As we all know, by recycling, we reduce the amount that ends up in landfills, thus reducing green house gases. With landfills known to produce millions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane (the two prominent green house gases some scientists attribute to global warming,) by recycling we’re doing our part to reduce waste and save the planet.

To get you started, here’s a list of common things that can be recycled:

Paper, of all types, including newspaper and telephone books

Cardboard (non waxed)

Car and truck tires

Used oil

Batteries

Wood products, including tree limbs, construction and demolition debris

Yard Debris, including grass clippings, leaves, and brush

Asphalt

Rocks

Steel, brass, copper, tin, aluminum and other metal products

Glass containers

Plastic bottles and milk jugs (without lids)

Aluminum containers, such as pop cans

Appliances

Computer and Office Equipment

Cell Phones

Printer Cartridges

Eyeglasses

Many of these items can be recycled and used to create more of the same. Whereas as an item, such as wood and yard debris can be ground up and the end product becomes compost, or a biomass fuel.

You wouldn’t think rocks are recyclable, however, many people use them to build retainer walls or raised beds. In larger communities, many rock supply companies crush rock to create gravel type products.

Used tires are often ground up, and used as a playground ground cover.

If recycling and global warming are issues that tug at your heart strings, think about what part you can play in stopping these items from ending up in landfills. It may be as simple as utilizing curbside recycling bins, or something larger like creating a recycling business.

So there you have it.  A few answers to your question,  “What can be recycled?”

How to reduce our energy consumption is partly common sense, but is also being smart about our purchases.

Using some of the following ideas will not only help to reduce our energy consumption, but may put more money in our pocket.

1) Install or increase insulation in our homes -check for areas which were never insulated.

2) Regularly replace air filters in our furnace. Dirty filters will reduce the efficiency of a furnace.

3) On an annual basis, schedule a professional furnace cleaning and maintenance call.

4) Replace caulk and/or weather stripping to seal air leaks in doors and/or windows.

5) Research and buy the highest rated energy star appliances.

6) Switch out all light bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs

7) When leaving a room, turn the lights off.

8.) Keep our computer turned off when it’s not in use. Using the Smart Strip LCG5 Energy Saving Power Strip with Autoswitching Technology and Modem/Coaxial Surge Protection or unplugging it, will save even more.

9) Unplug all small appliances when not in use.

10) At home, dress in warmer clothes to avoid turning up the thermostat

11) When sleeping, lower our thermostat to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

12) Install an energy star programmable thermostat

13) When sitting, watching TV, and/or reading, have blankets and/or throws handy to use .

14) Use styrofoam vent “plugs”, to keep cold air from entering the crawl space of our home. When spring arrives, remove the vent plugs to allow air movement under our home. Save the vent plugs, as they are reusable for the future. (The can be purchased at most home improvement stores)

15) LED lights use very little energy. Use them where ever possible, e.g. Christmas or holiday lights, under the counter lights, etc.

16) Close heat vents in rooms that are not being used. Then, close the door to avoid heating an unused room

17) Purchase and use ceiling fans to push warm air down….heat rises. Reverse the fans in the summer to cool a room.

18) Take advantage of natural heat. Close window blinds when the sun sets. Open them in the morning to let the sun shine in. This will produce more light and natural heat.

19) On older windows, install storm windows, or use a protective barrier

20) Use cold water to wash clothes.

21) When shopping for a new washer, consider a front loading HE (high efficiency) model. They use less water, less detergent, and energy.

22) When drying clothes, use the automatic sensor. The dryer will shut off when the clothes are dry.

23) Turn down the temperature of our hot water heater

24) Use an insulating “blanket” for our hot water heater. They can be purchased in home improvement stores.

25) Use heavy drapes in the winter months to avoid cold air from “seeping in” from windows

26) For the summer months, adjust the thermostat on our air conditioner so it runs less often.

27) Planting shade trees will also help to keep our home cooler in the summer months.

28) Clean and/or change filters in our air conditioner to keep them running at their highest efficiency level.

29) Have our air conditioner professionally cleaned and serviced on an annual basis.

30) Close window blinds in the summer to keep our home cooler.

Using these tips could potentially lower our energy costs as well as reduce our energy consumption.

The savings are good for us and the reduction of energy consumption is good for the environment.

Photo credit: lowjumpingfrog

“the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product”.

Ironically, carbon footprints are often the result of how much time we spend in our car. Hence, making our miles count and practicing efficiency is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint.

