Conservation

As our discussion of Recycling continues, again we would be remiss for leaving out a concurrent discussion on Conservation and Preservation.

These two terms are often interchanged and mistaken for being the same thing. They are different, however, while having many of the same goals and philosophies. Here we will focus on Conservation, while part 2 of this article will be dedicated to Preservation.

Conservation is considered a "hands-on" approach to the use of natural resources (such as trees, oil, etc.) to prevent them from being lost or wasted. Conservationists, people who advocate for, or work to protect, animals, plants, and natural resources, or to prevent the loss or waste of natural resources. They accept that change and progression are necessary for a better future, but only when the changes take place in ways that are not wasteful.

Running Out Of Space For Landfills?

Americans' use of landfills peaked in the 1980s when we threw nearly 150 million tons of trash each year into landfills. Even today, we throw away more than 100 million tons of garbage yearly. That translates into landfill space possibly being scarce.

In the United States recycling efforts have the ability to divert more than 60 million tons of waste away from landfills yearly, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That amounts to about 32 percent of all of our garbage. As for the remaining trash, where will we continue to put it?

There is a debate between experts as to whether or not we are running out of usable landfill space. Some pay that with the increased number of closed landfills and the increased recycling efforts, we will continue to have ample space for new landfills. Others claim that with the increased population and commercial and residential growth, that we will end up in a space crunch before long.

Waste To Energy...Turning Landfills To Goldmines

With the habits of modern lifestyles causing an increased worldwide waste problem, finding innovative ways to deal with the excessive waste can be a challenge.

Local landfill capacities are being met or exceeded and many first world nations are beginning to export their refuse to third world countries. This practice is having a devastating impact on ecosystems and cultures throughout the world.

Our Customer Support Rules .....and Suggestions for the Ultimate Customer Service Experience

On a day like any other day in Customer Support, a co-worker took a call from a potential customer who eventually signed up for new residential trash service with Borden Waste-Away. She ultimately called three times that day; once to ask questions and inquire about service options, once to tell us of her decision to sign up for service, and a final time to ask a couple forgotten questions about the service she had chosen. 

During the third conversation with one of our Customer Support Representatives (CSR), she asked, “Do you know why I went with your service”? The CSR paused for a moment and she plainly stated...”Because I made 9 phone calls to different companies today and you are the only one who answered the phone. I called you 3 times, and every time someone answered the phone”. Our CSR went on to explain that, as long as it is during our business hours, you will always reach a live person.

Wind as a Renewable Energy Source

Renewable energy resources are generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as wind, sunlight, geothermal heat, and water in the form of rain, and tides, waves.
 
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to produce electrical power, windmills for mechanical power. Wind has been recognized as a source of energy, in some capacity, for several hundred years. People used wind as the sole power source for boats, to pump water, or grind grain.

Glass Recycling Made Clear

Glass waste is recycled into new products every day. Such products as kitchen and bathroom countertops are made from used glass that has been put through a specific recycling process. 

Color and chemical composition are some ways different glass jars and bottles must be sorted before the recycling process can begin. Since glass retains its color after recycling, many recycling centers insist that different colors of glass be separated before the recycling process; the most common colors being clear, green, and brown (amber).

Electronics and E-Waste Recycling

Electronic waste, or more well-known as e-waste, is a popular and fairly informal name for electronic
products that are near the end of their useful life. Every day non-working or unwanted electronics end up in the landfill. The detriment to our environment with respect to the air, soil, and drinking water was not known or understood until more recently.  The definition of Electronic Waste was not specifically understood either.

Generally, the agreed-upon definition of e-waste is usually more of a theory and a list of examples rather than a hard and fast specific definition.