Your Questions About Recycling
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Filed under Recycling Q & A
Daniel asks…
Apartment complex recycling!?
I am starting a recycling company where we will be specifically targeting apartment complexes, condominiums, and other multi-family dwellings. That’s right, we’re providing the recycling option to residents of apt complexes, condos and like housing. For each unit, we’re providing the bins, and we’ll pick it up door to door. For some places, we’ll arrange for a very large bin, similar to your dumpsters for recycling. Provided that with recycling, you’ll cut down on enough waste that your property managers won’t need multiple dumpsters, then there shouldn’t be any space issues with getting our recycling containers into your parking lot. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as funding, government benefits, marketing, operating procedures, etc? We already have a business plan and marketing plan. Just looking for innovative ideas. You can answer here or email me at: langi.glr@gmail.com
The Expert answers:
I think this is a fabulous idea! I just read this article on this site about apartment complexes getting into ‘going green’ and it’s such an important ‘trend’!! I’m not sure about the financial issues for this, but I do know that for marketing you should def go to apartment communities and talk to them about the importance of this and the benefit to their tenants or advertise in publications with apartment communities (like For Rent Magazine). You could do the push method (going to apartment communities and asking them to use your service) or the pull method (by advertising to consumers and asking them to tell their apartment community/leasing office/management companies that they want ‘green living’ offered). I know I would jump all over that in my apartment complex!! KUDOS!!!
Richard asks…
I need recycling opinions for the opposing view for my paper. Please help! Click for details!?
I am wiritng a paper about the good of recycling and how recycling should be brought into our community. However in our community I need to bring up opposing views maybe about how it’s a waste of time and money or something. My plan is to bring recycling containers to all households. So if anyone have opinions I could use.. it’d be greatly appreciated. I am too much for it to have an opposing view. I’ll choose the first answer I get with actual facts for best answer but all opinions are welcome! You’ll still get a couple of points for answering 🙂
The Expert answers:
I too am a fan of recycling, but there is a time where it can get to be too much to handle on a personal level. For instance, I don’t recycle newspapers. I don’t have the storage area to save and store everything. Some items such as newspapers can become a nesting place for our rodents. I also don’t recycle milk cartons. They are bulky and cumbersome to store. Plus, not all recycle places take that type of plastic. Our blue trash cans that are picked up, do the job for me.
Mandy asks…
An idea how to recycle all plastic waste?
Most plastics will melt under intense heat so why not make water container,massive one’s then install them in the roof space of commercial buildings to collect rainwater and then use the rainwater to flush toilets.why use drinking water to flush toilets.think how much water a city like london and New York uses just to flush the toilets.I have more ideas to recycle all the waste plastics that is just thrown away.LET ME HEAR YOU PEOPLE.
The Expert answers:
Plastics are toxic and most aren’t food safe. Currently most if not all buildings have a single source of water and it would take massive renovations to put a second water source for toilets only. This may be a possibility for a new building, but unlikely, the amount of water needed to flush toilets in a large building would take a massive tank and would be a structural nightmare. There are gray water systems in smaller buildings and homes which may be a more practical solution.
Steven asks…
The Four-Bin Recycling Challenge?
Currently, where I live in Surrey we have all been issued with four plastic containers in which to dispose of our household rubbish.
One very large green bin for everything that can be recycled.
One small green bin for all food waste.
One even smaller grey bin to keep indoors for food waste.
One very large grey bin for everything else.
Fine. I’m all for recycling, so it’s not a problem despite the ruddy things taking up three-quarters of my garden.
However, I was a little disgruntled (word of the week) this morning when I saw the bin men emptying the food waste straight into the recycled waste bin before depositing the lot (all mixed up together) in the back of their truck.
Can someone explain what this is all about? Am I simply wasting (every pun intended) my time by sorting out my rubbish into different categories?
Nope, no garden waste but please don’t suggest it or I’ll have no space left in my garden at all and I’ll have to sell my lawn mower on Ebay!
The Expert answers:
Phone your council and make a complaint. By adding the food waste into the recycling bin they have contaminated it so that the whole lot is unfit for recycling. Where in surrey are you? As my husband is the waste recycling manager for part of Surrey. So I can give him a call now if you wish.
David asks…
Recycling – Should it be a free choice to do it?
My local council in England have introduced fortnightly collections of our general household waste, and a weekly collection of recyclable rubbish. It’s like imposing recycling on us, otherwise live with rotting trash bags in our garden. I am not against recycling, but I am pro choice. We are supposed to wash out every can and bottle, plastic container and save every paper. Great if you are single, retired or have lots of spare time – but try it with 4 kids (one in nappies), 2 dogs, 2 businesses to run. I pay so much tax, yet now they do not serve my trash needs. What can I do?
The Expert answers:
Makes one wonder how much water will be wasted washing out all those cans and bottles! Spend a dollar to save a nickel is not always the right choice. But that seems to be the governments answer to everything. Also, some recyclables actually use MORE energy to recycle than to make new. Is this “saving?”
Ken asks…
Recycling questions: cigarette butts, air filters, food wrappers, bathroom waste?
We are doing a project for work trying to eliminate all possible waste from our facility and are hitting a few roadblocks. We have the sand filled cigarette disposals, but what do you do with the butts when the container is filled?
