedom either. The truth is that the vast majority of the politicians in Washington D.C. Have been helping to advance the “sustainable development” agenda in one way or another.

But can you imagine spending “economic stimulus” money to spy on the trash of the American people?

No wonder all of the “stimulus packages” didn’t do that much good for the economy. In fact, the amount of waste in the stimulus packages was absolutely mind blowing.

But those “green jobs” must be created one way or another, eh?

Even if it means spying on Americans.

So now even though we are in the midst of a horrific economic downturn, lots of communities from coast to coast have plenty of money to track our trash with RFID microchips.

Cities that are now using these chips to spy on our trash include….

*Cleveland, Ohio

*Charlotte, North Carolina

*Alexandria, Virginia

*Boise, Idaho

*Dayton, Ohio

*Flint, Michigan

Now how in the world does Flint, Michigan have money for anything?

Flint, Michigan is one of the poster children for the deindustrialization of the United States. It is a crime-infested war zone where thousands upon thousands of Americans live in desperate poverty.

And yet somehow they have money to monitor trash with RFID tracking chips?

It is almost as if we have stepped into “Bizarro America” where everything is the opposite of what it should be.

Unless the American people speak up and renounce this militant green agenda it is going to continue to be forced down our throats.

The scenes in Audi’s “Green Police” commercial are not going to be so “funny” when they start becoming real….
Here is the ad, in case some of you missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVhT7P0lDfI

According to news reports, if an RFID tracking chip signals that a recycle bin has not been brought out to the curb within a certain period of time, a “trash supervisor” will actually sort through the trash produced by that home for recyclables.

Yes, this is now going on in America!

So what will the penalties be?

Well, according to Waste Collection Commissioner Ronnie Owens, trash bins that contain over 10 percent recyclable material will be subject to a $100 fine.
Http://jetlib.com/news/tag/commissioner-ronnie-owens/

How ridiculous is that?

Peace.

The Expert answers:

How about your local homeless shelter, or perhaps a halfway house for people in recovery? Somewhere that women who need to feel good about themselves for important emotional support could appreciate your gifts. In fact, why not check out whether they are allowed to accept such donations (there may be Health Department bureaucrats who will tell you “no”), and if so, take up a collection among your friends and friends of friends. Most women have things sitting around cluttering up their space that seemed great at the time, but didn’t turn out so great in practice. The girls who need to get spiffed up for job interviews so they can support their babies, the women getting out of hospitals for various problems who need to remember to care how they look . . . You get the idea.

The Expert answers:

Rule of thumb for most resumes:

Keep your resume to 2 pages.

Most Human resource people read and absorb about 80% of the first page of a resume and 20% of the second page.

Many human Resource people will place resumes that exceed 3 pages in the Recycling bin or the Garbage bin – seldom even read the first page.

Write each resume for the job advertised.

Most important facts pertaining to the job to which you are applying.

Keep the information concise and true – do not over embellish. Most Human resource people can detect exagerated resumes.

Good Luck

The Expert answers:

