Recycling: Getting Double Use Out of Products

One Gallon Plastic Milk Containers
This one I must compliment on my father. This his idea although I am sure was other people around the world are also the same, but I learned this from my father, so this article is tribute for him. If you have children you'll buy lots of milk, then before you throw it in your plastic recycle bin (or heaven forbid the trash that goes to the landfill) get double use out of it first.

First things first, clean out the milk container by filling it with water and rinsing it out. Now fill the milk container with tap water up to the top. Do not put the lid on the milk container, you can go ahead and recycle that. Place the milk container filled with water in your freezer. In a day or two you will have a nice solid block of ice.

When you are ready to use it, run the frozen milk container under warm water for twenty to thirty seconds to loosen the ice off the sides and then using a pair of scissors cut away the plastic. You can now recycle the plastic milk container. Use a screw driver or ice pick to break up the block of ice to a more usable size, or if you go camping, leave it as a complete block and it will last longer.

Plastic Coffee Lids
Most coffee lids can not be recycled since they are formed from a different type of plastic compound then other plastic material. But do not fear, they can still be used for something. Take this plastic coffee lids and use them as protectors in your fridge for products that might spill and be hard to clean up later like syrup, ketchup, mustard and so on.

I also use them as coasters for my drinks. Sure they aren’t the most stylish around but they serve my purpose well and since they are just going to get thrown away anyway I mind as well get as much use out them as possible.

Large Cereal Boxes
Most cereal boxes can be recycled with your cardboard but I like this idea of using cereal boxes for another purpose. My wife and son love Cheerios. So when we go shopping she makes sure she buys the very large box of Cheerios. This large box is perfect for storing magazines. I especially like using the large cereal box for my magazines that I keep out in the garage as well as to hold of the user’s manuals for all of my power tools. I properly mark the box on the sides, remove the tops (and sometimes cut the sides of the boxes off) and my cereal box has now become a reusable resource.

Recycling is not a cumbersome task or labor intensive job, it is a new mindset. Recycling is a way for you to think of what to do with something other than its intended purpose. Get in the habit of every time before you throw something away, give a quick thought as to what you can do with it before it ends up in that landfill.

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Global Environmental Changes

One of the most into the debating nowadays is environment changes . environment Changes is the real caused by human, especially in the air and sea. Our knowledge in the attempt to comprehend the changes has evolved from pure research, mostly in the physical sciences, with the goal of understanding climate change directed towards a field of science that works, hand in hand, with other sciences such as ecology and the various social sciences. The field of studying global environmental changes focuses on the accurate categorization of the weakness and flexibility of ecosystems, that are either natural or managed, and the effects of human societies on the global change.

The Industrial Revolution and the continuous growth of human population on the planet led to more destruction of major areas of forest cover and to an increasing need to eliminate forests for agriculture and for the required expansion of cities and urbanized zones. Another point causing the changes is the increase of atmospheric temperatures as a result of the amounts of carbon dioxide that is being emitted continuously into the planet’s atmosphere resulting in what is commonly known as global warming.

Another global change in environment is the decline of fish stock. The Decline of fish stocks is mostly related to a wide range of human activities, and again we find that the growth of human population and the extended life spans of human beings in the last few decades have contributed enormously to the decline of fish stocks as commercial fishing has increased to a very large extent.

Numerous approaches to solve these problems have been developed by now, but any of them could considerably better the situation.

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Recycling Plastic Makes Economic and Environmental Sense

In the Worldwide plastic products are everywhere. As dependency upon these light weight and durable products increased, so did the needs of global innovation in recycling technologies also increases. Many recycling companies to develop the plastic waste into hundreds of products, from paint brushes to rugs and pillows, boat hulls and Railroad ties.

Calling the Consumer
The greatest challenge to recycling manufacturers is educating and engaging the public. About 75 percent of Americans recycle newspaper and cardboard while little more than 25 percent recycle plastic. Industry analysts think this low response rate might be due to a lack of understanding about the coding on recyclable plastics - the small triangle with a number in the center - that identifies what kind of plastic an item is.

The most frequently recycled plastics of the seven groups of polymer plastics are PET 01,used in soft drink bottles and smaller jars; PE-HD 02, a harder and more durable plastic used in milks bottles and large trash bags; and PE-LD 04 that's tough yet flexible and used in frozen food bags, flexible container lids and squeeze bottles.

Although the recycling rate of these and other products is not yet impressive, the numbers have been steadily rising since 1990. In 2006, about 2.2 billion pounds of PET plastic bottles were recycled and 928 million pounds of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) containers made it to recyclers.

