Popular Items to Recycle This Fall

Popular Items to Recycle This Fall

Recycling used materials never goes out of season as it reduces landfill, waste and saves on energy used to produce new materials.  In fact, Americans generate an additional 5 million tons of waste throughout the holidays. As the start of the fall season approaches, it is important to watch out for these popular items to recycle.

The value of recycling and reusing items like aluminum cans, plastic bottles and paper is known by most consumers. Recycling waste not only benefits the environment and keeps useful materials out of landfills, it offers a profit. The list of materials that are recyclable grows daily.

3 Popular Items to Recycle This Fall Season

 1. Appliances
1. Appliances

1. Appliances

It is getting cold outside. Your heat isn’t working, what do you do?

Some appliances need to be replaced before winter begins. A heater’s life span is 15-20 years. A furnace’s life span is 16-20 years. Water heater’s life span is 8-12 years. Point being, even appliances need to be recycled.

Even if it isn’t necessary, with the holidays coming up, some people just want to get a new oven or microwave so they can cook family dinners for family reunions. A lot of time those people buy appliances during the holiday sales towards the end of summer, but don’t receive them until fall.

Once you get your replacement appliance, where does the old one go? Sell it to a recycling company for some quick holiday cash.

2. Electronics
2. Electronics

2. Electronics

The majority of people have cell phones now, and a lot of people grab the newest and greatest as often as they can. Popular electronics are released throughout the year, but many major manufacturers save their latest phone releases and launch dates for the fall season. Therefore, with 46 – 50 million tons of cellphones being thrown out every year – equating to 151 million cell phones – improper disposal could cause these scrap materials eat up space in landfills which prompts more pollution. To avoid this, it is critical to understand the process of cell phones recycling. In fact, cell phones contain 80% of recyclable metals or reusable parts.

Not just cell phones, but other eWaste continuously increases worldwide as outdated electronics are replaced. Electronics recycling offers numerous benefits to mankind and the environment including reducing environmental pollution and lowered use of raw materials. Even with work-from-home, most still use some sort of office equipment. Scrap printers, desktops, networking equipment, servers, and other electronics can be bought for some cash.

3. Car Batteries
3. Car Batteries

3. Car Batteries

When winter weather approaches, consumers will want to prep their vehicles for the drop in temperatures. For example, drivers typically check oil levels, replace windshield wipers, and examine belts and hoses for damage.

Or you might replace your aging lead-acid auto battery. Those who recycle old batteries assist in reducing waste – up to 99% of a lead-acid battery is recyclable – and reduce the need to use new raw materials and components. In fact, these batteries contain acids; toxic acids such as sulfuric acid which is very corrosive. Therefore, because of the acid content, it is highly advisable not to try recycling used lead-acid auto batteries by yourself.

Another car battery that is becoming more popular is the electric vehicle battery. Interco recycles electric vehicle batteries. Additionally, Interco remains the largest EV battery recycler in North America, if not the world.

Interco Can Handle All Your Fall Recycling Needs

Founded in 1996, Interco has grown from an electronic scrap recycling company to a comprehensive processor and recycler handling nonferrous, industrially generated metal-bearing complex residues, most battery chemistries, and catalysts.

This fall season consider recycling your scrap and other materials to help benefit the environment. With a staff of 100 full time employees, Interco receives, processes, upgrades, repackages and ships approximately 15,000 tons of material monthly. Interco is centrally located on the Illinois-side of St. Louis on a 45-acre industrial complex comprised of 7 buildings with 450,000 square feet of warehouse space.

If you are interested in recycling scrap materials with Interco, please click here.

The Importance of Recycling Cardboard

The need for recycling cardboard cannot be underestimated. Cardboard is used for many purposes especially in the shipment of goods to consumers and businesses. The warehouse and shipping industry rely on cardboard boxes. Today, most businesses engage in the practice of recycling cardboard. This helps them save money on both waste and disposal costs.

Cardboard originated from wood pulp gotten from trees i.e. pine trees. The pulp produces cardboard through a process called the Kraft process. The pulp is taken to the mill and is processed to form corrugated cardboard. Afterward, they cut, print and fold them to form boxes for packaging and shipping use.

