 | simplehuman Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel List Price: Sale Price: $8.30 You save: $4.69 (36%)  |
 | Mavea 1001122 Maxtra Replacement Filter for Mavea Water Filtration Pitcher, 3-Pack List Price: Sale Price: $13.90 You save: $11.09 (44%) |
Blue disposal bins, catchy three-word slogans, signs asking users to separate green glass from clear glass, 'paper or cardboard only' disposal receptacles - these are just a few of the visible signs of the modern recycling movement. Recycling has been a major issue since human beings first started forming organized societies. Renaissance armies would melt down old, worn out cannons to reclaim some copper instead of having to dig it out again.
The Great Depression made it difficult to get food, let alone new goods, so people buckled down and learned how to reuse. The US and Britain launched massive recycling and reclamation campaigns during World War II to maximize wartime production. People have always found ways to save time, effort, and money by finding inventive new uses for their personal goods.
Recycling can have a significant impact in many obvious, measurable ways. Every aluminum can melted down and reclaimed is one less can that has to be stored in a landfill. Landfills aren't simply dumping holes that are filled once and ignored, but sophisticated facilities that require careful attention, maintenance, and energy to properly function. For example, inspectors are required to periodically ensure that the environmental seal around the underside of landfills doesn't rupture, potentially spilling pollutants into the local environment through leakage. The less product that gets dumped into these landfills, the less a modern society has to invest in their upkeep.
Recycling By the Numbers
The benefits go beyond the mere physical, however. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that recycling tin and aluminum cans only requires five percent of the energy needed to make all new cans out of raw materials. Similarly, the EIA estimates that paper recycling reduces the energy cost of paper manufacture by forty percent compared to all new paper production. Reduced energy consumption means less pollution from the power plant, and less need to harvest the fossil fuels that are still the world's predominant energy supply.
Simple Home Green
That isn't to say that recycling only has a benefit in the realm of production. There are of course benefits to private recycling as well. Some solutions are simple - a milk jug can be cut open and turned into a measuring tool for rainwater for the scientifically minded. Rather than discarding old clothing, some families cut the garments up for use as rags, patching material, or even art supplies. A pair of jeans someone would never wear in public often find new life as work trousers for painting or automotive projects.
Plastic shopping bags are often thrown away without consideration, but some families stretch their dollar a bit by using them as small-can trash bags, such as for waste paper in the bathroom. This saves the cost of buying new bags, at the very least. For those interested in getting even more use out of these bags, they can be used as improvised lunch bags, or for transporting food to a big picnic.
And, if you can’t find a way to reuse something, there is always the option of taking it to the appropriate city recycling facility. The key is to find creative ways to reuse the materials already in the home, instead of just throwing them away.
Simple Office Green
Similar options exist for the office environment, of course. In particular, offices generate a lot of paperwork, and an equal amount of paper waste. Some small businesses actually take advantage of this, and instead of throwing out their old shredded paper and scrap, use it as package stuffing. This saves them the cost of purchasing new packing material, and keeps the scraps out of the landfill for a bit longer.
Cardboard shipping boxes can often be reused as well, whether to continue shipping goods or as a low-cost way to store some short-term documents until the new filing system arrives. Additionally, some cities even have buyback programs, offering small monetary compensation to those who recycle certain products. Businesses should research their local options, as they could possibly use this as a way to reduce their operating costs over the year. It won't bring in millions, but the wise businessman saves wherever possible.
