Posts Tagged ‘Landfills’

Experts estimate that almost 350 million cartridges end up in landfills each year. These include laser toner cartridges as well as others. This staggering number has an adverse effect on the environment, as well as, the economics of the situation of buying cartridges.

Recycling is a Good Idea

Surveys conducted suggest that almost ninety percent of cartridges are thrown into the trash after the ink gets over. Moreover the quantity of cartridges that are ending up in landfills is increasing at the rate of ten percent every year. This is owing to the increasing use of printers for documentation purposes. Also, with regards to production, laser toner cartridges require almost ¾ of a gallon to be manufactured. Most discarded cartridges have some remnants of printer ink cartridges that can easily seep into the ground causing widespread soil damage.

As can be imagined these pointers will have a disastrous effect on the environment and thus every effort should be made to recycle cartridges in one way or the other. For all the reasons listed above recycling inkjet and laser toners, seems like such a good idea.

Economic Benefits to Recycling

Apart from the all the environmental benefits, there are various economic benefits associated with recycling inkjet cartridges. The biggest benefits will be in terms of prices. Take the scenario, wherein, a minimal amount of ink cartridges are being thrown away, while a majority of them are being recycled. The prices of cartridges will definitely go down. If consumers recycle or reuse their laser toner cartridges or any other cartridges then they will definitely derive a long term benefit from it.

Lots of Options

As a consumer if you are exploring options of recycling inkjet or laser cartridges and do not want to throw them away, then you have the option of getting them refilled through the mail. Also, many local office stores also have a refilling facility available; you can also deposit the cartridges that you want to send in for recycling. Many a times, you might be offered a few schemes that are usually being promoted by various companies who offer you something in exchange for your inkjet or laser toner cartridges.

Importance of the Process

After reading this article, you must have understood the importance of recycling inkjet as well as any other type of cartridge. The great thing is that you will be doing a service to the environment if you do so and the fact of the matter is that there are numerous alternatives that are available before you even think about throwing away your cartridges. There will always be somebody out there who will be willing to accept your cartridges and get them refilled for you or recycled for you. The importance of this process cannot be denied.

www.tag4kl.org How can you help keep toxic chemicals out of our landfills and out of developing countries?

The objective of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC is to minimize the environmental impact of electronic waste. The WEEE directive protects landfills and regulates the disposal of discarded or end-of-life electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) also known as e-waste. The related RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC strives to limit the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of electronic equipment.

The WEEE Directive provides guidelines for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The “polluter pays” principle means collection and recovery is largely at the manufacturer’s expense. Specified products include such things as large and small household appliances, IT and telecommunications equipment, consumer equipment, IT and telecommunications equipment.

Reduction of hazardous material content in products at the manufacturing stage will reduce the content of such pollutants in electronic waste. This will enhance the economic feasibility of recycling. Hence RoHS compliance, which in any case is needed for doing business in the EU, is the first important element for any effective recycling. Increased efforts to design products that facilitate recycling of WEEE components and materials are extremely beneficial.

Recycling is one of several waste disposal options. Its effectiveness depends, to a large extent on the type of material to be recycled and the availability of appropriate technology. E-waste such as a computer can be discarded by the original users, but it may still be perfectly functional equipment. In this case material recovery and reuse is a better alternative than recycling. In fact the reuse of waste electrical and electronic equipment is the preferred economic option.

Recycling is technology and material specific. It is mandatory to collect electronic waste separately from municipal waste. While primary administrative responsibility lies with the state, manufacturers have an important role in educating customers on proper waste disposal. The WEEE directive mandates collection of electronic waste at the manufacturer’s cost. Manufacturers must not only ensure that convenient collection points are set up for consumers but must also make provisions for the transportation of the waste materials to the recycling plant.

The WEEE directive mandates that recycling sites should conform to certain minimum standards to prevent adverse environmental impact when treating waste EEE. In most cases, it will not be feasible for a single manufacturer to operate its own recycling center.

Throughout the WEEE recovery chain, producers are required to finance the cost of e-waste collection from consumers; transportation to the recycling center; treatment; recovery and disposal. Producers will generally need to collaborate with other manufacturers to collectively bear the cost for the recycling and waste disposal obligations.

The WEEE and the RoHS are here to stay and further strengthening of environmental regulations is inevitable. One such step is the impending Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH), regulations effective from June 1, 2007 in the European Union. The REACH regulation will control the use of a very wide range of chemicals and is not limited only to the electronics sector. In this increasingly difficult milieu, a proactive approach by producers to comply with the WEEE electronic recycling directive will surely give them dividends for increased competitiveness.

