The Hidden Language of Plastic Recycling

View of over 2 million plastic bottles for recycling.

When people recycle, they protect the environment and prevent valuable materials from going to waste. However, it’s important to check the recycling codes on bottles, tubs, bags and other items. Proper sorting improves efficiency and reduces the operating costs of recycling facilities. Plastic manufacturers use seven different codes.

#1 PETE/PET: Polyethyl tetraethylenei. Many beverages come in plastic bottles of this type. If your city doesn’t accept these bottles, you may be able to bring them to a redemption center.

#2 HDPE: High-density polyethylene. Manufacturers often use this plastic for rigid containers. Most recycling programs accept this type. You may have to recycle number two plastic bags at a grocery store.

#3 PVC/V: Polyvinyl chloride. Various chemical containers and other products contain this plastic. Only some towns and cities accept it. Remember to thoroughly rinse out any chemical residues.

#4 LDPE/LLDPE: Low-density polyethylene or linear low-density polyethylene. This more flexible plastic is used in some bags and condiment bottles. Most cities recycle it.

#5 PP: Polypropylene. This relatively common plastic is found in some cereal bowls and containers for refrigerated foods. You might be able to recycle it in a major town or city.

#6 PS: Polystyrene. This material can come in the form of plastic or foam in disposable cups, trays and cartons. It is particularly harmful to the environment. In most areas, it must be discarded.

#7  OTHER: Unlike the other numbers, seven doesn’t refer to a specific plastic. The material may consist of multiple plastics or a less common type. Few cities recycle it.

Metal, glass and cardboard often lack code numbers. If you need to sort metals, use a magnet; it won’t stick to aluminum. A symbol with a phone number usually means that you must take the item to a special location to recycle it. Contact your local government for specific sorting guidelines.

Sources

1. Argonne National Laboratory, http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/newton/askasci/1993/environ/ENV003.HTM
2. New York City, http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/resources/plastics_codes.shtml

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CD Case Recycling: Music to Our Planet’s Ears

Say goodby to CD's, the 90's and these nut jobs! My eyes hurt!

MP3 players, such as iPods, have revolutionized how the masses buy music and provide a compact way to carry around entire music libraries, while also reducing one’s carbon footprint. These rechargeable gadgets have popularized digital downloads and reduced the demand for CDs, making them a big win for the environment, which is music to our planet’s ears.

Of course, with this eco-friendly move away from CDs, which are notoriously hard on the environment with their material requirements, manufacturing process, packaging and long-distance delivery, there are plenty of folks who now are wondering what to do with all of those old CD cases that are taking up space on their bookshelves. The key, of course, is to recycle, which leads to the question of where exactly this CD case recycling happens.

Some CD cases have a recycling code, which most often consists of a triangle with a 6 inside and PS underneath. This lets us know that CDs are categorized as type 6 plastic – aka polystyrene. This type of plastic is not often accepted for pick-up in curbside recycle bins in most cities, but using a site like RecyclerFinder.com is an simple, convenient way to locate recycling facilities that accept CD cases. This makes it easy to do your part to save the planet and helps you get rid of all of those old cases that are no longer needed.

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The Magical World of Recycling

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Theme parks aren’t known for their recycling efforts or for attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. But with recent developments it seems that amusement parks are starting to do their part to keep the world as green as possible as long as possible.Major theme parks like Six Flags and Disney World have started recycling programs in order to keep the millions upon millions of plastic cups and the like out of landfills. Some amusement parks have even switched to biofuel to fuel rides and machines, friendly cleaning products and locally grown ingredients in their eateries.

An online company called Green Halo Systems allows users to track what they recycle and where it’s going. What this means for amusement parks is that Green Halo software will give them the ability to see what they waste and how much they waste. Now companies can see first hand the impact they have on the environment rather than having to make an educated guess. Any data from Green Halo software can be shared with multiple users and can also be printed out.

Other efforts some theme parks are making to go green are using LED lights, switching to water-saving fixtures and switching from plastic trash bags to ones that are biodegradable.

For many of us, an amusement park is one of the last places that we could think of as going green, but why not? It’s place where a large amount of people gather, eat and walk, which can add up to quite a lot of trash in a short amount of time. Amusement parks are doing their part to keep the environment intact, make sure you’re doing yours.

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Make Green By Going Green – Cash For Trash

People are making money turning their scrap into cash at RecyclerFinder.com

People are making money using RecyclerFinder.com to locate recycling facilities that will pay you cash for your scrap. Every day thousands of household items and electronics are mindlessly discarded or hulled to the curb for pick-up. What most people do not know, however, is that these objects can earn a respectable amount of money if given to recycling companies for processing. Who does not want to earn extra cash?

RecyclerFinder.com assists the public with identifying what recyclable items are of interest and directs individuals to appropriate recycling locations in the area. Items such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers and similar items – also called white metal – can be recycled for a cash return. Metals such as copper and stainless steal can be deposited at the same recycling locations. With copper prices near all-time highs, the return on deposit is well worth reclaiming copper wiring, tubing and other copper-rich items. RecyclerFinder.com makes the process of recycling easier.

In addition to metal, paper and plastic recovery programs other personal and household merchandise can also be recycled. Items such as cell phones, old rechargeable batteries, printers and computers all have unique reprocessing systems specific for the particular category. Companies will pay individuals for outdated cell phones and electronics and cover the cost of shipping by supplying pre-paid containers.

By providing facility locator services, RecyclerFinder.com decreases time spent in finding a recycling company and increases the probability that items that should be recycled will be. Every step taken to refrain from unloading products that can be recycled benefits the environment, businesses, economy, and adds a little more cash to the bank account.

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