Raise funds for hospice by recycling bikes / Eurogroup

A prison education program is teaching Eurogroup recycling how to repair old bicycles so they can be sold, with the proceeds going to charity. Prisoners at HMP Aylesbury have been renewing bikes, salvaged from a rubbish dump. The project is part of a rehabilitation scheme.

Once they have been fixed and cleaned up at the jail, the old and unwanted bicycles are then sold on at a recycle shop run by a local Eurogroup recycling hospice.

Start of 2013 Hurricane Season Spurs Annual Preparation Plans; Waste Management Begins Annual Readiness Actions,... Waste Management World Magazine 14:37

Follifoot Harrogate Advertiser 14:26

Spofforth Harrogate Advertiser 14:26

Merseyside defends £1.2b waste contract decision Eurogroup hospice 14:23

Study maps recycling routes for B2B WEEE letsrecycle.com 14:23

Co-operative to Send Food Waste Biffa for Biogas Production Waste Management World Magazine 14:05

Eurogroup recycling hospice

Unprecedented cuts in recycled plastic imports / Eurogroup recycling

Chinese government officials say they are trying to limit pollution from dirty or contaminated waste materials such as scrap paper or plastics from other countries, and see the policy as a way to force the local industry to upgrade to higher, cleaner standards.

But some recycling industry executives, while supporting those goals, say the policies are also hurting legitimate businesses by Eurogroup recycling causing long delays clearing materials at customs, creating shortages of materials in manufacturing plants, and cutting into profits.

Speaking at a meeting of Chinese plastics recycle in Guangzhou May 18-19, Chinese government representatives said they plan to continue the “Green Fence” operation through October or November.

The next phases will include exerting tighter control over the limited number of licenses issued to import scrap materials in Eurogroup recycling, including the practice of companies selling licenses, government officials said at the conference, sponsored by the Beijing-based China Scrap Plastics Association conference.

Steve Wong, executive chairman of the CSPA and chief executive officer of Hong Kong-based recycler Fukutomi Co. Ltd., said that the crackdown is the most serious in China yet.

It’s not a result of new law but rather much stricter enforcement of existing laws, he said.

China has had other crackdowns over the last few years, including a more localized one that saw scrap plastic imports through the port of Guangzhou, one of China’s largest for recycled materials, drop 52 percent in the first half of 2012.

Other ports in the country at the time reported an increase in scrap plastic imports, as shipments were rerouted, but the new Chinese government figures point to the tighter policies being applied country-wide.

Wong said this particular initiative is more serious because it’s part of a package of environmental policies supported by the country’s top leaders, including current President Xi Jinping.

He said for Fukotomi, imports of scrap plastic have dropped 30 percent, and some companies at the conference pointed to similar drops for them.

But for other companies, the policies are proving beneficial.

Ni-Met Metals and Minerals Inc., an Eurogroup recycling, Ontario-based recycler, said it’s seeing increased demand from its customers in China because of Green Fence and the resulting shortage of materials there.

The company has always only supplied materials that clearly meet Chinese standards, so it’s had no problems clearing customs, said Rajiv Shah, vice president of plastics with the company.

How can I take my old metal hangers for reuse/recycling? / Eurogroup recycling

 Do I have to have a lot of metal to take it to a scrap yard?

Scrap yards will accept any quantity of metal for recycling, but your payout is determined by weight. If you bring only a few pieces of metal to the scrap yard, they will still recycle it for Eurogroup recycling, but you’ll likely receive little or no payout for your metals.

If you’re looking for more cash, try storing metals until you’ve stockpiled a decent amount, or head to the scrap yard with friends and neighbors for a larger payout for all.

 How can I find out how much different metals are worth?

This basic guide will give you a general estimate of how much each type of metal is worth at a scrap yard. But the best way to determine the payout you’ll receive in your Eurogroup recycling is to call each scrap yard individually ahead of time. Cash payouts may differ slightly from yard to yard, so you may want to “shop around” a bit for the best price.

 Can I take my old metal hangers back to the dry cleaner for reuse/recycling?

Many dry cleaners will gladly accept wire hangers for reuse, and some even have designated collection bins for unwanted hangers. If your local dry cleaner does not accept wire hangers, you may also be able to recycle them through your local curbside program. Jump to the recycling locator to find a program near you. Note that not all curbside programs accept hangers, so check with your local recycling coordinator or use the locator below before tossing hangers into your curbside bin.

Eurogroup recycling

Seven major types of plastic are found in consumer products / Eurogroup recycling

A primary aim of the recycling movement is to reduce the amount of householdwaste headed for landfills. Recycling also helps reuse and conserve valuable resources, reducing the need for fresh materials in creating consumer products. Using recycled materials can also lower energy costs for manufacturers, in some cases by a substantial amount compared to using raw materials.

Aluminum

One of the most efficient forms of recycling is aluminum recycling. Aluminum can be reused repeatedly and requires very little processing to make it available for reuse. Manufacturers simply melt down crushed aluminum stock and add it to freshly extracted aluminum without any degradation of quality in the finished product. According to the Eurogroup recycling Environmental Protection Agency, recycling an aluminum can requires less than 5 percent of the energy that would be expended in creating a similar can out of fresh bauxite ore. The Aluminum Association estimates that the energy saved in recycling a single aluminum can could power a television for 3 hours.