What about food-tainted waste (usually wrappers)? Our local recycler won’t take any paper that has touched food.
We also want to know if it’s possible to recycle bathroom paper towels we use to dry our hands.
Lastly, what should you do with old industrial air filters? We send them out to get re-cleaned, but you can only do that so many times. What do you do with them when it’s finally time to pitch them?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
The Expert answers:
Fag buts are awful! Not the baccy but the plastic based filter, take years to break down. Energy from waste the only solution there, our real rubbish goes to one, so guilt free hooray!
Same with food tainted waste, unless paper, which can be composted. Towels can go with paper if only wet, otherwise as above.
Filters, encourage the people who reclean them to set up specialist recycling service, as they are bound to be mixed materials.
Maria asks…
recycling questions!!! HELP!?!?!?!?
Question 8 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
All of the following types of paper cannot be recycled except for:
fast food wrappers that are waxed
pet food bags
computer paper
waxed juice boxes
Question 9 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
White vinegar is an alternative cleaning product that helps:
soften water
cut grease
remove stains from carpets
attack rust
Question 10 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
What common household product when mixed with bleach can produce dangerous chemical fumes?
ammonia
baking soda
dish soap
windshield washer fluid
Question 11 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Reducing, which is the first step in recycling, is considered:
proactive
reactive
Question 12 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Recycling paper does all but the following:
saves 380 gallons of oil
saves 17 trees
reduces water pollution
saves fluid for printing on paper
Question 13 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Motor oil can be disposed of best in the following manner:
calling your local garbage collection agency for a referral
calling your local garbage collection for a private pick up
collecting it until you have at least a gallon and pouring it in a storm drain
droping it at the local dumpster on your way to school.
Question 14 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Recyclable plastic products will have the following code molded into the bottom:
Letter A
Letter B
Letter C
Letter R, for recycle!
Question 15 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Toxic chemicals are found:
only in manufacturing plants
in many household products
only in chemical plants
only in cities
Question 16 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Household hazardous wastes include all the following EXCEPT:
paints, oils, garden chemicals and aerosol cans
glue, grease, lighter fluid, and mothballs
prescription drugs, window cleaner, wood stains, and pool chemicals
baking soda, lemon oil, and borax
Question 17 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Glass is:
not recyclable
recyclable only if it is clear
not recyclable if broken
100% recyclable
Question 18 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
The best method of disposing of household hazardous waste is:
burning it in a wood stove
putting it down the drain or in your garbage can
taking it to your local Household Hazardous waste station
putting it in your recycle bin, but not till recycle day
Question 19 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Downcycling is defined as:
recycling Downy containers
lower grade of recycling
lower grade of plastic due to recycling
recycle education in the lower elementary grades
Question 20 (Multiple Choice Worth 5 points)
Which of the following is not considered hazardous waste?
motor oil
mixed paper
paint
batteries
The Expert answers:
Nice collection of questions. All questions are Eco friendly.
Betty asks…
Recycle Coffee Containers?
I am always throwing away those large plastic coffee containers which seems like a big waste. Does anybody have any recycle ideas? Specifically, some sort of arts & crafts activity with kids.
The Expert answers:
You can clean them out and cover with colorful paper to make fun containers. You could make or buy some bean bags and set out the cans for a beanbag toss game. Put different things inside them (rice, beans, jingle bells, etc) and glue the lids on to make shakers. Give the kids some serving spoons to use as drumsticks and make drums. Line the inside of the can with paper, drop in some paint and a couple of marbles or ping pong balls, put the lid on, and shake, shake, shake. Cut the bottoms off several cans and tape/glue them together to make a tunnel for toy cars.
Or you could set out the cans and a whole bunch of art materials (paint, scissors, glue, paper, magazines, etc) and let the kids use their imagination to create something wonderful.
Laura asks…
Question about recycling?
This is not a normal recycling question so brace yourself..
I work in a laboratory for a sewage treatment plant and we collect samples in small plastic bottles. The samples include… you guessed it, poop related things such as septic waste, portable toilet, raw sewage..ect.
Someone got the idea that we should recycle these bottles when we were done with them. I mentioned that this may be a problem due to it’s possible classification of “biohazard”. They told me to just rinse them out and they will be fine.
Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I’m going to contact the recycling center later today, but I was just wondering if anyone knew offhand. I personally think it’s unsafe and disgusting to even think about recycling these containers at a public recycling center.
We have no way to sterilize them here at the plant.
The Expert answers:
This is interesting! When you have contacted the Recycling Center, will you please e-mail me (go to my Profile) and let me know what they tell you?
My husband and I run our city’s Recycling Center, and we are not allowed to accept containers that held hazardous materials (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, motor oil, antifreeze). Our understanding is that recycling of containers that held hazardous waste is not allowed, or at least not allowed here in Oklahoma.
However, your situation is slightly different. The Recycling Center you call may need some time to research the question.
As another poster mentioned, there would be actual people handling these containers, and as you probably know, simple rinsing would not remove all the potential pathogens from the containers.
And I’m not sure that the temperatures involved in the recycling process for plastic would be sufficient to kill all the pathogens involved, but then I’m not a laboratory worker.
Again, what an interesting Question! Would you mind letting me know what the Recycling Center tells you? I will also ask my husband about this and e-mail you with his comments, if that’s OK with you.
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