The global business economy is going through an adjustment period due to events like the collapse of the real estate market and tightening of credit. The bottom line is that this crisis will eventually affect many and people will be searching for ways to pinch every single cent while creating sustainable income. They will no doubt be looking to ways to reuse products in the home so as to save and not waste money buying new.

Probably the need to budget their spending will drive people to reduce purchasing new products but the lasting benefits will be derived from helping to save the environment. However the troubled business economy has a negative effect on the business of recycling. It seems that saving the earth through recycling, reuse, and reduction works against saving a troubled business economy yet it needs to be done and presents unique challenges never experienced before.

Our business economy is based on a throwaway world and that is likely to change. The problem is not easy however. Our global business economy depends on throwaway products in order to create more throwaway products. But with significant decreases in factory orders, there has already been a drop in demand for materials from recycling centers that are oftentimes used to make these throwaway products. Many recycling centers have such a decrease in demand for materials from recycling centers that piles of recyclables stack up with no place to go. You will even hear of some recycling centers that ask people to save the recyclables in their yards for the day that prices and demand will increase. It is very likely that you will see more reuse and reduction instead of recycling because it is far more cost-effective for both the consumer and recycler.

Landfills are seeing a decrease in the amount of dumping. This is mostly because in a troubled business economy people buy fewer new appliances and other items that are typically gathered by recycling businesses once thrown away. Buying fewer appliances does not do much for boosting the business economy for new orders however it does open more opportunities for those repairing them.

How will the global business economy recover with no market for throwaway products? Industries in the business economy will probably start to lean more toward reducing production, creating ways to reuse products, and then finally encouraging recycling when the products’ useful lives are indeed gone. It is not an easy transition. For starters, many products depend on their style at the particular point in time within the culture. Bicycles are very susceptible to trends in preferences. In other words, it would be very difficult to sell refurbished banana-seat bicycles today.

The ideal situation is to create new jobs to solve these challenges in the recycling industry. The earth cannot sustain the continued filling of its landfills and depletion of natural resources in order to make new products. But by the same token, the business economy depends on production and trade and without the two there will be no new orders and thus no new jobs. Everyone wants to save the earth and have a good income for their family but how to keep the two in balance presents a challenge that requires people for a solution. Governments and green organizations should focus on how to employ the talents of those in the workforce to come up with innovative ways to meet this challenge in the business economy and the recycling industry.

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The problem of managing mountains of waste may seem overwhelming, but experts note there are easy ways for consumers to make a difference every day. 

“Old habits might die hard, like forgetting to recycle a soda can or newspaper, but the good news is, there are many simple ways to cut down on waste, from buying concentrated household products to buying in bulk,” says environmental expert Kim Carlson. 

Carlson offers the following tips to help consumers reduce, recycle and reuse waste:

* Keep it loose. Buy screwdrivers, nails and other hardware items in loose bins. At the grocery store, choose produce that is not in prepackaged containers. 

* Bring your own bag. Reuse bags and containers. Keep a supply of bags on hand for future shopping trips, or take your own canvas tote bag to the grocery store. 

* Consider concentrated detergent. Concentrated products often require less packaging, resulting in less energy to transport to the store and less plastic to recycle. All small & mighty is a new concentrated laundry detergent (one 32-ounce bottle cleans as many loads as the regular 100-ounce bottle). In addition to less packaging, the formula contains 74 percent less water than regular detergent.

* Choose to reuse. Reach for reusable products such as cloth napkins, sponges or dishcloths instead of paper towels. 

* Recharge and renew. Use rechargeable batteries and recycle old batteries to help reduce garbage and keep toxic metals out of the environment. 

* Buy smart. Look for long-lasting, energy-saving appliances with the Energy Star label and electronic equipment with good warranties. 

* Get crafty. Reuse scrap paper and envelopes. Save and reuse ribbons, tissue paper, gift boxes and even wrapping paper. Save cardboard boxes, colored paper, egg cartons and other items for arts and crafts projects. 

* Think thrifty. Donate clothing to charity organizations or sell the items in consignment shops, fairs, bazaars or tag sales. Also, share hand-me-down clothes with family members and neighbors.  - NU

You should have one for glass, plastic, and cardboard. If you drink soda from cans then have one for those aluminum cans as well. Find out where you can take each of these full barrels to be recycled when you need to. There should be centers for them locally around town.

You will often find receptacles out there that allow you to place these items into at collection spots. They are just huge containers that will get emptied out on a regular basis. This is perfect when the community doesn’t have any other method for taking in the items to be recycled.

If your community doesn’t offer them you need to see what you can do to get them in place. You can contact your local officials in person or with a letter asking them to consider offering them. Explain your concerns that without such receptacles in place people won’t be encouraged to recycle in your area.

