Five Ways to Recycle Toner Cartridges
One of the byproducts of owning a printer is the accumulation of used ink toner cartridges. Technological advances coupled with leaving a small carbon footprint have found many ways to recycle toner cartridges. There are quite a few ways to recycle cartridges, such as the five methods listed below.
Retail Programs
Many of the big-box stores have a recycling bin suitable for toner cartridges near their printers and printer supplies. These bins are easily accessible, taking care of used toner cartridges while buying replacements. Such bins are located at stores like Wal-Mart, Staples and Office Depot. Store employees should know if their store has such a program; if they do not, customer service will. This method of recycling toner cartridges is fairly easy and straightforward.
Mail Programs
Certain printer companies, such as Hewlett Packard, include pre-paid plastic mailer envelopes inside the boxes. This gives consumers the ability to recycle their toner cartridges at home by simply slipping cartridges inside their mailboxes. This is a convenient way to recycle toner cartridges, though all are fairly easy. Consumers can find information on other mailings by doing an online search. These places also accept other electronic devices to be recycled such as old cell phones, compact disks and other office devices. Consumers can find recycling organizations for any product.
Recycle for Charity
There are several not-for-profit organizations that accept used toner cartridges. These charities collect used toner cartridges and use them to generate funds to help communities and those in need. Sending empty cartridges to a charity is great if offices have collected old cartridges and are unsure about how to recycle them. These organizations exchange cash for empty toners or by donating money to a charity after they’ve accepted the cartridges. Other organizations will work with large companies to maintain a system for donating to a local charity. They also accept other recyclable items such as cell phones.
Refill Kits
Most toner cartridges can be refilled and used again. Retailers sell refill kits that contain ink and a dropper so that consumers can refill their own cartridges. This recycling method tends to be cheaper, but it is often more trouble than it is worth. Depending on the cartridge and the manufacturer, successfully refilling ink may not be possible without a huge waste. Whether or not consumers should recycle toner cartridges this way is debatable. Ink cartridges may only be useful one to two more times anyway before they begin to wear out or get too ink-clogged, needing to be replaced for reasons other than low ink levels.
Sell Empty Cartridges
Similar to donating empty toner cartridges to charity, consumers can sell their old cartridges to companies who refurbish them before selling them again. Some retail stores will also take empty cartridges in exchange for store credit, while other organizations may pay cash. These companies and organizations are easy to find, though consumers are cautioned to find out all they can about a company before selling empty cartridges. The price for empty toner cartridges depends on many factors, such as the company’s preferences, the condition of ink cartridges and whether they’ve been recycled before.
When it comes time to recycle toner cartridges consumers have several directions they can take. Staying green while printing doesn’t need to be a challenge with these options. But these are only a few possibilities for a second life after a toner cartridge has printed it’s last drop of ink.
LEED Certification
I’ve been in the business of private contracting, and although I’ve worked on several dozen Long Island Homes, I still have no idea what it means to be LEED certified. So, I did a little research on my own.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED in the year 2000 and since then, 9 billion square feet of building space has been certified, a number that continues to increase every day. Certified buildings aren’t just environmentally responsible, they also retain a higher value than buildings that do not have the certification. LEED rating systems and guidelines are updated periodically as technological advances make greener living possible.
Learning about green building is possible with the help of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The GBCI provides all the information you need about LEED Professional Credentials and administers all the examinations necessary to become certified.
The first step in getting your LEED professional credentials is to download the candidate handbook. This handbook will help you determine which credentials you would like to get and help you determine whether you meet the requirements necessary to be eligible for certification. The completion of the USGBC’s LEED 201 workshop or previous experience in LEED building can satisfy the requirements necessary to take the professional credential exam.
There are fees associated with getting your credentials. The workshop, study guides and examinations all have a cost associated with them. Once you have earned your credentials you are required to take advantage of continued education to maintain your credentials as a LEED professional. The costs associated with receiving your credentials are an investment in your career in LEED building projects. Having these credentials can give you an advantage over other professionals in your field, as more and more people are interested in building and renovating buildings in accordance with the LEED guidelines.
There are many different ratings for LEED buildings. The important first step in any environmentally friendly building project is determining which rating you would like to achieve and understanding what requirements need to be met in order to earn that certification. Classifications include LEED certification for New Construction, Schools, Commercial Interiors, Existing Buildings, Neighborhood Development Core and Shell and Italia New Construction.
