OHIO’S WASTE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY HAS $6.7 BILLION ANNUAL IMPACT ON STATE’S ECONOMY

At its Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, May 13, the Ohio Chapter of the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) released statewide economic impact data on the waste and recycling industry for the first time... read more

4 Great Reasons to Recycle Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is one of the most commonly used manufacturing alloys. It is popular for many fine qualities, and several different metals are required to help achieve each.

1. Resource Conservation

Comprised mainly of iron and carbon, this durable alloy may also have various levels of these additives:

● tungsten
● titanium
● molybdenum
● valadium
● nickel
● chromium

Very scarce, these metals may be harvested from only a handful of places throughout the world, and the environmental impact of such extraction is extremely damaging to local environments as well as detrimental to natural resource banks.

Recycling these elements from already used products helps to conserve resources for years to come.

2. Proven Material Quality

Commonly used in the automotive, construction, and transportation industries, as well as in production of a host of everyday products, the varied qualities of stainless steel alloys are relatively consistent. Recycling within the industry makes good sense, then, as the durability, strength, and other properties of the materials are already known.

3. Reduction of Medical Costs

Stainless steel is highly desirable for construction of medical equipment and utensils as it is extremely resistant to bacterial colonization and easy to clean. Relying on recycled materials for the development and production of new equipment helps to reduce the cost of healthcare.

4. Reduction of Home Waste

Homes rely on stainless steel for various products within their kitchens, baths, and basic construction. Retaining its strength and luster through the recycling process, the basic material still performs well and looks great after it has been reclaimed. Consumers who purchase items produced from recycled steel take part in the reduction of waste and world improvement.

For more information on stainless steel recycling in San Jose, visit this website.

Right and Wrong Recycling

Not all e-cycling centers are equal. If the process is done incorrectly, the chemicals and fumes hurt workers and the environment. Give your old electronics to a company that follows recycling laws.

Showa Denko reports success in UBC recycling program

The Japan-based manufacturing conglomerate Showa Denko (SDK), along with its various divisions, collected about 5.24 million used aluminum cans (UBCs) for recycling last year… read more

5 Reasons to Recycle Restaurant Equipment and Appliances

There are five number one reasons everyone should be interested in promoting the reduction of restaurant waste:

● to conserve resources
● to reduce production costs
● to pass savings onto diners
● to improve the environment
● .to improve community reputation

1. Resource Conservation

Recycling cuts the potential of production pollution by a great deal, lowers the necessity to harvest from virgin resources, and eliminates unsightly piles of waste that is better put to use as scrap for recycling. Worth scrap as a resource, virgin materials may remain untouched.

2. Production Cost Reduction

Most of the metals and plastics used in the manufacture of these items are candidates for recycling. Reclaiming the materials that have been harvested and put to use makes good sense and saves a lot of money on the production end.

3. Pass the Savings to Customers

Meanwhile, such savings translate to lower costs for dining consumers. The savings effect is exponential. Manufacturers save so restaurateurs save so diners save. That’s simple restaurant math and good business.

4. Environmental Improvements

While few would argue against the value of modern kitchens, most might agree that whenever possible collection of natural resources for the production of refrigerators, ovens, and others items should be reduced. Recycling these items helps to ensure that some of the natural sources of the materials remain untouched.

5. Improving Community Perspective

These days, consumers care more than ever about each company’s environmental impact. Companies that assume a proactive stance to improve the environment stand to attract and retain clientele for better business.

For more information on appliance recycling in San Jose, please visit this website.

Think Local, Act Global

A pickup truck bed is loaded full of computers and related equipment to be recycled. The collection began as part of a church-based effort, promoting the idea of quick and easy disposal of E-waste at the local level to provide for environmental benefits that extend throughout the globe.

How to Identify Acceptable Brass Recyclables

Brass comes in several different types, each determined by the quality and composition. Generally, brass is yellowish to golden. Often used to make keys, pipes, hardware such as nuts and bolts, lamps and other fixtures, and even decorative odds and ends, brass is heavy and often has a shiny, perhaps polished finish. Anyone who works toward a home design overhaul may be find themselves in possession of a great deal of brass worthy of recycling, and collecting that can be a good way to fund the redesign or renovation of the home.

While there are literally dozens of types of brass, three basic ranges are used in manufacturing today, and their properties are useful for understanding recyclability:

● Cartridge
● C330
● C360

Cartridge Brass

Having both a high content of zinc and of copper, cartridge is used in a wide variety of industries requiring cold work capability. Hardware, automotive, and ammunitions components are often constructed of this. It is strong and dependable.

C330 Brass

Commonly used in the construction of tubing, C330 has only a very slight lead composition, around 0.5 %. It is malleable and can be subjected to many modes of manufacture such as bending, punching, machining and piercing. Like copper, it withstands welding, brazing and soldering well. In fact, it is especially useful for brazing unlike metals to steel as it holds well.

C360 Brass

C360 is considered a leaded brass. High in zinc, it has a higher level of lead, too. This brass offers high machinability, corrosion resistance, a natural lubricant mimicking quality, durability and easy free cutting capability. It is most often used in the construction of copper-based screw machine components. With a fine leaded finish, this is considered the easiest brass type to plate, braze or solder.

For more information on brass recycling in Santa Clara, visit this website.