These days, there is an increasing awareness when it comes to being pro-environment.  Because of this, many people and even companies who are participating in green campaigns.  Even builders today are also doing their part in going green movements by building green homes.  As expected, the following year would show an increase in promoting these types of houses.

However, what are the benefits of finding a green home?  You can list a plethora of benefits in getting this type of home in terms of health, costs and environment.

For health, you will surely get a house that is free from toxins as the materials used in building these homes are safe.  At the same time, they can prevent intrusion of allergens and pollution.  This will prevent respiratory problems to your families.

Aside from the preventing allergens and pollutants, the materials used in building these homes promote proper ventilation.  In this way, you will have good air circulation plus the fact that you are only getting fresh hair inside the house.

For the environment, these houses prevent too much energy usage since its materials allow proper ventilation.  Less usage of energy results to less heat production that is detrimental to our environment as it contributes to global warming.  With green houses, it is possible to save energy up to 40% of energy.  This will make us more dependent on natural energy than the ones available in the market.

Another benefit is that it is not contributing that much waste to the environment.  Building a property would give a lot of waste to the landfills.  Whereas the materials used in green homes are recycled materials so they are far more natural.  Building green homes are would lessen landfill wastes.

Getting these homes would also make it possible for you to save a lot when it comes to water consumption.  They have made the houses efficient in terms of irrigation and water system.  This would prevent you from wasting too much water especially during summer time.

When it comes to costs, you are already saving a lot of money when it comes to electric and water bills since you have been saving a lot in energy and water consumption.  Aside from this, getting a green home is cheaper than getting the regular ones.  The professionals who are making these houses would give you high quality homes at a very affordable price.

Since the house gives you a lot of health benefits, you will be able to save a lot of money when it comes to medical consultations.  This will save you a lot in terms of checkups and even medical admissions.  Not leaving due to health reasons will not cause you to miss your work and deduct your absences to your paycheck.

Green homes definitely have a lot of benefits for those who will buy them.  These types of house are considered as an innovation when it comes to property building but in a very helpful manner for everyone.

Here’s a Jeopardy question for you… What weighs 200 million tons? The answer: the amount of electronic waste that goes into our landfills every year. Computers, monitors, cell phones, DVD players, copy machines, TV sets… you get the picture.

Most, if not all of this electronic waste, contains hazardous chemicals like mercury, lead and chromium that end up leaching into our ground water from landfills or being emitted into the air from incinerators causing a GROWING environmental and health crisis. This problem is fueled by the fast paced growth of new technology that renders electronic products obsolete long before their normal lifecycle ends and the fact that most people do not know how to properly dispose of these types of products. In fact, most don’t know that these products can be recycled and reused.

But discarded electronics can be properly disposed of or recycled and it is easier than most people think.  Tons of companies have programs that allow you to donate usable electronics to churches and schools, and other companies will recycle usable components, raw materials and materials like plastics, glass and aluminum.  Many cities also have e-waste pick up as part of their hazardous waste pick-up programs.

You can even take advantage of tax breaks when you donate your unwanted electronics.  The 21st Century Classrooms Act for Private Technology Investment allows large companies to donate used equipment to public and private schools for tax breaks and donations to nonprofits can be written off.  You will need to check with each nonprofit organization regarding its particular documentation for your tax returns. 

The environmental benefit to donating or recycling used electronics goes far beyond just keeping harmful chemicals out of our landfills; it also helps conserve our precious natural resources.  It takes approximately 530 pounds of fossil fuel, 50 pounds of chemicals and 416 gallons of water to produce one desktop computer.  Recycling electronic components can help preserve these resources and can also help use far less energy than the production of new components.  Mining of aluminum, for example, uses 20 times the amount of energy it takes to recycle the same amount of aluminum from electronic components.  Last year alone, electronics recyclers recovered over 100 million pounds of materials like aluminum, steel, glass and plastic which was reused.

