Paper is a versatile material, which offers a wide array of uses. Paper has been used for centuries, from the 2nd Century in China, to the water-powered paper mills of medieval Europe. While paper has been a very important aspect of our lives, the careless and wasteful use of it can lead to a mounting garbage problem.

The production of paper also is costly, and during these times where we hear a lot of horror stories regarding environmental degradation and pollution, the quest to save our forests requires that we lessen our consumption of paper and other wood by-products.

Paper Recycling Helps Save The Forests

As the demand for paper and wood increases, more and more timber is required to meet the ever-growing demand for wood pulp. In most cases, this means the irreparable loss of wildlife habitats and ecosystems, because old-growth forests are often replaced by forest plantations. This helps explain why recycling paper does more than save trees, since it also helps save the wildlife habitats and ecosystems that rely on them. Here are a few simple but helpful paper recycling tips to keep in mind.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Recycling than you may have first thought.

- Make it a point to regularly collect old newspaper, office papers and magazines from the office, or from your neighbors, and initiate a used paper collection drive. The old newspapers and used office papers can be sent to a recycling center, while the old magazines can be reused in clinics, nursing homes or libraries.

- At your office, encourage the use of electronic mails instead of constantly writing office memos. Also promote the use of copiers or printers which have an option to print or copy on both sides. Also encourage your coworkers to actively participate in any recycling program.

- At home, encourage family members to use both sides of paper. Educate your kids and other family members about the importance of paper recycling, and teach your children to bring home the paper they used in school, instead of throwing them. You can also request your kid’s school to initiate their own recycling programs.

Trees not only serve as sources of paper or packaging materials, but also serve as a natural habitat for many birds and animals. They also provide us shade, fresh air, and prevent flooding too. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which affect the earth’s temperature. This helps to explain why recycling paper is very important, because our survival depends on how we carefully manage our planet’s resources.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

Which Materials Are Recyclable?

Recycling refers to the process or re-processing and using used materials, into new products, Recycling helps in preventing the waste of potentially-useful materials or components, and helps in reducing air and water pollution, and aids in the lowering of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions too.

Recyclable materials come in different kinds, from paper, glass, metal, plastic, to textiles and other electronic components. Most cities and towns today have collection centers for recyclable materials, where these items are cleaned, sorted, and re-processed into new products and materials.

Recycling Reduces Contamination, As Well as The Need for New Landfills

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Recycling story from informed sources.

Recycling provides a number of wonderful benefits for both man and the environment. It helps reduce the amount of garbage disposed in landfills, as well as reduces the need for building new landfills. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are over 10,000 municipal landfills, and more than 3,000 active urban landfills. Because most of today’s modern landfills are tightly sealed, to protect the environment from possible contamination, they actually inhibit the natural degradation of organic waste materials.

For example, if we recycle all of the newspapers we use, we could actually help prolong the use of each landfill, as well as save millions of trees from being cut down. Recycling also helps reduce the level of contamination of hazardous chemicals and components, which are often found in old computers, cellular phones, toys, TV monitors and other electronic products. Old computer monitors for example contain as much as eight pounds of lead.

Once these harmful substances leach into the soil and underground water, they further spread and contaminate streams, rivers, and water wells, and also taint the fish and other seafood we consume.

Recycling Helps Save Precious Natural Resources

The act of recycling, even within your own home or office, can actually help save precious natural resources. If your recycle old newspapers, junk mail, cardboard, Styrofoam and other materials, you help protect the air, and help save trees from being cut down. Recycling plastic products such as soda bottles, milk, juice and bottled water containers also lessens the need for new petroleum to make these kinds of plastic products.

To help protect the planet, here are a few simple steps that you can follow. Buy only recycled products, and avoid using fax cover sheets as copy materials. You can also print double-sided, or send electronic copies instead of paper. You can also actively promote or initiate a recycling program in your office or community.

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Recycling. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Recycling.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

As more and more people worry about the state of the planet, many are now actively advocating about the need to conserve, and wisely use our precious natural resource. Recycling is one of the most popular conservation programs today. It involves the re-processing of old and used materials into new or reusable products. A lot of materials can be recycled.

