The Difference Between The Three Rs

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Three words, three ideas, three different meanings. Although when it comes to creating awareness about the environment these words are often used interchangeably, they are truly three different ideas that encompass their own definitions and contribute to environmental efforts in individual ways. Do you know the difference between the three? See below for a brief outline that describes what makes the three Rs their own -

Reduce - Reduce refers to the idea of 'using less.' When we reduce the amount of natural resources we use every day or reduce the number of harmful materials we buy and throw out, we are ultimately performing these actions at decreased rate.

Reuse - When we say reuse, we are referring to the action of using something again to serve another purpose. This action is sometimes referred to as "repurposing." By reusing materials and products, we take something and turn it into something different.

Recycle - Out of all three terms, recycle is likely the one that gets thrown around the most. In essence, recycle or recycling ultimately refers to the process that products go through to be broken down and made into something new. Although this resembles "reuse," it's important to remember that recycling is the actual process that happens before an item is reused in an entirely different shape and/or form.

Once you are familiar with each term on their own, it is easy to see how they are so closely related. By recycling, we are reusing, and by reusing, we are reducing. However, knowing each term on an individual basis can truly help you improve your waste management efforts.

Boro Wide Recycling is a full service recycling and waste management provider. For more information on how we can help you with your recycling efforts, check us out atwww.borowide.com or contact us at (718) 416-1656. 

5 Things You Didn't Know About the Recycling Industry

Dropping a plastic bottle in the recycling bin can be very simple, which is why most people do not think about what happens to it after.  Where does it go?  It falls into the hands of a $500 billion global industry that impact the life of every American, and likely employs more people than any other industry except agriculture.  Here are 5 things you need to know about recycling if you hope to understand how and why it is already transformed your world, whether or not you practice good recycling habits. 

1. Only around 60% of the recyclable waste generated in the US annually is recycled in the US.  The rest is exported, mostly to China.
2. China is both the top importer of recyclable waste, also the world's top recycler. 
3. Before the USA began exporting its recyclables around the world, the world sent its recyclables here.  In the 19th century, when Americans were desperate for steel to build the nation's railways, steelmakers imported hundreds of thousand of tons of steel scrap from Europe. 
4. The media has depicted the so called e-waste (electronic waste like computers, smartphones etc.)  as being dumped on the developing world by the US.  Earlier this year, the US International Trade Commision released the most comprehensive study of the American e-wast industry ever.  It concluded that only .13% of the 4.4 million tons of e-waste generated by America in 2011 was exported for "final disposal.
5. The American automobile is still the world's most recycled product, by weight. 

Remember that the next time you bring your recyclables to the trash room, you are not only committing a good deed on behalf of the environment, you are contributing to a global trade that predates your grandparents.  For more information on the facts above please visit http://goo.gl/Rkjnvo.

Call Boro-Wide Recycling for all of you recycling needs, residential and commercial.718-416-1656.

NYC Restaurant Challenge

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

New York City is one of a handful of cities that is working to keep food waste out of landfills.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a lot to do with the recycling efforts of many of NYC's citizens.   This year 100 if the city's 24,000 restaurants signed on to the city's voluntary pilot program and committed to recycle their food scraps.  Mayor Bloomberg has recently introduced legislation to the city council to mandate the City's largest restaurants to separate their food waste by 2014.  The head of the New York State Restaurant Association worries that the infrastructure is just not available to accomplish this lofty goal. Find out more about the NYC Restaurant Challenge: Recycle All Food Waste here: http://goo.gl/5vwt91

Call Boro-Wide Recycling for all of you recycling needs, residential and commercial.
718-416-1656.

Producers Should Shoulder More of the Recycling Cost

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Over the past 11 years, Mayor Bloomberg has made great progress to help improve the environment for New York City, like planting hundreds of thousands of trees, reducing indoor air pollution by banning smoking in restaurants and bars, and creating more than 350 miles of bike lanes in the five boroughs.   These are great strides to improve our environment, but he has neglected the quantity of waste that the city sends to landfills, until recently.  The outgoing Mayor announced a major expansion of the types of plastics New Yorkers can toss into their recycling bins. 
Why should the burden fall upon the taxpayers?   Who should be responsible for what happens to consumer products and packaging when we're through with them?  For the most part, our current systems is very lenient with producers of single-use plastics, allowing them to offload costs related to disposal onto the taxpayers.  The taxpayers pay for collection and transfer to recycling facilities, or landfills. 
Things are changing, more states, cities and concerned individuals have begun voicing their demands that producers of consumer goods take a greater responsibility for their products at the end of their useful lives. For more information on the problem at hand and what is currently being done please visit http://goo.gl/I3wPg2.

Boro-Wide Recycling is dedicated to creating a better world through recycling.  Please contact us for all your recycling and waste removal needs, residential or commercial!

Things You Never Knew Were Recyclable

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Sometimes recycling takes creativity and also some knowledge of the industry.  It can be confusing deciding what is recyclable and where to dispose of it.  Recycling can really help our environment and also make it a healthier place for us to live.  It is not always easy to know exactly what can be recycled, there are some great recyclable items that are available in your everyday life that you would never think to recycle. 

