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Recycling’s Iconic Arrows: Time for a Green Reevaluation

recycling rules

Is the universal symbol of recycling still relevant

When we see the famous Möbius strip, the universal symbol of recycling, it generally means that the material is recyclable. But can we really trust it?

One of our readers wonders why manufacturers of objects and packaging are not required to always indicate whether it is recyclable or not, with the well-known acronym of the three arrows with the number at the top interior corresponding to the type of material.

Not 100%, according to waste management experts. The problem is that its use is not obligatory, standardized or verified. Usually there are no errors. But I wouldn’t put my hand in the fire for all the containers I see on the shelves.

However, these acronyms are essentially designed to inform citizens, since they are not or no longer used in sorting centers, to our knowledge. This is also what the vice-president of public affairs and government relations for EPA Nevada, says.

The relevance of these logos should be reassessed. If we judge that it really serves the industry and increases recycling, it should be regulated. If an industry identifies its plastic as number 5 and it’s actually a 6, it should be penalized. Such supervision would require a lot of management, resources and inspectors.

Furthermore, even if a material is theoretically recyclable, this does not mean that the facilities exist in your region to truly recycle it. Therefore, consumers should instead rely on the instructions from their municipality on what is accepted or not in the recycling bin.

Changes on the waste management horizon

The environment minister of the state of Nevada signaled last summer his intention to clarify the labeling of recyclable and compostable plastic materials. Following public consultations, a framework document for proposed regulations was recently published by Environment and Climate Change. It is open for public consultation until May 18.

Single-use packaging and plastics would be required to bear an acronym determined according to certain criteria, such as being accepted in the collection system of at least 80% of the population of a state and having a rate revaluation of at least 80% in North American revalorization companies. The labels would be simplified. Instead of seeing numbers and codes accompanying the three arrows, we would see the words “recyclable” or “non-recyclable”, in addition to a checkmark or an recyclability of the item.

These rules would gradually become mandatory by 2030. The document does not specify what control measures would be taken to enforce them. While waiting for such changes, junk disposal experts suggest asking yourself a few simple questions to decide what to put in your green or blue bin. Is it a container, a print or a packaging? Is it plastic, cardboard, metal or glass? If the answer to these two questions is yes, it goes to the dumpster. Otherwise, it is better to abstain.

How dumpster rental services can help with these waste management issues

Dumpster rental services in Nevada play a pivotal role in addressing waste management issues, offering a convenient and efficient solution for the responsible disposal of various types of waste. Waste management is a growing concern in Reno and other cities in Nevada, with increasing urbanization and industrialization leading to higher levels of waste generation. Here’s how dumpster rental services can assist in mitigating these challenges:

  • Convenience: Dumpster rental services make waste disposal incredibly convenient. They offer a range of dumpster sizes to suit different needs, from small residential cleanouts to large-scale construction projects. This means that individuals, businesses, and construction sites can easily access a suitable container to manage their waste.
  • Efficiency: Renting a dumpster provides a streamlined approach to waste disposal. Instead of making multiple trips to a landfill or a transfer station, you can simply load the waste into the rented dumpster, saving time and resources. This is especially beneficial for large projects, where efficient waste removal is crucial.
  • Environmental Responsibility: Dumpster rental services are often well-versed in local waste disposal regulations and guidelines. They can advise customers on how to properly dispose of waste, ensuring that hazardous materials are managed in compliance with environmental laws. This helps prevent environmental pollution and safeguards public health.
  • Cost-Effective: Renting a dumpster can be more cost-effective than alternative disposal methods. The fees typically cover the rental period, hauling, and disposal, eliminating the need for additional expenses associated with transportation and disposal. It can also reduce the risk of fines resulting from improper disposal.
  • Safety: Dumpster rental services prioritize safety. They provide customers with guidelines on safe loading practices and often offer additional safety equipment, such as warning lights and reflective markers for nighttime operations. This ensures that waste is handled and disposed of in a way that minimizes risks to workers and the public.
  • Waste Sorting and Recycling: Many dumpster rental services offer options for sorting and recycling waste. This contributes to sustainability by diverting recyclable materials from landfills. It also helps conserve natural resources and reduce the carbon footprint associated with waste disposal.
  • Community Cleanliness: Dumpster rental services help maintain clean and aesthetically pleasing communities. By providing accessible and well-maintained dumpsters, they prevent illegal dumping and littering, ensuring that neighborhoods remain tidy and attractive.
  • Customization: Dumpster rental services offer a variety of dumpster sizes, allowing customers to choose the one that best suits their needs. This customization is particularly useful for projects with varying waste volumes, as customers can easily switch out dumpsters as needed.