Some simple ways to save money as well as reduce your carbon footprint with your vehicle are:

1. Take a few extra minutes to plan your trips. Combine trips to the grocery store, with dropping the kids off at school, or with another set appointment. As often as possible, run your errands in circles, thus eliminating back tracking. Drive only when necessary.
2. Keep your tires properly inflated. If you’re not sure how to do this, most tire stores offer this service for free when you buy your tires from them. A hand held tire gauge is another great tool to keep handy.
3. Remove any car carriers you may have attached on the top of your vehicle. Keeping your vehicle as aerodynamic as possible can help to increase your miles per gallon.
4. Keep your car tuned up An improperly running car may cause an excessive use of gas as well as unnecessary wear on operating parts.
5. If possible, carpool with others and share the expense. Or, if you are running errands, ask friends and/or family if they need you to pick up something for them, or vice versa.
6. Use public transportation. Instead of driving, take the bus or train. Use this time to listen to music, read, write, etc. Many public services also offer discounts to seniors.
7. If time permits, walk instead of driving. With walking being such a great form of exercise, instead of driving to the corner store, put on your sneakers and enjoy the fresh air.

These a just a few ways to reduce our carbon footprint. For more great ideas, just search online for, “how to reduce our carbon footprint”.

Photo Credit: Lingaraj G J

Classifier with bath (float tank)

Companies who are involved in wood recycling, cleaning up old mill sites, wood yards or log yard debris, often encounter the problem of how to separate rock and dirt from wood products. Although numerous size trommel screens, vibratory screens or finger screens can be used for prescreening wood waste and to complete this process, the cost often begins to outweigh the benefits.

That’s where the water bath classifier or stationery trommel with water bath (float tank) comes in (see photo above).

The brand we’ve used is a Wittco stationary screening plant with a 6000 gallon water bath. As shown in the photograph, the process begins at the hopper.

A mix of wood and rock (dirty material) is loaded into the hopper. A conveyor, or feed belt then carries the product into a 28 foot long trommel screen which rotates. Different size screens can be installed into the trommel and the screens which are located at the bottom of the trommel determine the size of the product that is produced. As the wood, dirt and/or rock products pass over the screens, that which is small enough drops through, and the large pieces of wood and rock are carried through the trommel and drop into a 6000 gallon water bath (float tank).

The water bath which is attached to the trommel encompasses two conveyor belts which are partially positioned beneath the surface of the water. The wood will float, be picked up by the upper conveyor (wood belt -see photo on left), carried out of the bath and disposed of in front of the classifier. The rock and/or heavily saturated wood products will sink to the bottom of the bath and will be carried out by the lower belt (rock belt -see photo on right) and dispensed to the rear of the classifier (behind the bath).

The wood which is expelled from the bath can then be picked up with a piece of heavy equipment, taken back to the tub or horizontal grinder and be reground into wood chips. The rock can often be reused in other parts of the recycling operation, or be sold.

The classifier runs on either a diesel or electric powered engine. The controls for the trommel are located in a tower directly across the bath in line with the trommel. In the event any product gets hung up inside of the trommel, the classifier operator can stop the trommel with the flip of a switch.

The classifier can also be used for blending products such as compost and topsoil, creating a topsoil blend enriched with nutrients. It’s perfect for resizing bark products, as well.

In our wood recycling operation, learning how to separate wood from rock involved a lot of experimentation until we purchased the stationary classifier with trommel and water bath (float tank). Not only did our production increase, but we were able to reduce labor and heavy equipment costs, plus eliminated all other screening equipment.

If you haven’t already, soon, you’ll be hearing the term, “green collar jobs”.

So, what is a green collar job, and where are they?

With so much attention being placed on saving the environment, reducing waste and preventing global warming (a debatable topic), positions in the “clean energy” sector are being tagged as green collar jobs.

Green collar jobs are employees who work, or will work in:

1. Recycling
2. Wind Power Farms
3. The solar energy field
4. Organics (of all types)
5. Green building
6. Other areas of renewable energy
7. And any other job that benefits the environment

Many of these jobs are technically white or blue collar jobs, however, because these workers are involved in the renewable energy and/or environmental sector, the name “green collar jobs has been attached to these positions.

With politicians urging the government, corporations and/or small businesses to create more green collar jobs; the hope is these jobs will pay more, help to reduce waste and our dependency on oil, and save the planet.

Watch for tax breaks, loans and/or governmental grant opportunities which may become available to businesses for the creation of green collar jobs.

Photo Credit: Steve Caddy