Great News for Recycling!

We’ve tallied our 2011 recycling numbers and would like to share some of them.

Exhibit A: From two local (to ecycler HQ in Chicago) sources we have recovered over 300 pounds of aluminum from tapping into what was previously a waste stream. Almost 9000 cans have been recycled from these two businesses, one a restaurant and one a large automobile dealership.

Of course, 10,000’s of cans and bottles have been recycled through ecycler, but these two businesses show a great density of materials for our collectors.

Exhibit B: In only a few months since launching our “hard-to-recycle materials” service, almost a thousand pounds of miscellaneous materials, like crayons, CD’s, VHS tapes, tennis balls have been diverted from the landfill to specialized recyclers. For example, 33 pounds of crayons have been transformed into new crayons ready for a child’s art project.

“In the process of Recovering Materials from a waste stream, everyone’s a winner. Fewer tons of waste go into the landfill—instead, those materials will find new life. This action not only creates a greener world for us, but also supplies much needed opportunities to the workforce.”

We started the collection of books for recycling in January 2012, a very exciting addition to the ten other hard-to-recycle materials already offered. Ecycler will continue to expand the recovery of materials by reducing the amount of recyclables going into the waste stream of businesses and residential households.

We now have the capability to recycle 11 materials:

CD’s, DVD’s and discs: http://ecycler.com/discs
Crayons: http://ecycler.com/crayons
Tennis Balls: http://ecycler.com/tennis_balls
Alkaline Batteries: http://ecycler.com/alkaline
Wine Bottle Corks: http://ecycler.com/corks
VHS Tapes: http://ecycler.com/VHS_tape
Inkjet Cartridges: http://ecycler.com/inkjet
Eyeglasses: http://ecycler.com/eyeglasses
Keys: http://ecycler.com/keys
Bicycle Inner Tubes: http://ecycler.com/inner_tubes
Books: http://ecycler.com/books

Make a difference and recycle with ecycler.com!

Are you the kind of person that hates to discard used books for fear they’ll end up in a landfill?  Do those late-night pet adoption commercials get you thinking that you’d like to set up an adoption agency for used books?  We’re right there with you, and we’ve got some great news for you!

We Recycle Books: http://ecycler.com/books

We’re delighted to announce that we now accept books as a part of our recycling programs.  We’re committed to helping find good homes for your books, and now it’s easy to join in. Simply navigate to ecycler.com/books and click the Start Recycling Now button on the page, select the number of books you are recycling (or enter in the count). Fill in the form, print out your shipping label and then rest assured that your books are on their way to nice, new homes where they’ll be treated well, with lots of tender loving care.

Books cannot be easily recycled like other paper, because of the chemicals, such as glue, and other binding materials used to make them, so reuse is a great option.

We happily accept all sorts of books, be they hardcover or softcover editions, new or old. All we ask is that the books be in decent condition, without mold or mildew. It’s okay if there are markings. Just use common sense – don’t send any books that you yourself wouldn’t want to receive. The books will transferred to the care of our recycling partner who shares our commitment to getting books out of the trash and into the hands of new readers. The goal is to give each book as many new lives as possible. Come join the revolution.

According to ALA Recycling Industries, in 2006 the U.S. printed more than 172,000 new book titles. In order to produce just one ton of paper needed for these new books, 3,688 lbs. of wood, 24,000 gallons of water, 216 lbs. of lime, 360 lbs. of salt cake and 76 lbs. of soda ash are required. The process produces 84 lbs. of air pollutants, 36 lbs. of water pollutants and 176 lbs. of solid waste which must be treated and properly discarded.

Happy recycling!

Attention, no books were harmed in the filming of these Crush that Can videos:

Thanks for Ben Oh for the use of his image

We often talk about (brag about!) being earth-friendly, going green and recycling in our home. But most of us spend a good portion of our lives in another environment, one that generates its own share of waste: the workplace. Whether you work for a large company or a small business, you likely have an office in which you spend five or more days a week. That office requires heating and cooling; it uses paper, appliances, and other materials; and it creates waste just as prolifically as does the home – if not more so.

If you are a business manager or simply an outspoken person in your office, you can take concerted steps toward reducing, reusing and recycling in the workplace. Here’s how:

REDUCE

Technology has made it increasingly easy to reduce in the workplace. By using cloud computing, electronic billing, and email communication a business can go paperless and save troves of trash (and money) the process. You can also reduce on your electricity consumption by installing intelligent thermostats and energy-efficient lighting. The possibilities are truly endless and the potential for savings are considerable. As a successful energy-reducer can tell you, you don’t need solar power to save on utilities in the workplace.