Reno dumpster rental services are a valuable resource for addressing waste management issues in Nevada. They offer a convenient, efficient, and cost-effective solution that contributes to environmental responsibility, safety, and community cleanliness. Whether you’re tackling a home renovation, construction project, or simply need to dispose of a large amount of waste, renting a dumpster can be a smart choice to effectively manage waste while minimizing its impact on the environment.

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The Best Dumpster Rentals


Recycling is so easy that you are left with no good reasons not to recycle. In Denver, recycling is even mandated by law. There are so many options responsible waste management. Recycling is on the forefront of these methods largely because it is so easy. You want to make your life easy to.

There is a balance between helping yourself in the short-run, meaning that you do not want to make your life needlessly burdensome, and between helping yourself in the long-run, meaning that you want to help the environment because you are going to be living in it. By hiring a dumpster service that is committed to responsible waste management, you can combine the two together. You can make your life easy, because renting a dumpster is so simple.

It is relatively cheap. But it is also good to do so because most good companies that offer a roll off dumpster service will recycle for you. It makes your life so much easier than the other options. Recycling is the perfect combination of easy and effective. A lot of these environmental practices only work when they are applied on the large scale.

You have to have a lot of people participating in the same practice in order to see results. And because of this, recycling through a dumpster rental service can be so effective. The reason why it is effective is because it is easy to carry out. I am especially encouraged when I see local governments mandate it because there is no reason not to.

One time, when I worked at the Dumpster Rental Service, I was approached by a man who was curious about “what” he was allowed to dump. I understood his concern, sometimes general contractors and people I deal with who are doing demolition work on old buildings or are working in hazardous areas are dealing with materials that need to be disposed of in a safe and proper way.

I told him that we could most likely help him out and I asked a couple qualifying questions about the kind of material he was dealing with. He looked perplexed. I felt awkward and a little confused myself. I said, “I’m sorry sir, let’s start over…what can I help you with?”.

His response was something I could never have anticipated and I laugh when I think about it even to this day. He said that he had two elephants, two bears, two ostriches, two buffalos, two dogs, two cats etc. I looked at him and laughed out loud, he stared back at me with a deadly serious look, what seemed like an eternity passes and he finally smiles from ear to ear and a colossal belly laugh erupts from his belly.

At that moment, my boss came out of his office and made eye contact with my customer and jovially came over and gave him a big hug. It turns out that this customer is an old friend of the boss’, they hammed it up for a bit and my boss said goodbye to his old friend and left.

The boss’ friend then came back up to the counter and looked at me with that same, serious stare again and told me he needed a roll off dumpster, only this time it was for a big blue whale. We laughed together and then actually had a serious transaction, what a character!

Because recycling is such a great and easy method of waste management, pitching things have become the enemy. Now, I am about to launch into an argument about why that is a misguided attitude, but I should start by saying that, ultimately, throwing things away should be eschewed.

If it were possible to never use a dumpster rental, that would be great. But it is not possible, and this is my point. Because we have to throw away some stuff, dumpster rental services are great ways to ameliorate a necessary evil. But because you throw things away in a dumpster and you are trying not to throw things away with recycling, a lot of people do not associate recycling with a dumpster service. But they have a lot in common.

Think of a dumpster as a giant recycling bin. They other way that a dumpster can be a great way of addressing different environmental concerns is that they save gas. You do not need to drive back and forth to the dumpster. When I was working as a repair man in Indiana, I had a boss that would have me drive a pick up truck loaded full of garbage to and from the dump.

