Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Recycling Paper

If you work in an office setting then you likely see plenty of paper being used all day long. It is part of the process for getting your work done. You may have to complete files, send faxes, sent out letters, and put together books for presentations. We often use a great deal of paper in our homes too for printing. If you have children in school then they are likely using plenty of notebooks as well to get their school work done.

In order for us to have paper trees are being cut down. This is depleting the resources we have out there. When too many trees are cleared away the natural habitat for animals and plants is destroyed. This can have a very negative effect on our society as a whole. There is also the issue of too much carbon monoxide in the air we breath because the trees aren’t consuming it.

One way to cut down on these types of events is to recycle paper. This means we can continue to use it as we need to without being so careless with the trees we have. In this type of process the recycled paper is turned back into pulp. It gets mixed in with new pulp and turned into new types of paper. This is done so that the overall quality of the paper is still very good. When paper is recycled the fibers can weaken. Yet mixing them with new pulp means that the quality is still going to be there.

If you pay attention to the paper you buy, you will find more of it around is recycled. Many notebooks will say on the back if they are recycled or not. Even office supply companies are offering reams of recycled paper. It is still the same great quality that you want for your business so don’t worry that it has been compromised. Yet you will feel good knowing you are doing your part to recycle and to cut down the number of wasted trees that don’t really have to be destroyed in order to have paper.

You can do your part to recycle paper by collecting it and then dropping it off at collection centers. This can include papers at home you don’t need and newspapers. Should you need to shred various types of papers though you can do so and then take the shreds for recycling. Have a set location at work for paper that can be recycled as well.

Recycling

There are volumes of materials that people all over the world consume each day. When you start to try to deal with all of the waste though it can take up a great deal of room. Where will we ever put all of it? There is also the question of the long term effects it will have on the Earth later on. One way to cut down on this though is to recycle what we can. That means to use it again in another form.

There are many different things that are recycled in our society. You can save cans from soda and recycle them for the aluminum. Metal scraps from cars and other types of building and welding can be melted down and used again. We go through volumes up paper but it can be recycled as well. This process helps to prevent the number of trees being cut down.

Rubber is an item that we often use for various things. The main source of it as waste comes from tires for vehicles. They can be recycled as well to make new tires. Glass and plastic can also be recycled. All of these efforts really make a huge dent in the amount of it that ends up in landfills to be buried.

Some types of materials aren’t easy to recycle though such as Styrofoam. This is why many restaurants changed from those types of containers to ones made from paper that could be recycled. Every one can do their small part to recycle things as well. Many communities have locations where you can drop of cardboard, glass, and aluminum cans. They are then picked up by trucks and taken to recycling facilities.

If your family was to take one load per week of such items to be recycled, imagine the difference it would make overall. Many schools teach children about recycling and they are very excited to come home and implement what they have learned. Be willing to make some changes to your behaviors in order to help them accomplish some great ways to recycle.

Of course one of the many issues though is that it can be expensive to recycle certain materials. However, research has shown that cost is worth it if it will reduce the amount of materials that end up as waste. Companies are encouraged to come up with better packaging methods as well.

Plastic Recycling

Plastic has become a common material in many areas of our lives. It has been introduced to replace more expensive types of materials. Yet there is an abundance of it being wasted each day. There is no reason not to college various types of plastic so they can be recycled. Those milk jugs you go through each week, crates, holders, and anything else you can think of that is made from plastic can be melted down and molded into something new.

It is extremely expensive to recycle plastic though. This is due to the elaborate sorting process that has to take place. There are too many different types of plastic out there. They can’t all be lumped tighter or you will have products that are new but not of good quality. One way to take care of this is to sort them out by the resin code. They have been placed on all plastic materials since 1988. The lids often have to be removed as well because they are likely from a different type of material other than plastic.

One of the largest contributors of plastic waste comes from shopping. Most retail stores and grocery stores now use plastic bags instead of paper. Yet if you just through these bags away they can really add up quickly. Many people save them at home and use them for small trash cans and to carry supplies in. Some of these stores also have plastic bag recycle bins in the front. You can take what you have collected back the next time you shop.

Of all the products out there that are wasted, plastic has one of the highest percentages. If more people took an interest in recycling it though that number would decrease. There are many locations where you can drop of plastic to be recycled. If you don’t know where yours are then contact your local health department or Chamber of Commerce. If your community doesn’t participate in such recycling efforts then make a motion to get it started.

Recycling plastic is one area where more information needs to be getting into the right hands. Too many people don’t recycle plastic simply because they don’t think about it. If you are already recycling glass and paper then simply add a place to store plastic for recycling as well.

Glass Recycling

Glass is a type of material that can be recycled in our environment. Many locations have collection boxes so you can take your glass there. You may still buy juice in glass bottles as many people think it tastes better. There are some types of sodas still sold in glass bottles as well. Should you be replacing broken glass on your home or getting new windows you can recycle all of that as well.

The process of recycling glass is very detailed and very expensive. It has to be evaluated for quality before it can be used. Any traces of bacteria or remains such as debris and food contents are removed from the glass. The glass also has to be sorted based on the color so it can be very time consuming. The dark brown color of beer bottles isn’t something you want to have mixed in with the clear colors. It is all melted down in a furnace with very high heat. Once that is done there are molds that the mixture is poured into. When they are cooled they will form new bodies of glass.

Some manufacturers have contracts with glass recycling companies. They buy the glass containers for their products for them after they have been molded into certain types of containers. This is less expensive for the company than buying glass to make them on their own. It also shows consumers that they are dedicated to recycling and to cutting down waste in the environment.

The process of recycling glass for construction has been effective as well. It is ground down and referred to as glassphalt. So far the reviews of this type of material have been very good. It is likely that it will start to show up in more types of construction projects in the near future.

You can easily set up a place at home to put glass into for recycling. If you have large pieces you need to be careful so that no one gets cut. Various types of establishments such as bars have a large amount of glass each night. It should be put into containers that can be recycled.

Computer Recycling

Computers are found just about everywhere we look these days. Yet what happens to them when they stop functioning? Too many of them end up at dumps taking up space. They aren’t biodegradable so they are just going to sit there. The concept of computer recycling is one that has been introduced for that reason. These efforts began in 1994 yet too many individuals and business owners don’t know enough about it.

One of the best ways to really help out is to donate your computer to someplace that needs them. You may not think it is worth anything but it really may be. Many colleges have extensive programs in computer programming and repair. By offering to donate your old computer to them students can take them apart and see what they need in order to work again. It is a great way for them to get more hands on training.

You can also donate your old computer to a non profit organization. They can get someone to repair it and then donate it to someone who really needs it. In many instances computers still work that people don’t want any more. They have simply upgraded to a more advanced model and want to get their old one out of the way. By donating your old computer you can even get a tax deduction for such offers.

Some individuals worry about the information that is stored on their computer. You can contact computer repair shop and ask them how to handle this. For a very small fee most of them will remove the data so you don’t have to worry. In many instances though if you tell them you are going to be donating the computer they will take care of this matter for you at no charge.

In some areas it is now against the law to place old computers and monitors out in the trash. If you don’t want to hang on to them you better find another alternative. Contact a few organizations in your area. You can also contact your local college to find out who can benefit from such electronic items. Do your best to find a place for your old computer other than the dump.