RECYCLING FACTS

The #1 most important recycling fact:

∙       You can make a difference!

∙       The United States annually recycles enough copper to provide the copper content for 30,645 Statues of Liberty.

∙       Each person creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every single day.

∙       An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be there 500 years from now.

∙       Recycling 1 ton (2000 pounds) of aluminum cans conserves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline.

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

11∙15∙12

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. One day to educate and motivate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.

This year, at Recycling Center, we made a pledge to learn about all the different recyclable materials. And we pledged to act by adding one new item to recycle!

America Recycles Day 2012 is almost here, but the importance of recycling lives on. Get involved! 

Not all items are biodegradable. A lot of the garbage people throw out is non biodegradable or does not decompose. In these instances, these items are recycled to further maximize its usage. Take for instance aluminum. Aluminum is non biodegradable. You can wait your entire life but the can of soda you just finished will remain a can as long as you keep it. It will, however, be a waste if that aluminum can stay a can for the rest of its life. So, to further utilize the material, you can give it up to undergo aluminum recycling.

 

Aluminum recycling is simply reusing scrap aluminum long after its initial production. The process usually requires the aluminum to be reheated and reformed to other items, which is more practical than having to create a new batch of aluminum. The great thing about aluminum is that it can be recycled infinitely without having to risk losing its quality. You might be surprised to know that more than half of all aluminum produced in the 18th century is still used today with the help of aluminum recycling.

Perhaps it all began with beverage cans. Recycling aluminum was not so popular before and only gained visibility and concern with the massive production of aluminum cans. After massive production, there was a need to get rid of aluminum; which is not possible due to the nature of its composition. And so efforts were made to make sure that the items did not go to waste. The best option was to reuse them by turning them into other usable items. Recycling does not damage aluminum and so it is safe to reuse it or reproduce any product from it. Sources are varied. Cars, bicycles, aircraft and wires are just some items were aluminum can be found. Recycling aluminum is a great way to save plus it’s very nature friendly too.

Have you ever wondered how large pipes are being recycled? Recycling in the plastics industry is common most especially when it comes to pipe recycling. Instead of producing plastic materials, it would be more environment-friendly and cost effective for plastics companies to recycle. Since plastics have about 100 years of life span, it is still possible for plastic to be recycled even for several times.

Pipe recycling involves both recycling of yellow pipes used in gas pipes and blue pipes used for water pipes. Although steel recycling is much more recognized, plastic recycling is not entirely a new idea. But do you know how these pipes are being processed during recycling? Once the recycling companies collected sufficient number of pipes, they will be packed together by a wire for easy transportation. Since pipes are long, they will have to be cut to convenient sizes. They also have to be sorted meticulously to ensure that different plastic types are not mixed with other plastics. Sometimes, pipes have to be washed and dried to remove the dusts that might have accumulated. This is important to guarantee that the end product is still of highest plastic quality.

If the pipes are cut in manageable sizes and have been cleaned, the pipes will now undergo a mechanical process. It will then be processed by a heating machine to enclose spaces and ensure that plastics are thoroughly bound. The plastic product will go through shredding and granulation using spinning blade machinery. Sometimes, same plastic types will be blended together to form a new plastic product.

This is basically how pipe recycling is done but recycling companies are geared more on producing top quality plastics made from scrap pipes.  In order to achieve that, they still have other intensive procedures that will guarantee high quality products. Now you are aware that the pipes used today are capable of being reused numerous times through rigorous pipe recycling process.

Nonferrous metals refer to aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, titanium, cobalt, chromium and other precious metals. Although these metals can be produced, it would consume lesser energy if these metals are recycled instead of made. Aluminum recycling consumes 95% lesser compared to making it from raw materials.  Unlike ferrous metal though, non-ferrous metal recycling entails separation of these different metals from each other so that they can be properly processed.

