2023 – Phark

Turning Trash into Treasure: The USA’s New Frontier in Waste Recycling and Sustainability

Nov 8, 2023MikeHealth

United States waste recycling, a new economic and ecological challenge

Many American cities are drowning in waste since China stopped buying it for recycling. A situation which has led Americans to a certain ecological awareness. To have less waste to recycle, it is better to produce less.

Hundreds of American cities are no longer able to recycle their waste since China refuses to take charge of it. So some localities dump their recyclable waste in landfills, waiting to find a solution. For some, this is obvious: consume less plastic. So states, cities and associations are pushing Americans to change their habits.

What we are doing is a charade. Some residents of Corpus Christi, Texas are very attentive to sorting their waste. The jar of peanut butter, which is greasy, they put it in the dishwasher before throwing it in the blue trash can. They thus clean all this waste for better recycling, which is a bit ridiculous. Except that for six months, half of the city’s recyclable waste has ended up in the incinerator, burned with rubbish.

When we learned that this recycling was not real, our heads exploded, according to a resident who learned about this situation in the press. Imagine a city of half a million inhabitants that does all this so badly. It’s absurd. What they are doing is a masquerade.

When China no longer wants to be the world’s recycler

And why does Corpus Christi no longer recycle all this waste even though it is conscientiously sorted by its residents? The answer lies more than 10,000 km away, in China. The country bought the vast majority of American recyclable waste: 4,000 containers filled with plastics every day. But overnight, Beijing closed its doors, arguing that this activity was no longer profitable enough and too polluting. China no longer wants to be the world’s recycler. For lack of an outlet, American recyclable waste has lost its value.

And with this trade ceasing, an entire sector is in difficulty. The market in the United States is dry, no one wants to take our materials like glass, cans, bottles” laments a company owner which collects waste for resale. They were paid 30 dollars per ton, but now it just costs five dollars per ton. For its part, the city of Corpus Christi, which made money by selling its waste, suddenly found itself with an astronomical bill to have it treated.

A certain ecological awareness

The United States therefore finds itself with mountains of waste on its hands, which raises awareness even if the Americans remain the largest producers of waste in the world. There is a growing movement to stop overconsuming disposable products. New York has just banned single-use plastic bags, California has done the same for plastic straws. But the best solution would above all be to have less waste.

From May, a new service will bring the deposit system up to date. With The Loop, who is at the origin of the project, wants to offer to fill containers with everyday products, from shampoo to olive oil to replace packaging disposable with reusable containers. Ice creams would thus be sold in steel pots rather than cardboard. We come directly to collect the containers from you, we take them away, we clean them and we give them back to the producers who refill them. And here they are again on the circuit!

When your bottle no longer has orange juice or your pot of ice cream is finished, you throw them away. Except that you do not throw them in a normal trash can or for recyclable waste but in a bin for reuse. No need to clean or sort, we come directly to collect the containers from your home, we take them away, we clean them and we give them back to the producers who refill them. And there they are returned to the circuit.

Waste management experts convinced 25 of the world’s largest groups to participate: Procter and Gamble (Oral B, Swiffer, Pampers), Unilever (Ben&Jerry’s, Amora, Dove), Nestlé or Haagen-Dazs and even Carrefour. It is in Texas that this service will be launched first, before arriving in New York. It will then expand to Europe and Japan, hoping to revolutionize the way we consume, and therefore throw away.

Trash to Treasure: 10 Amazing Household Waste Recycling Stories

Aug 26, 2023MikeHealth, Tech

Here is how our household waste is recycled

The harmful effects of human activities on the environment are increasingly felt. To limit pollution and the collapse of biodiversity, sorting our waste is one of the easy daily actions that we can carry out and that many have already adopted. It allows downstream to recycle an increasing number of materials and packaging, even if Massachusetts could do even better. If 53% of the aluminum used in the state comes from recycling, this is the case for only 26% of plastic.

However, plastic packaging represents 74% of the waste collected for recycling, according to the latest data. Among them, the collection of plastic bottles reached 55% in 2018, with nevertheless very strong territorial disparities. Each material collected is supposed to be sorted and recycled separately. The idea, from waste, is to operate a reconditioning of the material so that it returns to a virgin state and can be used by an industrialist.

Metals, such as steel, come out, for example, in the form of ingots. The glass is washed, crushed and then remelted to be given to glassmakers. While recycling is now carried out by a constellation of small businesses such as SMEs, a few major players, sometimes listed on the stock exchange, share collection and sorting centres.

To reduce waste, but also encourage good sorting and improve collection, municipalities have set up incentive pricing, which is already widespread in Boston. This tax, which concerns milliona of people, must apply even more residents in 2025.