Now that we know the benefits of e-cycling let’s, figure out how to find an e-cycler in your area.  You can start with the Electronic Industry Alliance . This site has an easy to use map that allows you to search for e-cycling by state and offers you several other helpful links to guide you through the process.  You can also check with your city government to see if it offers e-cycling as part of its hazardous waste programs or with Goodwill industries . There are several additional organizations you can check that offer training programs that teach students and individuals how to refurbish used electronics which are then donated to local schools:

Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT)

Learning and Information Networking for Community via Technology (LINCT)

Reuse Development Organization (ReDO)

Even Sam’s Club has an interesting program that runs in cooperation with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc. Members of the organization who want to recycle computers, LCD monitors, printers, camcorders, digital cameras and MP3 players, can log onto the program’s website and print a FREE shipping label to have the products mailed to N.E.W. Those members will receive a Sam’s Gift Card for the value of the donated item.  All donated items are either refurbished or disassembled and the parts are used to rebuild electronics or recycled into raw material and reused.

 The final pieces to this recycle cycle are personal data security and rethinking your purchasing habits.  You need to protect all your personal data contained on computer hard drives and cell phones.  Please make sure to remove ALL stored phone numbers and call logs from your cell phone and you may even want to remove the SIM card to insure protection.  Cleaning up your computer may prove a little more difficult but is equally important.  If you are unsure of how to do this you can find FREE hard-drive erasers through your favorite search engine. Type in “free hard-drive eraser cleaners.”

Although there are no laws governing the use of hazardous materials in electronics equipment you can help to encourage manufacturers to move in a “greener” direction by considering the following when buying your next piece of equipment:

Does the manufacturer use recycled materials in their products?
Are the products designed for easy upgrades and disassembly?
Does the manufacturer offer a lease or “take back” program?
Does the manufacturer use minimal toxic materials in their equipment?
Does the manufacturer use minimal or recyclable packaging?

The age of electronics is upon us and with the constant introduction of new technology, system upgrades and fancy new gadgets coming at us daily we need to be more conscious of what we do with our e-waste. Take the time to do the right thing, remember one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and you may be surprised at who would love to have your “old” computer

There has been a huge effort for communities to establish and promote recycling programs to help keep some of the glass out of the landfills. Most glass recycling is used in products that are not seen from the naked eye. For example recycled glass is used in asphalt for roadways, insulation for your home, backfill for construction projects and even in some reflective paint.

Bathroom and kitchen designs are often the focal points of today’s homes. Fixtures, colors, style and lighting are all elements often used in these spaces. For homeowners hoping to incorporate a unique design while being environment friendly, recycled glass can provide that to them.

The up and coming area for the use of glass is in recycled glass tiles. Most companies who are producing recycled glass tiles are using anywhere from 30% up to 100% post consumer waste of glass.

Recycled glass tiles are produced by melting down waste glass or unusable glass in a heated furnace in which the temperature will exceed over 2000 F. The molten glass is then stamped or poured into their appropriate mold, hand trimmed and even ground down to its form. The beauty of the recycled glass is that the variations in each tile is what gives it the their distinct characteristics.

Glass tiles can be used anywhere normal ceramic tiles would be installed. Recycled glass tiles have the benefit of being resistant to chemical and stains which makes it nice to be used in wet areas. Recycled Glass tiles can be used on floors, walls, backsplashes, countertops, tabletops and among other areas in your home.

The thing to remember about the recycled glass, is that about 80% of the glass tiles are transparent. This means when you are installing the glass tiles, make sure your background(area of installation) is painted white. When using your thinset(which you want to use white), you want to use a very small trowel for installation. This helps to eliminate the trowel marks that could be visible after the installation. The smaller the trowel the better. When using a smaller trowel, you press the glass tile mosaic it will flatten down the trowel and give it a smoother, cleaner look and install.

The color choices and available sizes for recycled glass tiles are growing every year. They even have solid, matte, iridescent, and clear colors available. Most common sizes available are 1″ x 1″ usually paper faced, and 1″ x 2″ paper faced as well. Keep in mind that there are companies that offer a much wider variety of sizes available. The thing to remember or consider about paper faced products is it does make it nicer for installation, however you do need to pay close attention to the product that you recieve. The most critical is taht of the iridescent colors. From the backside of the tile, you cannot tell if it is iridescent or not. To be safe I suggest peeling a couple of the glass tiles to make sure that you either have or do not have an iridescent glass tile, depending on what you order.

Using recycled glass tile in your home is a way to add color and beauty and also a way for you to help out our environment and keep some of the glass out of our landfills.

Some of the most toxic products being tossed out as household trash are cell phones and electronic devices. This type of trash is called e-trash, and especially problematic are cell phones.

Cell phones contain a very high level of toxic substances that enter the environment when discarded cell phones are incinerated or when rainwater leaches these chemicals out of the landfills into our drinking water.