REUSE

Changing workplace trends dictate that companies are always creating waste. Every technological and management change likely yields discarded furniture, printers, and various other office items. All of these materials can be donated to agencies that will help reuse them in some capacity. An office truly committed to being environmentally-friendly is not one that will leave generations of printers sitting in a landfill.

RECYCLE

Most people find it far easier to recycle in the home than in the workplace. The reason? At home, many of us have a dedicated bin for trash and another one dedicated for recycling. Every time we empty the trash or take the bins to the curb we are reminded to sort the recyclables out from the items that are not. We often don’t get this kind of reminder in the office, where trash receptacles are abundant but recycling bins are a far rarer find. There’s an easy solution to this, however: next to every trash can add a well-marked recycling bin. Certainly make sure there is one in the kitchen or wherever employees tend to eat their lunch.

Hopefully these tips can help your business better reduce, reuse and recycle. Doing so not only helps the environment, but can also translate favorably towards the company’s bottom line. As far as the workplace is concerned, there’s really no reason not to go green.

Top-20 Ways to Make your Business Greener: http://blog.ecycler.com/2010/11/13/top-20-ways-to-make-your-business-greener/

Thanks Sam!

Sam Peters enjoys blogging about eco-friendly and sustainable practices to adopt within the workplace environment.

When not writing she loves spending her time walking her dog Leona and shopping at local San Diego farmers markets.

We are all about recycling and being green. Some may call it junk, but it can certainly be reused, recycled or upcycled! With so much upcycling inspiration around here, we thought Pinterest would be a great place to showcase some of our discoveries!

If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, think of it as a place to create virtual inspiration boards. If you see a craft project, a recipe, or anything else that inspires you, you can “pin it” on your Pinterest account to find later (and to show-off to the world!).

We use ecyler’s Pinterest board to bookmark and share awesome, eco-friendly, upcycled stuff that we stumble across. We want to create a pinboard that’s got green crafty inspiration for home decor, clothing and accessories and any other awesome upcycled or revamped craft projects we stumble upon in our travels. We also post some interesting images of recycling of materials from aluminum cans to wine bottle corks.

Want to keep up with the eco-friendly, upcycle action on Pinterest? Follow the ecycler Pinterest board! We’d also love to connect with other green pinners out there. Do you have a Pinterest account? Tell us who you are in the comments!

In the final days of his administration, the Governor of Guam, Felix Camacho, signed into law Bottle Bill 149 proposed by Sen. Tina Muna Barnes in June 2009, which adds a five cent deposit on beverage containers identified for recycling efforts. It’s now been almost a year (30 Dec 2010) since Public Law 30-221 went into affect.

A little background… After three attempts at introducing bottle bill legislation, Barnes’ attempts have finally paid off. Barnes added that the effort to introduce a bottle bill has spanned 30 years through seven legislative authors.

The five cent deposit will go into a Beverage Container Recycling Deposit Fund administrated by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. Four cents for each container will be returned to the customer and one cent will be used for administrative and auditing costs and educational outreach.

There are currently 10 states that have a container deposit law. They are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Vermont.

Many of the states have reported an increase in recycling and participation efforts. For example, in California, recycling rates increased significantly from 52 percent in 1988, when the law was implemented, to 82 percent participation in 2009.

According to bottlebill.org, the legislation helps to prevent litter, promote recycling, reduce waste, create jobs, and provide financial incentives for recycling, among other environmental and economic benefits.

“This bill is not just an environmental issue. It is also an economic issue. Residents will be proactively engaged in reducing the litter on our beaches, roadways and jungles.” Sen Barnes goes on to say, “This legislation will help alleviate the burden placed on the Tourism Attraction Fund and other tax dollars spent on removing and reducing litter. It will encourage the development of young entrepreneurs who will enter into public private partnerships while improving our environment and stimulating our economy. The Bottle Bill is the first step our youth will take toward jobs of the future…green jobs.”

The specifics are still being hammered out; several subcommittees were formed to address rules and regulations, operations and permitting, finance, and outreach.

Get ready for America Recycles Day!

America Recycles Day (ARD), November 15, is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. Celebrating its 14th year, it has grown to include millions of Americans pledging to increase their recycling habits at home and work. And to buy products made with recycled materials. Volunteer America Recycles Day coordinators are positioned throughout the country and work to organize recycling awareness events in their schools and communities, and in conjunction with their local municipalities.

On November 15 each year, millions of people become better informed about the importance of daily recycling and buying recycled products. One day to educate and motivate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.

Check out the America Recycles Day website and Take the Pledge to Recycle!

Or, follow @recyclesday on twitter

Special guest post by John Koontz.

