Scrap Recycling Forum

Use your recycling bin both at your office and home. Learn to think about the products and whether or not they are easily decomposed. Teach your children and those who surround you to make recycling cans and papers.

I want to add to your tips.... please teach people residing in slum because most of them are uneducated so there awakening is required... what say...

If you cant recycle your own things, it is better you learn to segregate your garbage. In this way you can help the garbage collector in organizing the trash, once they get to the recycling station they don't have to spend too much time organizing the trash. It will save time and make their work a lot faster and efficient.

I will tell you those who are in slum they have a very good idea of collecting the waste plastic or anything and put it in the shop for the money. But it is us who spoil the environment like we have no time to separate it and we are that much lazy to do the work.

As you read your newspaper, you see articles about deforestation and global warming and you wonder who can be guilty of such crimes? Then you realize that newspapers come from trees and you have the evidence in your own hands. It's no crime to read a newspaper, but you'll feel less guilty if you recycle it when you're done with it. And, better yet, pass it on to someone else to read it before it's recycled. It's the Frog Friendly thing to do.

Tin foil is not tin it is aluminum, as are some so called tin cans. It's important to know this when you sort your recyclables. Call your local recycling center to find out what they accept and how it should be sorted.

One simple thing you can do is not take a bag when you make a small purchase (especially a soda or something that you will consume immediately). If you plan on shopping take a bag with you. Preferably a cloth bag, but if you already have a plastic bags saved then reuse them. If you stop and think if you really need it (a bag or whatever object with extra packaging) you can really make a difference. There is an unbelievable amount of waste on completely unnecessary things. Locate either a recycling center in your neighborhood or check into curbside recycling. Newspapers, glass and cans can be recycled easily - just clean them. But it doesn't stop there. Find out what items your neighborhood recycles - there are probably more than you realize. You can help preserve resources, prevent excess garbage that will be dumped into landfills or left floating in the streets. And consider Precycling. When you are shopping, look over packaging. By purchasing items in bulk or getting fruits and veggies loose rather than prepackaged in plastic you instantly reduce what you will throw away. There is a lot that can be done, without a lot of effort if you just stop and think about what you are doing and the impact that your actions will have. Every little bit helps, so think it through.

1. First things first, a little R & R & R

The aphorism is so tired it almost might seem like “reduce, reuse, recycle” should go without saying. But in fact, most of us have only really heard the last third of the phrase, and they’re ranked in order of importance. Reducing the amount that we consume, and shifting our consumption to well-designed products and services, is the first step. Finding constructive uses for “waste” materials is next. And tossing it in the blue bin is last. (The garbage can is not on the list, for good reason.) Through a balance of these three principals you can easily see your landfill-destined waste dwindle fast. A good example of recycling is setting your empty water bottles in the bin on the curb. But by using a water filter and reusable container you can reduce or completely eliminate your need for disposable plastic bottles.

2. Know what you can and can't recycle

Read up on the recycling rules for your area and make sure you don't send anything in that can't be processed. Each city has its own specifics, so try to follow those guidelines as best you can.

3. Buy recycled

The essence of recycling is the cyclical movement of materials through the system, eliminating waste and the need to extract more virgin materials. Supporting recycling means feeding this loop by not only recycling, but also supporting recycled products. We can now find high recycled content in everything from printer paper to office chairs.

4. Encourage an artist

If you know someone interested in making art from recycled materials, offer to provide supplies. Many school children need items like paper towel tubes for art projects. Older artists use everything from rubber bands to oven doors. If you know someone who teaches art classes, suggest that an emphasis be put on making art from trash. While you're at it, remind them to use recycled paper and biodegradable, earth-friendly glues, paints, and pencils whenever possible. See below for inspiration and groups that connect artists and students with useful “trash.”