Innovating PET Production
As awareness of the environmental damage done by polymers increased, so too did the urgency to encourage recycling. At the same time, experimentation with processing and application rose. For example, according to a CNN report, a Ph.D. in India, Dr. S. Madhu, included shredded and melted plastic in a roadway surfacing mix. Working for the Kerala Highway Research Institute, Madhu mixed the plastic with aggregate and bitumen to create a surface that withstands the pounding of annual monsoon seasons.

Working in a highly regulated environment, conventional recycling manufacturers focus on producing a long list of common products. Although processes vary, they generally follow a common methodology. First, plastics are sorted according to their PET identification number. This is often done before the recycled products reach the manufacturer. The "dirty" PET containers are also cleaned of labels, glue and other residual materials. A dirty regrind of the PET then goes to re-claimers who process the material into a form that can be used by manufacturers. Re-claimers further clean the materials of contaminants and materials that are lighter than the plastic. The final flakes of PET are washed with a special detergent that gets rid of glues, food or dirt.

Next, the PET materials are further treated with processes that separate the heavier PET particles from the lighter ones - this is called the float-sink stage. The plastics are then dried and ready to become new products in the hands of manufacturers throughout the world.

But, new methods are constantly being developed to recycle PET products, including a de-polymerization process that "reverses" the chemical process used to make the polymer. There are pilot projects using this method, as well as other innovative processes to make plastic recycling more environmentally friendly and economical.

Demand for Recycled Products
The importance of recycled PET and HDPE cannot be ignored. The latter, heavier PET is used to make building materials that become backyard decks that last longer than wood; it becomes lawn furniture, trash cans, office products, buckets, safety cones and much more. HDPE can also be used to manufacture above and below ground water storage tanks that withstand decades of use.

Of five major classes of PET plastics, the most high-end use is to manufacture new PET bottles and containers. Other classes include plastic sheeting or plastic that's used for molding small items such as scoops for laundry detergent; strapping materials for packaging and transportation; resins that are used in molds for automobile components; and material that's combined to make fibers for carpeting, fabrics and fiber fillings.

Recycled PET can show up in unexpected places such as business cards, sleeping bags, baseball caps and the welcome mat at your front door.

In the Hands of the Consumer
Ultimately, it's all up to the consumer. Awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling plastic and the viability of manufacturing with recycled PET can mitigate environmental damage and support a global industry that returns economical and useful products to the marketplace.

In the U.S., many municipal governments have made it easier for consumers to recycle plastic. Cities accept all plastic products with the recycle symbol and do the sorting themselves before shipping off for further processing. The consumer doesn't have to deal with separating PET numbers or peeling off labels. Many states have passed legislation commonly known as "bottle bills" that charge a small fee for plastic containers. There is greater value to the consumer to recycle when there is the incentive of a redemption value. Some communities have "drop off" recycling centers and others have "buy back" centers that pay consumers for recyclable materials.

Whatever the method of recycling or the process that recreates value from discarded PET products, it's clear that the public, governments and industry share a financial and environmental stake in the practice of plastic recycling.

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"Can I Save the World?" Global Warming Easy Solutions

Much information about the global warming cause and the effects of natural disasters, whether we as individuals can do something to change? Yap!! We do not need to move mountains, but a small Pebble can really make ripples that can create positive changes world wide. Here's a few "pebbles" you can use today!

We all feel we have a purpose in life. As more of us become aware of the damaging effects of global warming, we are also concerned about practical solutions to the problem. Most importantly, how can we fit in as part of the solution, instead of the problem?

Unfortunately, many of us become overwhelmed when we watch the ever-increasing natural disasters and it starts to feel like the world is crashing around us. I remember watching the plane hit the World Trade Center over and over and over again. I remember being completely paralyzed to the television. Sleep was optional, but only in between important news breaks. I felt helpless. I wanted to understand the reasoning behind the attacks to ease my fears of possible future attacks, but I mainly wanted a sense of control back into my life.

I do not like to focus on the doom of global warming because that's not the best mindset for me to find solutions and implement actions. I truly believe we all can make a difference in our lives, in the lives of our families, friends and community. I also am a firm believer that every single action taken produces a ripple effect throughout the world. When we take a simple action such as changing a light bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb, a positive motion is set in place.