The concept of recycling can extend to your schools and place of employment as well. Do your best to get this important issue recognized everywhere you can. In many instances people just need to be educated and then reminded about the benefits of recycling for our environment.

Your information can motivate them to take part in it. Don’t overlook the importance of letting children know either. They are often very excited by recycling and find it to be thrilling. They can often help encourage their parents to take part in such efforts as well.

Buying products that have been recycled such as paper products is a great way to show your support for these efforts. You will notice some greeting cards are made from them. Even supplies such as napkins used in fast food restaurants can be made from recycled paper.

It is also very simple to carry around a large mesh bag when you are going to shop for a few items. Rather than getting a paper or plastic bag from them you can place your purchased items into your own bag. Look for one that is durable so it you can reuse it over and over again. 

Reprocessing can turn recycled paper into other paper products numerous times before the paper fibers are too weak to use. White office paper retains much of its value and goes into products such as tissue, paperboard, stationery, magazines, new office paper, and various other paper products. Mixed paper, which includes glossy and colored paper, envelopes, and sticky notes, is less valuable than white paper but also can be recycled into various products. Newsprint and corrugated cardboard can find new lives as the same or similar products. White ledger paper, computer paper, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, paper packaging, envelopes, and other mixed papers can be recycled in most areas.

There is no reason not to use recycled papers. They print as well as virgin papers, work well on laser printers, and can divert millions of pounds of printed waste away from the landfills and back into the mainstream.

Recycled papers save our valuable natural resources, save energy, save our trees, create less toxic bi-products, and help our over-crowded landfills.

Using 100% post-consumer recycled papers and less bleaching agents also means less chlorine and that is the next major issue to creating a healthier atmosphere to live in. Chlorine causes Dioxin which, when mixed with other compounds, causes cancer. What is that cost to our medical bills and to ourselves?

Buy recycled paper and print on both sides. When using paper in the office, print on both sides of the sheet and recycle the paper when you are finished. By recycling one ton of paper, you can save 17 trees, almost 7,000 gallons of water and more than three cubic yards of landfill space.

Let us go into some techniques to recycle!

Make recycling bins readily available; make sure your home and office have a recycling bin that is just for papers! Keep them out in the open and label them properly!

Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges. Almost eight cartridges are thrown out in the United States every second of every day. That’s almost 700,000 cartridges per day.

Look for recycled products for when you buy things Do not take a plastic bag home from the supermarket but take a trolley or a own bag with you.

Recycle your old newspapers!

Reuse your morning coffee cup!

We need to address these issues more actively. Our waters are polluted, our air is contaminated, and our landfills are so clogged that we have to send our waste downstream. Let’s wake up, and do something about the problem, buy recycled paper now, before it’s too late. So do follow some of the recycling techniques that I have suggested to have a better place to live in!

It may sound like a science fiction movie, but the idea is to issue wheeled totes to people that have a computer chip implanted in it that would keep information about the people who own the tote.  In addition to the name, address and phone number information there would also be included a bank account number, linked to RecycleBank that would tally the amount of recyclable-waste that is turned in to a collection truck that would be equipped with a special computer and barcode system.  It will work along the same lines as the self-serve lane at the grocery store and other retail stores.

Once the data of the weight of the recycled material is entered an amount of RecycleBank-Dollars would be deposited into the RecycleBank account.  Residents would then have access to those recycle-dollars to be used at participating retailers.  Some of the companies already working with RecycleBank include Target, Starbucks and Whole Foods Market and their hopes are to have as many local businesses included as well.  Some may find it to be a rewarding experience in being able to donate their RecycleBank Dollars to a local environmental group or organization, rather than spend the money themselves.  What a great idea and a great way for people to be given an opportunity to help an organization whose sole purpose it is to keep our planet alive and well?  What a beautiful way for some of us to be able to make our contribution to the environment times two?  First by recycling and then again by being able to donate the RecycleBank Dollars we tally up.

When you think of it, the opportunitites are nearly endless for single homes to be able to contribute to the positive changes of our environment and if that is the case, imagine the impact a small business could have?  How many thousands of dollars and trees could be saved by the implementation of a program like RecycleBank?

For me, this idea is a much better one than the other option proposed by some companies of “Pay-As-You-Throw” (PAYT) which operates in the opposite direction where you would pay for what you throw away.  I guess the ideas are similar but I sure like the idea of being credited for my good deeds rather than being punished for what I throw away.

How many cities and towns could gain not just monetary benefits from a program set-up like RecycleBank but the benefits of turning us all into recycle-oriented consumers and residents?

