Recycling your soap for a good cause – How to recycle soap

Tiny bubbles!!!

Massive quantities of soap scraps go to waste every day in America. Most people throw them in the garbage, adding to the nation’s many landfills. Some are burned in trash incinerators. Other scraps go down the drain, often helping to clog the pipes. All of this waste leads to unnecessary production of hand soaps and packaging materials.

Fortunately, a couple of nonprofit organizations are working to change this. The Global Soap Project collects scraps from American motels and uses them to manufacture new soaps. It gives the new bars to poor people, primarily in African countries. This green recycling process both benefits the environment and protects people from diseases.

Clean the World is a similar recycling organization. It obtains scraps from hotels and manufacturers. CTW also holds local collection drives in various parts of the country. This green nonprofit helps people in 45 nations, including Honduras. It supplies free products to American homeless shelters as well. CTW is based in Orlando, Florida.

There are several different ways to help these organizations recycle soap. Anyone may volunteer or donate cash. An alternative is to start a local collection drive in cooperation with Clean the World. Motel and inn owners can aid these organizations by collecting and donating scraps from their guest rooms.

People also have the option to collect their own scraps and recycle them into new bars. Although this won’t help people in poor countries, it does save money and benefit the environment. Detailed instructions are available from RecycleThis.co.uk and National Geographic.

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Recycling – Find a Good Hauling or Debris Box Service

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How green is your pet?

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Going green is a popular way to live these days, but how far can people take their attempt to lessen their impact on the environment? While most people know that using less electricity, water and fossil fuels is a great way to help the planet, most are unaware that their choice in pets can make an impact as well.

Greener Pet Choices

The first thing to note when deciding on a green pet choice is that the population of dogs and cats in the United States is out of control. A step toward a greener pet is to choose an older dog or cat to discourage the intentional breeding of animals for commercial purposes. Breeding cats and dogs simply fuels the overpopulation of these animals, while adopting a pet is almost like a form of recycling.

A benefit of owning a dog or cat is that their feces can be used for compost. In turn, the compost can be used to grow food for pets.

Environmentally-friendly Pet Supplies

Companies that embrace recycled materials for use in their products are the best option. Consumers should choose a company that only uses recycled, sustainable materials in its products.

Some examples of unique green products for pets include a cat toilet that eliminates the need for cat litter waste, pesticide-free grooming products that are safer for use on animals and around humans and hemp collars that are more comfortable for animals to wear regularly.

Pet owners can help the environment even more by recycling pet products after use.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall–Who’s the Greenest of Them All?

San Francisco the city by the bay, is number 1 in recycling!

Which American city recycles the most? A study of major cities sponsored by Nalgene, a company that makes reusable drinking bottles, gives us some indication. By their measurements, San Francisco recycles more glass, metal, and plastics than anywhere else. Ninety percent of San Franciscans report that they recycle. San Francisco’s commitment to recycling is clearly part of a larger concern for the environment. The Nalgene study named it the most “green” city overall, as well.

It’s no surprise that San Francisco gets such high marks for caring for the environment. The city government has launched a “zero waste” initiative that aims to completely eliminate waste by the year 2020. According to the latest statics offered by the city, it already recovers 77% of the materials it discards. It has accomplished this through proactive efforts by the local government: all residents are required to separate recyclable and compostable material from their trash, and building owners and event managers must provide color-coded receptacles for recyclable materials. The city government also promotes awareness in various ways, including a television advertising campaign. In addition, it has worked to ensure that every residence has access to a recycling service.

Most cities aren’t as green as San Francisco, but with RecyclerFinder.com, it’s easy and free to find the nearest recycling center, no matter where in America you live. Recyclerfinder.com also offers a mobile app that allows you to keep the nearest facility’s information in your phone through the use of a QR reader.

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How to Make Money Recycling your Electronics

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Making money by recycling electronics is a simple task that can bring in some extra cash and get rid of those unused items just sitting around the house. This is an excellent way to go green and is great for the environment. Disposing of electronics is very important because improper disposal can be harmful to the environment. The contaminants found in electronic items are harmful materials that are not ideal for landfills.

Many different companies are dedicated to assisting with the proper disposal of electronic waste also known e-waste. There are internet companies that specialize in collecting e-waste and will provide payment for the items sent in. Most of these websites have easy to follow instructions for the recycling process and will pay for the shipment of the e-waste. These companies are found by typing recycle electronics for money in any search engine.

There are many steps to follow when choosing to go green with e-waste. The first step is to evaluate all the items you would like to recycle and find a company that takes each item. Research the companies and find out which is willing to pay the most for the recyclables. When researching the facility for the recycling of the e-waste, a great website is www.recyclerfinder.com. This site helps locate facilities around you in seconds after only entering the item to be recycled and the zip code of the individual. The mobile app is ideal for assisting when on the go.

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Disposable Razors: A Nick on the Face of Mother Earth

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Every year, Americans damage the environment by purchasing and throwing away over two billion disposable razors and razor blades. That means that billions of these pieces of plastic are going to waste and piling up in landfills across the country year after year. The negative impact on the environment could at least partially be avoided through recycling.

Recycling Disposable Razors

Cutting down on waste may be a matter of choosing to recycle a razor or purchase a razor that is made with recycled materials. Some shaving companies are now running programs that allow consumers to send back their used blades and handles to be recycled into new products. The most environmentally-friendly businesses offer a combination of recycled and recyclable handles, with handles made of 100 percent recycled materials that can also be sent back to the company to again be recycled.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to recycle blades in the United States unless the shaving company is specifically running a program in which they allow consumers to send back their used blades. Currently, there is one company in the United States that is actively advertising their ability to recycle a used razor. The company, located in Massachusetts, is called Preserve and specializes in American-made personal care and kitchen products that can be recycled.

Making a Razor Last Longer

Some consumers purchase disposable razors because they cannot afford the purchase of a high-quality, reusable razor. Consumers that find themselves in this situation can cut down on waste by taking steps to make the razor last longer. Rust is a common problem with disposables, so it’s important to dry the blade shortly after use. Keeping the blade sharp and free of rust is a matter of storing the blade in olive oil when it is not in use.

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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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Tea Party at the landfill anyone?

Tea anyone?

Relaxing with a cup of tea is just about as good as it gets. A few moments of steeping and the tea is ready to drink but how should a person dispose of the used teabag and now empty packet? There are several options for ensuring tea waste is disposed of properly. While yes, empty packets and teabags are not going to overrun the landfills on their own, there are so many environmentally friendly options available to recycle or even reuse the packets.

Some varieties of tea are packaged in foil-lined packets. These packets are not considered paper in terms of recycling and are not recyclable in most areas. The greenest option for the environmentally conscious tea drinker is to change to a brand of tea sold as loose-leaf or packaged in plain paper packets suitable for recycling.

There are countless ways to keep foil-lined packets from ending up in a landfill. How about reusing those foil-lined packets to store seeds? The foil blocks light and prevents moisture from reaching the seeds, making them perfect for storage. In the spring, use the packets to start the seeds. The foil lining helps retain moisture in the small amount of soil held in the packet. Other options include numerous craft ideas. Kaleidoscope folding with empty packets makes unique embellishments for use on scrapbook pages, cards and other paper crafts. Use a variety of empty tea packets to decoupage a box or canister. It could be the perfect place to store recently purchased loose-leaf tea.

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