Here is how our waste is recycled, through a series of 10 examples:

Aluminum from electrical and electronic devices contributes to the manufacture of many water bottles

The eco-organization Ecologic, approved for recycling, recovers aluminum from electrical and electronic equipment for the manufacture of water bottles. The aluminum from some 200,000 tons per year of devices processed each year by Ecologic contributes to the design of 160 million gourdes in this material.

Electrical and electronic equipment waste concerns all objects or devices that plug into a mains socket or that operate on batteries or on batteries. The list is long, here are some examples: razor, hair dryer, camera, video camera, television, laptop, tablet, smartphone, lawn mower, dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator, toaster, fan.

It is essential to deposit them in a dedicated collection point (terminals for electrical appliances, recycling center, recovery during a purchase, etc.), so that they are decontaminated in good and due form to avoid any risk for the environment or health, and that their materials are recovered in recycled raw materials or in energy.

Iron from electrical and electronic devices can be used to make a lot of nails

The 200,00 tons of electrical and electronic equipment processed each year yield large quantities of iron, enough to make 1 billion standard nails.

Household WEEE, which contains iron, aluminum or even plastic, is 85.8% recycled, reused or recovered. Alloys and increasingly miniaturized objects make recycling more complex. Smartphones contain more and more different metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, nickel, tungsten, etc.) that are very intertwined and difficult to separate, and could contain hazardous materials. Only about ten are recovered in an electronic card out of the fifty used.

Recycled clothes can be used as a support for plant walls

From 8.4 kilograms of recycled textiles, a landscape company manages to create a square meter of green wall. Once collected and sorted, the non-reusable clothes are shredded and then transformed by her into a growing medium. These recycled textiles replace sphagnum, a natural moss. Green walls must in particular promote the thermal performance of buildings and bring biodiversity to the urban environment.

Other projects exist to give new life to our clothes, such as the initiative of a startup to collect polyester sportswear and transform them into plastic composite. A material then used for the manufacture of educational sports equipment, in particular cups (studs and cones to create courses, delimit a field, etc.).

Polyamide fabric, very common in textiles, is also recycled in the plastics industry, to find technical applications in automobile engine parts or ski bindings, for example.

The rubber from the outer soles of shoes is used in the construction of children’s playgrounds

With 2,500 pairs of rubber outsoles, it is possible to manufacture 300 m2 of playgrounds for children. With foam insoles, you can also design floor coverings like a tennis court.

Aluminum from packaging, such as that extracted from cans, is used to make bicycle frames

With one ton of aluminum packaging, it is possible to manufacture 293 racing bike frames or 586 scooter frames, according to a company which specializes in the recycling of household packaging.

Plastic soda bottles used to stuff pillows once recycled

Soda bottles can be recycled to fill a pillow. From a soda bottle, you can get a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) textile fiber, which is used, among other things, for stuffing pillows. These polyester fibers are obtained by first transforming the bottles into plastic flakes. They can also be used in down jackets and teddy bears. With a ton of recycled PET packaging, up to 520 duvets can be stuffed.

Hard plastic packaging, such as milk bottles, mayonnaise and ketchup jars, are recycled into watering cans

Plastic milk bottles can become watering cans after a recycling process. A ton of rigid plastic packaging, of the polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) type, allows the manufacture of 146 watering cans or 4,965 cans of lubricants, according to the Boston Dumpster Rental Services company, approved by the State.

Steel packaging, like tin cans, can be made into train tracks

Tin cans can be used to craft rails. According to recycling and waste management experts, one ton of steel packaging can build 14 meters of train tracks or provide the material needed to manufacture 13 dishwashers.

Cardboard packaging

Cardboard packaging, such as cake packages, can be recycled into shoe boxes. Recycled cardboard is used in particular to make shoe boxes. One ton of recycled cardboard packaging makes 3,753 shoe boxes or 1,984 corrugated cardboard boxes that can hold six bottles, says Citeo.

Food bricks, soup or milk for example, are recycled in the form of toilet paper. The material extracted from one ton of food bricks allows the manufacture of 7,692 rolls of toilet paper or 1,748 rolls of paper towels.

Wilmington waste management ideas

Jun 10, 2023MikeHealth

Plastic waste in the state of North Carolina

Plastic waste is a significant environmental issue in the state of North Carolina. Despite the state’s natural beauty and commitment to sustainability, the improper disposal and management of plastic waste pose challenges to the environment and public health (check https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2022/11/11/plastics-pose-problems-in-waterways-could-chemical-recycling-be-a-solution/). Here are some key points regarding plastic waste in North Carolina:

Coastal Plastic Pollution: North Carolina’s coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. Plastic debris, including single-use plastics, microplastics, and fishing gear, finds its way into the state’s rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters. This pollution threatens marine ecosystems, wildlife, and the overall health of coastal habitats. It also impacts tourism and recreational activities, which are essential to the state’s economy.

