Paper Waste Management Through Paper Recycling

Paper waste constitutes almost one-third of the solid waste generated across the globe. Before, paper waste was either disposed in landfills, taking up a lot of space, or was incinerated. The combustion of paper through incineration releases carbon dioxide, disturbing the natural atmospheric balance. The enhanced greenhouse effect is responsible for global warming and climate change, making landfill disposal and incineration unsuitable and harmful options for paper waste management.
Paper recycling is a "green" solution for the management of paper waste. Recycling paper is a process that converts waste paper into reusable paper and other products.
The practice of recycling paper consists of the following stages:
Collection - Paper waste, such as newspapers, printer paper, and cardboard and product boxes, is collected by placing recycle bins in public places, schools, offices and households. The collection process is carried by municipal organizations and private companies that specialize in the recycling of waste.
Sorting - After it's collected, paper waste is sorted into different piles depending on the quality and type of paper. The piles are then compressed to form bales and these bales are used to produce recycled paper.
Shredding - During the production of recycled wafer-thin, waste paper is cut into small bits. These bits are further broken down into fibres.
Re-pulping - The fibres are then mixed with water to form pulp. This pulp may contain various unwanted components such as dirt, old ink, and weak fibres
De-inking - The pulp is washed, segregated, sieved and rotated. As a result, dirt, old ink and weak fibres get separated from the pulp in the form of sludge that is later discarded. The clean pulp is utilized to produce recycled paper and other products such as egg crates, fruit trays, paper cardboard, insulation and false ceilings.
Papers Recycling is an environmentally friendly process that, for one thing, helps limit deforestation practices. Many plant and animal species become extinct when their natural habitat is destroyed because of deforestation. When trees are cut down, it also disturbs the balance of the gases in the atmosphere. One ton of recycled paper can save up to 17 trees from being cut down. In terms of energy-saving, the production of recycled requires 40 to 60% less energy than paper manufactured from virgin pulp; each ton of recycled paper saves approximately 225 kilowatt hours of energy. Furthermore, every ton of recycled paper saves 60,000 litres of water - a great benefit since the production of fresh paper uses large amounts of water.
These are just some of the many ways recycling paper can benefit the planet and contribute to a sustainable environment for future generations.

Why Businesses Should Stay Away From Plastic Bags

Going green has become a very popular buzzword. This developing trend could be the direct result of the widespread discussion of nature-related issues like global warming, deforestation, and depletion of our natural resources. This move to go green carried out by individual and industry is commendable. If your business for example has still not made the big shift, it might be the right time to start going green.
You can always start with small steps and one of the best things you can do right off the bat is to stay away from the use of plastic bags. There are plenty of reasons why you should do it but the biggest thing is that these bags are not biodegradable. Simply put, they will continue to accumulate around us. The results of this can already be felt around us.
Plastic bags can clog waterways. For example in an urban landscape, plastic bags can block the water drainage system. During heavy rains and the occasional typhoon, this blockage could cause massive flooding. The blockage also takes up a lot of resources to ensure that the drainage system is clear year round.
Plenty of plastic bags are also dumped on landfills. Since they would take thousands of years to break down into smaller particles, they would wreak havoc on the soil and water. This source of pollution is also the cause of several health problems which would have been avoidable if the fight to stop using plastic bags started sooner.
The production of plastic bags, especially those ordered by large companies in large quantities means plastic bag manufacturers would have to consume millions of gallons of petroleum products. This is a big drain on this non-renewable source of energy. Also, the burning of fossil fuel produces greenhouse gases which contribute significantly to global warming, a global issue that should unite people around the world to start protecting the environment.
As a business owner, you can greatly help the green movement by providing recyclable and reusable shopping bags for your customers. There are plenty of choices out there which means you do not have to sacrifice your aim to build brand awareness with shifting into an eco-friendly product packaging. You should also keep in mind that by using reusable shopping bags or tote bags, you can cut down on costs because you do not have to order as much shopping bags as compared to buying disposable plastic bags.

The Benefits of Sustainable Retail Packaging

Posh and striking packaging plays a big role in the modern consumerism. Businesses are aware that buyers decide which product to buy based on the attractiveness of the item's packaging. That is why they spend a lot of resources only to come up with a remarkable design that will stand out from the crowd and attract more buyers. However, there is always a price to pay for every gain. The process of creating eye-catching packaging entails heavy cost. Though packaging is useful in creating a sound brand it is responsible for the increasing wastes in our planet every year. Some of the waste are being recycled however the greater part of it does go straight to landfill and this eventually contaminates the soil and poisons the bodies of water.
Now, as enterprises become more conscious of the packaging's impact on the environment, businesses now shift to a more environmental approach in terms of packaging. Also, they were compelled to use eco-friendly packaging because more and more consumers now prefer more eco-friendly alternative when they shop by picking for packaging that can be recycled. For this reason, it is now more possible than ever for firms to implement a "greener" approach to packaging while meeting their marketing goals. The new trend in sustainable packaging is swiftly increasing and spreading in the manufacturing and retail industry.
What is Sustainable Packaging?
Sustainable packaging is intended to cut wastage and protect important resources. There are three main essentials to this:
• Reduce the Waste - before retail packaging is designed to be bigger than really necessary. Sellers use this as a strategy to make items look larger than its actual size and also to make it appear more startling but this only causes wastage. By reducing the size of retail packaging a vast amount of paper, cardboard and plastic materials can be saved annually.
• Reuse Materials - most materials for producing goods today can only be utilized once. This also means that they go straight to wastelands once discharged. By choosing environmental friendly materials that can be reused manufacturers can help in reducing waste.
• Recycle - this contributes to the reduction of wastes that pollutes our natural resources. When we recycle resources such as paper, plastic and glass we can reduce landfill and conserve valuable materials.
Finding new technologies to create a more environmental packaging can be expensive but the benefits that we can get from it in the long run are immeasurable. By minimizing the packaging's size sellers can not only lessen wastage but they can also cut expenses on the production drastically. In addition, customers are switching now to a more environmental products and retail packaging. By going green it can be possible get ahead of the competition.

