Sunday, August 14, 2011

Recycling Program - 5 Things That You Can Recycle

Contrary to what many people would have you believe you can make a difference to your environment in most countries of the world these days, you can start immediately, and it won't need to cost you a penny. You can do your part to help save the environment by participating in the recycling program in your city or state.

Here are some of the different items you can recycle, as well as ways to make your community efforts count.

1. Cell Phones
If you have an old cell phone that you don't use anymore, you can donate it to a recycling program in your area, so that some of the undamaged parts can be used to create new phones. In some cases, these phones are reprogrammed and given to the less fortunate. Cell phone recycling has even been used to help families with loved ones fighting in Iraq and the phones have brought these families closer by providing a more effective way for families to communicate with one another. For more information on how you can get involved with this type of recycling program, visit search on cell phone recycling in your local telephone directory, on contact your local authority for the nearest recycling point.
In Europe cell phones are classed as WEEE. That means that you have the right to expect you original cell phone shop to accept your returned phone once it is no longer needed. So, if in Europe you don't know where to recycle your phone you can simply take it back to the shop where you bought it.

2. Energy Saving Light Bulbs
If you use 'regular' light bulbs, known as tungsten filament bulbs, in your home, you can start right now by replacing each one as it fails with a new energy saving bulb. Some large stores are so keen to ensure that there customers adopt the low carbon emission bulbs that don't use as nearly much energy, that they are offering them at reduced prices. One example in Europe is IKEA where their energy efficient bulbs are a fraction of the cost of the same bulbs in other stores.

3. Glass Bottle and Metal Cans
You can save the glass bottles that mineral water or some sodas are packaged in; the glass can be used to create another bottle, or for parts of another new glass product. Also, if you drink soda or canned juices often, you can recycle the metal cans, or save the tops and take them to your local recycling center; some centers even offer a small monetary reward.

4. Waste Paper
Save your newspapers and all clean waste paper and take it to the waste paper recycling bins at your local household waste recycling centre. This waste paper is then processed and used in recycled paper products, saving new trees from being felled.

5. Car Batteries
Take your old car batteries to a recycling centre and leave them in the "battery" bay provided. These batteries contain strong acid and lead. To allow these chemicals into the environment is highly dangerous and polluting. If you recycle nothing else, please recycle old vehicle batteries, even just to protect children who may pick one up and suffer acid burns if left around or dumped.

One Thing That Cannot be Recycled is Small Batteries
Many people think that small batteries can also be recycled. If you have used penlight and torch batteries to power an electronic device or toy these simply must be disposed of sensibly in your rubbish bin, or take them to your local recycling centre where there is usually a battery recycling box. This is important as these batteries may contain small amounts of toxic chemicals.
Some small batteries are re-chargeable types. If these are still holding their charge when re-charged, they can be recharged and sold as 'green batteries', which could help your the city to save money, and protect the environment from being polluted by the chemical materials inside each battery.
You can find out which drop-off points are available for recyclable items, in your city, by visiting your local authority's web site.
If the Council has not already provided you with recycling bins, you can in most cities and towns request recycling bins from your local sanitation department. Then take direct action by simply starting yourself to separate your trash into a bag of sorted recyclable material so that it can be sorted again, bulked up, and transported to a processing plant, for use by the new user, and used again. Plus, a bag or bin of the remaining waste.

Teaching your children to recycle at an early age will also help to make them more sensitive to the needs of the environment, and will teach them to conserve natural resources.
For more information on recycling programs in the UK, and how throughout Europe there are big investments now taking place to massively improve recycling rates and reduce landfilling of waste. Then visit The Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant web site.
For other information about waste management and recycling we also recommend a visit to The Landfill Site web site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Evans

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