MURFREESBORO, TN (WSMV) -

A Murfreesboro company that recycles household trash is now helping to recycle the lives of non-violent criminals. It's part of the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center (RCCWC) work release program. And it's making a difference for offenders one plastic bottle at a time.

LaGreggory Sweatt was sentenced to a year at the work center after being convicted of driving under the influence.

"We're all not bad," Sweatt said. "We all deserve a chance like anyone else."

HENDERSON, Tenn.- Those who are responsible for handling garbage in three West Tennessee counties came together Wednesday to talk about the success of recycling.

Representatives from Chester, Hardin and McNairy Counties along with a representative from Jackson gathered in the city of Henderson to talk about the West Tennessee Recycling Hub Project.

County and city leaders said the efforts lessens the amount of trash in landfills while providing some income.

"We saved over $50,000 last year in diversion costs going to the landfill and we sold way over $200,000 worth of materials. So you know, to me that's a great incentive there to re-cycle," said Danny Benard, director of Chester County Solid Waste.

In addition to helping the environment, officials said within three years the Hub Project should create employment opportunities, both full-time and part-time.

 

You can read this article and many more at the following website:

http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Henderson-Celebrates-New-Recycling-Hub-169532166.html

Charlie Wetherington couldn’t readily explain why he throws away his aluminum cans, newspapers and plastic bottles instead of recycling them.

“I guess I’m just lazy,” the South Nashville resident finally said, admitting his green recycling cart has sat in his driveway for months because remodelers put debris in it. “I’m all for recycling. I did it (through a mandatory curbside recycling program) when I was in Florida, but I guess I got out of the habit here. I’d get back into it if I knew how.”

 

This month we will be looking at Cardboard. We will look at many different things from how it is recycled, to interesting facts, to how you can help keep all of this out of the landfill. I will be posting at least one article each week, but hope to publish even more as they become available.

 

Zero Waste Contracting and Franchise Agreements Webinar Moving Towards High Diversion in Partnership with your Waste Hauler

Register today to participate:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/546266370

Feb. 23 -- Unless there is an unexpected reversal in a second vote, Dana Point, Calif., is set to become the 50th community in California to enact a ban on polystyrene takeout foodservice containers.

A second vote on the ban -- which would not be enforced until seven months after council approves the ban at a second reading -- is scheduled for March 6.

At the same meeting, Dana Point city council approved a ban on plastic bags, which also requires a second vote.

 

In the mid-1800s, French emperor Napoleon III was known to provide gold or silver dinnerware for most guests at state banquets, but the emperor and his really important guests used the good stuff — aluminum dinnerware.

Aluminum was a rare commodity then — more valuable than gold — and something only royalty could afford, long before advancements in mining and metallurgy turned this now common metal into an economic bedrock for communities like Blount County.

 

On Tuesday, February 7, 2012 the Tennessee Solid Waste Disposal Control Board received a draft rule to consider for public participation through the public hearing process.  The rule’s primarily focus is housekeeping in nature, but addresses, solid waste planning, waste reduction methods and a plan to eliminate reliance on “greenboxes” or  unmanned county disposal sites.  After about thirty minutes of discussion and one comment from B.U.R.N.T. President Bruce Wood, the Control Board passed the measure unanimously allowing the Department to setup public hearings after a few word revisions.

This draft rule package should be available for review once they are filed with the Secretary of State’s office.

 

Larry

 

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Plastics require 100 to 400 years to break down in a landfill.
Producing new plastic from recycled material uses only two-thirds of the energy required to manufacture it from raw materials.
For every 7 trucks needed to deliver paper grocery bags to the store, only 1 is needed to carry the same number of plastic grocery bags.
By using plastic in packaging, American product manufacturers save enough energy each year to power a city of 1 million homes for 3 _ years.
As much as 40% of selected plastic parts from damaged or discarded cars are repaired and reused.
Over 1.5 billion pounds of post-consumer plastic bottles were recycled during 1999, accounting for 22% (by weight) of all plastic bottles produced in the U.S.
PET bottles (soda & water) and HDPE bottles (milk, laundry detergent) are the most commonly collected plastic materials in community recycling programs.
95% of all plastic bottles in the U.S. market are manufactured from PET or HDPE. 56% of recycled PET finds a market in the manufacture of fiber (carpet & clothing). 29% of HDPE recycled bottles go into making new bottles and 18% goes into the plastic pipe industry.
Recycling 1 ton of plastic can save 1-2 thousand gallons of gas.
Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.