5. Recycle your water

If you're a homeowner, consider rearranging your plumbing so that rainwater or wastewater from your shower and tub is used to flush your toilet. If you have a garden, water it with leftover bathwater or dishwashing water (as long as you use a biodegradable soap). For more on water recycling see How to Green Your Water.

6. Recycle your greenery

William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of the groundbreaking Cradle to Cradle, envision so-called “waste” divided into two categories: technical nutrients and biological nutrients. Biological nutrients are those that, at the end of their useful life, can safely and readily decompose and return to the soil. Composting is one of the simplest and most effective recycling methods. Both your garden cuttings and your green kitchen waste can go into an outdoor or indoor composter (with or without entertaining a population of worms). If you don't have a garden yourself, find neighbors or a community garden that can make use of your soil. Composting food scraps will mean your regular kitchen wastebasket fills up more slowly and also won’t smell. Hotter, more active compost heaps can also consume tougher stuff like newspaper and paper napkins. After Christmas, many cities also have programs for turning your tree into mulch.

7. Recycle your robots

Electronics recycling is becoming more common in many urban areas, battery recycling is ubiquitous (rechargeable batteries are ecologically sounder, but even they wear out after a while), and there are a number of non-profit organizations that will take computer parts and turn them into working computers for others. Companies like Ebay have also developed programs to help your electronics find new homes. Other groups will gladly recycle your cell phone or give it to a senior citizen, as even without a contract it can still make emergency calls. If you have a major appliance that doesn't work and you'd rather replace it than try to fix it, offer it to local repair shops, trade schools, or hobbyists to tinker with. Many cities now offer hazardous waste recycling days when they will take not only hazardous waste, but electronics.

8. Anticipate recycling

In addition to buying recycled goods, keep a keen eye out for recyclable goods. Whenever you purchase something packaged, think about how you can reuse the packaging, return it to a shipping store for reuse, or try to otherwise recycle it. If you get something likely to run down or wear out over time, such as an electronic component, give preference to the model that can be easily upgraded or cannibalized for parts so that you don't have to junk the whole thing if one part breaks. Products that are impossibly fused together are often called “monstrous hybrids” and are, while often cheaper up front, frequently unfixable and unrecyclable.

9. If you don’t love something, let it go

Lots of charities welcome your donations. Groups like Freecycle and Recycler's Exchange exist to help you get rid of useful objects that you just don't want to make use of. If you're in a Craigslist city, make use of the "free stuff" section. Give away clothes that don't fit, the boxes you used in your last house move, or scented soaps that don't appeal to your sensibilities. Make it a rule in your house that nothing useable goes in the trash until you've given the community a fair shot at it.

10. Become a waste-stream analyst

To better understand the kind of materials that enter and leave your home, office, or school, consider conducting a waste audit. Set a span of time like a week or a month, and separate your waste categories. Weigh the different kinds of material flows that go out the door (landfill waste, organic compost, aluminum, recyclable plastic, reusable material, etc.). Design a “material recovery” program that minimizes the amount going to the landfill. This is a great exercise to do with kids but can be very convincing to corporate higher-ups, too, especially since most companies pay to have their trash hauled away and can get money for recycled paper, containers, toner cartridges, corrugated cardboard, and such.

here are lots of innovative things you can do to help reduce your rubbish – check out some of the tips below to get started.

Making use of your mountain of plastic bags:

* Use them as bin liners.
* Place them in the bottom of plant pots and hanging baskets - they act as great drainage systems.
* Children can use them for carrying PE gear to school.
* Scrunch them up to surround items when you're packaging as an alternative to bubble wrap.
* Use them in the garden to hold your grass cuttings and hedge trimmings before transfer to a compost bin.
* Use them when packing for a holiday to keep dirty/wet clothes and shoes away from dry clothing.
* Use them as 'doggy doo bags' when out walking your dog!
* Some supermarkets recycle plastic bags, so you can return plastic bags to them.
* Re-use washed zip lock bags for sandwiches and snacks rather than using plastic wrap.