Apart from metal, glass, plastic, aluminum, textiles, paper and electronics, organic wastes can also be composted and made into fertilizer. Rubber tires can now also be shredded and turned into insulation, erosion barriers and other unique products. Here’s a review of the popular and widely-accepted recycling programs of today.

In the US and elsewhere around the world, recycling and waste-recover programs take different forms. The United States recycles as much as thirty percent of its solid waste; European countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands however have recycling rates of as high as 60 percent. Here’s a look at the most popular recycling programs today.

? Drop-Off Centers For Recyclables

A drop-off center refers to a central location that’s established to accept different types of recyclable materials. Even if a town or city has special curbside pick-up points, consumers may wish to transport their used materials here, especially if they have hazardous or toxic materials at home, and don’t know how to safely store these.

? Curbside Pick-Up Points

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Recycling is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Recycling.

In a curbside recyclable pick-up program, specially-fitted trucks with separate containers roam the streets just like garbage trucks. Garbage-disposal crews then sort the materials that are thrown into the truck. However, some towns and cities require their residents to first sort the recyclables themselves, to make it easier for garbage crews to handle the recyclables.

? Refund or Deposit Programs

This program is popular in the US, especially for buyers of canned or bottled beverages. The beverage bottles or cans have a deposit added to the purchase price. Consumers may return the empty can or bottle to a collection facility, and redeem the deposit, which usually goes from one to five cents.

? Buy-Back Centers

These recycling centers operate in the same way as drop-off centers. However, these pay homeowners or consumers a price that’s based on the market value of their items.

Recycling offers a wide array of economic and environmental benefits. Recycling can help save millions of dollars from city or municipal budgets, because there’s less demand for landfills or new garbage collection trucks. Recycling can also generate as much income per ton as a landfill, and also generates six times as many jobs. A wide array of used consumer items are also collected and converted back into raw material, and are remade into new items or products.

This generates considerable savings for both manufacturers and consumers, and significantly reduces the volume of trash disposed in landfills.

Knowing enough about Recycling to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about Recycling, you should have nothing to worry about.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

There are so many ways that we can choose to stay environmentally contientious when we travel that there really is no excuse for not doing it.

Here are a few ideas for families that are traveling and still want to stay in their recycle-conscious state of mind.

Before you even leave your home there are ways that you can help save energy and waste. Turn your thermostadts down on your home and your hot water heater. Some heaters have a “Vacation” setting right on them that can be used to set the temperature when no one will be around to need the heat. Just keep in mind the plants that are left behind and as long as they will not be killed off due to the temperature change, you’re set. Be sure to turn off your outside water source, in the event that there is a pipe break while you’re away, this will minimize the damage. When you return home, turn the water back on slowly, where you will be able to be aware of any issues or leaks that may have occurred.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

If you are going to be away from home for a few days, stop your newspaper delivery. That way the paper won’t be left to end up in the trash receptical and waste your time when you return home, sorting through what is relavent mail and what is not. You may even want to check to see if your paper can be donated to a school or non-profit organization, where it will be used in your absence.

If you or someone else in your home sleeps on a waterbed, turn the temperature down on that while you’re away, you can go as low as a ten degree difference and it will impact your energy useage. If you have a refridgerator with the ability to make ice cubes, be sure to turn that part off by lifting the wire, and you can lessen the risk of flooding should it break while you’re away.
There are airlines that offer electronic ticketing and by using these services will cut back on the paper waste generated by the airline, on a daily basis. There are even some airlines that charge a fee if you have lost a paper ticket, so rid yourself of any of those problems by opting for the paper-less airline ticket options.

If you are heading out of town, before you leave, go around the house and unplug the items that you would normally leave plugged in, like the TV, the computer, cable converter boxes, appliances, VCRs, stereos, etc. If these items are left plugged in to the outlets they can still draw or “leak” energy, even up to 40 watts per hour, even if they have been turned off. I think this is one of the most important messages to get across before you leave for a vacation; even if your electronics are turned off, they can still cost you money if they remain plugged in. Do yourself a big favor and always be sure to check these items before walking out the door to your vacation.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing–the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

But what should the average American consumer do when those bags start to pile up? It doesn’t take long for the pile to start to form, maybe two or three big trips to the grocery store, and you could end up with 15 or more bags per visit. What are some of the ways we can keep the build up of plastic bags to a minimum?