• Hair- Human Hair is compostable and recyclable.  The hair from your brush or fur from your pet holds a lot of useful nitrogen that can be thrown in a compost pile.  You can donate your hair to create booms that soak up oil spills.
• Jeans- Donating your jeans to Goodwill is always a good option.  But if they are too raggedy, they can be recycled to make insulation products, to be used for interior and exterior walls and ceiling applications. 
• Cotton Swabs- Cotton is also a good material for a compost bin.  Cotton balls, cotton swabs, lint from the dryer and even old shredded cotton and wool clothing can go into your compost.
• Keys- Keys are made of valuable metal, programs like Keys for Kindness raise money for Multiple Sclerosis through recycling keys.
• Golf Balls- Most golf balls are made in two or three parts.  A two piece ball is composed of just rubber and plastic which are obviously recyclable.

For a full list of obscure recyclable items please visit http://goo.gl/n7yHVH.  Call Boro-Wide Recycling for all of your recycling and waste removal needs residential or commercial. 

People Don't Recycle Damaged Goods

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

The growth of the recycling rate in the United States is growing, but the progress is much slower than it should be.  The recycling rate has risen by less than 6 percent in the last ten years, but why is it so slow?  A recent study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, seeks to answer this common question by looking beyond the typical answers or excuses, like curbside recycling access and confusing plastic resin codes.   This study looks to examine the thought process that leads consumers to toss recyclables in the trash.

The study found that consumers are already hardwired to believe that damaged or incomplete products, like small or ripped paper and dented cans, no longer retain their value.  After testing their theory through a field study as well as four laboratory studies, they found that once a recyclable item ceased to retain its whole form, users tended to throw it in the garbage.  This process is formed out of habit, the only way it can be overcome is by helping consumers realize a product's true value.  This could be shifted to a larger scale by designing product packaging to preserve a whole and undamaged appearance after opening.  Read more about the study here: http://goo.gl/nTC0kv.

Tell us what you think about this concept below, or on our Facebook page!

WasteCon 2013

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

During the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) 2013 WasteCon Conference in Long Beach, CA, a technical session title "New York City's Waste Conversion Technology Pilot- is the Technology Ripe Enough for the Big Apple?"  discussed where the city is at in the evaluation of technologies to handle the estimated 50,000 tons of waste and recyclables the city generates each day. 
It was determined that the city needs to implement a new solid waste management plan for its waste handling.  The key goals include:

• Increase recycling and build a recycling processing facility in Brooklyn;
• End long-haul trucking and maximize exporting waste out of state via rail and barge;
• Develop containerized facilities for DSNY-managed waste in each borough;
• Stabilize costs through 20-year contracts; and
• Evaluate and build pilot plants for alternative municipal solid waste (MSW) technologies.

For more information on the Conference and the plan, please visit http://goo.gl/LGAZ2p.
Call Boro-Wide Recycling for all of you recycling needs, residential and commercial.
718-416-1656

Free Recycling Apps

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

The world that we live in today is technology-driven.  Smart phones very convenient and help you answer your everyday questions, wherever you are.  Now there is an app for everything, including recycling.  These apps can be great for answering any of your recycling questions like how, what and where to recycle.  Harmony1.com put together a list of the 3 best, free recycling apps. 

• iRecycle:  Developed by Earth911, for finding local, convenient recycling opportunities when you are on the go or at home.  iRecycle provides access to more than 1,600,000 ways to recycle over 350 materials.
• 1800Recycling: This mobile app was formerly known as My Recycle List.  It is the easiest way to find convenient drop-off locations and organize your recyclables quickly and efficiently. 
• RecycleBank: RecycleBank offers awards that you can earn when you sign up.  It allows members to view their points, enter new point codes, set recycling reminders and even order rewards. 

Call Boro-Wide Recycling for any of your recycling needs commercial or residential!

How Recyclebank Incents Communities

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

One of the largest variables in any energy efficiency, water conservation or waste management campaign, is human behavior.  If you can't convince people to truly care enough to participate, even the best designed and thought up solutions do not stand a chance of succeeding or even having a positive impact.  Recyclebank has developed an incentive based campaign that works like a frequent traveler rewards program.  Instead of points for miles, you receive incentives or coupons for local businesses in exchange for participating actively in a recycling program or some other sustainability initiative.  For more information on the Recyclebank Campaign to increase the amount that people recycle please visit http://goo.gl/pdPOQV.

For any of your recycling or waste management services, residential or commercial Call Boro-Wide Recycling at (718) 416-1656.

How to Reuse Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

As the colder weather approaches you may begin to drink more of your favorite hot beverages to warm you up.  Some popular drinks are coffee and tea, but what do you do with all the spent coffee grounds and tea bags?

• Removing cooking odors- both coffee grounds and tea bags are great deodorizers and can eliminate lingering food smells on your hands like garlic, onions and fish.
• Making wood shine- If you are looking for an all natural way to keep wood floors and furniture shiny and clean, look no further than your morning cup of tea. 
• Keeping your garden pest free- Sprinkle coffee grounds around problem areas to keep away ants, slugs and other pests hanging around your garden.
• Nourish plants- Both coffee grounds and tea bags have loads of nutrients that help household plants thrive. 
• Treat your skin-  Coffee grounds as well as tea are both loaded with beneficial properties that sooth irritated skin and brighten your complexion.
• Shine your shoes-  Citrus scraps and banana peels are a well known method to organically shine your shoes.  Well a damp tea bag works just as well for dark colored shoes.

For more ideas, uses and directions for your morning cup's leftovers please visit http://goo.gl/45xywP.
Refer to Boro-Wide Recycling for all of your recycling needs, wants and information. 

Help Teach Your Children The Three R's with This Video!

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp. 

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656 

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Hey, Parents! This is a great video to help teach your children the importance of the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, linked HERE!