It was ridiculous. I kept thinking about all of the gasoline that we were wasting. It was a terrible use of our resources. It would have been much more efficient if we had rented a dumpster. That would have made our entire process much easier and efficient.

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Waco recycling centers

Waco waste
The Waco local supermarket is, in a way, a preview of the local recycling center. The link between consumption and waste is direct, too often overlooked.

For consumers, waste and the very idea of ​​waste and its fate disappear from their lives as soon as their bins are emptied. They see us at best as a cemetery of the consumer society. However, few of them suspect that the contents of their garbage cans are starting a new life with us. Nothing disappears, everything turns … into solid, liquid, gaseous products, and that necessarily has an impact on our environment and our living conditions.

Our host takes us across the aisles, points to unnecessarily over-packaged products or mixed packaging (cardboard / plastic for example) which make the recyclers’ nightmare. We sometimes feel like humanitarian workers acting in an emergency, the generation of waste is up to the quantity of products offered for consumption, that is to say gigantic, and we are today to the extreme limit of the volume of waste that we can treat.

The recycling center was a relatively effective and sustainable solution even five or six years ago, today it has become a crisis response. In 2005, the generation of household waste was 10,000 tonnes higher than that of 2000, going from 15,000 to 25,000 tonnes for an almost equivalent population…

However, Texas was since 1999 below the national average for the production of household waste expressed in kg per year and per inhabitant (between 50 and 100 kg less per person). Since then, the region has caught up with the nation and at the end of 2005, the average generation was around 400 kg of household waste per inhabitant for the year.

But this figure unfortunately only gives a truncated view of reality since it does not take into account the 20,000 tonnes of waste from the professional world (construction company, light industry and tertiary sector). It is therefore around 45,000 tonnes of waste that is processed on site, which puts the average at… 720 kg per inhabitant and per year. The movement is accelerating, and this increase, in addition to showing a clear increase in consumption, worries site officials who are now hesitating on management solutions for the next ten years.

Visiting a Waco recycling center

At the entrance to the recycling center, a huge open space spanning more than 15 hectares, a sign announces: Here we sell compost, bark and wood chips. These are the only three products processed on the spot from food waste and reclaimed wood, whose regional success is undeniable (production is on average 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes per year): not a garden, a flowerbed, a crossroads or a park that is not equipped with these recycled natural products from there.

The rest of the waste is sorted, packaged and redirected to national collection centers in Waco and Houston. The director proudly announces that his site sells to individuals as well as to companies in the public or private sector a range of more than 200 products which will all be reinjected at various stages of the production system! So many raw materials that will not be directly taken from nature.

The activity brings in almost as much as it costs, which is already a remarkable point for the three municipalities since they manage to finance their waste management at 100%. The annual turnover is 72 million dollars – mainly from the resale of packaged and recycled products as well as annual subscriptions from private companies or households. The operating costs of 68 million dollars allow, among other things, to support around 30 people and also leave a very slight profit of 4 million dollars.

The organization of the recycling center was thought, on the one hand, to limit the circulation of waste and, on the other hand, to limit environmental damage.

The heart of the system are the depots, near which are located the facilities receiving very hazardous waste (chemicals, asbestos, lacquers, oils, etc.). They are stored under strict security procedures and do not move until they are destroyed on site or redirected to specialized treatment centers outside the site.

All other waste is sorted directly by users into large bins, under the watchful eye of staff, who must often provide information on the nature of the waste and advise the appropriate bin. The full skips are sent to the places of treatment of each type of waste according to a transport scheme designed to limit internal journeys.

In addition, the infiltration water loaded with various pollutants (chemical, bacteriological, pesticides) is recovered by a drainage system, before being discharged into collection basins located downstream of the landfills and transported by an aqueduct in a treatment center 20 kilometers away. In principle, this drainage water never comes into contact with the hydrographic basin in which the recycling center is installed.