Separate factories must be set up for the recycling of materials, and this will just cause more pollution and energy consumption for transport, sorting, cleaning and storage;
Like for example all the extra bins you have in your back garden, One for normal rubbish, one for tins, glass etc, paper basket, food waste and a garden waste one, and all of these extra bins means more trucks coming to pick them up.
Pollutants produced by the recycling process itself, including chemical stews when breaking down different products;
Some recycling is not cost-efficient and annually results in a net loss. It costs $50-60 to landfill a ton versus $150+/- to recycle a ton (of what?).
Only the recycling of aluminum really makes any money. Reclaiming metals is feasible and fairly easy, whereas plastics and paper are expensive, wasteful and overly difficult;
Adds to taxes, and is a tax subsidy costing 8 billion a year in the USA alone;
Creation of low-quality jobs. Jobs include sifting through garbage to separate it, dealing with the toxins from the breakdown process, and other manual-intensive labor tasks;
A considerable percentage of items marked as recyclable end up trashed or burned anyway due to poor quality, contaminants, lack of resources able to handle that item in a specific region or recycling installation, etc.;
Takes time and effort to do
Are there any harmful effects of recycling? There can be a few, if the sites, where recycling is done, are not managed properly. As lot of debris is collected everyday for recycling, and so the recovery sites can become unhygienic. Abandoned dump sites can severely damage the surrounding environment. Harmful chemicals in the trash, can mix into water and soil. This can cause water and soil pollution and harm plants and fish in the streams and lakes. When it gets mixed with rainwater, a poisonous mixture known as leachate, is formed. This mixture can be highly dangerous if it reaches the water supplies. When rainwater falls on open dumps, most of the contaminated water (leachate) percolates deep into the ground and pollutes the ground water.
The issues with the effects of recycling paper are often associated with cleanliness and transportation. Paper recycling can be a bit costly, as additional industrial processes such as bleaching, are required to make the paper reusable. There is no guarantee that the new recycled product obtained will be of good quality. This is because recycling involves manufacturing products from used materials. Also, in the process of bleaching, harsh chemicals are used that can cause health problems on exposure. Although many find plastic convenient for everyday use, it is quite difficult to recycle this material. There are different kinds of plastic and one has to sort them systematically so as make a useful recycled product. One cannot simply manufacture a new product by combining different kinds of plastic.
The biggest disadvantage to recycling is that it gives the consuming public a false sense of ‘security’; a sense that they’re doing something to benefit the environment. In fact, the only real benefit to the environment is to slow the damage from human folly. The folly still goes on. Recycling is only STEP ONE in a journey of many miles. Unless the humans realize how they are contributing to the damage and those other many steps are taken, recycling is of little value.
Yes, recycling can be bad for the environment. In fact, except for materials like metal and some glass, recycling is almost always bad for the environment. Need proof? There is actually a lot. One of the best places to start is with a report from Perc.org, called the Eight Great Myths of Recycling. You can find a copy at the link below. Here is an example from that paper, “One argument made for recycling notes that we live on a finite planet. With a growing population, we must, it seems, run out of resources. Whether the resource in question is trees, oil, or bauxite, the message is the same: The only way to extend the lives of natural resource stocks is by more recycling.” “In fact, we are not running out of natural resources.While recycling has the potential to extend the lives of raw material stocks, other activities, long practiced in the private sector, are already doing that. Available stocks of those resources are actually growing, and there is every reason to expect such growth to continue if the private sector is allowed to continue performing its functions.” Consider forests. The amount of new growth that occurs each year in forests exceeds by a factor of twenty the amount of wood and paper that is consumed by the world each year (Lomborg 2001,115). Perhaps partly as a result, temperate forests, most of which are in North America, Europe, and Russia, actually have expanded over the last 40 years.

The Expert answers:

I think the most important issue is the fact that we have so many soldiers in harm’s way.

The Expert answers:

Ecotourism (also known as ecological tourism) is a form of tourism, that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on the planet. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is a conceptual experience, enriching those who delve into researching and understanding the environment around them. It gives us insight into our impacts, as human beings and also a greater appreciation of our own natural habitats.

Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.[1]

[edit] Criteria
According to the definition and principles of ecotourism established by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) in 1990, ecotourism is “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990). Those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:

minimize impact
build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate
Ideally, ecotourism should satisfy several criteria[2][3], such as:

conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection
promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations
sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous peoples by having their informed consent and participation in the management of ecotourism enterprises
tourism to unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.
Minimization of tourism’s own environmental impact
affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury
local culture, flora and fauna being the main attractions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism

The Expert answers:

“Was someone sitting outside my house with their laptop using my wifi to download all this crap?”

Unlikely.

The fact that the torrent files are in your recycle bin means they were deleted locally. They came from your computer.

You sure you’re not schitzo and unconsciously downloaded these? Or maybe someone snuck up to your laptop while you are sleeping? Those are the only possible explanations I can think of.

Of course, it is possible you are infected with malware, although I have yet to hear of a malware that can remotely control your PC to download some torrents, dump the downloaded files into another PC, and then delete the core torrent files.

I suggest you run a full virus and malwarebytes scan.

——

Something just came up to me.

It is also possible that your computer was accessed remotely. It’s not just some virus taking control of your PC. I mean, your entire computer being controlled by some random stranger. Yes, theoretically possible by remote access softwares like Logmein.