In the quest to reduce our impact on landfills and environment, many men (and women) are forgoing the morning shave. However, some of us can’t rock the beard like Sean Connery and get away with it. So what’s a guy to do? Good news. There is a way to be environmentally conscious and still look dapper – traditional wet shaving. Let me illustrate by using the proverbial “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

REDUCE – Wet shaving products reduce your use of disposable materials and you will find yourself purchasing these items less frequently because they were designed to last. Unlike a cartridge razor you find in the drugstore, a quality double edge razor (like the Edwin Jagger DE89L or Merkur 34C) will last for decades, with only a simple metal blade to change. A straight razor, like one from Hart Steel (made in the USA, by the way) can be used for centuries. Take care of your shaving brush (Simpson Colonel) and it will last longer than most cars. Unlike shaving goop in a can, a hard soap will last at least 6 months of daily use. You can easily see the reliance on extraneous materials, like the plastic in a disposable razor handle, or metal can for shaving foam, will be drastically reduced.

REUSE – If these tools last so long, you may have guessed used items are easy to find. And you’d be correct. Razors are commonly found at online auctions, flea markets and antique stores. However, if you’re scared of the nasties from the previous unknown user, we understand. Buy a new razor and know that your kids can reuse it when you’re gone. Refills for soap bowls are available so the wood bowls can be used for years. The plastic containers for shaving cream are nice quality and can be used to store and organize small items, like screws in the garage.

RECYCLE – While the items that could be discarded are few, the ones that are can be recycled. From the daily shave itself, only the double edge blade is discarded about once a week. Being metal, it is easily recycled. Most packaging of wet shaving products is simple, often consisting of only a simple cardboard box or tissue paper. Again, easily recycled.

You’ll also find that wet shaving products have a focus on being healthier, cutting out many nasty chemicals and using more eco and face friendly ingredients (like products from The Gentlemen’s Refinery or Edwin Jagger). You probably already figured out that wet shaving products are far more economical. (Shhhhh! The cartridge razor companies don’t want you to know this.) And if all this wasn’t enough, most people that try wet shaving find it simply works better. Less razor burn, fewer ingrown hairs, smoother shave. You may even start to enjoy that morning chore.

Grandpa had it right a hundred years ago!

Thanks John!

John Koontz, unhappy with the quality and performance of the shaving options found in drugstores, stumbled upon traditional wet shaving while searching the web for better options. Enamored by the low cost and minimal waste, he bought his first wet shaving supplies in 2005 and discovered these traditional products work much better and are healthier as well. In his quest to find his perfect shave, Koontz and his wife started West Coast Shaving in 2007 distributing just razor blades. Today WestCoastShaving.com has over 1,000 products and continues to spread the word that you can have a great shave and be environmentally and financially responsible.

It’s almost Recycle Glass Month (September 2011)!

Glass, like aluminum, can be recycled into infinity without degradation to the material. But, unlike aluminum, more care needs to be taken in the recycling process to ensure the glass is not being contaminated with non-container glass.

To make sure you’re not contaminating the recycling stream, keep out non-container glass, like light bulbs and mirrors. And, remove metal caps and neck rings. The glass you recycle can be used to make new glass bottles only if the stream is kept clear of these items. Remember that ceramics, porcelain, Pyrex and dishware are the most destructive contaminants for glass recycling and can damage the recycling equipment.  So, never place them in your recycling bins. So, why recycle glass in the first place? We have TEN good reasons…

Top Ten Reasons to Recycle Glass Bottles

10. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or power a computer for 30 minutes. That’s just one glass bottle.

9. More recycled glass bottles are needed. Stat. Glass container manufacturers have set a goal to reach 50% recycled content in the manufacture of new glass bottles by 2013. They’re going to need a lot more.

8. Spare change. In 10 states with container deposit laws, you can get cash for recycling your empty glass bottles. Or, list them on ecycler.com and a collector will pick them up for free.

7. Conserve natural resources. Over a ton are saved for every ton of glass containers recycled.

6. Save energy. Costs for energy drop about 2-3% for every 10% recycled glass containers used in the manufacturing process. You see where this is going?

5. All this carbon footprint stuff, recycling glass bottles really does makes a difference. Using six tons of recycled container glass in the manufacturing process equals one ton of carbon dioxide reduced.

4. Karma. Glass is 100% and endlessly recyclable. A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days. It’s gonna come back to you.

3. Bars (we know you’re there) are a hotbed for glass recycling. Over 35% of beer and soft drink bottles were recycled in 2008. Is your corner bar recycling?

2. No dish washer required. Just rinse and recycle your glass bottles and jars. But keep out coffee cups, dishware, and Pyrex.