Non-ferrous metal recycling involves an intricate process with the use of machine. Once sorting is done, the first step is packing together the non-ferrous metal. This is to ensure that they can be easily transported from one place to the recycling centers. At the same time, it would be a lot easier to carry if the metals are flattened. It will then be cut into handy sizes. This cutting process is done by hydraulic machinery that applies great pressure to the metal in order to be sliced appropriately. Although these non-ferrous metals have been pre-sorted, they will be sorted again using a shredder that uses electrical current, high pressure and liquid floating system. By doing this, that ferrous metals are thoroughly separated from non-ferrous metals.

Finally, these non-ferrous metals will be placed in a furnace to undergo melting. The resulting materials will be converted to flat sheet or shaped product such as tubing ready to be used again.

Non-ferrous metal recycling helps not only in saving energy but in lessening waste materials that could possibly end up in landfills. Even if non-ferrous metals undergo chemical processes, its physical properties are still the same. Aluminum recycled products are used in construction, transportation, packaging, electricity and tableware. Recycled copper is heavily used in electrical component, piping, roofing and insulation and cookware. Through recycling, enormous production of these metals is still possible without having to pose great risk in the environment. 

If you decide on renovating your house or getting rid of your old refrigerator, make sure to consider metal recycling. Not only will you contribute in saving energy, you will also help in achieving a cleaner environment for all of us. At the same time, metal recycling can help you earn a few bucks. Instead of putting away an old refrigerator carelessly, bring it to a metal recycler center near your place. Bear in mind that metals can either be non-ferrous of ferrous. How will you know the difference?

The easy way to determine ferrous from non-ferrous metals is by using a magnet. If the magnet sticks to the metal, then it is ferrous. It is important that you determine first the metal before carrying it to a recycle center so that they can also sort them properly. Non-ferrous metals can include aluminum, copper, zinc, lead and tin. Lead is one of the expensive recyclable products. If you are not using your car battery, you might as well sell in to a scrap metal dealer.

You might be surprised that some of the things you found in your garage, kitchen or bathroom can be a source of income for you and your family. Metal recycling companies and other recycling centers have the necessary equipment and materials to turn your seemingly unwanted home waste materials into some reusable. If you have renovated your bathroom, collect the taps and old and bring it to a scrap metal dealer. If you think an old kitchen sink is of no use, then you are wrong. Kitchen sink is made of stainless steel and it is accepted by scrap metal dealers.

If you think of discarding things in your house, consider if it can be recycled. If it is, go to your nearest recycling center and help make a difference by disposing and recycling your seemingly unusable garbage.

Ferrous metals refer to mostly iron made metals. Unlike non-ferrous metal recycling where you need to separate aluminum, tin, lead, zinc and copper from each other before they are melted, ferrous metal recycling does not need sorting. All the collected ferrous metals are melted together. To determine if the metal is ferrous, grab a magnet and if the magnet sticks to the metal, then it is ferrous. Ferrous metal recycling has been one of the widely known recycling in the United States.

Steel companies prefer ferrous metal recycling not only for economic and financial reasons but also the fact that it is environment-friendly. Carbon dioxide emission during production is lesser and use of energy and water is also much lower. In 2008 alone, steel industry generated about 40% of its total production from scrap ferrous metals. At the same time, recycling ferrous metals are so much more convenient primarily because its intrinsic physical properties are not affected even undergoing chemical processes. 

It is easy to detect which metals are ferrous. Most of these ferrous metals that are heavily recycled are containers, cans, automobile parts, appliances and stainless steel. Before deciding to discard some of these metals, you might want to consider selling it to your local recycling companies. This is one way of generating extra income while getting rid of your unwanted metal garbage at home or in your business.

Larger bulk of ferrous metals can earn you a lot of money. Scrap metal recycling centers have advanced weighing scale. These ferrous metals are weighed by pounds. If you want to know the estimated amount you can earn from your collected ferrous metals, call the nearest ferrous metal recycling company for their pricing. Some of these companies offer pickup services so you do not have to go to their centers. Just give them a call and they will pick them up for you.