It there are cats in your house those left over bags from the grocery store come in handy when cleaning out the litter box. Just having the bags around when you have to touch something you really don’t want to. By having the bags, in hand, the actual touching of the item is no longer an issue and it will help with germs being passed from cat litter box to human, which can cause all kinds of illnesses.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Recycling, keep reading.

People can reuse the bags as lunch bags, rather than the old way of using a new “brown bag” for lunch carrying purposes. It may not seem like a great effort but each and every effort, no matter how little, is having an impact.

Another way to cut down on the recycling in the area of shopping is to have a designated bag that can be used over and over again for the groceries. Totally eliminating the need for the plastic bag is a huge step toward progress when it comes to recycling. There are companies that sell bags for this purpose and some of them are made from organic materials and even have sayings on them like, “Nothing on me is plastic,” and my personal favorite, “I’m not an old bag!” I love the companies that make bags like these because they can do it with flair. Some of the recycled bags come in a rainbow of neon colors that are, to say the least, eye catching, as well as reusable! Canvas totes can be thrown into a washing machine and will serve for many, many trips to pick up bread and milk.

The bottom line is becoming aware of what we use and how such items can be reused. No matter where you shop or what purchases you make, if, at the end of the day you’re surrounded by plastic bags, there’s always a way to get more use out of them.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Recycling. When people start looking for more information about Recycling, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

What Is Recycling?

By definition, recycling refers to the processing or used materials into new products or items, to prevent the wasteful disposal of useful materials, as well as reduce air, water and soil pollution, and lessen the need for conventional waste disposal methods. The recyclable materials include different types of paper, glass, plastic, metal, textiles and electronics.

Other forms of recycling include composting, which involves the reuse of biodegradable wastes like food or garden waste. The process of recycling either involves bringing recyclable materials into a collection center, or these are picked up in garbage bins, and are sorted, cleaned and re-processed into new materials at the local recycling facility.

Important Recycling Facts And Details You Should Know

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Recycling story from informed sources.

Here are some disturbing facts that we all need to know, which should remind us of just t how wasteful and irresponsible we have all become.

? According to environment groups, the average American uses around seven trees a year in wood, paper and other wood by-products. The amount of wood and paper that we throw in our landfills each year is more than enough to heat 50,000,000 for the next twenty years.

? Used aluminum beverage cans are among the most easily-recyclable items today. A used aluminum can be recycled and returned back to the grocery shelf in as little as 60 days, and recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television set for 3 hours.

? 2.5 million plastic bottles are used in the United States each day, and most of them are thrown away. The plastics and other types of trash that end up in our seas and oceans are estimated to kill as much as 1 million sea creatures every year. Recycling plastic can save as much energy as compared to burning it in incinerators.

? 16 billion diapers, 1.6 billion pens, 220 million car tires, and 2 billion razor blades are discarded each year in the US alone. The United States is the number one garbage-producing nation in the planet, which amounts to an estimated 1,609 pounds of trash per person.

? A single quart of improperly disposed motor oil is enough to contaminate as much as 2 million gallons of fresh water. Motor oil never wears out, but only gets dirty. Oil however, can be recycled, refined and re-used again.

There’s a lot to understand about Recycling. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

If each individual on the planet did his or her own small thing, such as recycle, it all should add up to one significant change, as well as help make a big difference in the long term. Reusing, reducing and recycling waste needs to start at home. Here are a few recycling tips that you can easily follow at home.

Re-Use Scrap Paper, And Do Not Throw Your Old Newspapers

Your old newspapers can still do a lot of helpful stuff. They can be reused for packing your valuables into your storage boxes, and can be used in your kitty litter box. Scrap paper can also reused. Use up both sides to print documents, unless you’re printing a very important office or business document. You can also send your old newspapers to a collection facility for proper recycling.