Cell phones are known to contain toxins such as antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. These chemicals are listed by the EPA, as persistent toxins (persistent bioaccumulative toxins, PBTS), meaning they do not readily breakdown and remain in the environment for years. Of these metals, lead and cadmium accumulate in both plant and animal tissue, and have been known to be responsible for many disorders in humans.

The dangers of lead has been known for many years. It is thought to be a carcinogen and adversely affects the central nervous system, kidneys, immune system and has been associated with development disorders in children. Lead was banned from paint years ago, and manufacturers are now beginning to eliminate lead from electronic components. Every electronic device contains a circuit board and most often, lead is used to solder components on to these circuit boards.

Another especially toxic component of cell phones is brominated flame retardants. This chemical is added to plastics to reduce the risk of fire. Many components of the cell phone use this chemical. Scientific research has shown that some of these brominated flame retardants are also persistent bioaccumulative and toxic, but it is not know what long term effects this chemical has on humans and the environment.

Some of these flame retardants have been linked to cancer and disturbances in the immune and endocrine systems. When these products are incinerated, they give off highly toxic by- products. As with lead, many manufacturers are eliminating these chemicals from electronic products.

At the time when cell phones first became available to the average consumer, nickel-cadmium was used as a power source. Nickel-cadmium batteries, called Ni-Cds, were the battery of choice because they were rechargeable. The problem is that the metals used in these batteries are highly toxic. Cadmium is a PBT and a probable carcinogen. It has been linked to lung, liver and kidney damage, and has been found to be toxic to wildlife. As with the other toxic chemicals mentioned, cadmium is being eliminated from electronic products by many manufacturers.

The Lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery has typically replaced the Ni-Cds, but they contain their own supply of toxic chemicals.

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation is a non-profit organization that recycles rechargeable batteries. The program, Call2Recycle, has collected millions of pounds of rechargeable batteries and kept them from the landfills. They are trying to educate people on how easy it is to recycle a rechargeable battery or cell phone in the United States and Canada. A Google search on Call2Recycle will direct you to a recycling center near you. It’s free. It’s convenient. It’s responsible. Unfortunately, few people know about this program, so most cell phones and electronics end up in landfills.

Recycling is not the end all to solve our environmental problems. The recycling program is heavily dependent on consumers. When the economy sags and consumers are not buying, the need for recycled materials sags along with the economy. This became painfully evident with the economic crisis that began in October 2009. Recycling plants across the nation were hit hard. The demand for recycled products needed to manufacture new products was severely curtailed. The price for recycled products in some cases dropped 90% taking away the profit from these recycling facilities.

Our only hope is to make an effort to reuse as many products as we can at home, and to aim for zero waste. If recycling is no longer profitable for companies, we may see a future where we are charged for all the garbage we generate, and at a much higher rate than many of us pay now. Disposing highly toxic chemicals may be very expensive for the consumer.

Why should you recycle ink cartridges? Well, there are many reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, it keeps them away from the landfills. Even though they are small, there are so many of them bought and thrown away every year that it does make a noticeable difference. For example, every year roughly 400 million ink jet cartridges are bought in the United States. Only a small portion of them, less than 25%, are recycled. That means that 300 million cartridges are thrown away every year, which adds about 60 million pounds of garbage to our landfills.

Since inkjet cartridges are made out of plastic they take hundreds of years to break down. If your community has curb side plastic recycling, then at the very least place your empty printer cartridges into the recycling bin.

That said, sometimes going the extra mile to recycle your lone ink cartridge just doesn’t seem like a big deal. That is why there are now many incentives and ways to recycle that make it very easy. Most cartridge manufacturers, such as Hewlett-Packard, Canon, and Dell all offer free cartridge recycling programs. The postage is pre-paid, so you don’t have to pay anything extra, and the shipping materials are either included in the new cartridge box or can be requested from their respective websites. All you need to do is put the cartridge, or cartridges, if you have several, in the free shipping box or envelope, print the label, and drop it off at your mailbox or with a courier service. Pretty easy, right?

That is not the only way to recycle, however, and many third-party companies now allow you to drop off your used cartridges. Office supply chains, such as Staples or Office Depot not only allow you drop off any empty ink cartridges at their stores, they will also offer incentives for you to do so. Stapes, for example, will give you $3 coupon for every HP, Lexmark, or Dell cartridge you recycle that you can use to get a discount on future cartridge purchases. Office Depot has a similar program for certain eligible brands and will also offer you $3 coupon to use for any purchase.

