|
  |
|
|
Recycling isn't so simple
By Peter Simmons
Recycling has really taken off in the last few years as companies follow individuals into doing something about the collosal waste humans produce. Even if you're one of those who are sceptical about climate change [you're wrong by the way] you must be aware that we can't continue to produce such vast amounts of garbage and then throw it all in holes in the ground - there aren't even enough holes in Blackburn, Lancashire for that to be sustainable! Unintended consequences
But the increased interest in recycling can have unintended consequences which can impact on even greener activities such as reuse. Reusing materials is clearly a better option that recycling since far less energy is involved as the item doesn't have to be transformed in any way back to raw materials. Glass
Take glass. Once, way back in the mists of time, glass bottles and jars were often reused over and over again, coffee jars became storage jars, uses were found for all manner of glass containers since there were no bottle banks to dispose of them. The rest were consigned to landfill, smashed in with all the other rubbish. Don't just smash it!
Now a great deal of the glass we dispose of goes to bottle banks, and, smashed up small, is remelted and formed into other glass items. Colours have to be kept separate as a mix of them all would result in a muddy brown glass unsuitable for most uses, which is why there are banks for brown glass, green glass and clear glass. Since blue bottles are rare, there's no separate process for these, althopugh they make great decorations when used in windows; colouring the light coming in. Shortage of glasses
This increased disposal has affected those green people who have set up businesses to reuse glass since it removes much of their raw material. Green Glass are one such company. I have bought quite a few of their recycled bottles and know them to be an ethical company dedicated to the environment and to recycling. They make beautiful wine and beer glasses from a range of recycled bottles, but these have to be whole and not smashed to bits in a bottle bank, and they rely on a constant supply of empty bottles to sustain their business. Got any bottles?
They have found that, as recycling has gained popularity, their supply of bottles has reduced. They are therefore in great need of suppliers such as pubs, clubs and other organisations which regularly dispose of large quantities of bottles to get in touch with them. Even individuals can collect bottles if they have enough storage space, and Green Glass will arrange collections. They may even pay for recycled bottles of the right sort! I have a set of their recycled glasses and enjoy using them; more robust than normal wine glasses, I've enen had a full one knocked over on a marble coffee table which didn't break! Even jewellery
Green Glass even use the glass that inevitably gets broken in the process, and make jewellery from it, and 10% of their profit is donated to a children's home in Africa, where the idea of making glasses from bottles first originated. Paper and car tyres
There are many other products made from recycled materials, and I urge you to seek them out; recycled paper is the most obvious, computer printer and photocopier paper made from recycled pulp is equal to that made from virgin pulp [cutting down trees] and can be used with any equipment these days, although many people still think it is inferior. And I have a mouse mat on my desk which proudly proclaims 'I used to be a car tyre...' There are uses for many items we throw away; either direct reuse or by recycling the raw materials into something else. Place mats made from electronic components is another example of the ingenious and inventive ideas being applied to what we used to just tip into holes in the ground. Green your office
The The Green Office supplies recycled paper and lots of other green things, they even plant a tree for every order of £100 or more. Go Google recycled!
There are many companies now using recycled materials for their products, from paper to pens, from bags to binders. Think recycled when you need to purchase something, and always go for this eco-friendly alternative. By buying recycled products you are actively engaged in stimulating the recycling industry, making it more viable and profitable and therefore successful. You also get great products which can be talking points with your friends and a green badge for you!
|
Contributor's Note
I have no vested interest in any of the companies mentioned. I merely wish to encourage people to support them by buying recycled products and reducing landfill.
|
|
http://www.greenglass.co.uk/help_we_need_more_bottles.html
| http://www.thegreenoffice.co.uk/
| http://www.recycledproductsonline.co.uk/
| http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/
| http://www.freecycle.org/
| http://www.recycledpromotionalitems.com/
| http://www.recycle.co.uk/
| http://www.recycledproducts.org.uk/view/index.cfm
| http://www.recycledbusinessgifts.co.uk/recycledtyremousemat.htm
 
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
DIY Ebooks
Ebooks for sale and free
www.oneworldnet.co.uk/ebooks
|
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Recycling isn't so simple" has been specified by the contributor as:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Details 
This content may be copied, distributed, or modified as long as the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://foolonthehill.qondio.com/
|
 |
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