Plastic Bottles Can Be Recycled

Set aside an area in your garage or storage room for storing plastic bottles. If your town or city has a collection facility or pick-up point, bring your plastic bottles there, and trade them for cash. Ice cream and yoghurt plastic containers can be reused to store candies, biscuits and other items, and may also be used for storing your kids’ crayons, pens and small toys.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Recycling, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

How To Recycle Old Electronic Items

Ensure that all the batteries you use for your flashlights, cell phones and toys are sent to recycling centers, because throwing these in the garbage bin may harm the environment. Any broken electronic appliances or items may also be repaired and reused at home too. However, irreparable electronic items can be sold as junk, or sent to a collection facility for proper recycling and disposal.

Recycling Kitchen Waste

Kitchen waste, especially the organic ones, can be used as manure or fertilizer, once these have been placed in a compost pit. The productive use of kitchen wastes helps reduce a town or city’s sewage and garbage problems. The tin cans which often accumulate in your kitchen can also be collected and crushed, and sent to a recycling facility.

Be Earth-Friendly When Going Shopping

When shopping or going to the grocery, always bring a cloth bag, and avoid using plastic shopping bags, because these are very hard to recycle. In addition, buy goods or products that are made from recycled materials, or use recycled materials for packaging.

These are but a few of the many things that you can do to help make our world a cleaner and safer place to live in. With a lot of research and simple innovation, you can actually make a difference for the planet.

So now you know a little bit about Recycling. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

New York City, in just its five boroughs, has a population of over 8 million and in an area smaller than most states; you can just imagine how much waste is created on a daily basis. Recycling in New York City is mandatory and has been since July 1989. Before that date, starting in 1986, recycling was voluntary and as it began to catch on, recycling-educating materials from pamphlets, decals to TV and newspaper advertisements flooded the area up until 1997, when all five boroughs and all 59 districts were recycling all of the same materials. By this time an impact was being made in recycling waste right up until the events of September 11th, 2001. After the 9/11 tragedy forced budget cuts were implemented for the Department of Sanitation.

It’s hard to believe that a city as populated as New York City has always been, that it took until 1881 before the first sanitation collection agency was formed. The agency was formed in an effort to clean up the city’s littered streets and to stop the general population from disposing of their waste directly into the Atlantic Ocean. In 1881, the Department of Street Cleaning was formed and the New York City Police Department was no longer responsible for the waste problems. It is basically the same department today with the exception of a 1933 name change into the Department of Sanitation.

Prior to the formation of the Department of Sanitation, more than three quarters of all waste from the city of New York was simply dumped into the ocean. Just a decade later, in 1895, the very first recycling plan was implemented by Commissioner George Waring in which his plan separated household waste into three categories; there was food waste, rubbish and ash.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

The only category of the three that could not be re-used was ash, and it and whatever materials came from the rubbish category that could not be re-used were put into landfills. Food waste, which went through a process of being steamed, they found, could be turned into fertilizer and grease materials that were used to produce soap. The category of rubbish was collected and re-used however possible and only as a last resort, ended up in the landfills.

New York City had filled to capacity six landfills and needed to keep them closed from 1965 to 1991, which left open only one active landfill; Fresh Kills in Staten Island, which remained the only trash-accepting landfill until it closed for good in 2001.

Other than the temporary end of recycling due to World War I in 1918, New York City has kept a steady flow of recycling going for more than a hundred years and at one time ran twenty two incinerators and eighty nine landfills.

Recycling continues today in New York City as a mandatory action for all residents, schools, institutions, agencies and all commercial businesses.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or popularly referred to as CFL’s, are a type of fluorescent lamp. Most CFL types were produced to replace incandescent lamps, and these are noted to have efficient life spans, and also feature a considerably reduced light output.

What’s The Average Lifespan of a Typical CFL Lamp?

According to lighting experts, the average lifespan of a CFL unit is from 8 to 15 times that of an incandescent lamp. Incandescent lighting units generally have life spans of around 750 to 1,000 hours. CFL units however, use less power and have longer shelf lives. While CFL’s have a quite higher purchase price, it can save as much as 30 dollars in electricity costs over the lighting unit’s life span.