I’ve given myself a great gift this year; call it a field trip, if you like, but I took myself to my town’s landfill and had my eyes opened for the first time.  Maybe the concept of someone reaching their 40s and still not being contientious of recycling is one that sounds far-fetched, well, it’s the truth.  I didn’t grow up imagining the Earth covered in over-flowing landfills, piles and piles of garbage as high as the tallest building that was not my experience.  But because the idea of leaving too much waste for the Earth to handle is a bitter reality today, I’ve begun to educate myself.

I guess I’ve always thought of using credit cards as not being real money, that’s the same way I viewed trash.  I know I’ve read about landfills becoming, well, full and how that will cause a problem but until I took myself out to the site itself, I still had this childish idea that once I put something into the trash can, it just went – away.

Seeing, with my own eyes, the area designated for my community’s left overs was like a big slap of reality.  I was finally able to comprehend the thought; “if I’m not the only one throwing things away carelessly, and if others are doing it too, this space will not last too long.”

I was surprised at some of the items I saw at the town’s landfill, too.  There were pieces of furniture that, being someone creative, I could see would make nice trash-to-treasures pieces.  Maybe these refurbished items could be the one piece that brought the feel of a room together, that completed what the room is to feel like and express.  Instead, someone tossed them out and they were taking up (a whole lot) of space in a limited area and would cause stress, not happiness.

I’m fortunate because my children, who are early teens, have been taught about the importance of recycling and the importance of what we need to do to keep the world from being buried in useless trash.  They have been paying attention to the lessons that have come their way, where as, I had to see it for myself before I could be motivated to change the way I do things.

The good news is, it only took one quick trip to the landfill, for me to come to my senses and make changes about the way I do things and about the way I think.  If we are not thinking globally when it comes to waste, and what we’re leaving behind, we’re not being smart.

Grab some kids, or some forty-somethings and take yourself on a field trip that may very well, do for you what it did for me; make the changes necessary for me to see what the reality of our situation is and change the way I do things.

Because food waste, when compiled properly and maintained can create rich soil that can be reused on lawns and gardens, it seems the thought of not having one is the poorer choice.  We have to eat and there is inevitably an excess and waste, that it seems like a no-brainer to put our scraps and law clippings to good use.

To begin your project you will need a compost bin.  Compost bins can be built or purchased.  Before putting out any money for this project, check with your town hall to see if they sponsor a program that will provide residents with the bins.  If your town doesn’t provide bins specifically for composting, you should check with local hardware or home improvement stores.  These bins can also be found online or via gardening center websites or catalogs.

If none of these options pan out, a compost bin can be built with just a few materials and tools.  All that is needed to build your own compost bin would be; some wood, concrete blocks, pallets, wire and maybe even a garbage can with holes poked in the bottom.  The only thing to keep in mind when constructing a compost bin is to remember to incorporate a way for excess moisture to escape and a great way to do that is to be sure there are holes at the bottom of the bin but that they are not so big that little critters can climb into the bin and wreak havoc!  It’s best to keep the drainage holes no more than half an inch in diameter.

Placement of the bin should be somewhere shady, where it can drain properly and where it will be fairly easy to access without being too close to become a “smelly” problem inside your home (or the home of your neighbor)!

The first level of compost should allow for air passages as well as drainage.  A layer of smooth rock placed loosely on the bottom of the bin will work to do the trick.

When you start to add to your compost you should think in layers; start with the bottom layer of coarse materials to further enable the air and drainage passage, and then layer between “brown” waste and “green” waste.  “Brown” waste may consist of, autumn leaves, wood chips, saw dust, pine needles, paper towels, newspaper and coffee filters and “green” waste consists of, food wastes, fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass clippings and weeds.  Another tip is to add a layer of soil on top of each layer of waste because that will help speed up the process.

One last maintainance tip is to always fluff your layers as you go by using a hoe or a compost turning tool.  You’ll also want to be sure to “toss” the entire pile once in the spring and again in the fall, wehre you turn the entire pile upside down with the bottom ending up on the top of the pile.

Enjoy your compost pile and know that with every item added it is one less item for the waste that will be left for future generations to contend with.

Be aware of the items you purchase and how they are packaged.  Some manufacturers use layers of wrapping that will just get tossed into the trash because there isn’t another use for it.  Try not to purchase such items.  Do a little looking, a little digging, a little research and find items that have less packaging and stick to only buying them.  I believe the manufacturers will get the hint when consumers start paying attention to the waste one product makes and opt for its competitor.

A good way to utilize this kind of thinking is to buy in bulk.  Buying in bulk cuts way down on the packaging and more often than not, it is a better buy just by the price.  That’s a win-win, in my book!

If you have to buy something that has an excess of packaging, stretch your mind a little and figure out what you can use that excess for and then put it to good use.

