Posts Tagged ‘landfills’

« Older Entries

How Recyclable Bags Help Our Environment

Friday, November 11th, 2011

The recycling program in Iowa appears to be advancing but progressing rather slowly. As documented in a RadioIowa.com report, studies have revealed the decline in waste shipped to trash dumps. Brian Tormey from the Iowa DNR (Department of Natural Resources) Land Quality Bureau said that Iowans now recycle far more when figures of recycling in 1998 and 2005 were compared. The study was completed on 9 landfills in Iowa and waste matter were separated into sixty two groupings. The report also gives the individual statistics of the waste content triggered from residences as well as commercial organizations.

The numbers reveal

The three elements with the highest density in the garbage dump were paper and organic products, and plastics. While paper and organic products constituted 25% of the total, plastics made up 16.7%. At least 13% of the waste content created by the industrial community was cardboard. In contrast to this, only 4% of the waste materials triggered by non-commercial categories was cardboard. Nearly 13% of the total organic matter present in the trash dumps was food waste or refuse. The composition of hazardous material in the trash dumps was estimated to be 1.4% of the total waste debris, an amount which has radically lowered to only 0.2%.  

Conclusions drawn from the results

The landfills in the recent times have witnessed a substantial decrease in easily recyclable materials including paper and aluminum materials. Tormey is convinced that these stats substantiate that their recycling platform is productive however requires significant improvement. The high volume of cardboard being wasted by business establishments has also demonstrated to the DNR board that improved methods to recycle cardboard has to be put into practice. One of the primary challenges in this method is related to the shortage of recycling effort in the outlying regions of Iowa.

Future plans suggested

The high density of food waste seen in the landfill is yet another area where improvements should be developed. Tormey recommended that the state could pursue plans developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to minimize food waste. Projects to redistribute large amounts of edible leftovers to homeless shelters are additionally being considered. Large scale happenings in stadiums as well as universities usually have a substantial amount of leftovers that are usually discarded even when they are still edible. A plan especially developed to prevent hazardous materials from entering trash dumps is also demonstrating great results. As stated by the Iowa DNR, these hazardous materials include paint, pesticides, automotive products in addition to cleaning agents.  

Simple ways to recycle and help the environment  

Food waste is a serious problem in many parts of the world. When large quantities of food are prepared for elaborate special occasions and parties, it’s likely that much of it will likely be leftovers. As opposed to throwing this food away, you could make prior preparations to redistribute this food to shelters as well as kitchens that look after the homeless. Food items in bulk amounts also brings along bags and packaging. Grocery stores now endorse re-usage by offering custom reusable bags with their logo imprinted. Should you buy food stuff or other items in bulk, be sure you carry reusable grocery bags to decrease plastic consumption.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

3 Recycle Programs To Start With

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

 

Recycling needs to be everyone’s social obligation.  Listed below are 3 good reasons why we ought to have an attitude to recycle as much as we could.

 

1. Rubbish dumps will be reduced

 

Environmental waste is normally dumped in landfills every day.  Each trash you recycle helps reduce the amount of waste being dumped in landfills.  It also prevents other natural areas being turned into landfills.

 

In america alone, there are over 3, 000 landfills which are active and 10, 000 municipal landfills.  This is what the Environmental Protection Agency documented.

 

Most landfills are constructed in such a way that it prevents the outer area from being contaminated.  However because it is sealed tightly, this may also prevent biodegradable waste from decaying much faster.  Biodegradable waste need exposure from air and water to decay and this process can take up to decades.

 

One of the main environmental waste problems is paper. Recycle programs ought to reduce the amount of paper being mixed in landfills.  What’s more, it saves more trees from being cut down unnecessarily.

 

2. It cuts down on other areas from being contaminated

 

There are several materials which can be bad for the environment should they decompose.  These materials should be recycled and contained properly.  Materials such as batteries, electronics, computer equipment contains parts which can be flammable and once this form of waste is incinerated, the gases are dangerous to humans.  Any material which includes components of cadmium could be dangerous and hazardous if not discarded properly.  The harmful chemicals that are emitted to the air can contaminate and harm our natural water and food resources.

