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An Introduction to Sustainable Materials Management
If you’re interested in reducing how much waste ends up in your company’s dumpsters in Atlanta , then you may benefit from learning about sustainable materials management.
Sustainable materials management (SMM) is an approach designed to utilize materials more effectively and efficiently throughout their lifecycle. The SMM model examines how materials are manufactured and how they can be used and reused in a way that is more productive and sustainable. Some of the strategies that are implemented in the SMM approach include reducing material toxicity to make it more environmentally friendly, getting more value out of materials by using them more wisely, and sourcing materials with consideration for the world’s needs in the future. The SMM approach begins from the start of a material’s life cycle, including how it is extracted and manufactured, and it continues through its distribution, usage, and disposal.
More specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Sustainable Materials Management Program for fiscal years 2017 to 2022 prioritizes the areas of the built environment, sustainable food management, and sustainable packaging. Finally, the program’s goals involve decreasing disposal rates, reducing environmental impacts, increasing socio-economic benefits, and increasing the ability of various groups to implement the SMM approach.
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Spotlight on Types of Landfills
When you toss your garbage in the nearest dumpster, you may not give a second thought as to where it heads after it has been collected by a trash pickup service. In fact, there are several different kinds of landfills that serve various waste management functions. After you set up dumpster rental near Atlanta, you may want to ask your waste management professionals about the different types of landfills that are used to process your waste. To help you understand common waste management practices, here is an overview of three of the most common types of landfills.
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
Household trash and rubbish is typically sent to a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, or MSWL. MSWLs are located across the United States, and each city, town, or county typically has its own landfill site. These landfills must be located at a safe distance away from neighborhoods and commercial districts, and they must also be equipped with liners and leech collection systems that prevent the surrounding groundwater from becoming contaminated.
Industrial Waste Landfills
An industrial waste landfill is specifically designated for the disposal of solid industrial waste products. Industrial waste landfills are engineered to safely house a variety of different types of industrial waste products, including plastic, glass, concrete, and construction debris. Along with collecting industrial waste, these landfills also serve as disposal sites for construction debris. It is important to note that hazardous waste products, such as asbestos, cannot be processed at a standard industrial waste landfill facility.
Hazardous Waste Landfills
A third type of landfill is known as a hazardous waste landfill. Since these landfills are designed to house many different types of hazardous waste, they are subject to strict regulations from the EPA. Every hazardous waste landfill must contain a double liner, runoff control system, and leak detection technology. Hazardous waste landfills are routinely inspected to make sure that they are not leaking harmful materials into the surrounding environment. If your business generates hazardous waste, you will need to make sure that your waste materials are being delivered to one of these landfills.
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Why Is Sustainability Important?
You’ve heard about how recycling serving Atlanta is an environmentally-friendly practice, but you might not know why it’s so important to protect the environment in the first place. Responsible waste disposal makes for an investment in our future and can limit our use of nonrenewable resources, which can in turn have an impact on our overall social consciousness. The right waste management program can even save you money and help to stimulate the economy. If you’re thinking about going green, please continue reading to find out why sustainability is so important.
Investing In the Future
If we want our future generations to thrive, we have to pay attention to the way we shape the world they’ll be living in. In order to be sustainable, we need to figure out how we can limit our use of nonrenewable resources and follow more environmentally-friendly practices. Recycling is an excellent example of a “green” practice that can help secure a healthy planet for future generations to enjoy, but there is much more to be done as well. Businesses can seek waste management professionals to advise them on how they can adapt and become more sustainable.
Progressing Socially
The fact that people are embracing the idea of protecting the environment is a great sign. It’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore the impact that we have on the environment, and nothing will change unless the whole mindset of our society commits to being more responsible with our waste management. Initiatives like recycling and solar energy are already helping to mitigate the damage that humankind does to the environment, and the concept of sustainability has opened the door for discussion.
Boosting the Economy
It’s not just the environment that benefits when you practice sustainability. By using renewable energy sources, we save ourselves money and stimulate the economy. Even recycling can put money back in the pocket of the consumer while keeping reusable waste out of landfills and putting them back into circulation. If you want to fill your wallet instead of another landfill, think about how you can contribute to our society’s sustainability.
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What Is Sustainability?
If you want to go green with your business practices, you may want to focus on improving the sustainability of your company . Sustainability is a term that encompasses many different factors, such as waste management, recycling, and use of resources. By committing to recycle your unused goods, rather than sending them to the trash pickup, you will be able to improve the sustainability of your company. A company that offers recycling serving Atlanta can provide you with additional information about the sustainable benefits of a recycling program.
Recycling improves the sustainability of a company in a few different ways. When you choose to recycle, you will cut back on the natural resources that are consumed by your daily business operations. Plastic recycling also frees up space in landfills. Finally, smart recycling practices can also help to cut back on the carbon footprint that is created by your company. Choosing to recycle is a component of any sustainable waste management program.
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How Electronics Get Recycled
When you have an old or outdated computer, cell phone or other electronic device on your hands, you will want to recycle your device, rather than toss it in the dumpster. With assistance from a facility that specializes in recycling serving Atlanta, you can ensure that your e-waste is properly processed after it is no longer functional. In order to properly recycle electronic waste , it is necessary to use special waste disposal methods. Let’s review the processes that are used to recycle old electronic items.