The Waco landfill

Even if the areas occupied for the packaging of paper, cardboard, plastic, ferrous metal, glass and wood are very limited, the volumes treated are very large (21,000 tonnes in 2015, a little less than half of the total). The rotations are simply very fast and the conditioned waste evacuated fairly quickly after their arrival on site. Much larger areas are devoted to the processing of compost, and above all, to the landfill of unsorted waste. It takes 5 to 6 months to produce good quality compost when food waste is mixed with limestone and wood chips and arranged in large rows of 20 to 30 meters.

The most important part of the recycling center is the landfill which occupies more than half of the surface.

There end its life all the waste that could not be sorted or recovered, that is to say between 16,000 and 17,000 tonnes per year, or 37% of the total volume.

The tractors and bulldozers are in action all day, and must methodically distribute the 50 to 60 tonnes (20 to 25 cubic meters) that the Waco dumpsters and garbage trucks dump each day at the end of the morning after their rounds. These mountains of waste are a good symbol of the problem of overconsumption / waste, insoluble in the long term, according to the engineers, if growth continues at this rate in the years to come.

Landfill management represents a challenge and an expensive solution. The spaces provided fill up much faster than the worst forecasts would suggest. For example, the currently active landfill site is already filled to the level planned for … 2024!

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Waste Treatment in the United States


In the United States, plastic waste ends up in the landfill. Since China stopped importing recyclable waste from the West in early 2018, the United States has struggled to manage an ever-increasing surplus of garbage.

Until the beginning of last year, the United States exported without worrying about its recyclable waste towards China, like many European countries. Then Beijing abruptly changed its policy and stopped importing waste from the rest of the world as part of new pollution control measures. Part of the flows have been diverted to other countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia, but these countries, submerged, in turn begin to reject shipments of plastic waste that they no longer have the capacity to process.

Preference for landfills

This reversal, which has upset the entire global waste industry, has particularly hit the United States, which had become dependent on China for processing plastics and papers. The country, which has no recycling objective at the federal level, also has a historic preference for landfills, the cheapest solution where more than 50% of the approximately 262 million tonnes of household waste are buried each year ( + 60% compared to 1985). According to the environmental protection agency, only a quarter of the waste is recycled there, a third of which was until recently exported to China.

The bottleneck caused by the Beijing decision mainly weighed on coastal states, especially those on the west coast which are particularly dependent on the Chinese market – the city of San Diego exported 80% of its waste before 2018. That’s why there is an increase in CA waste management services due to this change in global recylcing patterns.

Chinese investments

For the past eighteen months, plastic and paper which China no longer wants have ended up in the gigantic landfills with which the country is covered. That of Seneca Meadows, on the edge of the great lakes, saw its volume of waste increase by about 10% last year. We see that recycling has stopped, the pressure has shifted to us, according to the head of the landfill.

The recycling sector has partially adapted, say the manufacturers. New waste treatment infrastructures have opened, some of them financed by Chinese industrialists suddenly deprived of raw materials. Nine Dragons, the largest Chinese paper and board manufacturer, bought two paper factories in the United States last year. And other Chinese recycling specialists have invested in recycling centers in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky.

The edge of the Great Lakes is the dumping ground of New York. Almost a quarter of New York City’s waste is sent to the shore of Lake Ontario in two gigantic landfills, the surface of which has grown steadily. And which local communities no longer want.

The indication applies to all GPS in the world: follow the trucks. On the highway that connects New York City to the Great Lakes region in the north of the state, these monsters, mounted on 18 wheels, parade like wagons on a rail. They all go to the same place: the Finger Lakes region, on the Canadian border. There, on the shores of Lake Ontario, lie the three largest landfills in the state within an 80 km radius of the city of Rochester.

Each year, nearly 4.5 million tonnes of garbage is dumped there, half of all the trash in New York State. And a quarter of those in New York City in the two largest. Rochester is the waste capital according to journalists who has been investigating these landfills for several years.

