Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

Cellophane may not be viable to recycled, it’s really best to avoid buying or even giving things wrapped in cellophane wrap in the first place. However here are some innovative uses for used cellophane wrap – for decorative painting, excellent for cushioning gifts, create sound effects –like crackling fire etc. Recycling helps to preserve our planet from getting polluted and we need to take measures to save our environment by recycling, saving water etc. Fresh water reserve levels are dropping worldwide and we need to take all practical measures to save our planet. For details on how you can save water visit
http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html

The Expert answers:

You may find this list useful if you’re in Canada.

Aluminum cans:
– pop = 5 cents each
– beer = 10 cents each

Plastic/glass bottles & juice boxes:
– pop, water, juice 1L or smaller: 5 cents each
– pop, water, juice larger than 1L: 20 cents each
– beer, wine, cooler 1L or smaller: 10 cents each
– beer, wine, cooler larger than 1L: 20 cents each

Plastic bottles and juice boxes need the cap removed, but glass bottles don’t.

The Expert answers:

Without more information I can’t give more than I did a Bing search, and lots of information came up.
The link is below.
Vintage

The Expert answers:

Recycling plastic takes a lot of energy. It’s not even close to the energy it takes to clean even a gallon of water.

Washing the glass uses MUCH MUCH less resources than recycling plastic.

(Also, it’s actually cheaper to make new plastic than recycle plastic.)

The Expert answers:

Go here, it explains it better than I can:

Recycling Plastic Lids and Caps May Pose Dangers to Workers
Also, plastic caps and lids can jam processing equipment at recycling facilities, and the plastic containers with tops still on them may not compact properly during the recycling process. They can also present a safety risk for recycling workers.
“Most plastic bottles are baled for transport, and if they don’t crack when baled the ones with tightly fastened lids can explode when the temperature increases,” Gilson says.

Http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/plastic_lids.htm

The Expert answers:

Recycling plastic is better than throwing it away, but the current system has a some problems. The first is that when plastic is recycled, it is shredded and reconstituted into a lower grade of plastic that has limited uses, such as park benches and jackets and after that they cannot be recycled again. The other problem is that a lot of recycled plastics are PET and when it is used in objects that have long life expectancy such as jackets and benches the plastic can fray and create airborne particles. These particles can cause serious lung and throat irritations so it is best to avoid recycled plastics in enclosed environments. There are several groups working on improving plastic recycling so that it maintains its quality and can be reused again and again, but it is still a few years away.

The Expert answers:

You’ve got to offer them more than their cost to recycle it. A Brooks Brothers suit, shiny shoes, and a nice smile won’t cut it otherwise. Companies who form plastics know exactly what their scrap costs are and you’ve got to show them how it is to their economic advantage to sell it to you.

Most thermoplastic is recycled by the company fabricating it. In this case their value of the scrap is the value of the virgin material less the cost to reuse the scrap. The cost to reuse it might be quite small – something like taking the recycling bin from the back of the fabrication unit to the front. Here the value of the scrap to them is about equal to the virgin material and they won’t do business with you unless you essentially pay what virgin material costs.

On the other hand you may get lucky and find that they can’t reuse it and have to pay to get it hauled away. In this case offering them a low ball price may clinch the deal.

So, the key is in discovering what their economics are to process the scrap. If you beat this you close the deal otherwise you move on. I’d find out who the plant manager is and call him. Tell him you want to stop by and talk about their plastic scrap. You might drive around to the back of the place first (if possible) and check the dumpster. If you find scrap there you’re on your way to closing the deal.

The Expert answers:

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set a national goal to recycle 25 percent of our national waste. Some plastics can be recycled through curbside recycling, grocery store drop bins or drop-off centers. A raised number (1 through 7) in a triangle on the bottom of most plastic containers tells you what type of plastic it is and if it can be recycled.

Things You’ll Need: Recycle Bins

Step 1:
Call your county’s Department of Public Works or recycling center to determine what type of plastic to recycle and where to take it. Also call 1-800-CLEANUP for state recycling information.

Step 2:
Rinse and sort your plastic containers by number. Recyclable plastic often must be separated by number in order to avoid contamination as it begins the recycling process.

Step 3:
Recycle type 1 (PETE) and type 2 (HDPE) plastic containers at your curb, according to local instructions. Type 1 and 2 containers include some plastic bags, detergent containers, and milk, soft drink, juice, cooking oil and water bottles.

Step 4:
Drop off plastic grocery bags – usually type 4 (LDPE), sometimes type 2, though not always marked – at your grocery store to be recycled. Most large chain grocery stores will have bins located in the store. Types 2 and 4 can be mixed most of the time, but read the signs first to be sure. Clean out bags before recycling.

Step 5:
Call the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, (410) 451-8340, or visit their Web site to find a local recycling center in your area that will take foam packaging (type 6, Expanded Polystyrene or EPS). Other type 6 items such as plastic utensils will most likely need to be thrown out.

Step 6:
Throw out types 3 (plastic food wrap and vegetable oil bottles), 5 (yogurt containers, syrup bottles, diapers, some bags, most bottle tops and some food wrap) and 7 (layered or mixed plastic). While some of these are recyclable, the plastics industry is still in the early stages of recycling and does not recycle these in most cities unless it is through a test program.

Step 7:
Take caps and pump spray tops off of plastic containers unless they are marked with a number. They are often made from a type of plastic that is different from the main part of the container and generally are not recyclable.

Step 8:
Find out if your community requires you to remove labels from plastic containers before you recycle them.

Step 9:
Crush plastic containers to save space in your recycling bin.

KUDOS TO YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SAVING THE PLANET! 🙂

The Expert answers:

The recycling of plastics is carried out in a five step process.

Step 1- Plastics collection
This is done through roadside collections, special recycling bins and directly from
industries that use a lot of plastic.

Step 2 – Manual sorting
At this stage nails and stones are removed, and the plastic is sorted into three types: PET,
HDPE and ‘other’.

Step 3 – Chipping
The sorted plastic is cut into small pieces ready to be melted down.

Step 4 – Washing
This stage removes contaminants such as paper labels, dirt and remnants of the product
originally contained in the plastic.

Step 5 – Pelleting
The plastic is then melted down and extruded into small pellets ready for reuse.
Some recycled plastic is then used in applications similar to those for which virgin plastic
is used. The remaining plastic is made into a variety of objects such as drainage mats and
hard board.