Just for fun, let's see what can happen: (this will show how the action affects others)

o That old bulb in the living finally goes out. You go to your local hardware store and see miles of shelves of light bulbs! OY! (production of CFL bulbs)

o Someone comes over to help and maybe suggest a CFL. "A what?" you ask. The assistant tells you that even though the bulb is more expensive than a basic tungsten bulb, it will last years longer, it will not burn hot, uses way less energy, thus saving you money every month AND prevents the release of more than 450 pounds of emission from a power plant normally used to light the old style bulbs into the air! (increased sales and more potential advertisement of a green product, decreased amount of carbons released into the atmosphere)

o You read the advertisement and glimpse the familiar EnergyStar sign. So, you think, "Why not!" (increased awareness of a great program)

o You go home and your kids ask you about the funny looking bulb. (educates the kids and tell their friends how smart their parents are!)

o Your friends come over for dinner and recognize the bulb, but never really considered buying one until now. (increased awareness through word-of mouth [extremely powerful!!!] and more potential sales, advertisement, decreased emissions)

o You get the electric bill the next month and notice you really did use less electricity AND saved a little money. ($$$)

o You go to buy more CFL bulbs and realize the prices dropped a bit due to increased sales! (supply and demand of a product that improves our world)

That's just for changing one bulb! Just one action really can make an impact. Just because we do not always see the immediate results don't mean they aren't there!

So what are the best solutions of global warming? Can we help save the world? Yep. I would first suggest do whatever feels right for you. The level of comfort will be different for everyone. To me, it can be summed up as: AWARENESS and ACTION

AWARENESS

My first exposure to environmental issues came about while working at Home Depot. I watch as a person chained himself to our lumber shelves and awaited the local police. His actions, maybe a bit extreme to some, created awareness to the customers, Home Depot and the media. Many of those same actions ultimately changed the way Home Depot purchased and sold lumber.

For me, my level of comfort was turning off the lights. The more I learned, the more I did to help the environment. Learning about basic, easy-to-do home repairs really made a difference and increased my confidence as well as the confidence of my customers.

Now, years later, I must say living in Thailand has taught me a lot about saving energy as well as joining together for what you believe in. I've seen Thais go to the employment office and march because wages were too low. I have witnessed the ousting of a political figure because the Thais felt betrayed.

I have greater respect for Thais and for others I've met from different countries. Their views and actions have taught me so much about global warming. I also have greater appreciation for our abilities as Americans to make changes worldwide.

So to further answer people's question - "What are the best solutions to global warming?" My suggestions are all easy to do, but the main factor lies with what is comfortable for you. If I am given a great idea, but is too time-intensive, I probably won't do it. But if it's as easy as hitting the enter key, now you got my attention!

Ok. We are much more aware of what's going on. We understand we have a problem. Now what?

ACTION

I started with small steps. As I learned more, I found the bigger steps easier than I realized. I discussed my views with others and listened to their ideas.

My friends in Alabama recently installed solar heaters and a tankless water heater. Businesses are seeing the advantages of doing the right thing and stepping up their environmental cleaning efforts People from all walks of life have created petitions requesting a more proactive government. Even the 2008 Presidential Candidates are listening. Many are now including global warming as their primary issue.

Need some ideas to get your creative green juices flowing? OK! Here you go! Enjoy!

o Get the family involved - make it fun and educational.

o Make it a project during your child's science fair.

o Chat with your friends - they may have some unique ideas.

o Add a signature tag to your emails. I have a personal account with Yahoo. Whenever I send someone an email, my signature message or quote is at the end of the page. I create the signature once and forget about it. If you see a quote you like or have a message to share with others - signature it!

o Find out what tax incentives or refunds are available to you, i.e. hybrid car tax incentives, toilet replacement rebates, deduct the costs of energy-saving appliances and energy renovations in your home.

o Support greener businesses. Our money dictates what businesses sell. Our support encourages businesses to continue doing the right thing.

o Want to invest in the stock market? What companies are moving forward in clean-up? Researching new technologies? Contributing portions of their profits to support environmental organizations?

o Vote. What candidates are fighting for positive changes in the environment? Who seems to be making global warming a primary focus in their campaign? How does the candidate balance global warming and the economy? Does the candidate understand the threat and what solutions does he or she offer?

o Join others online and become a part of something bigger. In the past, petitions involved going door-to-door or standing near the mall entrance. Thanks to the internet, a letter to Congress has never been easier - or more effective! Read the letter already prepared. If you agree with it, type your name and hit ENTER !

o Submit your ideas to websites. I would love input from you! Your ideas can be just what someone else needed! Many websites would also benefit from your thoughts and appreciate the communication!

o Start a discussion group in your community. Barnes and Noble or Borders are excellent meetings spots. It's a great way to meet others and bounce around ideas.

o Help improve your neighborhood. In Tampa, there's a wonderful community group that has a Project Lottery. Each participant chooses a project they need completed on their house. A name is pulled every month. The neighbors spend one weekend on the project. The lucky owner provides drinks and snacks to the neighbors volunteering.

o Create a website of your own! Everyone has a voice. Today, websites are effective communicators and very inexpensive. Get the kids or the community involved. Let your voice be heard too!