Eco-Innovative Concepts for Increasing Automated Truck Wash Volume

When it comes to eco-innovations in business you need a large mega-phone and you need to market and advertise or you'll end up like 10s of thousands of eco-entrepreneurs gone bankrupt while trying to chase so-called easy money, grants, guaranteed loans, and catch the wave of eco-friendly trends. Okay so, let me give you an example here, let's talk about an eco-innovative automated truck washing system.
First, your goal of course is to dominate local market share for fleet truck washing, and even though your system has a great reclaim system for environmental washing, you need to advertise and market this to your customers, and show them why this is a benefit. So, let me show you how to do this.
You see, there will always be local competitors that compete with your truck wash which are mobile, and they come onto the properties of various companies that have the fleets and clean the vehicles right there. It will be very hard for you to compete on price with these types of firms, but you will have something else going for you. Companies with fleets are often visited by storm water enforcement personnel, and they must satisfy the needs of the NPDES permits.
It also makes sense to be on a first name basis with the storm water enforcement folks in your area, and the surrounding areas. This way if a company is fined or cited for cleaning the vehicles on their property and letting the dirty waste wash water flow into a storm drain, these enforcement personnel will refer the company to you as the solution to the problem. Storm water folks don't want to put trucking firms out of business, just make sure that the run-off from the property doesn't pollute the local ground water.
It is definitely a competitive advantage when companies are concerned about the environment, or getting a big fine - that your truck wash company has a reclaim system, is totally self-contained, and the problem is no longer on their property, as you now handle all of those challenges for them. It is amazing how many companies are now violating the law by hiring mobile services that are not reclaiming the water, some of them know what they're doing, some of them don't, but nevertheless you should alert the trucking firms of the area of the reality, thus, keeping them out of trouble, and collecting that business for yourself.
Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this regardless of what business you are in, because when it comes to eco-innovations, it might be the best in the world in your industry, but you still have to sell it, advertise it, and market it to your prospective customers.

SBA Clean Tech Loans Really Concern Me - Let's Talk

As the coordinator for a think tank, we spend a lot of time looking over entrepreneurial business plans for new startups. I am always amazed at the number of business plans that I've been reading, especially in the last five years that have to do with clean technologies, green companies, and alternative energy. Still, I am quite concerned because many of these business plans simply do not have a compelling reason to risk the capital. Okay so, let's talk about this for second shall we?
If I as a retired entrepreneur, and founder of a think tank do not feel comfortable recommending these startups to angel investors and venture capitalists, for fear that it might tarnish my reputation, and realize it's not even my money involved, then why is it okay to use taxpayer guaranteed money to fund some of these same projects? If they aren't viable, they shouldn't be done. If their only chance for success has to do with tax rebates, temporary waivers from regulatory agencies, and low-cost funding from the government - then actually they are not viable at all, certainly not in the free marketplace.
In that case, may I ask why we are bothering with this? I know the answer, but I pose the question because I am a little bit tired of the political agendas, the anti-fossil fuel motive, and this new religion of global warming. This country needs reliable and low-cost energy. By having that we are giving a boost to all of our industries, meaning they can compete better globally. If we overtax our infrastructure, and take that money and funnel it to projects which are not viable, all we are doing is manipulating the free-market system in a pathetic and disgusting way (my opinion, because I'm not allowed to say that, as it isn't politically correct, which is in itself pathetic).
At some point we need a Frank discussion, and we need to talk about the truth, fairness, and reality of the free-market. We aren't doing that in our country, and I fear we are throwing more good money after bad, to what avail I ask?
There was an interesting piece recently in the Austin Business Journal titled; "SBA launches nationwide fund to invest $1.5B in small biz - -The SBA U.S. Small Business Administration Latest from The Business Journals Follow this company is launching a new national fund to make equity investments in technology companies, particularly "cleantech" firms." by Megan Kamerick, reprinted from the New Mexico Business Weekly. Anyway the article stated;
"Through the new initiative, the SBA will commit $1 billion to funds focused on investing in underserved markets or in sectors that have been defined as national priorities. These can be businesses located in, or employing residents of, low or moderate-income areas or economically distressed areas. They can also be industry sectors the Obama Administration has identified as national priorities. Right now, that includes clean energy and education."
Indeed, if the government would just get out of the way, we would solve all of our problems, the same challenges wouldn't have had in the first place. To claim that right now we have a politician who has identified our national priorities as his own pet projects, and political agenda is ridiculous. If that's his agenda, why doesn't he quit being president and go out in the real world and compete in the free markets make $1 billion, and then use his own money?
Well, the reason is he doesn't, is simple, he does not have the ability to do that, he only has the ability to read a teleprompter and tell us what to do, and then bribe us with our own money. What I don't understand is how Americans can be so smart and still not see this? And if we are giving loans to people that don't understand the concept I just explained, then they aren't smart enough to run a business anyway, and they're just going to lose money, and default on those loans, and it's going to be the taxpayer who foots the bill over and over again - can't you see this pattern? Please consider all this and think on it.