Possible, but unlikely.

Change your account passwords. Go to control panel and delete suspicious programs. Run full scan.

I still think it was a local job. An evil twin, perhaps?

The Expert answers:

Funnily enough the answer has nothing to do with the fact that it’s a bin, that it’s overflowing, that there is one girl or that there is one boy. Nope. These are red herrings.

What’s important here is the relationship between the girl, the boy and the bin. For a start, who’s bin is it? Who’s helping who? And Who assigned the job?

Most importantly, is the guy trying to score with the girl? Is she trying to score with the guy?

If he’s trying to impress her, the male mating ritual dictates the behaviour he has to follow — he has to take down the bin AND open all the doors AND appear to do so with great nanchalance and ease. Grinning the whole time and smoking. Probably.

If they hate each other, then sexism and inferiority will come into play and hilarity must then ensue.

Hope this helps in some slight/bizarre way 😉

The Expert answers:

First and foremost, as it pertains to you, disregard my name.

Secondly, disregard what all the other privates, while you are in Reception and in BCT, will tell you about your future AIT experience, as they are in the same boat as you are; they don’t know $hit.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect, at least this is what I went through while in Foxtrot Company, 232 Medical Battalion, 32nd Medical Brigade, AMEDDC&S. LOL:

Wake up before the ass crack of dawn for PT, you and another battle buddy check in your 2-man room (unless you’re put in Echo Company then you’re in an 80-man bay). After Week 3 your company goes to Phase V so you can go off post, assuming your grades are high enough (My company’s standard was 75). Also, pass your first two PT tests at 70% and you don’t have to do the 3rd one. If you also score that high in all events then you don’t have to do remedial PT as well!

Week 1: Meet your cadre (there are no Drill Sergeants in AIT), “Shark Attack” on Day 1 (nothing compared to what your experience will be at Basic Training), Orientation (stay awake or get smoked), Trip to CIF (you get your TA-50 but not as much from Basic), Start EMT class

Week 2 – 7: EMT Phase; keep in mind that you will be certified in about 5 weeks which would normally take a civilian 8-9 months to learn the same amount of material. You will take a written test every week so a little studying is crucial. You also take a hands-on medical and trauma assessment and various other skills. If you fail a skill 3 times you get recycled, fail 4 skills in total and you recycle. Fail your final exam twice and you get recycled. If your average drops below 65, you will be recycled. If you do any of the above again, AFTER being recycled you will be re-classed. If you fail the NREMT 3 times you will be re-classed. Pass the course and the NREMT and you will be EMT-B certified. If you already are or have an advanced certification, or take the test prior to the class starting up you will be accelerated to Whiskey Phase. On test days you wear your PTs, by the way!

NOTE: This isn’t as hard and stressful as it seems. The fact that you have a high enough ASVAB score to choose this MOS means you are more than capable of graduating. I did!

Week 8 – 13: Whiskey Phase: This is where you will learn your actual MOS in being a Combat Medic. You learn sick call stuff, drawing blood, IVs, using tourniquets, bandaging up wounds, trauma assessments in under 30 minutes, and other high-speed stuff. There are only 4 written tests. If you fail a test twice you will recycle (fail it twice while not having past the NREMT and you will re-class). During the last week of this phase you will validate for your trauma assessment that you’ve been practicing for during the whole class along with other skills. If you fail any one of them 3 times then you are recycled. Again, it’s not as bad as you think. Unlike EMT phase, you will march to your class in Full Battle Rattle: ACUs with ACH, IBA, FLC and your aid bag! Even to test days and validations. After you validate you will spend the last week firing an M-16 in a simulated room (much like BCT). You will also do a road march (as PT) once every other week. It sucks because your cadre set the pace and you may end up range walking with a bunch of weight over your shoulders.

Week 14 – 15: Camp Bullis (Bull$hit): Two weeks of field training. The first week you train and the last week you validate, do convoy, MOUT patrol, battalion aid station, evac, triage, moulage (dress up as casualties for other teams), etc. If you fail your trauma assessment validation 3 times then you recycle.

Week 16: Out processing, TA-50 turn-in, Family Day and Graduation.