The largest and oldest of the three sites can easily be seen by a cloud of seagulls spinning in the sky. Sometimes a bird dives behind a hill to catch the remains of a box that has just fallen from a dump truck. They have a dozen hawks trained to hunt them according to the manager of Seneca Meadows Landfill, a disproportionate landfill that collects 6,000 tonnes of waste daily. Between 300 and 400 trucks pass through its doors every day to empty their cargo in a hole large like a football stadium. Sometimes, incongruous objects are invited in the middle of old clothes or boned furniture: a compacted car, a three-piece suit still in plastic, a deer carcass, etc.

These landfills are becoming increasingly large. Waste does not stay in the air for long. Crushed by a bulldozer, they are covered with earth every evening. When the hole is full, it becomes a bucolic hill lined with grass, sheltering garbage over 1.5 km deep, where its organic materials take up to thirty years to disappear.

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Pollution in upstate New York

Niagara Falls
Buffalo is the second largest city in the U.S. state of New York and the largest city in Western New York. As of 2018 the population was 256,304. The city is the county seat of Erie County and a major gateway for commerce and travel across the Canada-United States border, forming part of the bi-national Buffalo Niagara Region. If you are going to visit Niagara Falls, chance are you will go through Buffalo as well. And do not forget to try the famous Buffalo wings, as this is where they from. This being said, not everything is perfect is this pristine environment.

Chemical and pollution control is at the core of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) mission, to protect New York’s natural resources and our environment. The Environmental division is responsible for the assessment and remediation of the City’s brownfields, providing support staff to the Buffalo Environmental Management Commission, and advising City departments on environmental issues and affairs.

The Buffalo Niagara region is facing major environmental problems with sprawl, air pollution, poor water quality, and numerous brownfields. But with its abundant water, wind, and solar resources, Buffalo Niagara also has the potential to be a major hub for clean, green energy. Taste and odor is one component of drinking water’s aesthetic quality. The Water Authority in recent years has been experiencing some of the worst episodes of summer taste and odor in its 90-year history. Although water sometimes has a taste and odor, it is 100% safe to drink.

The Buffalo Water informational web site was created to help visitors learn more about one of our most important public assets, clean and affordable water that meets or exceeds all water quality standards and to help guide you through the routine business transactions for your water account. Less than 10 years ago the Buffalo region’s nitrogen dioxide levels were on par with larger cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York and Denver. Not any more!

Are you building a new residential home or commercial office space in or around Bullafo? Do you need help with an electrical repair job? Having a high quality electrician as a member of your construction team is a must. Pursuant to the umbrella of International Codes with New York State modifications and applicable chapters of the City Charter, the Department of Permit & Inspection Services (DPIS) issues violations against conditions on properties that have been verified to violate the Uniform Act.

In order to preserve the environment in upstate New York, the government recommends using recycling procedures and managing waste materials according to regulations. If you are moving to the area or if you have been a local resident for a while, know that roll-off dumpster containers are available for hire. These Buffalo dumpster rental service companies will deliver the dumpster to your doorsteps, it will then stay there until you are done filling it with all your junk.

Then call back the junk removal company and they will haul away the container to the recycling centers and landfills. This is the most convenient way to discard a large quantity of garbage or debris, all the people have to do is make a few phone calls and fill the dumpster. This way the environment in and around Buffalo has a higher chance of remaining pure and pristine.

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Columbia Junk Removal Services

landfill in South Carolina
The South Carolina Solid Waste Policy Management Act of 1991 was enacted to help protect public health and the environment from the millions of tons of solid waste generated in South Carolina each year. A statewide solid waste management program has been implemented to provide for a solid waste reduction and recycling program.

Columbia is the largest city and the capital to the wonderful state of South Carolina. The largest city in the state attracts a dense population of people settling in the beautiful downtown area. The city has an incredible healthcare system servicing Richland County. Columbia, SC (Lexington) A&D Environmental Services South Carolina regional service center is located in Lexington, SC. Situated just west of Lexington, this location serves as the Midlands home base for the industrial service, hazardous waste transportation and disposal service vehicles, personnel, and equipment.