Another great way to recycle is by donating the proceeds to a charity or a cause. Staples, for example, has a program called Recycle for Education where they donate $3 to local schools for every recycled cartridge. There are also numerous organizations, such as Recycle 4 Charity that will accept empty cartridges and donate the proceeds to a charity. Recycle 4 Charity will donate the proceeds to a charity you choose from the list of charities they are in partnership with. If you are in UK, Homeless International is a great place to help the homeless in Asia, Africa, and Latin America by donating your used cartridges. There are numerous other organizations that have similar programs and you won’t have any problems finding one that benefits the cause you wish to help.

Whichever road you choose, it’s now easy and painless to recycle your ink cartridges and not only keep them out of landfills, but also get discounts or donate to a worthy charity.

john(at)findinkcartridges.com

Global warming is a very real threat to the preservation of our planet and recycling is one of many ways that people can cut down the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into our atmosphere.

Not only is recycling environmentally friendly, it is also cost effective since it reduces the amount of waste for disposal, saves space in landfills, is more energy-efficient than burning materials, and conserves natural resources. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Did you know for example that recycling aluminium cans saves around ninety percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminium from new.

Recycling is more important than ever because just throwing away rubbish into a landfill or digging a hole and burying it is not a solution to the global waste problem. Our landfills are overflowing with hazardous waste and other products that are not biodegradable. Most organic waste items such as food will break down and decompose in a matter of weeks, leaving no trace. However, plastic bottles, disposable diapers and Styrofoam containers, to name a few, are all becoming huge problems in most areas of the world.

Recycling can mean the difference between a clean planet and one overrun by garbage. You may not believe it but we can all begin to make a difference towards preserving this Earth from landfills that are quickly becoming full to overflowing. The quality of future lives starts now, with your decision to recycle your own garbage.

Recycling is easy once you get everything sorted. You will need to sort out the recyclables such as glass bottles, plastics cartons and paper into the appropriate bins and from there, those materials are sent on their way to becoming something else for use. You can also utilize those food scraps and waste trimmings from the yard in a compost heap.

If every person did their part to help combat overflowing landfills, then we could reduce our waste by fifty percent which is half the amount going into landfills today. Perhaps there will come a time when we no longer have to continuously find new places to bury our waste. Plastics would be reused and organic materials would be turned back into the soil to enrich the ground for crops. It is a nice thought but the reality is that not enough people are doing their part to help make this a cleaner world.

Recycling is your responsibility and only you can do your part to help reduce the amount of garbage going into our landfills. Each time you throw away a recyclable you are adding to a growing problem. Deciding to recycle is an easy step and one that is remarkably simple to initiate. If you do not know where to start, there are plenty of resources, such as your local environmental department, to help you learn how to recycle your leftover waste

Do yourself and the earth a favour by doing your part. Your grand children and great grand children will thank you for it.

Introduction

Modern life is full of electronic gadgets. Cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, computers, laptops, monitors and more are common in all modern households. These modern electronic devices provide entertainment and help us in many ways. The problem with them is that they wear out or become them.

Throwing electronic devices is not a solution .According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 200 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) ends up in landfills every year. The problem with this is that many consumer electronic items contain harmful materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium etc. These materials can pollute the land, water, and air.

Some items, such as computers and computer monitors, are banned from landfills and curbside trash pickup. In some states and municipalities, it is illegal to simply throw away such items. So the challenge is twofold, how to dispose of properly to comply with applicable laws, or how to dispose of properly because it is the environmentally responsible thing to do .

Recycling electronic gadgets

Most people are familiar with the recycling of cans, glass, paper, and plastic. They either take it to designated recycling centers at their landfill, or transfer station. When it comes to recycling the electronic gadgets, the task becomes significantly more difficult. Unlike cans, paper, plastic, and glass, there is typically not curbside recycling for electronic devices. You also typically cannot simply take such items and leave them at the landfill or transfer station. Thus, recycling our gadgets requires some thought and effort. It is important to know your recycling options for common electronic items.