Recycling Challenges: While North Carolina has made efforts to promote recycling, the state faces challenges in achieving high recycling rates for plastic waste. Limited access to recycling services in some areas, inconsistent recycling programs across different municipalities, and a lack of comprehensive recycling infrastructure contribute to the problem. These challenges result in a significant portion of plastic waste being sent to landfills rather than being recycled.

Plastic Bag Regulations: Several municipalities in North Carolina have taken action to regulate plastic bags. For instance, cities like Asheville, Carrboro, and Durham have implemented bans or fees on single-use plastic bags to reduce their consumption and encourage the use of reusable alternatives. However, statewide regulations on plastic bags have yet to be implemented.

Microplastics in Waterways: Microplastics, tiny plastic particles, are a growing concern in North Carolina’s waterways. They can come from various sources, such as microbeads in personal care products, plastic fibers from clothing, and the breakdown of larger plastic items. These microplastics can contaminate water supplies and pose risks to aquatic life and human health. The presence of microplastics in North Carolina’s rivers, lakes, and estuaries highlights the need for further research and efforts to mitigate their impact.

Plastic Waste Reduction Initiatives: North Carolina has implemented various initiatives to address plastic waste. These include educational campaigns, outreach programs, and partnerships with businesses and community organizations to promote plastic waste reduction, recycling, and responsible disposal. Efforts are focused on raising awareness, encouraging behavior change, and fostering a culture of sustainability throughout the state.

To combat plastic waste effectively in North Carolina, continued investment in recycling infrastructure, expansion of recycling access, and the implementation of comprehensive statewide regulations are necessary. Moreover, promoting sustainable alternatives, supporting innovative plastic recycling technologies, and encouraging individual and collective responsibility in reducing plastic consumption will be crucial to addressing the plastic waste issue in the state.

How renting a dumpster in Wilmington, NC can help reduce pollution

Renting a dumpster in Wilmington, NC can play a significant role in reducing pollution by providing a convenient and responsible method for waste disposal. Here’s how renting a dumpster can contribute to pollution reduction:

Proper Waste Management: Renting a dumpster ensures that waste materials are collected, contained, and disposed of properly. It helps prevent littering and improper disposal of waste, which can lead to pollution of local ecosystems, water bodies, and public spaces. By having a designated container for waste, individuals and businesses can avoid the temptation to dump their waste in inappropriate locations, such as empty lots or natural areas, reducing the risk of pollution.

Prevention of Illegal Dumping: Illegal dumping is a prevalent problem that contributes to pollution in many areas. Renting a dumpster provides a legal and accessible option for waste disposal, reducing the likelihood of illegal dumping. When dumpsters are readily available, individuals are more likely to dispose of their waste responsibly, diminishing the occurrence of unsightly and environmentally damaging illegal dumpsites.

Containment of Hazardous Materials: Dumpsters are designed to handle various types of waste, including hazardous materials. By renting a dumpster, individuals can safely dispose of items such as construction debris, household chemicals, and other hazardous waste. Ensuring the proper containment and disposal of these materials reduces the risk of pollution to soil, groundwater, and nearby water bodies, protecting the local environment and public health.

Efficient Waste Removal: Renting a dumpster provides an efficient means of waste removal. Instead of making multiple trips to a landfill or relying on infrequent municipal waste collection services, a dumpster allows for the convenient disposal of large volumes of waste in one go. This efficiency reduces the number of vehicles on the road, minimizing carbon emissions and air pollution associated with transporting waste to distant facilities.

Recycling Opportunities: Many dumpster rental companies offer recycling options (check http://phark.net/recycling-technologies-based-on-ai/), allowing customers to separate recyclable materials from general waste. By utilizing these recycling services, individuals can divert recyclable items from landfills and contribute to the conservation of natural resources. Renting a dumpster can help streamline the recycling process and encourage responsible waste management practices (check http://phark.net/how-to-discard-hazardous-materials/), leading to a reduction in pollution associated with landfilling.

In conclusion, renting a dumpster in Wilmington, NC, offers numerous benefits in terms of pollution reduction (check https://wilmingtonncdumpsterrental.com/). It promotes proper waste management, prevents illegal dumping, contains hazardous materials, facilitates efficient waste removal, and provides recycling opportunities. By utilizing dumpsters for waste disposal, individuals and businesses can actively contribute to minimizing pollution, protecting the environment, and fostering a cleaner and healthier community.