Office Recycling – 5 Ways to a Greener Business

Richard Kaloust Office Recycling By Marjorie Jackson.

Recycling has become an increasingly popular activity for homeowners all over the world. More and more families are choosing to go green and help save the environment with easy at-home solutions. From recycling and composting to reducing energy and water, keeping the environment healthy has become a huge initiative for homeowners.

What’s surprising is the lack of participation from many companies all over the country. One company (depending on the size) can have the same impact on the environment as a small village of homes. If your company could make the world a greener place, wouldn’t you want to be part of it?

Here are some simple things you can do in the office that will not only make the environment healthier but will cut back on costs as well:

1. Recycling Bins. It’s important to promote recycling within your company. Not only should employees be aware of the initiatives but all measures should be taken to ensure that recycling is as easy as possible. Place the recycle bins close to the garbage cans so employees don’t have to walk further to the bins (they might lose interest if it means more work). You may even want to give each employee a normal waste basket and a recycle one so they don’t have to leave their desks to recycle their products.

2. Water Coolers vs. Water Bottles. Water bottles are not environmentally friendly and they cost significantly more than water coolers. Opt for switching from water bottles to a single (or multiple if you work for a larger company) water cooler instead of countless water bottles.

3. Energy Efficient Dishwashers. Purchasing an energy efficient dishwasher will make a huge difference in the amount of water and energy it takes to wash your dishes every day. There are several types of energy efficient dishwashers to choose from, in a variety of price ranges to suit all budgets.

4. Email vs. Paper. Communication is an integral part of every company. More and more companies are choosing to communicate via email rather than paper. Power Point presentations are becoming increasingly popular and 10-page paper handouts are becoming a thing of the past. Some companies are even opting to do pay stubs via email to cut back on the paper usage every pay period.

5. Carpooling, Public Transportation etc. You can’t force your employees to carpool to work or take the bus instead of driving every day, but you can persuade them. A lot of companies have chosen to promote carpooling and public transportation through reward programs.

Metal Recycling and How to Recycle Metal

Richard Kaloust Metal Recycling By Patrick Sharple.

Metal recycling is the most popular form of recycling in the United States. Steel and aluminum can be infinitely recycled. Scrap metal is ferrous metals (steel and iron) or nonferrous metals (tin, brass, copper, aluminum). Home appliances such as dishwasher, washing machines, stoves, and refrigerators are generally created from metal. Discarded appliances fit within 2 categories: refrigerants and non-refrigerants.

Four Stages of Metal Recycling
There are 4 stages in metal recycling: collection, processing (where metal is compacted), shredding, and selling to mini mills that produce steel. This recycling process requires 74 percent less energy than the use of virgin materials.

Useful tips for unwanted appliances:

1. When you purchase a new appliance, ask the delivery driver to take the old one with him/her. Companies either recycle the unit or properly dispose of it.

2. Ask a professional to take apart the discarded appliance and remove the recyclable parts to take to your local recycling center.

3. If the appliance is still functional, sell it on the Internet, donate to a charity, give to a friend, or list it on freecycle.com.

Benefits to Recycling Metal

Aluminum cans made their debut as beverage containers in 1965. Because of the aluminum can’s ability to be recycled over and over again, it is the most valuable recyclable container in America today. Aluminum recycling provides community, environmental, and economic benefits.

Environmental advantages include saving precious natural resources, energy and money. It only takes 2 months for an aluminum can to be recycled into a new can and put back on the shelves ready for resale. In 2007, an impressive 54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy of 15 million barrels of crude oil.

The economic benefits of recycling aluminum cans are plentiful. Each year, the aluminum industry buys over $800 million dollars worth of empty cans to be recycled. This money can go to non-profit and charity organizations. Many such groups recycle cans to earn money for their organizations. When cans are recycled curbside, the money from the aluminum industry goes toward community services. The aluminum industry has even teamed up with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, by allowing them to leave can drop-off boxes in several locations to raise money for housing individuals and families.

Aluminum foil can usually be recycled with your aluminum cans, but before doing that, it’s always good to reuse it on other food items. Just wash it and let it dry with your dishes.

Many local super markets have recycling machines. Cans are fed into a slot and depending on which state you live in, you will get a voucher with the total amount of the cans you’ve submitted.

Learn How to Recycle Your Old Plastic Containers

Richard Kaloust Plastic Container Recycling By Terry Keenan

The “green” movement is in full swing, and many people are thinking twice before they toss anything in the trash. People are constantly finding ways to reuse and recycle old items in order to keep them out of landfills – and possibly help out someone in need – and you can do the same with your old plastic containers.

Before you start shopping for new plastic containers, check out the five ways you can reuse and recycle your old containers below.

Donate Your Old Plastic Containers

There are several ways you can donate your old containers:

* If you’re a business owner who’s looking to purchase new wholesale plastic containers, chances are you might know another business owner who could use your old containers.
* Charities like your local Salvation Army or Goodwill can use plastic containers to better organize their merchandise.
* If you or someone in your family belongs to a sports team, special interest club, or religious organization, your containers might come in handy the next time a fundraiser rolls around.

Plastic Containers Make Great Gifts

If your container is still in pretty good shape, consider using it as a gift box the next time you have a birthday, anniversary, or holiday gift to give. Traditional cardboard gift boxes have their uses, but many people damage them when they’re opening the gift or toss them in the trash because they don’t have room to store them until they can reuse them.

Plastic containers, on the other hand, are durable and present a world of storage possibilities to the recipient. Square containers are especially good for holding gifts because they’re as easy as regular gift boxes to wrap, and small containers are lightweight and easy to handle.

Move Your Plastic Containers to the Garage

You might be in the market for new plastic containers, but that doesn’t always mean you have to get rid of your old ones. Actually, several spaces throughout your house – such as your basement, your garage, and your attic – might be screaming for a little help with organization and your old containers can provide just that.

Give Your Plastic Container a Face Lift

If you don’t have any family or friends who could use the plastic containers and you can’t think of anything you could organize with them, you still don’t have to toss them in the trash. Clear plastic containers offer many possibilities when it comes to crafts! For example, you could decorate your container using nontoxic art supplies and begin reusing it as a food scoop for your pet’s dry food. This kind of project works especially well when you use containers with handgrips.

Bring Your Old Plastic Containers to a Recycling Center

Reusing your containers, or donating them to someone who can use them, is great; however, if those aren’t options for you, you can always bring your plastic containers to your local recycling center. Be sure to check the bottom of your container for a recycling code; if there is no code or you’re unsure about whether you can even recycle your particular kind of container, make sure you call your recycling center for details.