I honestly loved my AIT experience (mainly my personal time). This is really what you make of it and is nearly not as hard as what other people make it out to be. My company commander and platoon sergeant were very cool. Also, it was awesome with how lenient everything is compared to Basic Training. Every weekend I would dress in my civilian clothes and do something. Either that or just play on my XBox with some of my battle buddies; quite a few people would have sex with each other and others would come to final formation drunk off of their @sses. Truly great moments that I will never forget!

The Expert answers:

Also:

* The FAA’s Flight Intercept procedures that have been in place since the 70’s (and might have prevented 9/11) were changed by Donald Rumsfeld in June 2001.

* “Experts” claimed WTC Building 7 was damaged by falling debris from WTC Building 1 and WTC Building 2, YET WTC7 was NEVER mentioned in the 9/11 Commission Report.

* In regards to the Pentagon strike (thought to be the most highly secure, highly defended building in the world): only a few FRAMES of footage of ONE security camera overlooking the Pentagon was released to the public. There are over 20 different security-surveillance cameras overlooking the Pentagon and footage from all of those are CLASSIFIED. Why? And why release the footage that they did release?

* FEMA had also established a staging area in Manhattan on 9/10.

* The CIA, FBI, and/or Secret Service all had offices in WTC Buildings 5,6 7. They had a TOP SECRET vault below those buildings. When FEMA S&R teams reached the vault the vault door was cracked open and the vault was COMPLETELY EMPTY.

* The steel and other material from the buildings at Ground Zero were transported to Asia where they were melted down and recycled within weeks of 9/11. The company responsible for the cleanup was called CONTROLLED DEMOLITION INC. Don’t believe me? Look it up.

* NUMEROUS put options were placed on the American and United Airlines Stock during the week leading up to 9/11.

* NUMEROUS put options were placed on the stocks of companies who had offices in WTC 1 and WTC 2.

* On 9/11 Military Exercises/War Games called for almost all of the fighter jets in the north eastern quadrant of CONUS (Continental United States) airspace to be located far enough away that it would take over an hour for them to reach New York and Washington, D.C.

* About 4-5 of the hijackers were under the surveillance of MOSSAD and the FBI during the months prior to 9/11.

* It’s been almost EIGHT YEARS SINCE 9/11 AND BIN LADEN HAS YET TO BE FOUND!!

* Look up OPERATION: JAWBREAKER

* There are WAY MORE FACTS to be mentioned here, but I’m tired.

Edit:

* Kurt Sonnenfeld

The Expert answers:

Why would I scold you? – You are working instead of doing nothing with your life 😀 Be proud and it happens. Work is hard on life, plus no one has any idea how tough it is working at a fast food place…I mean sometimes I wonder how you guys cope with the heat and the rush, pressure everything that goes along with fast food places – I mean it’s in the name ‘fast’ and as you said no one understands how time just flys by. It can be very depressing and dull, like your life is not heading anywhere, people may say ‘but you’re working your ass off, that’s admirable’ and yes it is, but at the same time, you want to be happy and the environment is like SIGH! So I completely understand.

Now, this can go two ways, if you put it on your CV then one they may just look and say ‘Oh kool, she’s done service before.’ or ‘lets find out how she was as a employee before we hire her, what happened with her previous job I wonder’. Another is that you don’t put it, which is fine, as long as you have enough other work experience but then you will have a gap in the CV and be asked ‘so what did you do between X and X?’ which then you will have to explain it away with a very good lie, or tell the truth – if the truth then you will come out as someone who deceives people and by hiding that fact on CV would make them suspicious as to why.

