WHAT ARE YOUR HOLIDAY RECYCLING AND REUSE CHALLENGES?

To my wonderful Lettuce Recycle blog followers – I would love your input on the following question:  WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST RECYCLING CHALLENGES DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

I can think of several examples, such as too much garbage and too many items to recycle. I am sure there are others.

Feel free to post your ideas to this blog.  If you have questions, I will try to answer them. 

RECYCLING JOURNEY - PART 2

Here is a question for my blog followers – WHAT IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL ITEM WE CAN RECYCLE??????

ANSWER: ALUMINUM!!!

Aluminum is one of the most plentiful substances on Earth – the most common metal found in the planet’s crust.  It is also a friendly element because it is often found tightly bound to other elements like rubies and sapphires.  The extraction of aluminum is done by electrolysis and is therefore very expensive.  The more aluminum we can recycle, the less has to be mined. Because aluminum cans are still thrown away, at some point it might become practical to “mine” them from landfills.

Recycling aluminum is a CLOSED LOOP PROCESS.  This means that no new materials are introduced during the recycling process.  Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.  The cans can be recycled over and over again without affecting the quality or quantity of the aluminum.  Because of this efficiency, more than 2/3 of all aluminum product ever produced is still in use today.

JOURNEY OF AN ALUMINUM CAN – I BECAME ANOTHER ALUMINUM CAN (AGAIN AND AGAIN)!

            As aluminum cans move along a conveyor belt, a special machine creates a reverse magnetic field that pushes them off the belt and into a bin. The cans are crushed and shredded into walnut-sized pieces. The pieces are screened to remove any non-aluminum materials and are then passed through a blast of very hot air to remove any paint or lacquer.

            The shredded aluminum is fed into a furnace where it becomes molten metal. It is then poured into a mold.  This cooled aluminum is called a “brick” or “ingot” and weighs 36,000 pounds.  It takes 1.5 million cans to make an ingot. The ingot is then heated just enough to be rolled into a coil that is 9 miles long.  Manufacturers use this coil to make new cans and lids.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENT TO THIS BLOG THAT RELATE TO RECYCLING. I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

THE RECYCLING JOURNEY – PART 1

What happens to those items we carefully put into our recycling bins or take to recycling centers?  We know they no longer go to the landfill, but what do they become?  Below is the journey of four items that many of us recycle.  In some cases, these new items return to stores and store shelves within 30 days. The source for the information below is Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Campaign http://iwanttoberecycled.org/learn.

JOURNEY OF A CEREAL BOX - I BECAME A GAME BOARD!

            Cereal box cardboard is sorted from other paper products into specific grades and types of fibers. At the paper mill, the fiber is fed into a hydrapulper where it is mixed with water and turned into a slurry that will be used in the papermaking process. The wet slurry is spread onto a cloth or wire web where it is formed into multilayered paperboard, similar to a three-layer cake.

Traveling like a ribbon around drying drums, the paperboard is dried and then wound into rolls — 100 inches wide and 5 feet in diameter — weighing about 2 tons, ready to be shipped for converting into an end product like a game board.

JOURNEY OF A STEEL CAN – I BECAME A BICYCLE!

            As material moves along a conveyor belt, the steel cans are removed by a very powerful magnet. They are then baled and shipped to a steel mill or foundry, where they are usually mixed with other metal like automobile parts. The steel is melted in a furnace at nearly 3000 degrees. It is then cast into slabs and rolled into flat stock (rectangular bars) or steel sheets. It is then cut into sections, rolled and welded into tubes, and used for products like bicycle frames.

JOURNEY OF A STYROFOAM CUP – I BECAME THE INSULATION IN YOUR ATTIC!

            Styrofoam cups, meat trays, egg cartons etc. are collected in Austin at the Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Center.  The center has a machine that first shreds and then melts the Styrofoam to condense it so it is suitable for shipping. The condensed foam is then sent to various manufacturing facilities to be made into baseboards, crown molding, and attic insulation.

JOURNEY OF A PLASTIC BAG – I BECAME A PARK BENCH!

            Retail plastic bags, bread bags, flexible plastic packaging from paper towels and toilet paper, etc. are collected at the plastics collection bins at grocery stores and many other retail outlets. They are processed by turning the plastic into pellets which are used to make more plastic bags, durable outdoor decks and fences, deck furniture, and building products.