Many members of the project’s team are responsible for the outcome of the finished product. The process of getting a building certified includes bringing the contractor, architect, engineer, landscape architect and property manager together at the beginning and throughout the process to ensure that the building is as sustainable as possible. These important team members work together to come up with strategies for sustainable building.
Getting a building project LEED certified is a multi-step process that begins with the registration of the building. Once the building is registered an application must be prepared. Once the application is submitted a review will take place. The results of the review will determine whether the building gets LEED certification or not.
The cost of becoming LEED certified varies based on what type of building it is and how many total square feet are being certified. There are separate fees for registration, pre-certification reviews, standard reviews, split reviews and appeals. These fees are reduced if the person applying is a member of the USGBC.
The USGBC provides all LEED certification guidelines and tips available for download online. In order to access these guidelines the project must first be registered. This program also helps all members of a building team to stay connected throughout the build and to make sure the project is on track for achieving certification.
Whether you choose to become a LEED professional or certify a building project, becoming knowledgeable about the LEED guidelines will help you reduce your carbon footprint and invest in the future of our planet.
Have Fun Recycling
Much of the world’s population is trying to go green these days, and recycling is a large part of that process. There are ways to make it easy so that you can do it effectively without spending a lot of time on it. All it takes are a few simple things and possibly checking on a green blog for even more tips.
First of all, to keep yourself sane on trash pickup day, have your items for recycling in containers that are marked clearly. Call your recycling company and ask which items must be separated. Most companies use machines to do lots of the sorting there so you’ll only have to separate glass and/or paper items. Some items, like cardboard, have special requirements. Asking ahead of time is always best.
Get containers that are roomy enough to handle recycling for the whole week. To make it even easier, choose containers matching the recycled items. For instance, leftover paper grocery bags can hold paper recycling and extra plastic bags can hold plastic bottles. You may want to find out if your recycling company accepts plastic bags. As for things like appliances or electronics, you’ll need to call your local city hall to see how they can be recycled.
Containers need to be easily accessible. You can put them next to the trash cans in high traffic rooms such as your bathroom and kitchen. It’s not necessary to place them all over the house. Just make it easy to find them because that makes them more likely to be used.
Make recycling a game. For instance, see how long you can avoid emptying the trash by separating your recyclable items into the other containers. Get someone else in the house to compete in different types of recycling with you. Maybe you can collect more cardboard than someone else’s collected bottles. Competing just keeps things more fun and exciting.
Home recycling puts you on the path to living a greener lifestyle. Your negative impact on the earth and environment will be lessened and you’ll be reminded daily that you’re doing your part to make these things healthier. It’s not that hard to just throw things in different containers instead of putting it all in one trash bin. When you recycle, you’re helping to reduce energy every day, and that’s definitely a step to be very proud of.
Does Home Recycling Matter?
Now, more than ever, global warming is an issue that confronts everyone in the world. While each of us can pretend that it isn’t actually happening, or assume that it’s not going to happen in our lifetimes, it would be good if we try to solve the problem now. That way, the generations who will come after us will not be affected by this phenomenon.
One way we can reduce the effects of global warming is by recycling the things that we use. This method of reusing items that we no longer have a use for has been practiced by civilizations over the centuries. But with the population boom, the trash that people produce everyday has increased by leaps and bounds. To minimize our garbage output, here are some ways by which we can recycle the things that we use at home and at work:
- One common way of recycling is called composting. In households, it can be done simply by mixing biodegradable materials such as vegetables and leftover food into the soil. The bacteria found on the soil then consume those materials. Other more efficient methods can be done at home and in industrial composting, but the one mentioned is by far the simplest.
- With the lightning-speed of development in technology, a new gadget can grow out of style in a matter of months. Because of this, a portion of them find their way in garbage bins. But it shouldn’t be the case. Gadgets, especially unserviceable ones, can be brought to electronic waste recycling plants where some of their components may be reused and the rest discarded safely.
- Discarded ink cartridges, meanwhile, can also be recycled. What is done in this case is that the old cartridges are sent to their manufacturers where they are refilled and re-sold. No waste is produced in this manner.
Recycling in the home simply takes a small amount of planning. If you have a space dedicated to recycling you will find it easy to do your part.
Article provided by Amit, webmaster of Forklift training and Forklift free certification.
Treatment and Disposal of Waste
Treatment and disposal of waste is governed strictly in the UK, on and offshore, as well as in most other countries. A license is required for any facility involved in the transferring and treatment of waste. In addition, all people who work at these facilities must be trained properly to handle the, often dangerous, waste.