Examples of items packaged with cardboard are:

The Importance of Recycling Cardboard
  • Cereal
  • Shoes
  • Milk
  • Electronics

 The Significance of Recycling Cardboard

Recycling cardboard helps protect our environment in many ways unknown to us. Read on to see why recycling cardboard is important. Three main reasons lead the charge:

  1. Helps Reduce Pollution
  2. Conserves Energy
  3. Helps Avert Deforestation

Helps Reduce Pollution

Manufacturers use Cardboard to package many items, especially for shipping items. After the cardboard has served its purpose, people lay them off as waste. This could cause landfill or solid waste. Recycling bins for cardboard help to reduce cardboard waste as recyclers would recycle them into new cardboard.

The Importance of Recycling Cardboard

Furthermore, making the pulp from the pine trees could lead to the production of a toxic gas, sulfur dioxide. When the tires release this gas into the atmosphere, it causes acid rain. Therefore, recycling cardboard reduces both air and soil pollution.

Conserves Energy

As trees are the primary source of Cardboard, recycling already used Cardboard help conserve resources (trees). It also helps conserves the energy; the energy that manufacturers use in felling the tree and forming pulp from the tree. This way, instead of using raw natural resources, recyclers can conserve both energy and resources.

 

Helps Avert Deforestation

The Importance of Recycling Cardboard

Manufacturers produce Cardboard from the wood pulp of pine trees. This means that for manufacturers to produce cardboard, they have to cut down pine trees. The continuous destruction of trees could lead to deforestation especially if they do not replace the trees after they come down. Recycling cardboard helps reduce the need for felling trees and in turn averts deforestation. This alone helps the earth greener and facilitate the exchange of gases between plants i.e. carbon dioxide and oxygen.

How to Recycle Cardboard

The process of recycling cardboard is direct and easy. It is not rocket science at all. You don’t have to do it yourself. All you need do is get the cardboard to the paper mill or recycling company where they will process it.

  • First, remove food, tape or any plastic wrap contained in or on the cardboard box.
  • Breakdown the cardboard into pieces so to transport easily to the recycling center.
  • Deliver the cardboard to the recycling bins or companies for further processing.

Conclusion

It is very important that we cultivate the habit of recycling cardboard. Rather than throwing away your used cardboard in the bin, take them to recycling bins or better, sell them to recyclers. This way you’ll keep the earth clean and safe. Recyclers like Interco recycle cardboard. If you’re interested in the recycling business, get in touch with Interco.

Recycled Paper — The Truth About Recycling Paper

The Truth About Recycled Paper — Recycling Paper

Today, most businesses use recycled paper along with other office materials for paperwork. Recycling paper help these companies slash the cost of buying new papers for

Recycled Paper -- The Truth About Recycling Paper

Modern companies employ recycling policy because they have come to see that recycling paper is ideal both economically and environmentally. Recycled paper is produced from mixing old paper with chemicals and water to break it down. Then the mixture is heated to form the pulp. Afterward, the pulp is strained through screens for purity purposes.

Why Recycled Paper?

Burying waste paper can release methane while burning it uses a lot of energy and increased carbon dioxide emissions. Recycled paper is the best type of paper. Recycled paper is the greenest type of paper. It uses less energy, water, and reduces the amount of solid waste. Recycled paper is good for the environment and it is eco-friendly. Listed are the reasons why the recycled paper is good for the environment:

  1. Recycled Paper is Good for the Environment
  2. Recycling Paper is more Economical
  3. Recycling Reduces Waste and Improves Efficiency
  4. Recycled Paper Promotes a Positive Image
  5. Recycling Paper Produces Jobs
Recycled Paper -- The Truth About Recycling Paper

Recycled Paper is Good for the Environment

Recycled paper uses less energy, water and emits low carbon emissions. Recycling paper helps avoid landfill. Recycling paper uses 31% of energy less than the energy required in the manufacturing of virgin paper. Additionally, a ton of recycled paper uses 35,000 liters of water less than the required liters of water in creating a ton of virgin paper. As a result, recycling paper prevents deforestation. Approximately 25 million trees would be saved annually if all newspapers were recycled.

Recycling Paper is more Economical

Most businesses don’t realize they spend a lot on printing paper. Opting for recycled paper can help lead to significant savings for the company. The individual employee can also save costs by recycling paper within the company. Recycling paper does not only help save money, but it is also of good quality. This way, rather than manufacturing new papers from scratch, manufacturers can save money as well as energy. Furthermore, recyclers can recycle paper up to seven times. After which they can declare it too degraded for recycling.

Recycling Reduces Waste and Improves Efficiency

Recycled Paper -- The Truth About Recycling Paper

Recycling various types of paper helps reduce solid waste and indiscriminate dumping of waste paper. Recycled waste paper is of high quality and is as white as the virgin fiber paper.  They are available in different shades from natural to bright white. Therefore, recycling paper helps reduce paper waste and the cost of waste services.

