LETS BE GREEN. LETS BE PART OF OUR PLANET

RECYCLE

Recycling is a process to change (waste) materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" waste hierarchy.

There are some ISO standards related to recycling such as ISO 15270:2008 for plastics waste and ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management control of recycling practice.

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. The composting or other reuse ofbiodegradable waste—such as food or garden waste—is also considered recycling.[2] Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing.

In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material—for example, used office paper would be converted into new office paper, or used foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so "recycling" of many products or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials (e.g., paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g.,lead from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from various items). Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from confirmation bias. Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation detract from (and outweigh) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy.

REDUCE

When you avoid making garbage in the first place, you don't have to worry about disposing of waste or recycling it later. Changing your habits is the key — think about ways you can reduce your waste when you shop, work and play. There's a ton of ways for you to reduce waste, save yourself some time and money, and be good to the Earth at the same time.

"Reduce" means using fewer resources in the first place. This is the most effective of the three R's and the place to begin. It is also, I think, the hardest because it requires letting go of some very American notions, including: the bigger the better, new trumps old and convenience is next to godliness.

But you don't need to let go completely or all at once. "Reduce" is a comparative word. It says: cut back from where you are now.

When you shop, shop differently. Look for things that will last -- things that are not just durable and well-made, but useful and beautiful enough to please you for a long time. The extra money you spend on their acquisition will be offset by the money you do not spend replacing them.

Don't chase the latest fashions. They will age the fastest.

With electronics, extravagance may pay. A super-charged computer will still run the software that comes out two years from now, and a large monitor will accommodate the ever wider webpages that companies will be building then. Similarly, a cell phone with a full text keypad (or the iPhone) will see you through the text-messaging era that is upon us.

When you make a purchase, find out how to keep the item in shape. Then, maintain it accordingly and repair it when necessary.

In addition, try these ways of reducing your use (and abuse) of resources:

• Buy products made from post-consumer recycled materials, especially paper andbathroom tissue.
• Choose electronics and appliances that are energy-efficient. Ditto for cars, which you can also share.
• Buy stuff made close to home. Less energy was used transporting them to the store.
• Buy used. craigslist and eBay make it easy.
• Avoid goods made with materials whose extraction or processing are especially destructive, such as tropical woods and mostgold jewelry.
• Avoid overly packaged goods. The packaging is a total throw-away.
• Avoid things made with toxic materials, such as most household cleansers.
• Cut back on water use at home.
• Waste less energy on lights and equipment.
• Eat less meat.

Painless paper cuts

Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot high wall stretching from New York to San Francisco—that's 10,000 or so sheets per person!

Use our Paper-less Toolkit to break down that wall and make a positive impact on the bottom line and the environment.

Reducing and Reusing Basics

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy: raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated and then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment, and save money.

Benefits of Reducing and Reusing

Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials;

Saves energy;

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change;

Helps sustain the environment for future generations;

Saves money;

Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators;

Allows products to be used to their fullest extent.

Ideas on How to Reduce and Reuse

Buy used. You can find everything from clothes to building materials at specialized reuse centers and consignment shops. Often, used items are less expensive and just as good as new.

Look for products that use less packaging. When manufacturers make their products with less packaging, they use less raw material. This reduces waste and costs. These extra savings can be passed along to the consumer. Buying in bulk, for example, can reduce packaging and save money.

Buy reusable over disposable items. Look for items that can be reused; the little things can add up. For example, you can bring your own silverware and cup to work, rather than using disposable items.

Maintain and repair products, like clothing, tires, and appliances, so that they won't have to be thrown out and replaced as frequently.

Borrow, rent, or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools, or furniture.

Donation

One person's trash is another person's treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools, or clothes, try selling or donating them. Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others. Local churches, community centers, thrift stores, schools, and nonprofit organizations may accept a variety of donated items, including used books, working electronics, and unneeded furniture.

Benefits of Donation

• Prevents usable goods from going into landfills
• Helps your community and those in need
• Tax benefits may be available

REUSE

To reuse is to use an item again after it has been used. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a different function. In contrast, recycling is the breaking down of the used item into raw materials which are used to make new items. By taking useful products and exchanging them, without reprocessing, reuse help save time, money, energy, and resources. In broader economic terms, reuse offers quality products to people and organizations with limited means, while generating jobs and business activity that contribute to the economy.

Historically, financial motivation was one of the main drivers of reuse. In the developing world this driver can lead to very high levels of reuse, however rising wages and consequent consumer demand for the convenience of disposable products has made the reuse of low value items such as packaging uneconomic in richer countries, leading to the demise of many reuse programs. Current environmental awareness is gradually changing attitudes and regulations, such as the new packaging regulations, are gradually beginning to reverse the situation.

One example of conventional reuse is the doorstep delivery of milk in refillable bottles; other examples include the retreading of tires and the use of returnable/reusable plastic boxes, shipping containers, instead of single-use corrugated fiberboard boxes.

Reuse has certain potential advantages:

Energy and raw materials savings as replacing many single use products with one reusable one reduces the number that need to be manufactured.

Reduced disposal needs and costs.

Refurbishment can bring sophisticated, sustainable, well paid jobs to underdeveloped economies.

Cost savings for business and consumers as a reusable product is often cheaper than the many single use products it replaces.

Some older items were better handcrafted and appreciate in value.

Disadvantages are also apparent:

Reuse often requires cleaning or transport, which have environmental costs.

Some items, such as freon appliances, infant auto seats, older tube TVs and secondhand automobiles could be hazardous or less energy efficient as they continue to be used.

Reusable products need to be more durable than single-use products, and hence require more material per item. This is particularly significant if only a small proportion of the reusable products are in fact reused.

Sorting and preparing items for reuse takes time, which is inconvenient for consumers and costs money for businesses.

Special skills are required to tweak the functional throughput of items when devoting them to new uses outside of their original purpose.

Knowing the standards that legacy products conform to is required for knowing what adapters to buy for newer products to be compatible with them, even though the cost of adapters for such applications is a minor disadvantage.

Being a rather minor disadvantage, metal that is repurposed later on can sometimes contain rust, seeing as it sometimes ages before reuse.