 

Landfill operators should be aware on several types of waste and how to properly dispose them making sure that it wouldn’t harm environmental surroundings.

 

Since we are now living in the age where many gadgets are manufactured for instance computers, mobile gadgets, portable batteries, we have to be responsible in engaged in recycle programs for these kinds of environmental waste.

 

Also, the older the landfill is, the greater it becomes a breeding ground for pests including flies, mosquitoes and rats that may spread diseases.

 

3. Many irreplaceable resources could be saved

 

When everyday items such as paper, cardboard, and boxes are effectively recycled, it can save you an incredible number of trees from being cut down.  Trees play a part in purifying the environment by converting harmful carbon dioxide in the air to oxygen which is useful for living organisms.  The air would become more polluted if too much trees are cut down.  Habitats of numerous animals would also be destroyed and these species can become extinct.

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

Sinking Landfills Are Cause For Alarm Worldwide

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Just in case you had not already heard, the state of Florida has a somewhat strange occurrence taking place. A neighborhood landfill is sinking into the Earth and, because of this, poisons are projected to leak into the area water supply. This is only one instance of how our overflowing landfills are racking up the points against us while we continue to consume and discard, rather then embrace more completely the concept of recycling and reusing. We’ll take a look at the state of affairs in Florida and talk about just how it illustrates the potential for landfills worldwide to wind up becoming bona fide nightmares of an ecological sort.

In accordance to a current article from WUSF http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/12/16/sinkhole_under_landfill_is_growing , the radio station of the University of South Florida, it appears that a sinkhole is opening beneath a landfill which serves Hillsborough County approximately 20 miles away from Tampa, Florida. While the authorities still attempt to understand what to do about this problem, it looks like a catastrophic one, to say the least. Official measurements say the sinkhole is as deep as a 4 story building is tall. Literally loads of trash from Tampa Bay area households has already fallen into the hole.

What’s a major cause for alarm is the indisputable fact that leachate could very well begin to leak down into the local water supplies. Leachate can be described as substance that is a fluid containing unwanted chemical elements, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate). This kind of toxic fluid seeping into the region’s wells is definitely bad news for the drinking water in this part of the Tampa area, but it is also a potential indication of a larger scale dilemma.

Tampa, Florida is in no way the only soft soil area around the world where all the tons of human compiled waste could plunge through the earth and then directly into the water supply. While solid waste is generally thought of as less difficult to deal with than different varieties of human created pollution, once it begins to break down into leachate, the situation changes. Items like detergent containers along with typical plastic shopping bags contain petroleum based chemical substances we will not want in our drinking water.

While it is certainly demanding to singlehandedly take on the impact of an entire landfill, these waste disposal areas are all comprised of trash from many individuals. Meaning each of us plays a role in how hastily they are filled. Such options as utilizing eco friendly recycled bags as an alternative to mainstream plastic bags could seem small, but when you think about the way things add up, it carries a huge impact. After we decide to recycle by utilizing green bags rather then choosing conventional bags, we are putting a foot forward for a cleaner world.

So while a sinkhole may not open in the Ground beneath a landfill next to you any time soon, rest assured that if we take no action comparable events are likely to continue happening worldwide. Because of this, it is not just Florida confronting this problem - we all play a role in making daily decisions that effect the world.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

3 Ways Recycle Programs Help The Environment

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Enviro tips we can use for a green planet

Recycling needs to be everyone’s social obligation. Listed here are 3 good reasons why we have to have an attitude to recycle as much as we could.

 

1. Landfills will be reduced

 

Environmental waste is generally dumped in landfills everyday. Each trash you recycle helps lessen the amount of waste being dumped in landfills. It also prevents other natural areas being converted into landfills.