Recycled Paper Promotes a Positive Image

A trustworthy image is vital to a business. Promoting the company’s use of recycled paper can improve that image. Companies with a high degree of responsibility and reliability attract more customers. Thus, flagging a green image will lead to an increase in sales and strengthen company’s reputation. It also improves the image of the company in the marketplace.

Recycling Paper Produces Jobs

In general, recycling creates work in modern green energy fields. Therefore, multiple job opportunities translate into more customers with disposable income. As recycling creates jobs, it helps boosts the nation’s economy. It also helps affect the growth of the company positively in the manufacturing or service sections. Almost all companies depend on print material for promotion either through business card printing, memos, brochure printing or paper for office purposes. Recycling waste paper products promise numerous benefits for enterprises of all sizes.

Conclusion

Therefore, this paper is more economical to businesses and safer environmentally. Recycling paper is good; it is good and safe for the environment. Finally, Interco is a recycling company with a department that specializes in paper. If you are interested in recycling this material, contact them here.

Recycling Old Corrugated Containers (OCC)

Recycling Old Corrugated Containers

Recycling Old Corrugated Containers (OCC)

Companies use corrugated containers to protect, promote, deliver, and display products. Manufacturers use them especially to ship products from one place to another. When these containers come to the end of their usefulness, recyclers like Interco refer to them as Old Corrugated Containers (OCC).

The process of recycling old corrugated containers varies from nation to nation. This is primarily a result of the various qualities of OCC. The fiber contained in OCC corrugated sheets represents the primary quality factor. The higher the fiber content, the better the OCC material provides a strong basis to the mills producing cardboard.

Flat liner-boards and boxes make up the majority of OCC these days. In some cases of shipping where they get torn due to handling or old. These old corrugated containers are totally recyclable because of its fiber content. As a result, the process is just as easy as it sounds. Recycling haulers also call them OCC and relate them with cardboard material.

Why Recycle OCC?

According to the American Forest & Paper Association, the US exports approximately 32 percent of recycled OCC. This shows that the recycling of this material is quite important. Why?

Strong: They are strong and sturdy. This is the major reason why people use them for packaging. They can withstand heavyweight material and possess malleable strength and excellent tear and rupture making them suitable for long-distance deliveries.

Flexible: It is easy to re-shape, hammer, and carve OCC into new shapes or sizes. This easy reshaping allows for a wide range of sizes and regular shapes.

Eco-friendly: They are totally recyclable. It is possible to reuse and reshape them over again after each recycling process. It is also possible to compress them. This facilitates economic transportation. Also, recycling helps reduce landfill.

Easy Labeling:  Because of their smooth surface, it is easy to label corrugated containers. This property makes it a sought-after product in today’s competitive market. This easy labeling is made possible due to their smooth surfaces.

Recycling Old Corrugated Containers (OCC)

As earlier stated, OCC is a very useful packaging material used for various types of end products such as:

  • Pizza
  • Shoes
  • Packing Boxes
  • Ice Cream
  • Food Boxes

Accordingly, corrugated containers allow producers to easily label and ship these products to end-users.

Recycling Old Corrugated Containers: The Process

The recycling of old corrugated containers is straightforward and not cumbersome. Also, the process of recycling old corrugated containers is easier and direct if you dry and clean the OCC. Consequently, it becomes especially true if recyclers remove all non-paper materials beforehand. Materials like:

  1. Bubble Wrap
  2. Wood Skids
  3. Plastic Bags
  4. Styrofoam
  5. Plastic Wrapping
Recycling Old Corrugated Containers (OCC)

First, recycling companies divert old cardboard from the waste stream. This literally means that they separate these OCC from other wastes and collate them together. Secondly, they eliminate contaminants. As a result, the recycling company removes any non-paper materials found in the corrugated containers.

Furthermore, after they have successfully eliminated the contaminants, the recycler sends the pure OCC to a compressing machine that compresses and flattens it in order to ease handling, storing, and transportation Finally, they deliver these compressed corrugated containers to a paper production mill where they process them into many paper products such as unbleached Kraft paperboard, recycled paperboard, new corrugated containers, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, recycling old corrugated containers is important because of its wide use today. If not properly recycled, corrugated paper can amount to over 60% of land waste, which is inefficient and destructive. One can also sell OCC to recycling companies. Interco buys corrugated containers to recycle on a truckload basis.

For pricing indication, visit this link.