Please feel free to post any questions or comments to this blog that relate to recycling.  I will research your questions and post the answers.

No Landfill For Old Styrofoam

Neighborhood Recycling Collection Project – SUCCESS!!

One of the biggest recycling challenges is dealing with items that are not collected curbside.  It is very easy to throw something into that giant blue cart and roll it out to the curb, but what about those items that have to go elsewhere?

I have tried to address this challenge by organizing a neighborhood collection effort for some of these items (batteries, Styrofoam and light bulbs) and by personally transporting them to the City of Austin Recycling, Reuse Drop-Off facility in far south Austin.

My first effort, this past spring, was somewhat successful. Four neighbors contributed items.  One brought 3 years of batteries and the others brought batteries and Styrofoam. It was a good start.

Early this summer, I notified my neighborhood that I was planning to go to the collection center in the first part of August.  I encouraged everyone to begin saving the above items.  I sent out reminders, put collection boxes on my front porch, and hoped for the best.

As you can see from the picture above, our neighborhood kept a lot of Styrofoam out of the landfill.  My car was loaded with several boxes of batteries, light bulbs, and lots and lots of Styrofoam.  A young neighbor came over to help me load up.  Eight to ten neighbors participated this time.

It is difficult to convince people to wash out Styrofoam meat trays and save them.  There is a big “ick” factor. However, it is my dream that some day so many neighbors will participate that I will run out of room in my car to take everything!

Recycling Block Leaders for the City of Austin

The City of Austin is calling for individuals to volunteer to become Recycling Block Leaders.  Block Leaders are active, “green-minded” individuals who will help spread the word about recycling in their neighborhoods. After attending an orientation session to learn how to engage their neighbors in recycling in Austin, they will receive educational materials to share with their neighbors.

I have been a Recycling Block Leader for many years now.  For the last several years, the program has been inactive. I am very happy to report that the City now has on board a wonderful gal who is activating the program and making a huge effort to recruit and train new Block Leaders and reengage the ones from the past. Here is a link to apply to be a Recycling Block Leader – http://eepurl.com/qma8n.

Questions and Answers

Please feel free to post any questions or comments to this blog that relate to recycling.  I will research your questions and post the answers.

The Lone Tennis Shoe

We know how to recycle plastic, paper, and other well-advertised items, but what to do with THE LONE TENNIS SHOE?

You’re cleaning out the closet and you find torn t-shirts, gimme caps (the souvenirs from all the relatives’ travels), and a LONE TENNIS SHOE.

ATRS (American Textile Recycling Service http://atrscorp.com/) will recycle old torn shirts, t-shirts no one would ever wear, and THE LONE TENNIS SHOE, as well as wearable clothing. They resell, reuse, or repurpose everything donated. Some of these items are sent to foreign countries. Textiles are recycled into all sorts of reusable materials.   ATRS is partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network.  ATRS donates money to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, based on the weight of the items in each bin. There are 55 collection boxes in Austin alone. One of those bins is pictured in this blog.

That LONE TENNIS SHOE (plus any other unwanted tennis shoes) can also be taken to the Nike Factory Store in Round Rock, Texas. They have a program called “Old Soles Never Die”. Old tennis shoes are turned into playground and running surfaces. If you live outside of Austin, check with your local Nike store.

WINE CORKS

There are other items that require more research to recycle or reuse.  One of these is wine corks. Many wine stores or local vineyards collect these to be recycled into cork flooring, flip-flops, and even purses. In Austin, you can take your corks to Spec’s Wines and Water 2 Wine.

PLASTIC SIX-PACK RINGS

I very rarely purchase products with the plastic six-pack ring.  When I did recently, I asked my contact with the City of Austin’s Resource Recovery Department if I could put these rings into my curbside collection bin.  I was told NO - the rings get tangled in the machinery and damage it. I then asked my plastic recycling guru, who said they can’t go into the plastics recycling bins at the grocery store, either.  These rings will live forever in the landfill!  In addition, birds and other wildlife get caught in these rings and eventually die. I think the only solution is to never ever buy products secured with these rings.

YOUR QUESTIONS

I have had some wonderful questions from readers.  If you have any questions about recycling, please post them and I will do my best to find the answers.