 

In the United States alone, you’ll find over three thousand landfills which have been active and 10, 000 municipal landfills. This is exactly what the Environmental Protection Agency documented.

 

Most landfills are constructed in such a way it prevents the outer area from being contaminated. However since it is sealed tightly, it can also prevent biodegradable waste from decaying much faster. Biodegradable waste need exposure from air and water to decay which process can require decades.

 

One of the main environmental waste problems is paper. Recycle programs are encouraged to reduce the amount of paper being mixed in landfills. Additionally, it saves more trees from being trim down unnecessarily.

 

2. It reduces other areas from being contaminated

 

There are some materials that are bad for the environment should they decompose. These materials needs to be recycled and contained properly. Materials such as batteries, electronics, computer equipment contains parts which can be flammable and when this form of waste is incinerated, the gases are harmful to humans. Any material that has components of cadmium is usually poisonous and hazardous if not discarded properly. The hazardous chemicals which are emitted into the air can contaminate and harm our natural food and water resources.

 

Landfill operators should be aware on different types of waste and how to properly dispose them making sure that it would not harm the environment.

 

Since we are now living in the age where lots of gadgets are manufactured for example computers, mobile gadgets, portable batteries, we should be responsible in participating in recycle programs for these types of environmental waste.

 

Also, the older the landfill is, the greater it becomes a breeding ground for pests such as flies, mosquitoes and rats which could spread diseases.

 

3. Many irreplaceable resources can be saved

 

When everyday items such as paper, cardboard, and boxes are effectively recycled, it can save you millions of trees from being cut down. Trees play a role in purifying the environment by converting harmful co2 in the air to oxygen which is useful for living organisms. Air would become more polluted if a lot trees are cut down. Habitats of numerous animals would even be destroyed and these species may become extinct.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

Save Resources By Trying To Recycle Environmental Waste

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Enviro tips we can use for a green planet

Do you know you can make some money from recycling a lot of the everyday things you probably use a lot in your household?

 

Below are a few of the smartest ways to start recycling environmental waste

 

Plastic bags – it can save several extra bucks from buying trash bags.

 

Recycle these bags as linings for trash cans. A lot of the plastic bags are quite big enough to be used as rubbish bag alternatives for regular sized garbage bins.

 

For pet owners, you should utilize various plastic-type shopping bags to be a cover or mat for litter boxes. If you take your pets outside for a walk, you can just reuse these plastic bags to completely clean up the waste pets leave on sidewalks or parks.

 

When you’re grocery shopping or the street markets, bring a few plastic bags with you.

 

Re-using plastic bags can help to eliminate the amount of environmental waste being thrown into the landfills and help save natural resources for creating a new one.

 

Tin cans

 

Several food items use tin cans or jars as packaging when you purchase them. Just wash them off clean and you can instantly reuse them to store snacks or other food products. With a little décor paper, beads, strings, along with other craft materials, you can turn it into a decorative item which looks good in your home or give it a gift. This may also serve a great activity for kids and unleash their creativity.

 

Plastic Liquid containers

 

Laundry detergents come in bulk size plastic containers. Once you consume the detergent, you can recycle these plastic containers to store many other materials or liquids. It is sturdy enough to be reused continuously.

 

You’ll be able to even cut off the top portion and use it to cultivate small plants until it has grown big enough to get transferred to a much bigger flowerpot. You are able to also use it to store small gardening tools so that it won’t get easily lost and other loose items. Because it has a handle, it becomes easier to carry everything around than holding each piece individually.

 

Candle Wax

 

When you use candles, scrape off and collect the melted candle wax. It’s possible to reheat the wax using low heat. Pour them on juice cartons and place a taper candleat the center. When it cools, you’ll be able to easily pull off the carton container and you instantly have a new candle which you could use.

 

Reusing environmental waste and participating on recycle programs can help save the environment making it a cleaner place to reside in.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

« Older Entries