OrganicAuthority.com - Organic Blog » recycle

That’s a Lot of Fries: Red Lobster-Olive Garden Group Recycles 7.3 Million Pounds of Oil

Jill Ettinger — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 08:00:52 +0000

In just two years, the world's largest full-service restaurant group has recycled more than 7.3 million pounds of fry oil, the chain announced earlier this month.

Recycled BPA?

Laura Klein — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:01:34 +0000

In When Studies Collide; Rethinking the evidence on BPA, Newsweek’s Science Editor Sharon Begley warns us that “almost anyone with an agenda can find research to support it,” and that “not all science is created equal.”

Her piece was powerful since the pure scope of studies that come out seemingly daily – from the latest on weight loss to the impact of red wine on health – can truly make our heads spin!

Begley takes the BPA argument to task, showcasing both sides of the battle: that BPA is perfectly safe versus extremely dangerous to our health; and she reminds us that ‘whether a study is good or not depends on how it was conducted.’

But what hit me the hardest in her piece was astonishing new BPA info that we’re ingesting more BPA than even the safety agencies, like the FDA, realize:

“In addition to hard plastic and epoxy can linings, it turns out, newspaper ink and carbonless copy paper – the stuff of credit car receipts and all sorts of business and medical documents – contain high amounts of BPA. Recycled, they wind up in food containers such as pizza boxes, along with the BPA.”

Recycling? Great. Recycling BPA?...now that’s a nightmare scenario. More reason why BPA should simply be banned so that it’s lifecycle doesn’t extend to unexpected and unmonitored arenas, like a good old fashioned delivery box of pizza.

Via: Newsweek, June 29, 2009

Where to Recycle Old Electronics…

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:22:43 +0000

If you buy a new-fangled cell phone today, it’ll be old news tomorrow. You’ll be better off smashing walnuts with it then trying to send a text, let alone connect to the internet.

Computers are no different. What was high-tech yesterday is more useful as an ottoman today. Same goes for old MP3 players, inkjet printers, broken laptops, bulky television sets and grimy keyboards.

So, instead of turning your basement into a graveyard for outmoded electronics put them to better use, recycle!

Both retailers and manufacturers offer recycling programs. Apple will take your old Macs, iPods and iPhones. Dell accepts Dell-branded products, such as notebooks, desktops, monitors and printers, as well as gadgets made from other manufacturers, so will Gateway.

Local stores want your busted junk too. Office Dept is looking for fax machines, digital cameras, video cameras, DVD players, small televisions and appliances. Staples will give you store credit for ink and toner cartridges. And Wal-Mart accepts old cell phones.

For more, PC Magazine has put together a long list of places to dump your defunct gizmos.

Trash to Toys…

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:17:24 +0000

It’s the day after Christmas. Your fingers are probably paper cut from unwrapping gifts and next to your heap of goodies is most likely an even bigger pile of packaging. But don’t just throw it away. There’s a better use for it. And no, it’s not recycling, at least not in the traditional sense. Donate it. Poor kids in Africa will happily make toys out of your throwaways. It’s the brainchild of Avik Maitra, a recent graduate from Colombia University, who during a fellowship in Africa, noticed local children making playthings from cigarette cartons and cornhusks. This gave him an idea. Create toys out of old junk and distribute them to local kids. His only requirements are that they’re cool, cute, forward-looking, fun, engaging, and imaginative. Amazing and heartwarming! For more, visit Avik at Radecology. Via inhabitat.

Oh, Cardboard Tree…

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:27:05 +0000

I’ve always thought cutting down a perfectly good tree, dragging it inside for a month and than just throwing it out, was a waste. That’s why I buy an itsy-bitsy Charlie Brown tree. And then give it to my mother to plant after the holidays. But if that’s not eco-sensitive enough for you, get a cardboard tree! It’s the brainchild of Cloud Gate Design, LLC. At $22.95 and standing 3-feet tall, it’s made from recycled sheets of cardboard and includes cardboard ornaments too! Or, you can use your own ornaments and lights and color it with crayons or paint for a personal touch. The website offers some suggestions. Via TreeHugger.

The Paper Shredder that Makes Paper…

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:38:03 +0000

Recycling on your own is pretty limited. You can reuse plastic containers and glass bottles, compost newspaper and bundle other recyclables, but barring the impractical, that’s about it, until now! A Japanese company has invented an in-office paper shredder and recycler that actually makes usable sheets of paper. The Meiko SEED paper recycling system can transform used business paper into 1,500 sheets of new paper. It takes 10 hours to produce 1,500 sheets and requires 200 liters of tap water and 38 kWh of electricity. The environmental footprint looks like this:

Virgin paper: 390.7 liters of water and 80.3 kWh of energy consumption;

Recycled paper: 153.4 liters of water and 31.4 kWh of energy consumed.

Paper can be recycled up to 10 times. The Meiko system uses 30% less water than similar systems and costs a mere $86,000. Apparently that’s a competitive price because the company expects to sell 100 units in the first year. Although cynics wonder what happens to the wastewater. A lot of paper is made with chemical coatings. Via TreeHugger.