Reuse Electronic Devices through Donation

An excellent option for electronic gadgets that are still in working order is to donate them to someone who can make use of them. Many schools and community groups are happy to receive working electronic items. Schools, for example, often are very appreciative to receive donated computers, peripherals, and monitors. There are even tax incentives built into the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 for companies to donate such items to schools. Cell phones are another item that many community organizations love to receive in donation. In addition, there are national organizations that will accept donations of electronic items. Some organizations that accept donations include: EIA Computers for Schools Another Byte Inc The Wireless Foundation The 911 Cell Phone Bank

Recycling Unwanted Electronic Gadgets

If reuse through donation is not an option there are numerous programs for recycling unwanted electronic items. Many municipalities will have special days at their landfill or transfer station where these items will be accepted for recycling. There may be a fee associated with these programs.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell we can say that all the electronic wastes may be recycled .Any individual & corporate can take initiative for recycling the e-waste so that productivity is improved taking environmental factors into consideration. Major manufactures of electronic items will accept them for recycling including Acer, Apple, Dell, Epson, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo/IBM, Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba. Many major retailers also have recycling programs including Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, and Staples. For cellular phones, many cell phone manufacturers, and all of the major wireless companies provide recycling programs for cell phones.

Knowing how to recycle used electronics not only provides benefits to you, but the planet and environment as well as people in a less fortunate situation than us. The process to recycle your used electronics has been somewhat simplified, but as of yet has not been used by as many of us as it should be, with many people still turning to landfills as a solution to ridding themselves of their used or broken electronics. This is a habit we really need to break, and by receiving a cash reward to recycle our used electronics in any condition I feel it is a habit that can be easily broken.

Receiving a cash payment when we recycle our used electronics is a great incentive for us, to keep us away from trashing our devices and gadgets and preventing them from polluting the environment and earth with their toxins for hundreds of years. Making sure we benefit to the maximum when we receive the cash payment is therefore the primary task. When you recycle your used electronics online you are already eliminating some costs and beginning the benefit – the next step to ensure greater benefit still is to recycle your used electronics to a site that will pay for your shipping, handling, insurance and even the packaging for the used electronics you are going to recycle, this may sound like a difficult task, but I have found these sites and will guide you shortly.

The next thing to bear in mind is the condition of the used electronics to be recycled, some sites will only accept them in certain conditions, whilst others will allow you to recycle your used electronics with them regardless of the condition, old, scratched and even broken – and the beauty of this is that they will also provide you an accurate quote based on the information you provide them so you know how much cash you are going to get before you have even started the recycle process with the used electronics you have. Again, this is not something you will have difficulty in finding within a site as I have the perfect solution for us all to recycle our used electronics.

Now we understand the benefits, and the method I will mention the solution to recycle our old and used electronics online – The answer lies within one company that is leading the way in helping you recycle your used electronics, whether it be an old cell phone, a Smartphone, a blackberry or even a laptop, and as already mentioned any of these can be in any condition.

So, start the process to recycle your used electronics with the ‘CashFor’ family by visiting www.cash4laptops.com and www.cashforsmartphones.com to see how much you can get when you recycle your old, used and abandoned electronics with the market leaders.

Recycleyourdiscs.com said today that it will launch on Earth Day, April 22, a new division and campaign that is named The Compact Disc Recycling Center of America. This new center invites consumers and companies to mail in their unwanted CDs and DVDs for recycling. The campaign will promote the importance of recycling compact discs, provide a location to send them, and increase community awareness of related environmental issues caused by unwanted discs being placed in the trash. The Recycling Center’s website, www.recycleyourdiscs.com is designed to build a national network of registered members and supporters that pledge to recycle their disc waste.

“Each year over 30 billion CDs and DVDs are still being manufactured, while millions of unwanted, damaged and obsolete discs end up in landfills and incinerators every month.” States Marc Sullivan, founder of Recycleyourdisc.com. “It is important for those individuals or companies that use, sell, manufacture or promote compact discs to also responsibly promote how and where to recycle them.”

When compacts discs are placed in the trash, it is harmful to the environment. When discs are recycled properly, it will help stop unnecessary pollution, conserve natural resources, and slow global warming. The plastic used in compact discs can be recycled into other everyday items, including household products, building materials, and auto parts.

Sullivan states “I feel the main reason people are throwing out unwanted CDs and DVDs is that they simply don’t know what else to do with them. Now they can learn the importance of disc recycling, and also have a place to send them. They can send us one or one million discs and we’ll accept and recycle them.” Bennett also notes that the Recycling Center will accept discs still in their original packaging. The center will separate and recycle any paper components of the package as well. The Center asks that new members place The CD Recycling Center logo on any new compact disc releases, thus promoting to the end user how and where to recycle the disc when they are finished using it.