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The Effects of Consumerism on the Environment

We are at present in a situation where the planet's ecological structure is not coping with all the pollution because of a huge, continuously increasing, consumer demand. This excessive demand for consumer products has created most of the current environmental imbalances. These imbalances will become a much greater problem than most people expect this to be. These imbalances have already caused ecological disasters in different places all over the world, with many more to follow.

This rate of consumption is increasing at an alarming rate. This will cause enormous environmental devastation in the future, to the extent that around 2025, people will need to complete major changes in their lifestyles to avoid the worst possible scenario.

The greenhouse gas effect is now so great that around 2015, the whole planet will experience the aftermath of rising temperatures in a far more severe way than most will expect.

While most people have begun to notice that the climate is changing they may not have understood that these climate changes are the forerunner of a much more serious problem. As a result most people are not changing their lifestyles, reducing their ecological footprint, resulting in a further increase of the present ecological imbalance.

With the ever continuing increase in environmental damage there will come a time where this will reach a point of no return, whereby the planet will no longer be able to support its own functioning. It is expected that by 2025, the planet will no longer be able to cope with the severe ecological damage. This will mainly be caused due to present geological stresses, further increase of global warming, and further destruction of the planet's ecology which is so needed by the planet to provide support for its overall functioning.

It is of benefit for people to look at how they live their life and what they can do to change their lifestyle, so that an excessive need for goods and products will not become a major drive in one's life. This may be difficult to do while the overall consensus is to buy more products. However, this is not reducing consumerism. At times, products may be needed to improve a lifestyle; however, people often wish to increase their buying and spending power and buy more products so they can feel better or can keep up with others. Thus, this need for an increase in products in the household creates an increase in the number of products manufactured, which in turn often results in an increase in environmental damage.

While humanity needs consumer goods, the impact these products or the production processes can have on the ecology has to be reduced. To save the environment humanity can no longer continue to increase its consumption of goods and, this should therefore not be encouraged. The human race needs to envisage a future whereby people still have their comforts but without the throw-away and polluting aspects of living, as is happening in most modern-day societies.

It is important that the planet's worsening environmental crisis is taken seriously and action is taken to make adequate change to prevent a looming ecological crisis within the next twenty years. A simpler, less polluting lifestyle will result in a more manageable, sustainable environment, which as a result can function better as a support structure for the planet's overall functioning.

Several years ago Mia was told by Spirit that by 2009 major climate changes would begin . This information can be found in her book - New Concepts for Business and Humanity. Chapter 1 can be downloaded for free from her website www.miadenhaan.com.

About The Author:
Mia is able to communicate with Spirit. Her channeling ability has been recognized by many people who received personal guidance. Her latest book "New Concepts for Business and Humanity" contains information about the future of humanity.

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Have A Clean Air Quality?

Does it seem like your asthma, or a family member's asthma, is giving you more and more problems? If so, it is not just your imagination.
It is no coincidence that asthma cases have increased by more than 100% over the past 20 years. Or that death rates due to asthma have tripled since 1976. Or that hospitilization and doctor office visits due to asthma have risen dramatically in recent years.

The fact is, worsening asthma cases have coincided with the emergence of the indoor air quality epidemic. As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns us, indoor air quality has become the nation's number one environmental health problem, anywhere from 2 to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution.

How do we know that indoor air quality is the main culprit?

1) First, consider that during the last 20 years, we have improved asthma medication (although many still cause a variety of undesirable side effects) and our understanding of asthma tremendously.

2) Secondly, we know that genetics is not the cause of the recent alarming growth in asthma difficulties, since 20-plus years is nowhere near long enough for such a dramatic genetical effect to take place.

In which case, this leaves us with the conclusion that the cause is environmental. This makes perfect since, considering that most asthma attacks are triggered by environmental triggers, or airborne contaminates and allergens.

Many would believe that the air in the great outdoors poses the greater risk for asthmatics, since pollution and allergens are commonly associated with "outside".

However, it is the air in our homes, schools, workplaces, and other indoor environments that have the most severe impact on our respiratory systems. To begin with, indoor air is several times more unhealthy than the air outside, as the EPA states, even though it may seem to be clean.

