In the late 1980s, industry was highly criticized for, among other things, creating large volumes of cardboard shipping box waste that was landfilled each year. The many recycling avenues that exist now hadn't yet been created. Even white paper recycling hadn't exactly hit the mainstream.
Now, channels exist for recycling nearly everything. Some items, like paper, aluminum cans and spent printer cartridges are easily collected locally. Other items take a little digging to locate recycling options, but the time spent can be well worth the effort when it keeps even a small amount of "trash" out of a landfill.
Although industry waste streams vary greatly, waste exchanges have helped to keep millions of tons of usable product out of landfills. But many industries generate smaller amounts of items that may not make sense to list in a waste exchange, even though they are recyclable.
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Absorbents and Wipers
Like many commonly used products, many absorbents are greener now than in previous decades. For example, all of New Pig's gray absorbent mats now contain at least 50% recycled polypropylene content. In addition, recycled cellulose mats are also an option for many customers. And our PIG® Original Sock has always had recycled content.
Whether or not absorbents and wipers contain recycled content, most are recyclable through fuels blending processes. Fuels blending is an environmentally preferred, controlled process that uses industrial wastes instead of virgin materials to create heat which is converted to energy for neighboring communities. Absorbents are desirable in this burning process because of their high fuel value and low residual ash content.
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Aerosol Cans
Most empty aerosol cans are still considered hazardous waste because the residual propellant in the can is heat reactive. This often results in the cans being collected in drums, then shipped and disposed of in hazardous waste landfills.
Puncturing or crushing cans, with units specifically designed for the purpose, is a safe alternative that can result in drastic reductions in the amount of hazardous wastes leaving a facility. Punctured cans can be recycled as scrap metal, leaving only the residual - a much smaller volume - to be handled appropriately.
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Batteries
Batteries power our portable lifestyles. Phones, laptops, flashlights, wireless remote controls... according to the EPA, Americans use over 3 billion disposable batteries a year. Many types, such as button, lithium, NiCad and others contain hazardous materials and should be recycled. Alkaline batteries are considered by many - including the EPA - to be safe for landfilling.
Recycling all types of batteries, including alkaline, helps keep hazardous materials out of groundwater and the environment. Many retailers now collect batteries, but for those facilities who really want to encourage employee buy-in at the workplace, pre-paid battery recycling containers can be placed throughout the facility. When the container is full, the pre-paid shipping label can be attached and the shipment is ready for recycling.
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Fluorescent Lights
Fluorescent lighting manufacturers have drastically reduced the amount of mercury in lighting fixtures over the past 20 years. However, mercury is still an essential element in all fluorescent lighting. Many ballasts, thermostats and some switches also still contain mercury.
The good news is that recyclers are able to reclaim and reuse all parts of a standard fluorescent light (glass, gasses, mercury and ballasts) to make new bulbs; and like batteries, pre-paid fluorescent bulb recycling containers (PAK104 and PAK105) and mercury waste collection containers (PLS1400, PLS1401, PLS1402, and PLS1403) make the process easy.
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Computers, Cameras and other Electronics
Electronic equipment is often routinely replaced in facilities for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the facility can receive tax credits for donating certain electronics to charities. In other cases, when the equipment is past its prime, recycling is a better option.
According to the EPA, recyclers recover more than 100 million pounds of materials from computers each year. Donation and recycling options as well as regulations concerning electronics recycling are available by visiting the eCycling page of the EPA website.
Getting Started
For facilities that are just getting started, it may be difficult to try to start recycling everything at once. Consider a few common waste streams and work with employees throughout the facility to determine the best way to collect and recycle those items. Allow the plan to take hold, and then consider adding more items to the list.
By engaging employees from various departments in the process, it will be easier to assess the best way to collect and recycle commodities in the facility. In addition to reducing the volume of waste being landfilled, sometimes, cost savings can even be discovered.