Environmental Issues Regarding The Use Of CFLs

While compact fluorescent lamps have longer life spans, and save you money on electricity bills, these products contain mercury, which makes their disposal a quite complex one. CFL’s, and other fluorescent lamps generally have small amounts of mercury inside them that are used as vapor inside the glass tubing.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Recycling. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

A typical CFL unit will contain as much as 3 to 5 mg of mercury, while some contain 1 mg or less. Since mercury is a highly-toxic material, its disposal in landfills or incinerators poses a major health safety issue, because burning or burying them in the ground can contribute to air and water pollution. This has prompted the National Electrical Manufacturers Association in the US to voluntary cap the amount of mercury placed in each CFL unit.

The European Union has also required lighting manufacturers to cap their CFL mercury content too. The US Environmental Protection Agency also estimates that if all CFL’s produced in the US were dumped in landfills, this would amount to 0.13 metric tons, or 0.1% of all mercury emissions in the US.

How To Properly Dispose And Recycle CFL’s

Here are some tips and precautions for the handling, disposal or recycling or compact fluorescent lamps.

? Find out if your town or city has drop-off points or centers where mercury-containing items are accepted. Because different states have different regulations regarding the handling or disposal of materials containing toxic ingredients, check on your state or city’s recycling regulations first.

? Place a CFL bulb in two plastic bulbs. Most US states require that you place a CFL bulb in two plastic bags, so that it’s mercury content won’t seep out if the bulb gets broken.

? Find out if there’s a retailer in your town or city who accepts the trade-in of old CFL bulbs. Some retailers like Ikea, have major recycling programs for CFL’s, however they may levy a small fee for disposal. Also determine whether your state allows the disposal of CFL bulbs in your weekly trash. Also dispose broken CFL bulbs by scooping the fragments or powder using a stiff cardboard, and also place the materials in a sealed plastic bag, and stuff this into another bag as well.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

What Differentiates Hazardous Waste From Commercial Waste?

Commercial waste is often defined as the waste or garbage that’s often generated by most businesses and commercial establishments. Hazardous or toxic wastes on the other hand, are waste materials that may cause death, serious injury and other serious health risks to man and other living creatures.

In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other state departments manage and oversee the laws which regulate the disposal of hazardous wastes. The EPA requires that hazardous wastes be handled with extra precaution, and should also disposed at designated facilities. Among the materials that need to be handled with extra care include medical waste, commercially-generated waste, electronic items and components, radioactive materials, ammunition, and other unknown materials.

Hazardous Waste Cannot Be Disposed By Conventional Means

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Hazardous wastes come in different physical states, from liquid, solid, gaseous and others. These types of wastes cannot simply be disposed through conventional garbage disposal methods, and depending on their physical composition, a specialized treatment or disposal process may need to be done.

A lot of people are totally unaware that their homes or offices are often filled with lots of toxic products, which may have harmful effects to the environment if these are improperly disposed. You can actually find lots of toxic products in your kitchen to storage room, from furniture polish, nail polish, floor wax, drain cleaners, laundry detergents, paints and solvents, toilet bowl cleaners, motor oils, antifreeze, window-washing fluids, batteries and many more. Remember that most of these fluids should never be poured down the drain, because they contain corrosive ingredients.

What Are The Different Methods For Recycling Hazardous Wastes?

One method for handling and recycling hazardous wastes is called waste reclamation. Through this method, a toxic or hazardous product is put through a process which makes it reusable again. Many chemical wastes can actually be reused through this recycling method.

Examples include mercury, which can be retrieved from mercury barometers and reused again for different purposes. In the proper recycling of household hazardous wastes, most towns and cities today have installed programs for recycling them. Some towns have receiving points where people can drop their used batteries, used paint, broken computers or damaged cars. Some towns also have collection facilities for recycling used motor oils, paints, textiles and other electronic components.

As your knowledge about Recycling continues to grow, you will begin to see how Recycling fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO