ecoATM Recycling Kiosks for Small Electronics

ecoATM has a kiosk system that can evaluate the quality of old unwanted electronics – like cell phones – and offer cash and safe recycling.

Using screen prompts and a plug in wire to analyze a device the kiosk can determine the value and offer cash or to give the money to charity.  If cash is chosen the kiosk prints a slip that a partnering store can trade for cash.  In any case the devise is then reconditioned or safely (for the environment – no e-waste) recycled.

The kiosk “ … patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate and buy-back used electronics directly from consumers for cash or store credit. …”

Watch this video to see how easy the process is for the user …

Currently (Sept 2011) there is a cluster of ecoATM locations on the west coast stretching from just north of Los Angeles to just south of San Diego and two others – one in Kansas City, Kansas and one in Redmond, Washington.

 

Via:  ecoATM  LINK

Use EcoSquid to find a new home for your old electronics. 

“EcoSquid: Be awesome. Feel Good. Get Paid. Sell and Recycle your old electronics “

On their website you can quickly either find where to safely recycle your e-stuff or see if it can be sold for a few bucks.











Via:  EcoSquid  LINK

Rubbermaid Green Strategy / Products

 Rubbermaid is making products with a green slant.  In this case it is wire shelving made from 100 % recycled steel and is itself recyclable.

They are also working with the Greenguard Environmental Institute to certify products do not contain volatile contaminates / VOCs.  Check out this Rubbermaid video for more details ...




Via: Rubbermaid  LINK

Sprint Recycling Program – Reducing e-Waste

Did you know that MASSIVE amounts of cell phones are tossed in the trash EVERY HOUR ?

16,000 cell phones are thrown away each hour !!   Sprint wants to keeps these out of landfills and has programs that make it easy for everyone to recycle (and not contribute to to e-waste) your cell phone and related accessories.

Check out these 2 videos for more information on Sprint’s recycling programs …

Via:  Sprint and You Tube

Naked Juice’s 100% Post Consumer Recycled PET (rPET)

Check out this You Tube video from Naked Juice talking about their reNEWabottle – made from 100% post consumer recycled PET (rPET).

Made with recycled plastic and fully recyclable … helping to reduce energy and reduce landfill waste.

 

   

Via:  Naked Juice LINK

Motorola Takes Back / Recycles Cell Phones (even if not from Motorola)

As part of their corporate responsibility program Motorola has a program that will take back / recycle any mobile phone – even if not a Motorola product.

Some are repurposed (after refurbishing) to developing countries … others are just recycled.

Since consumer participation is a key drive Motorola tries to get more people involved in recycling mobile phones by among other things “enclosing …prepaid return envelopes with new products … Providing prepaid postage labels on our website ….” and participating in programs like “ … Mobile Muster in Australia, Green Box in China, Plug in to eCycling in the U.S. and Recycle My Cell in Canada “

Via: Motorola LINK

Waste to Energy -- Sustainable Waste Solutions

I saw a trailer in a parking lot with the Sustainable Waste Solutions and knew there would be a blog post there.  SWS is a local company with a Souderton, Pa  address that turns waste to energy (W2E).

" ... a landfill-free alternative for recycling, waste transportation, and disposal to companies ... throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley and Delaware. ... we generate enough electricity from waste to power tens of thousands of homes per day ..."

W2E burns waste material to generate electric and results in waste that is only 10% by volume compared to the starting amount.

Until we run out of trash (not too likely in the near term) this is a renewable energy solution!



Via:  Sustainable Waste Solutions  LINK

Kristianstad Sweden Uses Biofuels Not Fossil Fuels for Heat and Electricity

Kristianstad Sweden uses no fossil fuels for heating.  Instead they uses biomass from farming leftovers.  80,000 homes heated by biomass and not fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas!  And this is an area of the world where it gets VERY COLD !

Since solar and wind would not be effective in Kristianstad they worked with biomass.  " ... remains from farming ... manure, potato peels, pig intestines, and even cookies, .... to create biogas  ... a certain type of  methane, ... heat of the entire city, and to provide electricity for the city as well."

The driving force for the move away from fossil fuels was to protect their environment and they did not want to import fossil fuels from abroad.

   

Via:  Metrolic  LINK

Pepsico Dream Machine - Makes Recycling Plastic Bottles Easier

PepsiCo and Waste Management are trying to increase the rate of plastic bottle recycling from the current 34 % to " 50 % by the year 2018.

A key tool may be the Dream Machine ... which has " ... a personal reward system that allows consumers to collect and redeem points for each bottle or can they recycle in the kiosk."

Currently about 12% of spaces have a recycling container.  The Dream Machine will bring recycling to thousands of locations and facilitate recycling away from home - who wants to carry bottles home for recycling?

In case you are asking what you can do ... the numbers are  are compelling for individuals to make a change.  If each household in the country recycled just 3 more plastic bottles a month the result would be over 23 millions pounds diverted from landfills !

Wow!  3 more bottles a month - that is not hard to do !

Via:  Pepsisico  LINK

Learn More About Recycling with A Recycling Revolution

We all know to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle "---  Want to learn more about recycling?  Are you doing all your can?  Do you have questions ... ?

" ... here to help answer your questions and help make recycling easier, more fun, and even profitable. ... simply give you practical information so that you can do your part."

Recycling is easy and there just might be more you csan do with little efforty involved ... check it out.

Be sure to check out >>> "Greener Choices Search Engine"


Via:  Recycling Revolution  LINK

EcoBatt Natural Insulation - Sustainable and Green

What's a quick easy way to save money .... year after year?
Insulate !!


EcoBatt insulation is made from "bio-based" binders - not petroleum derived raw materials and is certified to GREENGUARD standards so it is safe for children and use in schools.

" ... reduces binder embodied energy by up to 70%, and does not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors used to make traditional fiberglass insulation."

" .... combines sand ... renewable resources, post-consumer recycled bottle glass ... to create ... sustainable insulation…"



Via: EcoBatt  LINK



Via: xxx.yyy LINK

Waste to Eengy Systems from IST Energy

Waste to Energy (W2E) systems can be used to reduce waste sent to landfills and recover energy from a waste stream.  A "turn-key" W2E systems can be just the thing you need ... 

IST Energy makes systems that turn trash to energy (electricity and heat).  These systems turn  " ... paper, wood, plastic, agriculture waste, and food into electricity and heat."

" ... transformation ... within a self-contained, modular environment designed for ease of operation and maintenance."

Via:  IST Energy  LINK

Best Buy Greener Together™

Best Buy's Greener Together™ program helps you clean out your dersk and closets of all those old electronics "things". 
I recently took two unused tube style monitors ... I had to pay $10.00 each and received 2 $10.00 gift cards (that do not expire !)

So it was free to get rid of and it will be properly and safely recycled.

" ...Regardless of where you bought it, what brand it is, or how old it is: bring it to us. We'll make sure it's properly and safely recycled. ... our Greener Together™ program."

" ... Most things are recycled absolutely free, with a few restrictions."

Via: BestBuy LINK

Many GM Plants Achieve Zero Landfill Status

Eliminating waste sent to the landfill saves both money and the planet.  Many GM plants " ...  no longer send any production waste to landfills."

43 % send no production waste to landfills !

LINK to see plants by type and location.

The numbers are huge ... " ... 2 million tons ... will be recycled or reused ...additional 45,000 tons ... converted to energy at waste-to-energy facilities...."


Via:  General Motors  LINK

Philadelphia Single Stream Recycling Now Accepts all Recyclable Plastics

Most municipalities accept #1 - PET and #2 - HDPE plastics for recycling.  Philadelphia now accepts #3 -#7 as well! This means #3 - Vinyl, #4 - LDPE, #5 - PP, #6 - PS and #7 - other / mixed.

" ... Philadelphia has citywide single stream recycling. ... all recyclables can be put in the same container, including plastics and cardboard."  This makes it easier for residents and business as there is no more sorting into different containers at home.

There is even a section about debunking Phila Recycling Myths ... that gives the real info on recycling in the City.

Check out the web site for information you can use no matter where you live !



Via:  Recycle Now Philadelphia LINK

Poland Springs Eco-Shape® Bottle

Poland Spring

Poland Spring has been actively reducing the amount of plastic in its water bottles.  Less plastic means less energy to make, less energy to ship and less impact overall.  Of course recycling the bottles completes the loop.

" ... Eco-Shape® bottle ... made with an average of 30% less plastic ... a label approximately one-third smaller ... more flexible so it's easier to crush for recycling. ..."

The label notes that the cap is also smaller ... resulting in less plastic !



Via:  Poland Spring LINK

What do you do with your old cookware when you upgrade?  One option is Freecycling it.  But ... if you buy from Calphalon you can have your old cookware recycled for free.

The process is simple:  Pack the old cookware in the box from the new cookware (reuse) and they will provide a UPS shipping label to cover the shipping.  Shortly after you should receive two 100% recycled cotton shopping bags (reduce and reuse).

Here is an interesting bit of information from their web site ...
"Fact: Over 80 percent of items in landfills can be recycled, but they're not."

What can you recycle that you are currently tossing in the trash ... ?



Via:  Calphalon LINK

Green Activities at the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco has a Green Team that focuses on sustainability.  One interesting outcome was to modify water fountains so they more easily fill water bottles - helping to foster using a reusable bottle.

" ... reduce the ... use of plastic water bottles by using refillable bottles and drinking tap water. ... switching to compostable flatware to assist the composting program ... starting composting in the residence halls ..."


Via:  University of San Francisco  LINK

Levi® Jeans - Green Care Label Instructions

Levi Strauss has taken a number of steps to make their jeans "greener" including minimizing the number of labels and the wording on the label.

This can help you - the consumer - save money and the environment by making less of an impact.
The care label suggests washing in cold water, line drying and giving to Goodwill so they can have another useful life.

" ... 58% of the energy and 45% of the water used during the lifetime of a pair of Levi’s ® jeans occurs during the consumer use phase ..."

 

" ... launched A Care Tag for our Planet ... care tags encourage ... “Machine wash cold; line dry when possible; donate to Goodwill.”"

 

 

Via:  Levi Strauss LINK

Recycling Tips for Plastics

This all started when I was looking for a "green" way to dispose of an microwave ... that was broken.  My local trash hauler / recycler suggested earth911 ... so I looked there for an idea ... none was found ... BUT ... I found some neat suggestions on recycling plastics.

I am currently recycling #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 and some #7 plastics that are marked as recyclable but you never know when you might find something new.

Most communities now pick up #2 and $ 4 plastic bottles and most grocery stores take #2 and #4 plastic bags.  But what about the reset ... those #5 yogurt cups and # 6 food containers?

Check out these links from earth911 ... "Earth911 partners with many industries, manufacturers and organizations to support its Recycling Directory, the largest in the nation, which is provided to consumers at no cost. The American Chemistry Council is one of these partners"
PP #5
PS # 6Expanded foam # 6

#2 and #4 bags



Via:  Earth911 LINK