So you’re starting a renovation or demolition project. You (or the crew you hire) are going to be generating a huge amount of waste, and even a dozen waste bins will get filled up quickly. Having a roll-off container parked outside is the best, most efficient way to collect it all. Before finalizing arrangements for...Continue Reading
Big Business and Food Waste Earlier this year, the Center for Biological Diversity analyzed the food waste practices of 10 major grocery store chains. The report’s authors gave each store a letter grade based on its accountability, prevention and recovery/recycling efforts around food waste. Only one chain, Walmart, was awarded a B. The other nine...Continue Reading
Have you visited a preschool classroom lately? They’re filled with little scientists running experiments. Give a preschooler a few magnets and he’ll probably try to stick them to wooden blocks, books, stuffed animals or his own body – with no luck, of course. It doesn’t take long for kids to figure out that magnets only...Continue Reading
The closing of a glass manufacturing plant in Milford probably didn’t much interest the average Massachusetts consumer, but that closure marked the end of an era – and exemplified the way the glass recycling market has changed. Ardagh, which manufactured glass bottles, closed its plant in March. It was the major customer of the Strategic...Continue Reading
Most people have heard the news of China’s 2018 National Sword policy, and how this is negatively impacting recycling markets throughout the world. You may not be aware of how and why this is impacting single stream recycling programs, not only for companies but also for nationwide U.S. municipal programs. Single stream recycling began as...Continue Reading
April 22nd is Earth Day and the focus this year is “End Plastic Pollution.” You can follow the conversation with the hashtags: #EarthDay2018 and #EndPlasticPollution. How much plastic is in our oceans? For a number of years we have been reading articles about the “garbage patch,” a vast area located in the Pacific Ocean with a high concentration...Continue Reading
Ask the average American to define metal and you might hear the words “steel,” “magnetic” and “strong.” But unless you’re talking to someone who works in the recycling or manufacturing industry, you probably won’t hear the words “ferrous” or “non-ferrous.” That’s because many people don’t realize that all metals fall into one of these two...Continue Reading
To the average consumer, plummeting oil prices are a cause for celebration. The cheaper the oil, the less it costs to fill your gas tank and heat your home. But what consumers don’t typically realize is that oil prices directly affect the cost of plastic, the environmental value of recycling, and even local jobs. Because...Continue Reading
Many companies, landlords, realtors, and others periodically encounter the need to efficiently and cost effectively remove obsolete stock, inventory, office furniture and structures, electronics, and more. These materials could be left behind due to a business closure, bankruptcy, relocation, renovation, or in the midst of downsizing. Even insurance claims resulting in water, smoke, or fire damage...Continue Reading
In 2015, the State of Massachusetts generated 5.5 million tons of trash. For many years, the majority of this waste was disposed of in landfills. Whether this is the “preferred” method, from an environmental standpoint, is a topic for discussion – however it is typically the most cost effective. This is about to change. Many...Continue Reading