 

You can view this information and more recycling information at the following website:

http://www.headwatersrecycle.com/why.html

Members of the Carter County Landfill Committee heard an update Tuesday morning on recycling efforts from the county’s solid waste director. Carter County Solid Waste and Landfill Manager Benny Lyons reported yesterday morning that the county has received final approval from Governor Bill Haslam on a used oil grant. The $27,500 grant will provide the necessary funds to purchase heaters for the landfill’s maintenance garage and the recycling center in Elizabethton. The special heaters are operated on used oil that is collected by the landfill department.

 

 

A SWANA Excellence Award is more than just a prize given out at WASTECON; it is a sign of professional accomplishment from one’s peers. Winning a SWANA Excellence Award will elevate your visibility in the solid waste industry and provide a sense of pride to all involved. It's also a concrete example of achievement that can be used to garner support for future programming from the public and local governments.

Receiving a SWANA Excellence Award is not just the mark of a job well done, but also a chance for new opportunities.

Feb. 1 – Coca-Cola Co. and Keep America Beautiful have expanded their recycling bin grant initiative.

The 2012 Coca-Cola Recycling Bin Grant Program is designed to boost recycling in communities across the nation. Coca-Cola invested more into the program this year to include universities in addition to the public space bin grants, according to the company.

 

To read the rest of the article and to get your application please visit the following site:

http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/email.html?id=1328113964

Join us at ReuseConex2012 International Reuse Conference & Expo!
October 18-20, 2012; Portland DoubleTree; Portland, OR http://www.reuseconex.org

The Case for Reuse. Why Electronics Reuse is a Win-Win Proposition

Posted on January 30, 2012

While Americans know that e-waste is a mounting environmental problem, high rates of unemployment persist, and the digital divide plagues millions of Americans, they’re not always aware of a viable solution — electronics reuse. Electronics reuse is extending the life of an electronic item by using it more than once for a similar or new function. Reusing unwanted electronic goods not only benefits the environment by keeping toxins out of the landfill, it also allows local communities to reap the social and economic benefits of job training, job creation, and helps shrink the digital divide.

We are going to begin a new blog on our website. Once or Twice a week we begin publishing information about different types of material that can be recycled! Each month we are going to focus on a different type of material. We will be posting this new blog information through 2012. And for February, we are going to focus on plastic.

 

Plastic Recycling Facts

• According to the Beverage Marketing Corp, the average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water in 1976. In 2006, that number jumped to 28.3 gallons.
• More than 2.4 billion pounds of plastic bottles were recycled in 2008. Although the amount of plastic bottles recycled in the U.S. has grown every year since 1990, the actual recycling rate remains steady at around 27 percent.
• In 2007, more than 325 million pounds of wide-mouth plastic containers were recovered for recycling. (This included deli containers, yogurt cups, etc.)
• In recent years, the number of U.S. plastics recycling business has nearly tripled. More than 1,600 businesses are involved in recycling post-consumer plastics.
• Plastics in the U.S. are made primarily (70 percent) from domestic natural gas.
• Plastic bags and product wraps (known collectively as “plastic film”) are commonly recycled at the many collection programs offered through major grocery stores.
• Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
• During Keep America Beautiful’s 2008 Great American Cleanup, volunteers recovered and recycled 189,000,000 PET (plastic) bottles that littered highways, waterways and parks.

 

Facts About Plastic Bottles

Here are some interesting facts and statistics about plastic bottles:

5.1 billion: Amount, in pounds, of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars available in the U.S. for recycling in 2009.

