There is a new website set to launch on March 17, PlanetReuse.com. Planet Reuse is a website that connects buyers and seller of reused and reclaimed construction materials and equipment. Kind of a eBay for recycling and reuse.
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I would bet a fair amount of money that most houses more than a few years old have a number of partially used cans of paint stored somewhere in the house. Some of that paint will get used but the majority probably just sits around waiting to be thrown away at some future date. What are the choices available to a environmentally conscious painter? (more…)
Don’t just toss your old computer into the garbage . Modern technology (cell phones, computers, TVs), which we all know and love, are a main contributor to electronic waste (e-waste), which pose a major disposal issue because they are made up of various components that are toxic to the environment.
How big is the problem? In the next three years, individuals and organizations worldwide will replace more than 400 million computers. The average cell phone in the U.S. is replaced after just 18 months. Each year over 130 million cell phones are retired; stashed away in a drawer or closet only to collect dust. As of this writing less than 5% of these phones are collected for reuse and recycling. That approach is one that a lot of people are taking - just putting it in a closet. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance estimates that 75 percent of obsolete electronics are currently being stored. This means that one day there will be a massive disposal issue for the country. (more…)
Most of our entries talk about building and new items, this one will take a bit different tact. The EPA says remodeling generates 136 million tons of waste annually. According to the Florida-based Deconstruction Institute, the destruction of buildings annually generates 125 million tons of debris. This makes up 20 percent of the waste in landfills.
Any way you look at it – this is a lot of material. What can we do about it?