It is vital that waste management facilities are able to provide quick response in emergency situations. As there is usually little to no warning prior to these emergencies, it is important to have highly trained emergency response teams on standby 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
As each emergency is unique, response teams have to work fast to identify the situation as well as what equipment they need to handle it. These emergencies can range from chemical spills to oil spills or any type of waste issue. Some waste management emergencies need absorbents to mop up any waste. Other times a dispersant is needed to clean up.
Domestic and industrial sources can cause the need for waste management disposal and waste compactors. The major difference between the two is that industrial waste needs solutions on a much larger scale than domestic waste. In addition, industrial waste has a higher likelihood of being a lot more dangerous.
The oil industry has highly specialized requirements for disposal of waste and more intensely trained experts. Oil contaminated water or soil needs specialized treatment due to an accident. The oil drilling process can sometimes result in drilling mud. This also requires proper and safe clean up.
The environment also must be considered before decisions are reached about how to proceed. Such things as storage tanks and special transportation tanks are used. Drivers of special tanker trucks must have a carrier’s license to transport liquid waste.
Waste management facilities handle the treatment and disposal of hazardous material. Non-hazardous waste is collected and handled by local authorities. Commercial and industrial waste that’s non-hazardous is typically handled by the company producing it.
Waste management treatment and disposal is a specialized skill that carries considerable risks. For this reason, regulations and rules applying to using it are very strict. It’s also the reason why the people who do it must be experts.
Economical Energy Efficiency Obtained through Utility Demand Side Management
Even though companies have many reasons for not maintaining an energy efficient utility system, the biggest one seems to be built around money. They simply don’t have a budget that can handle the maintenance nor do they have the money to make the needed changes.
In some cases, the money may actually be available to change things but then there isn’t enough money to implement the changes. However, once company heads find out the significant amount of money that can be saved through implementing these changes, they start to feel pressured to make them.
For companies desiring to make energy efficient changes but unable to afford the upfront payment, the answer may be to implement the changes through Utility Demand Side Management programs. These programs are the result of energy providers joining with energy efficiency providers.
Together, they encourage companies to make energy efficient changes. The program motivates companies by offering very nice financing options that will drastically decrease the initial money upfront to implement these energy efficient changes. Utility Demand Side Management programs present their providers with financial incentives for getting more companies to use these energy efficient power systems. Right now there are 20 states with laws requiring a certain amount of power usage to come through energy efficient technology.
Companies are given options to make their buildings more energy efficient. However, most companies feel their priority is to retrofit their current inside lighting system. So an energy efficiency consultant conducts a technical and financial study of the lighting system and then offers a plan to retrofit the lighting that will still be energy efficient. They can also do the same analysis with the outside lighting so that more solutions can be offered.
Another way to help implement these energy efficient plans is through peak load management programs. These were developed as a way to keep a good balance of the supply of electricity with the demand for it while decreasing the strain put on the grid. This will also work to cap the use of more costly and least efficient operations. As long as companies cooperate, it can work to the good of everyone when they understand the importance of being more energy efficient.
Recycle Your Household Waste
Do not get trapped by the mentality that one person cannot make a difference. One person can make a huge difference, just by changing one thing in their lives and if you recycle your waste it is a huge step towards helping our planet.
A whopping 36% of waste in landfill is paper produce that could have been recycled. The first step to cutting down on this waste is to reuse what you can. Reusing materials is the most energy efficient way of saving resources. Using toilet rolls for craft sessions with the kids for example or refilling washing up liquid bottles instead of buying new ones.
Some companies are now introducing concentrate packs of you to refill your bottle and dilute at home which reduces the packaging and the transportation needed to deliver the product as less is required.
For everything else, you can recycle your waste. There are many items in your household waste that are recyclable that you may not be aware of. Newspapers, magazines, card, aluminium and glass are some of the examples of recyclable goods your local council will collect from you on a regular basis. You can even recycle plastic in some areas so check with your local governing body what they accept.
Find out where your local recycling plant is to recycle your waste like cycles, televisions, and other electronic items. Providing the item is still in working order or salvageable you can “Freecycle” it. “Freecycle” is an increasingly popular concept online where you can give away items that are no longer of any use to you and pick up items you need. You do not need to make a trade but you do need to be responsible. You will receive numerous bids on the item to decide who to give it to.