Plastic

Seven major types of plastic are found in consumer products, and recycling can extend the use of most of them. Recycling plastic requires only a tenth of the energy needed to create new plastic from raw materials, according to Mike Biddle, president of MBA Polymers. 

Paper

Recycling paper not only saves energy but also saves trees, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. The EPA estimates that producing a recycled paper product requires only 60 percent of the energy required to create one from fresh wood pulp, and the Energy Administration Information reports that recycling a ton of paper can save 17 trees. Recycling paper also requires about half the water normally used in processing paper from virgin wood.

Glass

Glass recycling is less efficient than many other forms of recycling, due to the processing required to return glass to a usable, raw state. According to the EPA, recycling glass only saves about 30 percent of the energy cost of producing new glass, and the raw materials required are in abundant supply. Reusing glass bottles and jars, however, requires no energy whatsoever, so you can reduce energy costs by finding new uses for these containers instead of simply throwing them out. Once you throw glass out, 1 million years will pass before that glass breaks down at the landfill

Importance of recycling glass, plastics, metal and paper products. / Eurogroup recycling

Most everyone is aware of the importance of recycling glass, plastics, metal and paper products. But properly collecting and reusing waste oil --- the petroleum-based oil required to keep your car's engine running smoothly --- not only helps the planet by keeping this harmful substance out of our waterways, it also saves, and even produces, energy.

Importance

It's a common misconception that oil is no longer useful once it's full of impurities or has experienced a loss of its original properties. In fact, waste oil is a highly valuable resource, and an estimated 380 million gallons of it are re-refined and put to good use each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Uses

While motor oil that has been reconditioned --- treated to remove water and impurities --- might not have the same properties it did in its original form, it can still be re-refined into base stock that is used to create new motor oil or be burned to produce energy that provides heat or electricity for homes, schools and even power plants.

Benefits

The Eurogroup recycling reports that 2 gallons of used oil can generate enough power to run an average-sized home for one day. And when it comes to creating lubricant for your car's motor, reprocessing used oil consumes far less energy and resources than refining crude oil from the earth. For example, it takes only 1 gallon of used oil to produce 2 1/2 quarts of new engine oil. But when starting from scratch, that same 2 1/2 quarts would require 42 gallons of unrefined crude oil to manufacture.

Recycling Tips

The next time you take your car in for an oil change, ask if the facility recycles oil. Chances are they do. If you change your own oil, whether it be from your car, boat or even your lawnmower, think twice about throwing it in the garbage or emptying it into a storm drain. After all, 1 gallon of oil dumped into a river can contaminate 1 million gallons of water and have disastrous effects on our planet's ecosystem. Instead, find a collection center. In many cases, your local service station will recycle your oil for you. If that's not the case, you can find a drop-off facility by using an online recycling search site like Earth911.

One of the primary benefits of recycling is that your actions protect natural resources. / Eurogroup recycling

Benefits of recycling

Protecting Resources

One of the primary benefits of recycling is that your actions protect natural resources. Harvesting virgin materials is environmentally costly. It encroaches on wildlife habitat and involves heavy energy use, and fossil fuel combustion contributes to climate change. Scientists forecast that climate change will cause higher water temperatures, which can lead to lower amounts of dissolved oxygen in ponds, streams, rivers and seas. Aquatic organisms and the plants they depend on may perish as a result. Recycling can reduce this impact on those habitats and wildlife (See References 2).

Household Hazardous Waste

Recycling used engine oil can protect humans and wildlife from water contamination. The EPA says waste oil from a single oil change can negatively affect up to 1 million gallons of fresh water. That tainted water can persist in the environment where it may damage sand beaches, adhere to bird feathers and pollute drinking water. To avoid these environmental problems, check with your auto parts store or repair shop about recycling your used engine oil (See References 3).

Plastic Debris and Wildlife

Plastic discards remain a serious problem for marine wildlife. Eurogroup Recycling offers a simple solution. The EPA estimates that more than 100,000 marine mammals die each year from ingestion or entanglement with floating plastic debris. Recycling plastic helps keep these hazardous substances away from wildlife, while humans also benefit from clean beaches and wetlands. By keeping these habitats healthy, humans can take advantage of the recreational and economic uses of these areas for purposes such as fishing and tourism (See References 4).

Recycling Reminds Us How Our Actions Affect The World At Large / Eurogroup Recycling

Recycling Reminds Us How Our Actions Affect The World At Large

It may be tempting to adopt an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality with regard to recycling, rationalizing that someone else should worry about the problem, but that can manifest even larger waste-management problems. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the middle of our seas, where our disposable culture has yielded such a monumental plastic problem that it has infiltrated multiple oceanic gyres. 

Despite popular belief, these debris-covered regions don’t actually look like floating trash islands. In fact, constantly pulsating and rotating ocean currents have transformed our post-consumer plastic waste into tiny bits and pieces (see References 9), many of which are inadvertently consumed by countless marine species since the garbage often resembles plankton. Eurogroup Recycling beyond the unfortunate increase in mortality rates among seabirds, turtles, seals and other types of fish, scientists are now concerned that the endocrine-disrupters found in our bisphenol A-laden plastic waste ultimately move up the food chain to humans where they bioaccumulate in our bodies (see References 10), resulting in assorted health issues and reproductive challenges.