Serving the Evolving Technology Needs of Waste, Recycling

When Martin Demers, CEO of FleetMind Solutions Inc., first attended WasteExpo eight years ago, the industry was just being introduced to onboard technology and its uses in fleet management... read more

The Dos and Don’ts of Electronics Recycling

Electronics are found in every part of people’s lives. Households are filled with phones, TVs, computers, tablets, cameras, office equipment, and other technology and related accessories. Consumers move on to the newest models as soon as they come out. What happens to the old ones? Perhaps they are sold or given away, but usually they are dumped. Electronics contain hazardous elements such as mercury and lead, so if they are not disposed of correctly, they can poison ground water and soil. Electronics will not decompose either, permanently taking up landfill space. A better option many people are not aware of is to recycle them, in accordance with these dos and don’ts:

Do’s
• Do consider reselling or donating to charity if the device is newer and still in working condition.
• Do erase any personal data on hard drives before recycling.
• Do call recycling centers to see if they take non-commercial loads. If not, see if the product manufacturers take them back to be refurbished or recycled.

Don’ts
• Don’t leave electronics on the curb with other recyclables. Not all recycling companies handle e-waste, and those that do require special pick up or drop off.
• Don’t assume a recycling center is environmentally responsible. Check to see if they are certified (such as R2 or e-Steward) to ensure they process the materials safely and legally.
• Don’t give up and throw everything in the trash. When unsure of how to discard certain items, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

For more information on electronics recycling in Santa Clara, visit this website.

Glass Recycling Continues to Evolve

In early times the need to recycle came from the high-cost and trouble in extracting the basic materials. Glass, comprised mainly of easily accessible ingredients, is not as hard or expensive to produce as many goods are. It is actually more likely to be recycled because of the ease with which it is handled. 

Used for hundreds of years, glass is useful in making lenses, windows, heating components, lighting, and a variety of decorative objects. Easily melted down and remade into new products or new additions of the old product, recycled glass may be shaped, poured, or completely redesigned. 

In most cases, glass is one hundred percent recyclable. For instance, a glass bottle that is collection for recycling will be purchased for recycling to be remade into another glass bottle, often of the same type. Such ease of use arises from the relatively simple composition of the production material, the streamlined nature of the additives used to achieve certain qualities, and the relatively streamlined process of recycling glass for a host of industries. Concerned with saving money and resources early on, many companies invested in research and technology for better recycling techniques and a less expensive bottom line, and that means good things for the environment, communities that might otherwise be strewn with trash, and the sustainability of the companies choosing glass recycling over natural resource extraction.

One development that helps to make glass recycling so simple is the use of glass cullet. Most people have broken some glass item at some time or another. The great thing about glass is that even a shattered product is a candidate for recycling. Glass cullet, in fact, is glass that has been virtually demolished to create a recyclable base. The cullet is easily remelted to produce a wide variety of items. 

Another helpful development is the evolution of a variety of uses for aggregate produced from recycled glass. For instance, recycled glass aggregate is often used in the production of concrete. Aesthetically, this greatly improves the appeal of the concrete. Furthermore, the overall strength and insulative capabilities of the concrete are improved.

Glass aggregate also serves a variety of other utilitarian and constructive uses. Mixed of various colors and tumbled to remove edges, these attractive, inexpensive, and very useful aggregates facilitate many projects that might otherwise rely on extracted resources such as pea gravel or crushed rock. In many cases, aggregate is easier to transport as well. Lower extraction and transportation requirements help to reduce pollution as well. 

For more information on recycling Glass in San Jose, please visit this website.

Easy to Recycle Cars: Mazda & Toyota's Steps toward Metal Recycling

Automobiles have for long been the bête -noire of environmentalists. They cause pollution. They guzzle fuel. They require way too many resources – natural resources at that – for manufacturing. The list goes on and on... read more

Reasons to Consider Appliance Recycling

If it’s time to discard your old household appliances, you may be considering selling them, giving them away, or dumping them. You probably haven’t considered recycling them because you didn’t know it was an option, but it is—and a better one!

Why Reusing May Not Be the Best Option

Most people get rid of old appliances by selling or donating them. However, if they are older models, they will continue to waste energy in their new homes. Also, the new owners may not know how to recycle the appliance once they are done with it, and it may end up in the dump anyway, further hurting the environment.

Why Recycling Is a Better Option

Recycling appliances is better for the environment. They are not biodegradable, so they permanently take up landfill space, creating the need for more. Refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, and certain air conditioners contain chemicals and oils that are harmful to the ozone layer and emit greenhouse gases that affect climate change. Having appliances recycled allows for the metal to be reused and ensures that the chemicals and leftover parts are disposed of according to federal and state laws.

How Appliance Recycling Benefits You

You don’t need to be environmentally conscious to choose to recycle. It comes with perks for you as well. Energy Star and many energy suppliers will give you a rebate or other monetary incentive to have your older appliances recycled appropriately and to buy more energy-efficient, eco-friendly models (which will also save you money).

To learn more about appliances recycling in San Jose, visit this website.

ISRI releases study on the economics of recycling

The recycling industry generates more than $105 billion in economic activity annually, according to study... read more

An Old Treasure Can Rise Again

What was once a treasured tool is now usually discarded immediately upon sight. However, if given the right opportunity the materials that make up this old treasure can still be put to good use. Recycling can make all the difference.