My opinion, put it on your CV, why implicate yourself. In my experience, it’s highly unlikely that Starbucks will investigate when all they need is someone experienced in customer service. If you have experienced and have the skills/personality they are looking for, they won’t bother. In my experience, those who get checked e.g. Calling previous employers is for those going for high end jobs, they get checked thoroughly. For the job you’re going for, I doubt it will get that serious. They might ask why you want to work at Starbucks than your old fast food place and why you left to which you can reply that you want to expand your horizon and want to experience a change, that you want to get as much as experience as you can in different areas of customer service before working up to management and such (you don’t have to really wanting to, just pretend you’re into service). This is also where you can talk about Starbucks – their mission statement (employers like people who are aware of their mission statement) go to their website and find out what their mission statement is, then talk about how you believe in the statement and how it relates to your work ethics. Next, you don’t have to know the history of Starbucks, though won’t hurt, but don’t get your head all filled up with too much info then it will just seem like you studied well to answer well, be genuine, talk about their staff policy – again go to their site and find out what they do to motivate staff, what their team work ideas/motto is etc. And talk about how you would like to be a part of a team that does X and X. You can check out recent news about Starbucks, if it’s good like their involvement in recycling/environment sustainability etc. And how you have a lifestyle that fits into being environmentally friendly etc. Just small stuff like that – not big huge information about who started Starbucks or what year it launched etc. Keep it recent and keep it relative to your interests and skills!

Put the experience on your CV and if by any chance you get asked about what happened, be honest but not too honest, leave the personal feelings aside and just say that you were ready to start a new journey and you are sorry that you had to end your journey there but it wasn’t without lessons, you learnt a lot there and you just wanted to develop what you have learnt in a new environment, you want to grow!

The Expert answers:

This is a “loaded question” to answer. Let me explain a few facts about Plasma TV’s (actually any Plasma screen, not just TV screens) in as plain english as I can. The European communiity has limited sales of Plasma display devices through 2009, that is that begining in 2010 no member nation in the European Community will allow new sales of these products. Many of the Asian communities are planning to follow Europes example, only the USA has not publicaly stated any conformance in the future.

The reason is hazardous wastes & power consumption. The Plasma screen is actually lot’s of (lot’s depends on screen size and resolution) tiny light tubes, similar to flourescent lights. The phosphor used inside (creates the colored light you see in a picture) is considered hazardous especially in landfills. This along with the leaded (lead metal) solder (and other metals used in the Plasma) are difficult to recycle (expensive to recycle too). In addition to the recycling difficulties and hazardous components (hazardous when placed in a landfill) a Plasma device, especially a TV, uses much more power to operate than an LCD TV. Early large Plasma TV’s had problems with overheating due to the power consumption.

Google “RoHS” or “Restrictions of Hazardous Substances” for more information about European Community and some Asian countries (like China) restrictions of hazardous materials being sold to consumers.

Job Market? Anything that is priced right will sell however, the post sales support (warranty service/repair and out of warranty service/repair) is very minimal at best. The actual Plasma screen (not the electronics or internal cabling) can only be repaired in the factory of origin (special tooling/equipment needed) and financially, it’s less cost to scrap a defective panel than to attempt a repair. This post sales service “reality” encourages scrapping (landfill) of defective products.

Lot’s of ethical issues surrounding Plasma products with the lack of service/repair AND the amount of hazardous materials used in these devices, as well as our country not having any controls for hazardous components.

Good luck!

The Expert answers:

I can’t see you getting into trouble.

If it makes you feel uncomfortable doing so but you need to do this, you can always highlight the fact that you are doing it to help the environment and you take pride in keeping your school clean.

Things like this can seem embarrassing now, but the people that were strong enough to do good things like this without caring what others think are the people I see now are the happiest and most successful in life now that we are all adults.

So do it and hold you head up high.

I think its a wonderful idea and you are a wonderful person!

X

The Expert answers:

This is not a yes/no question. There is WORK available, and it will pay, but not necessarily in the scale you want. Anyone can do yardwork. Anyone can collect aluminum for recycling. The greatness of the United States is that you can fill any need for profit if you apply yourself.
But if you want a regular position with comfortable pay and benefits, no. There are not enough for everyone. Somebody has to OWN the business to hire the ones with “jobs”. They are the risk takers, and profit earners.

The Expert answers:

Recycling saves trees. This critical fact, one of the first environmental lessons many children learn, cannot be overstated. Half the Earth’s forests are gone, and up to 95 percent of the original forest area in the U.S. Has been cut down.

Recycling protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Using recycled materials reduces the need to chop down, extract, process, refine and transport natural resources such as timber, crude petroleum and mineral ores. As a result, destruction of forests, wetlands, rivers and other places essential to wildlife is also reduced.