The Center asks that people visit their recycling website,

www.recycleyourdiscs.com , and sign in as a supporter. They would then print out a mailing label and simply mail or ship their disc waste to the collection center. The center encourages members to use and promote The CD Recycling Center logo, which will help actively promote the awareness to recycle compact discs.

Recycleyourdiscs.com was founded in 2007 by Marc Sullivan, owner of www.discrepairservices.com A professional scratch removal business for DVD’S, CD’s and Game Discs. Sullivan decided it was equally important keep currently owned movies, CD’s and Game’s working. So if they are badly scratched have them repaired at www.discrepairservies.com it is a lot cheaper than replacing the disc and it doesn’t land up in a landfill! If you have CD’s, DVD’s or game discs that need to be recycled, Package them up and send them to Recycleyourdisc.com 408 College Drive, Ventura California 93003.

by Rob Pirozzi

Modern life is full of electronic gadgets. Cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, computers, laptops, monitors and more are common in all modern households. These modern electronic devices provide entertainment and help us in many ways. The problem with them is that they wear out or become obsolete, and then we are faced with the challenge of how to dispose of them.

Simply throwing electronic devices in the trash may be 1 option, but it is an option with a significant environmental impact. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 200 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) ends up in landfills every year. The problem with this is that many consumer electronic items contain harmful materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and more. These materials can pollute the land, water, and air. In fact, according to Earth 911, over 70% of toxic waste found in landfills comes from e-waste.

Some items, such as computers and computer monitors, are banned from landfills and curbside trash pickup. In some states and municipalities, it is illegal to simply throw away such items. So the challenge is twofold, how to dispose of properly to comply with applicable laws, or how to dispose of properly because it is the environmentally responsible thing to do.

Most people are familiar with the recycling of cans, glass, paper, and plastic. They either take it to designated recycling centers at their landfill, or transfer station, or they are picked up through curbside recycling efforts. When it comes to recycling our electronic gadgets, the task becomes significantly more difficult. Unlike cans, paper, plastic, and glass, there is typically not curbside recycling for electronic devices. You also typically cannot simply take such items and leave them at the landfill or transfer station. Thus, recycling our gadgets requires some thought and effort. It is important to know your recycling options for common electronic items.

Reuse Electronic Devices through Donation

An excellent option for electronic gadgets that are still in working order is to donate them to someone who can make use of them. Many schools and community groups are happy to receive working electronic items. Schools, for example, often are very appreciative to receive donated computers, peripherals, and monitors. There are even tax incentives built into the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 for companies to donate such items to schools. Cell phones are another item that many community organizations love to receive in donation. In addition, there are national organizations that will accept donations of electronic items. Some organizations that accept donations include:

· Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA)

· Computers For Schools

· Another Byte, Inc.

· National Cristina Foundation (NCF)

· Share the Technology

· Educational Assistance Ltd. (EAL)

· The Wireless Foundation

· The 911 Cell Phone Bank

Recycling Unwanted Electronic Gadgets

If reuse through donation is not an option there are numerous programs for recycling unwanted electronic items. Many municipalities will have special days at their landfill or transfer station where these items will be accepted for recycling. There may be a fee associated with these programs.

In addition, many major manufacturers of common electronic items will accept them for recycling, including Acer, Apple, Dell, Epson, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo/IBM, Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba. Many major retailers also have recycling programs, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, and Staples.

For cellular phones, many cell phone manufacturers, and all of the major wireless companies provide recycling programs for cell phones. Most of the programs will accept anyone’s cell phones for recycling.

A Word About Recycling Batteries

General purpose and alkaline batteries are not considered to be hazardous waste by the US Government. These items may be disposed of with normal household waste except in California where non-households must dispose of them in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Recycling programs for general purpose and alkaline batteries are rare.

Rechargeable batteries may be recycled for free. You may find a list of organizations that accept rechargeable batteries at the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

Recently, I was invited to a party. The hosts were lovely, the home was large and beautiful in a well-to-do area. Everything about the day was fantastic, except for one thing…they didn’t recycle.

I noticed glass bottles in the trash, I thought maybe some partygoer made a mistake. Then I noticed another and another, no mistake.

Does their township not offer recycling? I can’t imagine these intelligent, well read people would have a blatant disregard for the environment. I didn’t ask. That would be poor etiquette.  I should have though, I could have at least taken those bottles with me and recycled them at my house.