The Solid Waste and Recycling Division provides collection and disposal within the corporate city limits for garbage, recycling and yard waste. The division also provides services for special events such as St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in Five Points, the Greek Festival, Famously Hot New Year and neighborhood clean-ups.

Capital Waste Services is a Columbia based waste services company that provides Residential, Commercial and Industrial waste collection, disposal and recycling services in the Midlands of South Carolina. Curbside roll cart collection is provided to residential and small commercial locations in the city. The City of Columbia ordinance requires that roll carts be removed from the curb no later than 7:30 p.m. on the day of collection.

Finding the right residential waste and recycling solutions provider is an important decision if you are a resident of South Carolina or elsewhere. A good junk removal service company should reward that decision by providing a wide range of exceptional services and products in the waste management and recycling arena. At Capital Waste Services, they are passionate about their customers. They have a singular focus on providing superior and dependable waste pickup and disposal at a competitive price. They are based in Columbia, SC and employ almost 100 people.

Advanced Disposal offers a variety of waste and recycling services for residential and commercial customers in the city of Columbia, South Carolina. With services that range from garbage collection to special waste disposal, they are here to help you with all of your waste needs. So if you need Columbia dumpster rentals or recycling services, you found a great waste management company.

Waste Management is one of the leading providers of waste and environmental services in North America. The company tailors its services to meet the needs of each customer group and to ensure consistent service at the local level. They own and operate a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control permitted Solid Waste Processing Facility. In accordance with their permit, they can mix and solidify compatible waste streams, using a combination of polymers and absorbents, and then dispose of the processed waste at a secure, lined landfill. They are a full-service environmental, health and safety (EHS) management firm based in Columbia, South Carolina. By delivering high quality, cost-effective EHS solutions, they strive to establish and sustain a close strategic alliance with each customer.

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Roll-off Used in Demolition techniques

One of the common usages of dumpster rental services is related to demolition projects. This could be the type of work that generate the largest quantity of debris. If you bought a property with a old house and you want to build a three-storey appartment complex on the land, then you will have to destroy this house first.

Such endeavor will produce and massive amount of junk and debris, and one large 40 yard dumpster may not be enough to contain these waste materials. Talking to a dumpter rental company that is used to sych large scale construction work and which has a large fleet of roll-offs in the right move.

For demolition, it is possible to choose between manual techniques (derasement or undermining) or mechanical (shovel, scorer or clamp) and other more complex methods (cutting, explosive, expansion). In this post we can help you compare demolition techniques to your situation.

The dasement is a demolition from top to bottom. When should you be using the method of derasement? What are the tools required for the derasement? And for such rough demolition, are there any labor code regulations?

Dasement: a manual method of demolition

Some demolitions can be done only by the manual method, whether by undermining or derasement.

The so-called demolition demolition method consists of cutting down the highest parts of a building first. This is the ideal method if:

  • we want to reduce the height of a building without touching its foundations,
  • for a partial restoration,
  • to reduce the height,
  • we want to demolish a building surrounded by homes to protect them from rubble and falling rocks.

Workers working on the demolition of a building by method of derasement need to:

  • install a scaffolding: it will be descended as and when the derasement,
  • use the metric mode: they advance to the linear meter of wall to demolish.

When using the method of derasement, the derasement is often used during the following services:

  • recommendations for overall management and restoration of the functioning of watercourses,
  • restoration of road shoulders,
  • restoration of a church steeple,
  • demolition of enclosures and walls,
  • demolition of a tower.

Tools required for the derasement

Different tools can be used during the demolition:

  • pneumatic masses,
  • pneumatic hammers,
  • mini BRH (hydraulic rock breaker),
  • concrete crusher,
  • scrap clip,
  • concrete clamp,
  • multiple-purpose demolition pliers,
  • scaffolding.

Rough demolition: labor code regulations

According to some articles in the Labor Code, the installation of a working floor is mandatory for demolition work done at a height of more than 6 meters above the ground.

It’s forbidden to allow employees to climb on stubby walls less than 35 centimeters thick, likewise for the self-employed and employers mentioned in articles of the federal law.