Greening Steps

In today’s environment of busy schedules and numerous school activities, difficulty arises for families to recycle in their homes. For those who live in areas that provide curbside (single-stream) recycling, the routine of mixing all recyclable materials together in one bin becomes significantly easier than separating paper from plastic from metal cans, and well…you get the idea!

But even with curbside programs, depending on the layout of your house, recycling can still pose an inconvenience. Although we want to keep materials out of landfills, and be good stewards of natural resources, that doesn’t seem to come into play when you’re sitting on the couch after a long day, and there is some serious muscle aching going on. You finish the last of your soda, and sigh as you look at the plastic bottle in your hand. And then the internal battle begins:

Did you know that the Plastic Bottle Institute developed a material-identification code system for plastic bottle manufactures (#1-#7) in 1988?

When it comes to the world of recycling, with advancements in technology, and improvements in residential programs, questions naturally arise about what and how to recycle. While residents try to recycle, their questions about the program often remain unanswered, and they aren’t sure where to go for clarification. During Earth Month, 2015, we would like to give you the opportunity to take your recycling questions right to the experts.

How?

When people talk about using less energy, the terms energy conservation and energy efficiency are probably mentioned. While these words are closely related, their meanings differ.

Sustainability…the buzz word of 2006 that’s still buzzing. What is this term that’s come to define everything from reducing water usage to increasing business profit?

Look up the word sustainability online, and the descriptions that appear include jargon, hackneyed, misused, overused, and well…I think you get the picture.

Buying in bulk is a concept that has gained popularity through the years, mostly because it's a great way to save money, but also because it's environmentally friendly.

How?

Our team at Midwest Fiber is pleased to announce that 2014 proved to be a record year for recycling, thanks to the businesses and municipalities throughout the Midwest that desire to divert recyclable materials from the waste stream.

As a result of their efforts, they recycled 318,876,000 pounds of commodities, diverting enough material from the landfill to cover 96 football fields...3 feet deep!! As you can imagine, this volume saves a significant amount of natural resources and landfill space.

Whether you're reading your favorite book, writing a grocery list, or printing a flyer, you're using something that’s been around for nearly 2,000 years...paper!

Every year, Americans use more than 90 million short tons of paper and paperboard. That's an average of 700 pounds of paper products per person each year! Not to mention that the average office worker handles around 10,000 sheets of paper every year.

As recyclable materials come to our single-stream facility at Midwest Fiber, they enter another phase of the product life-cycle, which involves the collection of raw materials to the destruction or recycling of the final product. With some materials, like glass and aluminum, there is no limit to the number of times they can be recycled!! So, what does a product life-cycle look like? Let's trace the steps of a milk jug, and find out!

As quickly as it came, Christmas is past, leaving behind good memories of family and fun, and more tangible items, like cardboard boxes and packing material. At my house, it's post-holiday clean-up time! As much as I'd like to adopt a new decorating scheme consisting of empty boxes and tissue paper, the clutter has to go.

What can be reused and/or recycled?

Although winter days are short, and darkness commandeers most of the evening, neighborhoods are anything but dim this time of year. It's the season for Christmas lights!!

Whether clear, colored, indoor, or outdoor, these strands of cheery lights illuminate a holiday wonderland across the country.

Enjoying time with family, preparing for the holidays, and let's not forget about turkey!! Thanksgiving is a busy time for many people, making it no surprise that it's one of the most travel-heavy times of the year.

According to Nationwide.com, 56% of drivers will travel at least 100 miles, with the average long-distance trip length being 214 miles! And approximately 91% of Thanksgiving trips are made by car.

Each day is special for a number of reasons, and November 15th is no exception! Historic events that occurred on November 15th include the release of Batman on video tape in 1989, the first regularly scheduled flight over the North Pole in 1954, and the 68th U.S. manned space mission (Atlantis 7) launching into orbit in 1990.

And it gets better!

Have you ever wanted to make your own Halloween costume, whether in search of a fun craft for the kids or a "green" Halloween? Here are some fun costume ideas that allow you to use materials you might have on hand for a fun night of trick-or-treat!!

Halloween and the Old West!  

It was a crisp October morning when I pulled into the parking lot at work. After taking my last sip of coffee, I made my way towards the office door. Nearing the sidewalk, I noticed something shiny and partly concealed in a pile of leaves. Smiling to myself, I picked up the object, and placed it in my jacket pocket.

"I found a penny," I exclaimed to the secretary as I passed by the front desk. She lowered her reading glasses slightly, and remarked, "That's nice Joy, but I don't see why you're so excited! It's only a penny."

Did you know that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women. During the month of October, awareness is raised about the importance of early detection and medical research.

When an employee's wife from Midwest Fiber's Sister Company, COPS Paper Shredding, was diagnosed with the disease in 2011, COPS felt compelled to lend their genuine support in an effort to contribute and hopefully create a meaningful impact. As a result, Shred for the Cure initiative for Susan G. Komen began.

If a material is paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, or glass, it is recyclable...right? Fortunately, most of the time this is correct! However, just as the English language is notorious for "exceptions to the rule," there are materials that commonly trip people up when it comes to recyclability.

 Items that you don't want in your recycle bin:

A day dedicated to celebrating workers and their achievements, Labor Day originated during America's Industrial Revolution. A typical work week consisted of 12-hour days, 7 days a week. On September 5th, 1882, 10,000 workers in New York City took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history! Thankfully, working conditions have improved since then, and Labor Day celebrations continue.

As recycling became more prevalent in the United States, it contributed to job creation, like many growing industries. Beginning as a defensive strategy during WWII, recycling nearly disappeared in the late 1950's. The Baby Boomer generation worked to turn this around, and in 1970, with the emergence of Earth Day, 3,000 drop-off centers were started. By the late 1970's, these grew into curbside recycling programs that currently serve nearly every city in the country. As a result of this growing industry, approximately 1.1 million U.S. jobs were created!

Excitement mounts as the new school year approaches! Store shelves fill with supplies, families pull out their checklists, and kids enjoy their last weeks of freedom. Among other things, this is a great opportunity for applying the 3 R's!

Reduce: Do you buy items in bulk? Packaging waste accounts for more than 30% of waste generated each year. Purchasing items in bulk minimizes what you have to throw away, and is more cost effective than buying individually packaged items. It also gives you the added perk of having backup materials on hand. You'll be so on top of things!

I was recently asked a recycling question that I thought was worth sharing. The culprit: A Pringles can. The inquiry: Can it be recycled even though it's made of different materials? I did some research, and discovered that other bloggers and information sources said no. They gave helpful tips for reusing these canisters instead of throwing them away, but that's another topic for another day. Not to keep you in suspense, but let's keep investigating!

Going back to the original question, I would like to propose that Pringles cans are recyclable! Even though they are composed of metal, chipboard, and plastic, all of those materials can be recycled...separately. Yes, that's the key! If different materials can be separated, they can be recycled!