The holidays are upon us, which means the decorations are out. The holidays can be a beautiful time of the year; however they can also be a very wasteful time of the year. From trees cut down for decorations, to wasted strands of lights, not to mention all of the paper waste from gifts. Americans annually throw away four million tons of just paper trash from gift wrap and shopping bags and approximately 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year, which is enough to fill a football field 10 stories high (Source: RecycleWorks).
Some things are easy to know how to dispose of. Trash goes in the trash can, which goes in the dumpster, which goes to the landfill. Recyclables get sorted and go in the recycle bin, but, what about those tricky things that you aren’t sure how to dispose of them? Special waste can be tricky to try to get rid of, but our staff at Quad Cities Landfill is here to help in any way we can. Follow these few tips to properly dispose of your special waste.
Patagonia uses recycled soda bottles to make clothing
There comes a time for every successful business to take a moment and look back at where they came from and determine where they want to move forward. While it takes a lot of work to get a business up and running, once you find the key to success, the next question is, how will we sustain, how will we contribute to our community and what legacy can we leave? For some businesses, this means expanding their current services or relocating their business to a more tax friendly or community friendly location. For some this means rebranding their company and for others it could mean redefining their core values and creating a culture in which those values are not only emphasized but carried out. Some call this corporate social responsibility. For outdoor outfitter, Patagonia, environmental and corporate responsibility is not just a pillar of success, but the only way to do business.
Cell phones these days change as often as most Americans’ attention span and there is always a question as to how to get rid of those old phones. According to NBC News, cell phones have a market life cycle of nine to 12 months before the next, newest and greatest model is out and on store shelves, leaving Americans wanting something new. So how should you properly get rid of your old cell phone to make way for a new one? There are a few options for properly disposing of your old phone in an economical way.
Prior to getting rid of your phone, make sure you remove any personal information that may be stored on it. First, make sure your information is all backed up onto the cloud or transfer it onto your new phone so you do not loose things such as your contacts or photos. Then perform a factory reset on the old phone to erase all of your contacts and other information. After you’ve reset it, make sure all of the information is truly gone. Make sure to remove your SIM or SD card so nobody can get information off of that either.
Over 34 million tons of food gets wasted in the United States annually, but canned food cuts back on that waste. Canned food keeps longer in the pantry and the steel and aluminum cans used to store food is 100% recyclable over and over again, making it highly economical (Source: CanCentral). Millennium Waste accepts all steel and aluminum cans in all residential recycling containers.
Summer is quickly giving way to fall and once the colors have changed and fall starts to give way to winter, those leaves will start to fall and you will be left with large piles of leaves. Leaves are always good for Halloween décor, filling large pumpkin trash bags to line the yard for the trick-or-treaters. But what should you do with them after that? Here are some ideas to help keep the leaves from ending up in a landfill and putting them to good use right at your own home.
Millions of people administer medical injections to themselves everyday in the United States. Additionally, hospitals and medical clinics across the country utilize the use of sharps in their practice. Each year billions of needles are used and need to be properly disposed of. But where do these sharps end up after they have been used and what is the proper way to dispose of them?
You’re two year contract is up and it’s time to upgrade that smartphone of yours, but what to do with the old one? Millennium Waste encourages you to dispose of your e-waste safely and effectively, don’t toss it, take it to an e-waste recycling location.
Millenium Waste offers commercial cardboard recycling and pick up
From the moment you pour yourself a bowl of cereal in the morning until you unwrap a new box of toothpaste to brush your teeth at night, you come in contact with dozens of cardboard packaging products throughout your day. Many of these products are for shipping and packaging and most people discard them in the trash without a second thought.
Quad Cities Landfill Helps Businesses Manage Special Waste
No matter what kind of business you are in, there may be a time when you need to dispose of special waste materials that cannot be placed in your regular commercial dumpster, compactor or roll-off container.
Most Americans don’t think twice when reaching for cold can of their favorite beverage. But before the late 50’s, most beverages either came from the local soda fountain or in a glass bottle. Coors Brewing Company pioneered the use of aluminum cans for beverages in 1959. This change started an industry storm. In terms of economics, aluminum cans are the most sustainable and cost effective beverage package, as aluminum is lighter than glass and infinitely recyclable. Aluminum also bests glass in terms of versatility, as it provides a superior metal canvas to print on. But perhaps, most importantly, for producers, aluminum effectively protects the flavor and integrity of your favorite cold beverages because it sheilds the product from light.
All parents face tough decisions every day. Even before baby is born, most parents reevaluate their lifestyle to ensure they are bringing their little one into a healthy and safe environment. “Do we eat only organic?” “Should we have a natural birth?” while it may not seem like the top priority, another common question parents ask is, “Should we use cloth or disposable diapers?” Ask any parent what those first few months are all about, and I am sure you’ll get a reply similar to the following. Eat. Sleep. Potty. Repeat. You will go through a lot of diapers in the early years, in fact, disposable diapers account for 3.4 million tons of landfill waste per year and don’t decompose. Some parents debate whether or not cloth diapers are indeed better for the environment than disposables. Like with any parenting decision, there are pros and cons with either choice, but it is clear, despite the energy use of laundering and recycling water, using cloth diapers is the greenest way to go.
Have you participated in so many 5k fun runs you could have your own t-shirt shop? Instead of tossing out those hard earned shirts, upcycle them by picking out a few of your favorite colored T’s to make a stylish shag rug. This fun Do it yourself project will save your shirts from the landfill and add a pop of color to any room in your home.
This is for a small rug, perfect for in front of a sink or bathroom. You can always make your rug bigger simply by using more shirts.
Trade, don’t toss those clothes! How to host a clothing swap party
With the spring season comes the spring cleaning. Many people are clearing out closets, cleaning garages and de-cluttering from their winter hibernation. While this clean out is a great time to host a rummage sale, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to get your friends together and host a clothing swap!
How to organize trash and recyclables in a small kitchen
Just because you live in a small home or apartment, doesn’t mean you have to compromise your desire to recycle. Recycle bins can take up valuable space and be an eye sore. Here’s a way to keep your trash and recyclables organized and floors clear of clutter.
As you wipe away the stuffiness of winter months, clear away cob webs, dust under furniture and de-clutter counter tops during your spring cleaning, are you finding a collection of used and nearly spent scented candles around your home? What do you do with all these almost empty jars and the remaining sweet scents within? Instead of throwing them out, Upcycle your candles and consolidate your collection by creating beautiful multi-scented, layered candles right in your kitchen. Maybe you have a few left over from the holidays, take those vanilla, cinnamon and apple cider scented candles and mix them together to create an apple pie a la mode layered candle. Not only will you be able to breathe new life into old candles, but you’ll reap the rewards of a great smelling house and save a little trash from the landfill while you’re at it.
When Recycling Goes to the Birds – Creating Recycled Bird Feeders
Looking for a way to pass the time on these cold winter days? Making homemade bird feeders is a great indoor project that will keep you and the kids entertained while waiting for the birds and warmer spring weather to arrive!
As we move into the New Year this is a great time to reflect on the year past and begin thinking about the great things to come in the year ahead and the resolutions that you would like to see achieved. While common resolutions include getting in shape, saving more & spending less, & eliminating unhealthy habits, there is another resolution that is becoming increasingly popular and that is to go green!
Millennium Waste Incorporated is committed to the growth and well being of the Quad Cities area. That’s why it’s so important to us to contribute to community events and activities. As proud members of the cities we serve, we are dedicated to youth involvement and keeping Betterndorf, Davenport, East Moline, Moline, Rock Island and all of our communities clean.
