Understanding the Essentials of Glass Recycling to Increase Community Participation

Most people are familiar with the notion of recycling materials to ensure the greatest use is achieved from the resource, but many are unfamiliar with the nature of the process or the immediate benefits associated with it. Glass recycling, for instance, is something many people do by routine, but there are others who flippantly toss a bottle or jar without giving much thought to the effects such waste has on the environment, the added cost throwing away a recyclable item represents or the diverse reasons so many others choose recycling.

To better understand the recycling movement that first took off in the 1970s and is currently experiencing a boom, consider the immediate effects glass recycling has on the world. Every glass item recycled helps to ensure increased energy conservation, conservation of raw materials, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, overall lower costs for producers and, subsequently, consumers and solid waste diversion.

Among the items one might bring to a glass recycling center are table tops, windows, doors and containers. In fact, just about every room in any house or business contains glass. Once some element using glass breaks, most people dispose of the shards and chips by simply throwing them into the trash. The amount of glass wasted due to breakage is astronomical, but any amount of glass recycled helps to make a tremendous difference for conservation efforts over time. In fact, the amount of resources that could be conserved if broken materials were recycled from household to household is exponential.

The process of glass recycling is simple, elegant and even beautiful. Initially, all glass to be recycled is divided by color: clear, green or brown. Once divided, the glass is crushed to a fine material known as cullet. Once the cullet has been produced, it is washed to remove all residue, glue and labels. Cullet that is free from all of these contaminants is sold to glass factories. At these factories, it is added to molten glass for a second, third or even further use as a new container or other item. Cullet serves a number of uses, including glasphalt for road construction, fiberglass insulation and aggregate.

As one of the easiest materials to recycle and one of the most commonly found materials used for containers, glass represents an enormous daily weight in landfills and other dumping areas. Wherever it is recycled, it also represents an enormous benefit for reuse.

Over the years, millions of pounds of potential throwaway glass has been diverted to recycling centers, but the need to improve those numbers still exists. For more information about CRV glass recycling in Santa Clara, visit this website.

Four Common Misconceptions About Glass Recycling

 

Many people do not recycle because they are unsure of the proper method to dispose of reusable items. Urban recycling legends become commonly accepted, further impeding the salvaging process. Glass is a great material to recycle because it can be melted down and reused limitlessly without degradation to its quality.

1- Dirty Glass Can’t Be Recycled

It’s always better to remove food or residue before recycling. This reduces odor and the threat of bugs or scavengers wherever recycled items are stored. However, when glass is salvaged, it goes through a cleaning and heating procedure to remove labels and residue. If there are trace remains in a glass, don’t use that as a reason to not recycle.

2- All Glass Items are Recyclable

Not true. Unfortunately ceramics, light bulbs, mirrors, Pyrex, frosted glass, and windows cannot be recycled because of the way they are manufactured.

3- All Recycling Must be Pre-sorted

Many localities have moved toward single-stream recycling, which means your glass containers can be placed in the same bin as your plastic and paper recyclables. Follow local signage, however, and ifpre-sorting is requested, please act accordingly.

4- Broken Glass Can be Treated Like Unbroken Glass

Many recycling centers will not accept broken glass, presumably due to safety concerns. Workers handling the salvageable items may injure themselves by handling the shards. It’s always helpful to check with your local recycling plant to confirm what they will accept. Learn more about glass recycling from CRV glass recycling in Santa Clara by clicking here.

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Electronics Disposal Is Crucial To Your Business, Learn Why!

One of the most potent reasons to recycle is to ensure that your waste doesn’t end up dumped somewhere, cluttering the planet, or worse, poisoning it. Also, salvaging and reprocessing makes sense as an alternative to indefinite original production. Commercial consumers should consider multiple directives with respect to disposal of electronic equipment.

1- Conform to State Regulation

Some states do not permit you to put laptops, industrial batteries, TVs, smartphones or other electronic processing equipment in the trash bin. Steep fines are imposed for discarding these items improperly. Disposal can be safely and conveniently performed through your certified local recycling plant.

2-Be Responsible for Your Community

Batteries and electronic gadgets can contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other hazardous materials that can sink into the soil and pose a danger to the environment. When electronics are sent to a well-governed recycling plant, the electronics are dismantled, hazardous materials are neutralized, and reusable components are safely processed.

3 –Protect Sensitive Data

The “smarter” the phone or e-device, the more likely sensitive information has been recorded with implicit consent for convenience purposes. Electronic recycling often involves destruction or reformatting of various components. However, to be completely safe, consider using data shredding software before recycling devices that contain confidential information.

Dispose of your e-waste with a reputable recycling plant to be sure that company disposes of your items ethically and legally. Most recycling plants certified through R2 or e-Steward are generally trustworthy enterprises. Learn more about e-waste and electronics disposal in San Jose by clicking here.

Old Cell Phones Are Worth Something After All

Old mobile phones and computer hard drives are an overlooked source of recycled metals, including gold. Anytime you upgrade your cell phone or computer, be sure to recycle the old one. Be on the lookout for companies or facilities that will buy the metal from you.

How To Find Fabulous Wire Recycling

 

You don't need to be a professional scrapper to recycle wiring.Many regular household items contain recyclable components. These are items that are often put in the trash once they break. Salvaging them is not only eco-friendly, but can also be financially lucrative.

1- Get in the Holiday Recycling Spirit

Every year when Santa leaves town,Christmas lights end up in a tangled pile in the attic. Bulbs break, parts of the lighting string mysteriously stop working, or you may choose to buy something new. Instead of seeing the old lights as trash, envision that mangled bundle of lights as a wire recycling opportunity.

2- Find Treasure in the Attic

Next to the bundle of Christmas lights in your attic may be a large box of extension and appliance cords. Many of these cords have lost their utility as you likely no longer remember what apparatus they correspond to. If you don’t need them, they can be recycled. Telephone, cable, and modem wires can also be recycled. You may also have an old computer desktop tower. Wiring inside that unit can be reused. Computer towers have many other recyclable elements, so be sure to contact your local reprocessing plant to determine which materials can be accepted.

3- Recycle Large & Small Appliances

TV’s, VCRs, DVD players and monitors are excellent recycling candidates. Small and large appliances such as freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, blenders, and toasters can also be included. If it has a cord, it’s pretty likely there’s wire there that can be recycled. Learn more about wire recycling from insulated wire recycling in Milpitas by clicking here.