Have you ever wondered where computers end up once they are broken? You might think they end up in the landfill but that is actually one of the things that we do not want to happen. For one, the internal parts of the computer contain hazardous materials that are harmful to the environment. Also, computers contain important information and it is necessary that these are handled by the right people.

Computer recycling is a complicated process since computer parts contain vital information. Data security is one of the concerns when it comes to computer recycling. Therefore, it is essential to delete all information by wiping out its contents several times. This is specified by the Department of Defense and the procedure has to be undertaken meticulously. Another way of making sure that important data from the computer cannot be transmitted or copied is by shredding the parts to ensure that the contents are completely destroyed and cannot be retrieved.

Computer equipment that cannot be reused should also be totally removed and all data should be obliterated. If you also happen to have a computer that is outdated, you can sell it in nearby recycling centers. These recycling centers are knowledgeable in disposing electronic waste in a more efficient manner so as not to contribute damage to the environment. If you have a computer equipment that can is available for resale, you can have it fixed first before selling it to earn money. There are recycling companies that are willing to refurbish the equipment for you.

Computer recycling involves taking apart of the entire computer into tiny parts. It will then be either physically shredded or electronically wiped out to ensure complete protection of the data. Shredding will be done until the parts are less than 2 inches in diameter. Computer has been an essential part of today’s world but proper steps should also be taken to make sure that a green environment is not compromised. 

You might not be aware that by throwing away your cell phone just like how you normally dispose your garbage, you are actually contributing to water pollution. Bear in mind that cell phone parts can contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic that are harmful to the environment if not properly discarded. Nowadays, multiple brands and models of cell phones started to breed like mushrooms. It is no wonder why some people often change cell phones to cope with the increasing trend of stylish and smart phones.

Due to this seemingly relentless need to produce technologically advanced cell phones, it is necessary to also consider cell phone recycling. Not only are you going to aid in attaining a greener environment, you will also have the opportunity to help other people. Old yet well-functioning cell phones can be donated to senior citizens and women’s shelters. For employed citizens, it is easy to buy a cell phone. But for some who have limited income, receiving a refurbished one is a great help. Also, it would give them access to emergency services.

Another way of cell phone recycling is donating your old cell phones to organizations that provide assistance to U.S soldiers. For every old cell phone they collected, they will earn $30 for that. You can do this by casing it in a package and remember to put a free mailing label.

Cell phone recycling can also help you earn and save money. You can exchange your old cell phone for a new one through an upgrade. You might have to shell out some cash but you have to admit, you basically saved a few bucks for a better one. Finally, if you already own a lot of cell phones, forget the upgrade and go straight to selling it. There are organizations that buy old cell phones for a better price.

Among the wires that are used in building or homes, the most precious wire is copper because even if it has been used many times, it will retain its value especially with the fact that many recycling companies would eagerly buy this precious metal in bulk. Copper wire recycling is a necessity nowadays and even well into the 21st century because this metal is very hard to find. Furthermore, with more buildings or tall structures being built many city governments or recycling companies would love to buy copper or even get it for free. Instead of setting aside copper that may take up space in homes or shops, people should bundle them to be sold.

Once a recycling company has been contacted, a person can discuss the price that he or she will get for selling the copper. Once everything has been settled, the recycling company can now sell the copper themselves and the smelting companies can go into wire recycling by liquefying the copper, so it can be used again. Since copper is found in most buildings, big recycling companies will only deal with those people who are connected to building sites and get tons of this precious metal.

However, there are those who are more than happy enough to get any kind of volume though some people who have small amounts of copper have to hand-carry and give away the copper themselves to these small recycling companies. Not all copper metals are the same and companies who are into wire recycling will choose electrical copper wire among the others because this will command the best price. Other copper wires that are contaminated or soldered will still fetch a good price though. The good thing about recycling copper is that the waste products can be buried instead of being burned and this will prevent harmful fumes from reaching the atmosphere.