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JOHNSON CITY - Recycling trucks have been making the rounds in Johnson City since 1989. In that time the city's recycled more than 160 million tons of materials. Last year alone the trucks picked up more than 5,800 tons of recyclables. When you add in brush, mulch and leaves that makes about 23,000 of materials that were diverted from the landfill in 20-11. "We've had several batteries since they started this program,” said Calvin Lester who works on a recycling truck. “It's helping the environment and its good for the city residents, you now that we're picking this stuff up for them it's free to them and it’s just a service we are starting to provide for them now." Lester has been working on the recycling truck for five years. He said adding cooking oil and batteries to the items he picks up is a great idea for residents in Johnson City. Folks like Andrew Owens who recently came to Johnson City from Atlanta know the importance of recycling to any size community. "I try to recycle because we make enough trash as it is and so if there is any way to make that trash any less I’m down for it,” said Owens. Cutting down on the amount trash is important because that extends the life of the regions landfills."Every little bit helps right,” said Eva Hunter the recycling marketing coordinator for Johnson City. “I think we'll see the major impact of these three items because they are carrying heavy metals in the batteries and the flourescent tubes, so we do see those being kept out of the landfill. Which obviously is a good thing." In the first week that Johnson City started collecting the new items they picked up 60 pounds of household batteries and 18 gallons of cooking oil. It’s important to note fluorescent lights can only be dropped off at the solid waste department on New St. and they cannot go in your curbside recycling container. In 2011 the total amount of household waste in Johnson City was just more than 40,000 tons, which means that 56 percent of that waste was diverted out of the landfill by the recycling program.

 

To view more please visit the following website:

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/jan/30/johnson-city-starts-collecting-new-items-recycling-ar-1650959/

Jan. 5 -- Liberty Tire Recycling and the University of Tennessee´s Center for Athletic Field Safety are joining forces.

The organizations are testing the potential role that crumb rubber could play in maintaining a natural grass athletic surface, according to a news release.

"Crumb rubber infill used on athletic surfaces provides a host of benefits," Mike Wezel, vice president of sales and marketing for Liberty Tire Recycling, said in a statement. "For the athlete, it offers a safer, higher-performing surface. It also lengthens play on the surface, particularly in high-traffic areas of the field."

Pittsburgh-based Liberty Tire will fund the studies over a two-year period, with tests including simulated foot traffic to determine the best crumb rubber particle size and depth for better field performance, among others.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Shawn Wright at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 313-446-0346

 

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America has become a high tech nation. The majority of Americans have a computer, iPod, cell phone, or the new tablets that they use to read books and many other things. It is a great way to stay in contact with family, friends, being able to do business while on the go, or sometimes to just read a book or listen to music. What is the one problem with any of this? Newer things with more space or more features comes out every day! Now that is great for helping us, but what happens to the items replaced? Some people are unaware that you are able to recycle all of these old items! Other options available are to donate it to a school, someone in need, organizations that help people in need. Please do not just toss it away! There are many places that will recycle your electronics for you. Apple has now joined in andif they are able to fix the item, you can get an Apple gift card! Since many things on the iPhone, iPod, or iPad require you to use iTunes to get applications, songs, or games, you can use the money to purchase the things you want. If you would like to learn more information regarding this topic, please visit the following website: http://www.apple.com/recycling/

New Developments in the HHW Program

Paint and electronic scrap will no longer be accepted at the mobile events. Please contact your local Solid Waste Departments for collection and recycling guidance. If you are a resident of Knox, Hamilton, Davidson, or Shelby Counties, you may take your HHW to the permanent collection site located in your county.

What is HHW?
HHW is as any unwanted or spent household product that can catch fire easily (flammable), eat away at or irritate living tissue (corrosive), react violently with water or other chemicals (reactive), or is poisonous to humans and animals (toxic). Usable household products may exhibit hazardous properties but until they become a waste they are not appropriate for the mobile household hazardous waste program. Click here for a list of acceptable and unacceptable items.

 

 

To read the full article and learn more that you can do please visit:

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Reading this article is just more proof about not only the money each county saves recycling, but also the jobs created, and the amazing things it does for our environment. As more and more counties begin to recycle and create jobs because of it, it is just one way we can bring money back into the state to help with the economic crisis our country is in.

