Freon and the Environment, part 2

“Also known as, Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, Halons., with other names including: Fluorotrichloromethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Trichlorotrifluoroethane, Bromochlorodifluoromethane, Dibromotetrafluoroethane, Chlorodifluoromethane,” it is commonly referred to as Freon.

As referenced in Freon and the Environment, part 1, Freon is the genericized name for a number of stable, nonflammable gasses or liquids that have been typically used as refrigerants or aerosol propellants in such things as refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, and canned products like hair sprays.

Is the Release of Balloons Considered Littering?

Birthday parties, sporting events, and weddings have one major thing in common. They are all excellent venues to let off an enormous amount of helium-filled balloons.

While beautiful and sometimes impressive, it is also illegal in many states and constitutes littering. Many cities and states have laws banning the release of helium-filled balloons including, “California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Cities that have laws include Ocean City, Maryland; Louisville, Kentucky; Huntsville, Alabama; San Francisco, California; Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Baltimore, Maryland.”

How Safe Are Recycling Centers?

Recycling as many used products, packaging, unwanted junk mail, and office paper as we can is a sensible and responsible thing we can do for our environment. The future of our natural resources relies on our ability to conserve as much as we can for as long as we can.

As much as it is obviously a good thing, recycling can be dangerous for those who are employed at recycling centers.

Discarding Textiles in the Landfill

Textiles, defined as a type of cloth or woven fabric, have been around for several generations. "Anthropologists believe that animal skins and vegetation were adapted into coverings as protection from cold, heat and rain, especially as humans migrated to new climates."

The earliest evidence of weaving comes from impressions of textiles and basketry and nets on little pieces of hard clay, dating from 27,000 years ago and found in Dolni Vestonice in the Czech Republic.

What Job Could Be More Dangerous…..?

According to TIME magazine, Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector ranks #6 on the 2012 Top 10 most Dangerous Jobs list. This is actually an improvement over previous years, where it held as high as the #4 position in the list of Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs.

List25.com ranked Sanitation Workers as the #7 most dangerous in the world and listed it before such jobs as Search & Rescue, Linemen & Power Workers, Firefighters, Police Officers, and Roofers.

Think these rankings can’t possibly be true? Statistically, waste collection ranks high on these lists due to caustic chemicals; inhaling dust, smoke and fumes; broken glass; medical waste; objects falling from an overloaded container; and, most dangerous of all, traffic accidents involving drivers who have left their trucks.

How Do I Dispose Of Unwanted Medication?

It seems that there's a medication for everything nowadays. Allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, depression. The list goes on and on. But what happens if this medication is out of date, unwanted, no longer needed or ? You could do what thousands, if not millions, of people think is best....flush it. 

Disposal of Hazardous Hospital Waste

Medical waste comes in many forms and from many sources. Doctors offices and hospitals are only the beginning. Dental offices, blood banks, and vet clinics also produce medical waste. Medical waste can be liquids, solids, semi-solids, or contained gases. They can be manufacturing process byproducts, sludges or spent materials, or simply discarded products. Whatever their form, proper management is essential to protect human health and the environment.

The Detrimental Effects Of Litter

It may seem, on the surface, that litter helps wildlife rather than being harmful.  Some food litter can help feed animals or give them a place to seek shelter from heat or rain. To the contrary, litter and landfill waste is actually more harmful than beneficial to animals and wildlife.

Pros Of Using A Shredding Service, Part 1

Check stubs, bank statements, account numbers, and actually any documents with personal information such as social security numbers on them.  What do these have in common? Every one of them could be used by identity thieves and should be disposed of by shredding.