Recycle 2 Save

If you are in the area and have happened to drive by our Hamburg, PA location I am sure that you have noticed our mountain of "glass". It's not just normal glass, it has been processed and is ready for use. We take great pride in using every possible item to its fullest recycling potential. An unfortunate side effect of transporting recyclables is broken glass (of mixed colors a.k.a. mixed cullet). Most producers who are in search of recycled glass need it to be segregated by color and cannot use mixed broken pieces. Since there was no "real" recycling options we have a large piece of equipment that acts like a giant stone tumbler. This equipment helps to remove plastic and other contaminants while getting it to a uniform size and tumbling it to remove sharp edges. While this material has obvious limitations (you won't be building your home with it) it also has a lot of areas that it excels at. The  material tested and approved (and in use) as a filteri...

I  can't think of a more fitting way to motivate others to recycle than to highlight (with just a few pictures) the stunning beauty all around us. Sometimes (heck, most times) we forget to take it in; just like the most special people in our lives we sometimes take for granted. This is really worth saving, my children adore the outdoors and all that it entails we need to keep it beautiful for them (and all of your future generations). 

The recycling markets have been in the spotlight lately for being in a tough spot and that's good because they are. Fuel & oil prices as well as the state of foreign markets play a large role in the current state of recycling and material recovery facilities but the single largest obstacle that MRF's battle every day is contamination. The best part about this is that unlike fuel prices and foreign markets the people recycling have a direct hand in this and can change it. I think for the most part, we are all pretty bright people who have come to understand that recycling is important for the future of our planet yet the results are still so ugly, why?? Recycling is confusing! It's not so much that the process itself is all that complex but there are just so many variables. 1. The numbers on the bottom of the bottles aren't always a true indicator of what the bottle is made of (at least completely). There is no real "ruling body" that sets regula...

No Plastic Grocery Bags... Please. You know how your vacuum cleaner feels about the random shoelace or blouse string you may encounter? That about sums up how our single stream equipment feels about plastic grocery bags. PLEASE recycle your grocery bags! Please DO NOT place them in your standard recycling bin. While out shopping let your used bags ride along and drop them in the retailers bin (typically as you enter the store). Don't know where to find a collection center for bags?? Visit www.abagslife.com

If you pay attention to the news I am sure that you have heard about the concerns associated with the current recycling markets. Company officials and representatives from a number of the large, nationally owned, waste management corporations have gone on the record stating that times are tough and profits are thin. If you are like me you may not have heard many of these interviews (they just don't play that type of news on Disney channel). I have a vested interest (as we all do) in the state of recycling markets so in this case I've actually made it a point to pay attention. There are lots of discussions of how the recycling markets got into the troubling state that they are presently in and although there is no single reason there is one huge contributor. I've always hated the "I told you so" types so I'm going to tread lightly... okay, I may still sort of allude to "I told you so". If you scroll back in our historical posts you'll find us sh...

 I am by no means the shining light of positivity. I would LOVE to be known for that characteristic but that isn't my reality. In fact, I've needed to defend by comments many times by explaining that "I'm not pessimistic, I'm really just realistic". That being said, I have recently found myself feeling so frustrated by comments that I have heard or overheard people make recently.  When there is positive, happy news about responsible environmental choices made by companies or citizens (that created a real impact in our environment) instead of people rejoicing and providing their well wishes they do the opposite, they criticise. Whether pointing out the areas that could benefit from additional changes, why the results aren't as great as written, how they would do things different, or why the company as a whole is awful; none of it is productive. We need to understand that things will not always be perfect and that additional steps might need to be m...

We love Earth Day.   It reminds those who care but sometimes forget that they need to keep our environment and planet healthy and safe for the generations that will follow in our footsteps (those who currently don't have the power or voice to protect it themselves).  It motivates those who care but sometimes get caught up in their own lives and forget the true impact their personal decisions have on everyones future.  It celebrates the careful selections that each person makes when they focus on what their choices mean to others and our Earth.  It teaches children that of all the "stuff" that they possess some are absolutely irreplaceable.  We have only one planet for all our futures.