A great way to curb the surplus in a landfill is to reuse things and an easy one to do this with is the plastic bags you get to carry your groceries home in.  Rather than getting the bags home, emptying the contents and putting them away and throw the used bag into the trash, think about the different things you can use that bag for; in my house all of our home-lunches are carried to and from school in reused plastic bags.  We even reuse the bags over and again, until we know that nothing will stay bagged but will fall out.  Just by reusing items like this will cut down greatly on the stuff that is filling up our precious space-craved landfills.

At my grocery store the store has manufactured mesh bags with the company’s logo on it and they sell them for less than a dollar.  These are excellent for reuse because they last a lot longer than the plastic bags do and if you continue to bring these bags to the store rather than the plastic or even the paper bags that is a few more less that will ever leave the store.

Recycling, at its best, is prevention of excess.  Keeping that in mind and taking the steps to incorporate the changes into your life will further enhance the lack of waste and will make it much easier for landfills not to get so over-filled; because over-filled landfills are not a pretty sight and not what we want in our future or in the future of our children, down through the generations.  Prevention of waste takes just a little forethought, and any of us are capable of that.

The contractor learned his trade from one long time mason worker who believed that if you have brick as part of your building project, it could last forever.  He believed that the only structures that were worth a plugged nickel contained the strong and classy component of brick; also adding that more brick is better.

How could you go wrong following that kind of advice?  In the Age of Recycling, as this time in our lives could be described, what would be the sense in sending perfectly good bricks off to a landfill?  If we are going to be efficient at recycling, our best course of action is to prevent waste, right?  Here are some ideas the contractor had when talking about recycling the brick wall, one brick at a time and his suggested materials.

This project may not be one where any kind of further education degree required, but it is a laborous task and keep in mind the fate of your back from bending and picking up throughout this activity.  The only materials needed are, a bucket with water, brick hammers and some muriatic acid for those really stubborn cement-clinging bricks.

This project could really make an impact on the home renovations in keeping with the theme of recycling, if done properly.

The wall needs to be taken down a brick at a time.  The best way to do this and still keep the bricks in tact is to be patient and methodical.  Tapping the bricks away from the mortar may sound easy but it is a sure test of patience when, in the back of your mind, you continue to think about how much more easy the task would be if you were using a large sledge hammer to do the job!

Once you have the bricks removed from the wall, begin to remove the mortar from each individual brick by chipping at it with the tapered end of the hammer.  There will be some instances where the mortar is not going to come off so easily and it is suggested that by placing the brick into a 5 gallon bucket of water, that should almost always make it easier for the mortar to come off the brick.  In cases where the mortar is still clinging onto the brick after a few dips in the water, try soaking the bricks in a solution of water and muriatic acid.  Please remember to pay close attention to the instructions when using muriatic acid and be sure to wear gloves and protective goggles.  After the bricks have soaked in the acid and water mix, all mortar should come off by using a wire brush and cleaning them off.

Reuse the bricks anyway you choose and walk away from the project knowing you’ve done your best to recycle!

There are so many changes you can make in your home to impact the way we recycle and in the end, will help you keep some of the money in your pocket.

Having recycling bins set up so that you can properly sort the items that are recycled is a great first step.  That activity alone can cut down greatly on the items that end up in the landfills rather than where they can be recycled.

Keeping your televisions, DVDs, stereos and computers plugged in to a power strip or surge protector rather than directly into the wall and then turning off the power strip will cut back greatly on power “leaks” that can cost you money on your utility bill.  Being aware to turn these items off, is the first step, and then having them plugged into the power strip will just further the action for saving money and energy.

Don’t leave a light on when you walk out of a room and no one else is in there.  And have you changed your light bulbs from the traditional ones to the compact flourescent kind?  Did you know that the newer lights use 75% less energy to run and they will out live a traditional light bulb by up to 10 years?  Make the changes that need to be made in your home.

Don’t run the dishwasher or the washing machine unless they are full.  It’s a waste of energy and water to run a cycle through the dishwasher when it’s only half full.  Don’t turn it on until you have a full load to wash and then just wash them all at once.

Use microfiber cloths for cleaning all kinds of surfaces like furniture, counters and sinks.  The bonus is that these items can be tossed into the washer and are perfectly able to be reused again and again.  Think of the savings in paper towels alone!  Talk about a win-win; if we use fewer paper towles, then that means fewer trees need to be cut to make them in the first place.  How can we go wrong with thinking like that?

Take shorter showers and see if you can pick up a shower head that is a water-conserving item, already in place, that will save you money and you’ll never even notice the difference during your shower.

There is so much you can do in the efforts to recycle, just be sure you’re doing your part.