Every indoor environment, irregardless of how clean it is, will be filled with sources for microscopic dust mites (over 50% of the weight of the average pillow is dust mites), chemical vapors (your home may seem clean, but what did you clean it with . . . chemically-based household cleaners!), floating dead human skin (guess what over 80% of what you see floating in ray of sunshine entering your home!), and countless other pollutants from numerous sources.

The reason indoor air pollution is more severe than outdoor pollution is that nature's most powerful air-cleansing agents (negative ions and low-level ozone) have a chance to break down pollution outside.

However, our air-tight, energy-efficient homes block these natural air cleaners out, while trapping and recirculating airborne pollutants inside.

It's interesting that air-tight, energy-efficient homes and buildings became a standard about 20 years ago, in the wake of the energy crisis of the 1970s, around the same time that asthma problems began rising sharply.

Plus, people spend over 90% of their time indoors, meaning that indoor air has a far greater impact upon our health one way or the other.

Furthermore, a recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200% higher than it is in ordinary homes.

As the indoor air quality epidemic grows worse, air purifiers become more popular. However, most air cleaners on the market are simply inadequate, while very few actually make a difference (air purifier buying guide).

Also using diffuser-based aromatherapy solutions, not candles can reduce the risk of asthma and improve indoor air quality.

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Waste Solutions for an Ever Changing World

In all nations he public and their servants are continually seeking out new environmental waste solutions. As time goes on these are becoming more and more sophisticated in order to protect our environment.

The problem is that once an environmental waste solution has been found for one problem science and industry tends to create a new chemical or product which in some way is hazardous and needs a new environmental waste solution to avoid damage to the environment.

Waste is generated in all sorts of ways. Its composition and volume largely depend on consumption patterns and the industrial and economic structures in place. Waste is considered to be the by-product of both natural and artificial processes: manufacturing, chemical reactions, and even events in biochemical pathways.

But how do we distinguish the main products of an activity from its by-products? Waste is directly linked to the human development, both technologically and socially. The composition of different wastes has varied over time and location, with industrial development and innovation being directly linked to waste materials.

Waste is not just waste - it can also become a resource and a material supply for another person. The underlying philosophy for the European environmental policy is now to regard waste as a resource, and if this is pursued to its logical conclusion it can in theory provide an environmental waste solution by effectively eliminating waste.

However, one waste for which most of us would say there is no satisfactory environmental waste solution is nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is not just the material left after it has been used and becomes ‘spent’. Nuclear power stations and reprocessing plants release small quantities of radioactive gases (e.g, krypton-85 and xenon-133) and trace amounts of iodine-131 to the atmosphere. However, they have short half-lives, and the radioactivity in the emissions is diminished by delaying their release.

Nuclear power then also leaves us with those spent reactor core materials to dispose of. If you carry out controlled fission in a nuclear power station, you get long-lived radioactive waste, and that poses a long-term hazard to the environment unless it is dealt with properly.

E-waste is another form of waste material for which society is seeking satisfactory environmental solutions. E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life". Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Most of these are laden with toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium that can leach into water, soils and the atmosphere, posing significant environmental and human health risks. However, many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled so the obvious waste solution is to return these goods to the original manufacturer who can best reprocess and re-use the materials and by so doing also save on use of the earth’s resources.

Plastic is an increasing burden on our landfills and recycling efforts. Wouldn't it be great if we could just zap the plastic and make it go away? That’s is not going to happen of course, but the all pervasive nature of plastic bags for example in the sea and daily injury being to thousands of all types of creatures through ingestion and stomach obstruction, even sometimes suffocation, is alarming. If we knew years ago the damage and the extreme difficulty in finding an environmental solution to the plastic litter problem we would maybe not have allowed these bags to be sued as much as they have been.

Municipal waste, when properly managed, does not pose an immediate threat to human health or the environment. This one of our society’s environmental waste solutions is carried out at high cost but is being done quite satisfactorily in most developed nations. Many municipalities are said to now spend 40% of their operational budget on waste-related activities according to one internet report, and the worry is that these are services which often in some poorer nations benefit commercial, high and middle income areas only. Other internet sites suggest that estimates show that 10 million chronically poor people rely on waste picking for their day to day survival - and that definitely needs an environmental waste solution and fast!

So once we have created the waste, there is no easy environmental waste solution to its disposal. The only answer is not to create waste in the first place. Zero waste is a great concept as an environmental waste solution which also produces more jobs for less investment than any other waste management strategy. It also reduces toxic pollution as it incorporates clean production. Zero Waste is a way of thinking, and a path to travel, rather than an absolute. Subscribing to Zero Waste does not mean instantly eliminating every last piece of waste whatever the cost.

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