It leaves me wondering, why don’t they recycle? Cans, bottles and paper are the most widely recycled products in the nation. Why not there? I am sure there are many areas of our country that are still in the dark about recycling. We are the self-proclaimed leaders of the world, yet many other countries have far surpassed us environmentally.  There are some countries, such as Sweden where composting your food scraps is mandatory.  They have been able to reduce the amount of green waste going into the landfill drastically.   Food scraps will not effectively breakdown inside a plastic bag in a landfill, in fact it contributes to the production of methane gas, one of the leading destroyers of the ozone.

It is our responsibility, to hold our government and ourselves accountable. The USA is more than capable of implementing recycling in every state, county and municipality… we should insist on it.

It is more cost effective over the long term to have these programs in place.  Recycling products, makes new products with  a smaller footprint than products using virgin materials.  Recycling saves thousands of acres of landfill space every year.  Recycling also reduces the amount of methane gas being produced in landfills and chemicals from leaching into our soils and making its way into our ground water supply.  Once the damage is done, it is difficult and costly to undo.

As my Mother always said, “Do it right the first time and you won’t have to go back and do it again.”  We only have one country, one Earth, we should honor it, revere it and take care of it.  Over the last 100 years of the world’s growth we have taken for granted that the Earth would just sustain.  It would always be here for us to manipulate it and abuse it as we chose.

What can one do if recycling is not offered in your area?  Take Action, write a letter to your local newspaper, the township officials and your county freeholders.  Make everyone aware of the damage that is being done.  You voice will be heard.  Get children involved in your quest for a better world.  Children are innovative thinkers and can make a real difference.

For example:  Recently a local Boy Scout Troup in our area provided a hard plastics pick up to their community. Hard plastics are items like: Plastic lawn furniture, kids molded plastic play sets, 5gal water bottles, etc. Any large hard plastic items. They sent out fliers, collected these items on a particular date and took them to the township Public Works Facility, where from there it was taken by the township to the County Recycling Facility. They collected over 500 pounds of hard plastic that would have ended up in the dump!

It does take some effort on our part to recycle hard plastics, however a quick trip to the Township Public Works Dept. will keep these items out of our landfills. They can then be recycled and turned into other useful products, like Polywood Furniture. By asking our local municipalities, maybe they will offer one or two pickups per year. By recycling these hard plastics we can save valuable space in our landfills.

These young boys made a difference in our community and our environment. We should all follow their example. If everyone nationwide would make this small extra effort to recycle, the effects would be staggering. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Vera Pappas is author of several articles on organic gardening and environmental issues and is owner of Green Nation Gardens, an online retailer of Green Living Products for the home and garden.  Visit greennationgardens.com today!

Why Buy Recycled Paper and Tree-free Paper?
You may wonder, “Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper?” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), making paper from recycled materials produces 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less water pollution. When you ask yourself, “Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper?” it’s important to realize that using recycled paper helps save valuable natural resources in our forests  and reduces the paper waste filling up our already over crowed landfills.

Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper? Because recycled and tree-free paper work just as well as virgin paper. They’re used in many homes and offices for printing, faxing, copying and other administrative duties. In order for paper to be considered recycled, the government currently requires that it contain at least 30 percent recycled material.

The Benefits of Recycled and Tree-free Paper
When consumers use 100 percent recycled paper, they automatically use less chlorine. Chlorine produces Dioxin, a dangerous chemical that studies show can lead to cancer in people and wildlife. Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper? Because they can lead to a healthier environment for everyone.

Tree-free Paper Alternatives
The production of tree-free paper is another step toward decreasing deforestation. Tree-free paper is not made from tree fiber. Plant fibers derived from hemp, kenaf, cotton, sugarcane, flax and many other easy to grow agricultural plants may be used instead of trees.  Right now tree-free paper is considered the most environmentally friendly paper available.

Reduced Chemicals Mean Reduced Pollutants
Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper? Since products made from tree-free paper can be made from other plant sources instead of trees, fewer chemical are needed to break down and separate the paper fibers from the plant. They are usually chlorine-free, and some brands are even pesticide-free. Fewer industrial chemicals mean a cleaner environment. Trees can take anywhere from seven to 20 years to grow while it only takes about 10 weeks to grow the plants needed for tree-free paper.

Why Buy Recycled paper and tree-free paper? Environmental Solutions
So when you ask, “Why buy recycled paper and tree-free paper?” One answer to consider is the fact that it significantly cuts down on the depletion of our natural resources and contributing to overfilled landfills, and environmental pollution. Buying recycled and tree-free paper is a big step in the right direction.