Recycling lowers the use of toxic chemicals. Making products from already refined waste materials reduces — and often avoids altogether — the need for manufacturers to use toxic chemicals, essential when using virgin materials.

Recycling helps curb global warming. Using recycled materials cuts down on the energy used in the manufacturing process, dramatically reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. For example, recycling one ton of glass results in energy savings of more than 300 percent and lowers carbon dioxide emissions by 3.46 tons.

Recycling stems the flow of water pollution. Making goods from recycled materials generates far less water pollution than manufacturing from virgin materials. Turning trees into paper uses more water than any other industrial process in the U.S., dumping billions of gallons of wastewater — contaminated with pollutants such as chlorinated dioxin — each year into rivers, lakes and streams. Paper recycling mills don’t pollute the water nearly as much, and almost always use less of it. In addition, some recycling plants use treated wastewater for the manufacturing process.

Recycling reduces the need for landfills. Toxic pollution from landfills — including cyanide, dioxins, mercury, methane, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and lead — escapes into the air and leaches into groundwater.

Recycling reduces the need for incinerators. Municipal waste incinerators spew out all kinds of air pollutants; in addition they produce contaminated ash. And they are often located in urban neighborhoods where they seriously threaten the health of the community. Keeping paper, glass, plastic and metal out of incinerators by recycling them cuts both how much incinerators pollute and how harmful the emissions are.

Recycling creates jobs and promotes economic development. A study by the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission found that recycling added about $18.5 billion in value to the economies of 12 Southern states and Puerto Rico in 1995.

Cities may profit by selling recyclables. While landfills are always dumping grounds for municipal money as well as garbage, cities with high recycling rates can actually make money selling recyclables when markets are good.

Buying recycled products contributes to the demand for more recycled products. This will, in turn, save even more resources, reduce more pollution and protect more people’s health. On the other hand, as the size of the market grows, recycled products will cost less.

The Expert answers:

Looking back on my own childhood where my parents didn’t let me or my brothers work either, I think your mom and dad are right to some extent.
Just remember that your parents are looking out for your best interests. Getting a job will seem cool at first but after while it can become a big distraction taking away what should really be important, your childhood and your education.

If what you really want is money than have a talk with them and express the fact that you would like an allowance or a larger allowance if you are already getting one.

If you just want to work for experience (or to impress your friends) there are plenty of constructive things that you can do instead of “getting a job”.

When I was your age to get around not having a job I created my own. What I did was collect all of the neighbors recycled bottles and turned them in for the deposit. The only schedule I had was my own and I made about $40 a week.

Good luck.

The Expert answers:

Have you considered vehicle detailing? Apartment cleaning? Maybe try calling real estate offices and offer cleaning homes before they sell or cleaning places that were rented and people are moving out. What about yard clean up/debrie removal? How old are you now? If you could clean up previous rented houses or yards you might be able to keep the stuff and recycle it (then you might make some cash) Recycled items in bulk make a lot of money. Keep me updated you are doing great for a young business person. Email me please at: sagaquainc@yahoo.com

The Expert answers:

Wow..way too much right wing radio, bro…way! Do you really think that $850 billion dollars, a fair portion of that tax breaks, actually vanished into thin air? That’s seems to be the story here. The fact here is…NO money ever disappears…none…zero…ziltch! All cash gets spent seven to ten times, and ALL cash becomes income, profits, investment capital, savings and finally taxes. This is called the velocity of money…the faster it gets spent the more economic activity there is. Buying, selling and production is the name of the game. No cash money…no buying, no selling, no production….the definition of a recession.

Let’s imagine that no cash was added to the economy. The ‘economy’ would have dropped to a lower level of equilibrium where cash, sales and production once again meet. More people would have been laid off and the downward cycle would begin again. The ‘stimulus’ put a floor under the economy…a robust jobs bill would ramp up the economy putting hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work, plus in the end we’d have a far better general infrastructure on which a first world economy is based.

Conclusion: Doing nothing during this world wide downturn would have dropped the economy into a giant black hole….that didn’t happen. In fact, corporations, banks and insurance companies are making more money now than ever. A jobs bill would recycle these profits down to the general public….the definition of prosperity. You sure don’t hear that from the right wing radio dummies…too bad, eh?