 

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) - The city of East Ridge, Tenn., reports collecting more than 86 tons of recyclable material in the first three months of a new program.

The city said in a news release that it received $2,596 for the material. The town saved $2,724 in tipping fees by not depositing the material in the county landfill.

City officials said net savings to the city is $3,124 after figuring in money spent on extra fuel to run recycle routes.

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Everyone today has heard of how important it is to recycle and most cities offer a recycling program, but what exactly is recycling and how beneficial is it really to us and the environment?

Recycling is the process of turning one products useful parts into a new product; this is done to conserve on the consumption of resources, energy and space used in landfills.

  By recycling1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.

For every1 ton of plastic that is recycled we save the equivalent of 2 people’s energy use for 1 year, the amount of water used by 1 person in 2 month’s time and almost 2000 pounds of oil.

Today the most common products in cities recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum.

 

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A large influx of U.S. jobs may just come from the recycling industry, if the nation can increase its recycling rate, according to a recent report.

The report says that nearly 1.5 million more recycling jobs than were around in 2008 would be created if the national recycling rate reached 75% by 2030.

"Never before in our lifetime has it been more important to merge environmental progress with economic progress," said Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). "And this is a low-hanging fruit."

The report, "More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S.," prepared by Tellus Institute and Sound Resource Management, also said a higher recycling rate would mean reduced pollution and improved public health, along with stable employment bases.

 

To read the full article please visit the following website:

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Green Earth Computer Recycling Services is a Nashville based company that is dedicated to keeping outdated technology out of landfills. Our conveniently located drop off facility is just off Gallatin Road close to Briley Parkway. The well equipped ware house and environmentally friendly staff ensure that no load is too big or too small. In consideration of our clients and their needs, we offer professional pick up services with prompt turn-around. To keep your company?s data secure, we offer destruction services on hard drives and other storage devices.

 

For contact information and to read more please visit:

http://www.nowplayingnashville.com/org/detail/33511/Green_Earth_Computer_Recycling_Services

We are happy to announce our website blog and our Facebook page are fully integrated.  What does this mean?  If we make an entry on Facebook, it will appear on our website in the Facebook widget we display on the frontpage of our site http://rmct.org.  If we make an entry in our website blog, it will appear in our Facebook page!  You can also use RSS feeds to keep up with us. 

The City of Knoxville, in cooperation with Kroger, Food City, Goodwill, Waste Connections, and Rock-Tenn Recycling, operates 10 recycling centers. The recycling centers are divided into two categories depending on the types and number of materials accepted.

ALCOA, Tenn. — The United States trails Brazil, Germany, Russia and some other countries in its rate of recycling aluminum beverage cans and Alcoa Inc.'s chief executive said Friday that needs to change.

State and local officials are celebrating the location of a $23-million automotive supplier to Perry County.

The City of Knoxville, in cooperation with Kroger, Food City, Goodwill, Waste Connections, and Rock-Tenn Recycling, operates 10 recycling centers. The recycling centers are divided into two categories depending on the types and number of materials accepted.

Since 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency has protected public health by setting and enforcing standards to protect the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink.s

SOURCE Waste & Recycling News

DETROIT, Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time ever, environmental professionals can start their week with an online newscast devoted to the waste and recycling industries

The items listed below are fun facts about what recycling does. As well as I have listed some websites with even more information. Recycling is important for our world. Help each other, and our children, and our childrens children.

The following are three websites that I found to be very interesting. These are things that you can recycle out of your every day items. Some I am sure people dont even think can be recycled but they can!

Recycling group applauds Tennessee for enacting legislation protecting the environment by keeping harmful mercury out of landfills.

The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements by individuals, businesses, organizations, educational institutions and agencies for successful environmental projects and conservation measures.

Read this to view the great video produced by Washington County!

March 25 — Organizations in Nashville, Tenn., Kroger and Coca-Cola Consolidated will launch a new recycling awareness campaign in the Music City in April.