Think About It
In both house and office environments, the key to successful recycling is stopping to think. A great deal of the waste generated in the modern world can be reused or recycled, but isn't because people have a habit of throwing out their soda bottle when finished drinking. Finding new ways to recycle doesn't require expensive programs or elaborate schemes. All it really requires is for someone to stop for one moment when throwing something away, then asking themselves, 'Is there something else I could do with this?'
| | HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH SCRAP METAL how-to manual; copper brass aluminum recycle $9.99 |
| | How To Rebuild, Repair, Recycle and Recondition Batteries For Profit $10.97 |
| | HOW TO REFINE SCRAP GOLD AND SILVER (RECYCLING) $5.00 |
| | HOW TO REFINE SCRAP GOLD AND SILVER (RECYCLING) $5.00 |
| | HOW TO REFINE SCRAP GOLD AND SILVER (RECYCLING) $5.00 |
| | REPORT:HOW TO REFINE SCRAP GOLD AND SILVER (RECYCLING) $5.00 |
| | Instructions :HOW TO REFINE SCRAP GOLD AND SILVER (RECYCLING) $5.00 |
| | RECYCLE THIS BOOK How to Go Green NEW $4.99 |
| | 1990 HB KIDS GUIDE HOW TO SAVE PLANET RECYCLE GOODMAN $2.25 |
| | The Mother Earth News July August 1977 How to Make $100 a Day recycling Old Tire $12.99 |
| | Mavea Maxtra Replacement Filter for Mavea Water Filtration Pitcher ... |
| | Flip & Tumble Reusable Produce Bags, Set of 5 Flip & Tumble's reusable produce bags are draw-string polyester bags which resist staining and shrinking better than natural fiber bags. Plus, the fine mesh produce bags allow you to use them for smaller bulk items. Breathable, durable polyester; See-through mesh produce bags for easy checkout; Smart alternative to plastic produce bags; Compact & lightweight with drawstring closure; Saves time at ... |
| | Ecopad, the Refillable Coffee Filter for the Classic Senseo $12.33 The refillable, reusable coffee pad for the Senseo coffee machine. This is the new Brown unit (replaced the older and discontinued blue ecopad). The patented Brown Ecopad is environmentally-friendly and has many advantages, like: Your favorite brand coffee at a low price. Works with finely ground teas. Handy when you're out of paper pads. Long life and durable. Dishwasher safe. NOTE: Ecopad ONLY w... |
| | simplehuman Wall Mount Grocery Bag Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel $8.30 A wall mounted grocery bag holder comes complete with mounting hardware. This stainless steel unit features easy tuck opening and wide dispensing area.... |
| | 500 CLEAR Reclosable Zipper Bag. 2'' x 2'' - 2 mil thick $0.01 500 New Resealable Plastic Bags . These high quality reclosable plastic bags allow you to have the bags you use most on hand. The reclosable seals open all the way to the edges of the bags giving you full use of the interior. Each has a 2 mil thickness and measures approximately 2" x 2"... |
| | Master Mark Plastics 95340 Terrace Board 5-Inch-by-40-Foot Landscape Edging Coil, Brown $16.39 Made of recycled materials that can be used either totally above ground for terracing or partially in ground as conventional edging. Conforms to any shape, even sharp angles. Resists rust, cracking, and corrosion. Grooved to help prevent shifting and is s... |
| | Curious George Goes Green $5.24 Stills from Curious George Goes Green (Click for larger image) Printable Curious George Coloring Pages (Click for full size) Printable Curious George Connect-the-Dots Pages (Click for full size) ... |
| | All About Garbage & Recycling $1.43 Includes "Garbage and Recycling" and "Trucks." 55 min. total. Soundtrack: English.... |
| | The Magic School Bus - Holiday Special $8.99 Kids learn about the world around them and how to care for it in this trio of engaging adventures based on Joanna Cole's bestselling books. In the title story, Miss Frizzle's class gets a clever tutorial on the wonders of recycling when Wanda makes a regrettable wish to abolish it forever. Faster than you can say "tin can," the Friz whisks her students into the future to discover the perils o... |
| | simplehuman Custom Fit Trash Can Liner J, 38- 40 Liters / 10- 10.5 Gallons, 50-Count $15.99 CW0170 Features: -Trash can liner.-Custom fit.-Bag stays completely hidden when lid closed.-Extra durable plastic and thick double seams prevent rips and tears.-Convenient drawstring handles for easy lifting.-Handy dispenser packs perforated opening for easy dispensing.-Capacity: 38-4 liters (1-1.5 gallon).-ISTA 3A certified.... |