

Recycled glass bottles can be used in place of 95% of raw materials, meaning all efforts to reuse it save precious materials from being wasted. But, unlike most food or beverage options, glass can be recycled endlessly without sacrificing quality. Looking for a place to recycle glass bottles or jars? The good news is you can do it easily at a glass recycling center near you or even at home.
RECYCLE STYROFOAM HOW TO
Glass Recycling How to Recycle Glass Bottles Put them in your own bin, sign up for a program, or bring them in person to a disposal center.Įliminate waste, create massive savings, and do Mother Nature a big favor by finding an aluminum can recycling center near you now. There are plenty of options, and most of them are a breeze to do. Instead of contributing to the 1.5 million tons of waste produced every year of this product, look for an aluminum can recycling center near you, jump in your car, and help save the environment! However, one trillion cans have been thrown away since we started using them 4 decades ago.ĭid you know that recycling a can takes only 5% of the energy compared to creating a new one? When you add to it that 75% of aluminum produced in the USA is still in use today, it’s clear that knowing how to recycle your aluminum cans is a game changer for the environment. Despite this, $1 billion dollars worth of aluminum cans are sent to landfills every year.Ī recycling center in your local area can reuse every bit of the can and get it back on a store shelf within just two months. Aluminum cans are one of the most recyclable materials. If you’re looking for aluminum can recycling centers near you, then you’re doing the right thing. Where to Recycle Cardboard Find A Recycling Center Near You Aluminum Recycling.How to Recycle TVs and Other Large Appliances.Will Facilities Pay for My Electronics?.Considerable disposal costs can be reduced by removing this material from your waste stream, as light bulky materials such as this can be very expensive to dispose of. We should also keep in mind that the benefits are not always derived strictly from the sale or value of the material. Without this on site equipment it is not cost effective to recycle EPS. The processed EPS, now that it is densified, has value and is purchased by recyclers because it can be easily and efficiently handled and transported.

So, should a large distribution facility, furniture warehouse or fish packing plant generate large amounts of EPS– it can be cost effective to place processing equipment on site. When oil prices drop the price of this material also drops.

When oil prices are high, the value of this material increases. Each method allows for cost effective shipping – typically to foreign countries for further processing.Įquipment used to perform this process can be costly – and must be performed at the point of generation to eliminate handling and transporting loose, bulky material any further than necessary. There are two popular methods of densifying this material, either by heating and extrusion, (see picture), or by compressing into logs. cost of transportation, and makes it cost effective to recycle. To overcome the issue of “light weight” EPS needs processing before being transported. With material this light in weight – it takes a very high value, (and quantity) to cover the cost of transportation, handling, and processing.

Any profits derived from recycling this material is generated by the value – which is calculated “per pound”. The exact reason that makes Styrofoam, or EPS so attractive to be used as packaging is the same reason it is difficult to recycle. The problem? It is very difficult to do it profitably, which is why it is difficult to locate a recycler interested in handling it. In a previous post, we shared our thoughts on San Francisco’s ban on Styrofoam and touched on the issue of recycling this material on a residential level. You may ask why this material is not accepted at the majority of recycling facilities, and why it is not readily recycled.įirst – EPS can be readily recycled. Unfortunately, it is also the material of choice for large coffee chains such as Dunkin Donuts. This material comes in many forms shapes, and sizes, but is typically found as protective packaging for appliances, furniture, electronics, and other types of items. “Styrofoam”, is a brand name for EPS, or Expanded Polystyrene.