1. What? You’re not drinking out of an endlessly recyclable glass bottle? Start now. Glass is 100% pure taste—and no after taste.

Top-10 list borrowed from the Glass Packaging Institute website. Check it out for more information about recycling glass. Or, follow @chooseglass on twitter!

Visit ecycler.com today and start recycling glass!

Did you know that the recycling of VHS tapes is available? There are hundreds of thousands of people that have old VHS tapes and don’t know what to do with them. Many people feel guilty giving box loads of these tapes to donation services because in reality most people don’t even own VHS machines anymore. This doesn’t have to happen anymore because now you have the ability to recycle those tapes. Ecycler.com developed their website to make it possible for you to begin recycling almost everything you own.

VHS, cassettes, reel-to-reel and old 8-track tapes can now be recycled relieving you of the guilt of dropping them off on someone else. Over the years people probably have collected hundreds of different types of recorded media and as a result, they probably have boxes and boxes of these items stored somewhere in the garage or basement. Many of these tapes have probably already been digitized and now people are wondering what to do with them. You have to realize that by simply throwing them away doesn’t really do the trick because they aren’t biodegradable. If you do throw them away it will take thousands of years for them to break down.

Why take a chance when you can turn those old tapes into jobs, reusable resources and a positive contribution to the environment. That’s right, you can turn those old tapes into a job for someone else. You will also be providing a reusable resource by allowing the recycler to turn those tapes into new products or materials that will be used for future items. You are also helping the environment by decreasing our need to deplete more natural resources and not allowing those tapes to be buried in the country’s landfills.

You see, ecycler.com understands that people simply need to know that they can recycle items like VHS tapes, and by doing so they are able to see the positive effects it creates for their environment and the community. The neat thing is that all of this can be done quickly and easily right here on our website. Ecycler.com provides a way for people that have stuff to recycle the ability to connect with specialized recyclers, in this case, for VHS tapes.

The collector breaks down the VHS tapes into their basic components (plastics, metal, etc.) and gets paid for their recycle value. The items get recycled into something new, the collector as been provided a job, and all of this has been created by the person that submitted the items to be recycled. Pretty neat idea, but it all starts with you. Recycling of VHS tapes is available and what a better way to do it then by helping your environment, and the people that live in your community. Start recycling today to begin helping your environment one collection at a time.

If you have materials (in this case, VHS tapes) to recycle, sign on to ecycler.com, submit all the information, package the tapes (reuse a box!), print out out the label and ship the package. It’s that simple!

Thanks to makelessnoise for the image!

You now have a place for the recycling of crayons which is a well received alternative when it comes to discarding crayons in landfills. It has been found that between 45,000 and 75,000 pounds of broken crayons have been documented as the annual amount discarded in landfills throughout the country. This is no small number when you consider that crayons are a bi-product of petroleum called paraffin. Although the crayon wrapper may deteriorate over time, the wax is not biodegradable and will never break down leaving a waxy sludge in our landfills for centuries to come.

There is hope because ecycler.com has developed a service that will allow people, restaurants, education systems and community services programs to get rid of all those unwanted crayons in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. If you have broken, rejected, and very unusable crayons that need a new home, you can simply sign on to ecycler.com and a label will be provided to ship them to a specialized recycler. The process is simple and can be done easily and effectively. When using this service you are contributing to much more than saving your landfills.

When properly recycling your crayons you are actually creating jobs. You are not just creating jobs for the recycling industry but also for the ecycler collectors. You are allowing them the ability to work and redeem any recycling credits that can be used to sustain them and their families. You are also helping to decrease the need for foreign resources and materials that are needed to make new crayons. So what you’ve done is help to create jobs, helped to decrease our dependence on outside resources, and saved the environment from the crayons you may have discarded.

This is not to be taken lightly because look at what you have actually achieved. People are working because you simply decided you weren’t going to throw something away and instead decided you were going to recycle. Now you alone are just one person that has the wheels of sustainability moving forward. What if everyone were to do the same thing? Instead of throwing all their recyclables in the trash, they’ve decided that they too want to recycle. Not only would thousands and thousands of pounds of crayons be eliminated from landfills, but all the other items that could be recycled would be eliminated from landfills as well.

The program is simple! If you have materials (in this case, crayons) to recycle, sign on to ecycler.com, submit all the information, package the crayons (reuse a box!), print out out the label and ship the package. Depending on the company that recycles your crayons, they may come back as non-toxic recycled crayons that can be used over and over again. The recycling process all starts with you because in order for people to really be sustainable and lower their dependence on foreign resources, they will need to understand how important it is to begin right here at home recycling something as small as a simple crayon.