Disposable Razors in the Landfill

Disposable razors gained immediate popularity as a convenient alternative to the straightedge blade that had to be re-sharpened.

“In 1847 William Henson invented the hoe-shaped razor that most of us have in our medicine cabinets, and in 1895 a traveling salesman named King Camp Gillette (pictured) combined this shape with the idea of shaving with a disposable double-edged blade. 

The resulting safety razor eventually made Gillette a fortune and solved the hassle of having to remove the razor's blade to sharpen it every few shaves.

Are Magazines Recyclable?

Magazines and catalogs are usually made of a higher weight paper with a glossy finish.

“Magazines are made from paper that's been buffed and coated to achieve a glossy appearance. Next, the paper is covered with a white clay that makes color photographs look more brilliant. The shiny appearance does not contaminate the paper at all.

Do Pharmacies Reuse Medicine Bottles?

Most pharmacies are unable to reuse and refill medication bottles for sanitary and purity reasons.

Prescription medication is heavily regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). therefore, certain guidelines have to be followed to in order to adhere to their standards of safety. 

Are Candy Wrappers Recyclable?

Candy is used as a gift, a reward, an incentive, and a treat. In all actuality, a very small percentage of people don’t like candy.

“Candy canes, candy corn, candy hearts: whether Christmas or Easter, Halloween or Valentine’s day, every holiday has its trademark sweet, and customers are more than happy to hand over the money for a bit of holiday cheer. 

Are Bed Pillows Recyclable?

When an item outlives its usefulness for one person, the decision has to be made to throw it away, recycle it, or give it away to be reused by someone else.

Depending on the item, however, it may not qualify for the recyclable category. As much as we want to recycle certain things instead of throw them away, some products are not recyclable by most conventional processes.

Are Mirrors Recyclable?

Mirrors have been around in some form or another for thousands of years. People started seeing their reflections in ponds and lakes.  They then used polished stone and metal pieces to give a somewhat crude image of themselves.

Mirrors made from these materials were unfortunately very expensive and were only available to the extremely wealthy. Less fortunate people still used the stand-by of looking at themselves in ponds…sometimes even standing in line to do so.

 “In 1835, German chemist Justus von Liebig developed a process for applying a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a pane of clear glass. This technique was soon adapted and improved upon, allowing for the mass production of mirrors.”

Because these more modern-day mirrors are not made from a single type of material, they are not considered a recyclable item by most processes. Between the chemically treated glass and the adherence of a metallic substance, mirrors are still considered a trash item.

For more information on trash and recycling options visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.

Howstuffworks.com

Mirrorhistory.com

Livescience.com

How Do I Safely Dispose of Used Needles?

There are many injectable medications available that don’t have an oral or topical counterpart, along with others But what should be done with the needles after they are used?

Used needles, also commonly called “sharps”, are easily disposed of by following a few simple guidelines.

First, if the syringe you are using has a cap or plastic protection sleeve, replace it after use. This is the first line of immediate protection while you are still handling it.

What Is One Of The Most Littlered Items?

On a recent family bike ride we rode on a couple back roads that were sadly littered with so much trash, mostly consisting of water and various alcohol bottles.

According to treehugger.com and banthebottle.net, approximately 50 billion water bottles were sold last year in the United States alone, with almost 200 billion being produced each year worldwide.

How Can I Keep Food Waste Out Of My Trash?

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide for having the potential of causing or continuing global warming, is created by rotting food disposed in a landfill as it decomposes. 

Methane is also a flammable gas that can become dangerous if allowed to build up in concentration.

Are Recyclables Picked Up With Our Trash Truck?

Borden Waste-Away Service, Inc. services both trash and recycling but they are never picked up together in the same truck.

After Borden trucks pick up recycling anywhere in our service area, it is then taken directly to our Recycling Works plant where it is hand and mechanically sorted into separate commodities.

Recycling Works, our company-owned state-of-the-art recycling facility here in Elkhart, operates as a “Clean MRF” (pronounced “Merf” and stands for Materials Recycling Facility), which means that we recycle over 90% of the material entering the facility. A state mandate stipulates that any more trash than that would put us into the category of a Transfer Station.