Devices Are Brought to the Recycling Center
The first step of recycling an electronic item is to bring it to the electronics recycling center. If you simply toss your electronic device in the trash, it will immediately go to the landfill. To determine whether you are recycling your electronic items properly, you may want to consult with a waste management company in your local area. Your waste management professionals can tell you precisely where you need to bring your electronics so that they can be properly processed and recycled.
Electronics Are Shredded Using Powerful Machines
Once an electronic item, such as a computer, has been sent to the recycling facility, it will be sent to a powerful shredding machine. The shredder uses its durable teeth to tear apart the solid electronic device and turn it into lightweight particles. Certain electronic components, such as batteries, may need to be removed before the shredding process takes place.
Shredded Materials Are Sorted By Type
The final step of electronic recycling is to sort all of the various materials that have been shredded. In order to make sure that the materials are properly organized, a recycling facility may use a state of the art optical sorter. The optical sorter can identify the composition of each particle, and place each type of material into a specific bin. Once the shredded materials have been sorted, they will be ready to be transformed into new electronic products.
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How to Reduce Waste at Your Office
Offices typically generate quite a bit of waste in Atlanta , from paper, plastics, and glass, to food waste and electronics waste. Your local waste management company can help you develop and implement a sustainable waste management program that allows you to reduce, reuse, and recycle throughout the office. Here are some great ways that you can reduce waste at your office.
Reduce Waste Generation
You can quickly reduce the amount of waste that is generated throughout your office by reducing your reliance on paper products. Encourage employees to share information electronically, and resist printing out materials for your use or to convey information. You can also stop using cover sheets on faxes, print documents on both sides of the paper, use the copy machine less often, eliminate unnecessary forms or redesign them to use less paper, and post announcements electronically or on a central bulletin board. You can also use fewer paper products in your kitchens and bathrooms, and instead use washable, reusable products.
Reuse Valuable Materials
You can reuse valuable materials, like paper, throughout the office. Paper only has printing or writing on one side can be reused as scratch paper. File folders, internal envelopes, binders, packaging materials, and other office supplies can be shared and reused throughout the office. You can also donate items that can’t be used again within the office to other charities or organizations so that they won’t end up as waste.
Recycle and Compost When Possible
Your local recycling center can provide you with valuable recycling facts and can inform you as to which items are recyclable and compostable. Most recycling centers can process paper recycling, glass recycling, cardboard recycling, and plastic recycling. Some can also manage scrap metal recycling and electronics recycling. Do not dump or throw away any office item that can be safely recycled. Place recycling bins throughout the office, and arrange for your waste management company to pick up your recycling when they do your trash pickup. Most food waste can also be composted and used for fertilizer. Find out if your office generates food waste that is compostable, and ask your recycling center or waste management company about composting.
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What Happens to Recycled Materials
Recycling is an innovative process that transforms used and discarded objects into useful materials. This video will provide you with a behind the scenes look at what happens to your recycled materials after they leave your home or office. After a recycling truck collects your bin, it will bring the materials to a sorting facility. Next, paper, plastics, and glass are separated by type. If you plan to recycle near Atlanta, it is important to learn about how recyclables should be sorted before they are picked up.
A thorough waste disposal plan can easily integrate recycling into your daily business operations. If you are wondering about how you can get the most out of your recycling, do not hesitate to get ahold of a waste disposal company in your area. Your team can help you cut back on your waste while also saving you money.
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The Importance of a Workplace Recycling Program
The typical office environment creates significant amounts of waste paper, cardboard, and other materials. Rather than sending these paper and plastic products to the dumpster, you may want to consider planning and implementing a recycling program for your business. With assistance form a waste disposal company that specializes in recycling in Atlanta, you will be able to create a recycling program that is easy for all of your staff members to follow. When you start recycling, you will be amazed at the amount of recyclable waste that is generated by your business. Here is a look at the importance of a workplace recycling program.
Improve Environmental Impact
A workplace recycling program will help you improve the environmental impact of your business. With many companies choosing to go green with their management and business practices, creating a workplace recycling program is a great way to join the eco-conscious revolution. Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and protect natural resources through recycling can also help you draw in new customers and clients who are environmentally minded.
Reduce Average Costs
When you create a recycling plan for your workplace, you can also help to reduce your average operating costs. Recycling paper, plastic, and metal goods will help your employees improve their awareness of the materials that they are using on a daily basis. As a result, you may find that your workers have improved mindfulness regarding conservation and reusing supplies. Over the course of a year, even small recycling measures can translate to significant cost savings.
Raise Company Awareness
When you start a new recycling program in your business, this is also a fantastic opportunity to promote the eco-conscious image of your company. For example, you may want to send out a press release that offers additional information about the new recycling measures that you are taking in your workplace. Even making initial steps towards creating a recycling plan will help boost your image and profile with your community and customers.
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A Look at Trends in Green Technologies
Today’s technological innovations are designed to conserve energy and natural resources. With green technology, you can help your business generate less waste, while also saving on the costs of energy and other resources. Some of the most amazing green technologies that have been released in current years include LED lightbulbs and personal solar charging devices. If you would like to boost the environmental impact of your business, you may want to consider asking your local recycling center about how you can better use your recycling bins. When you recycle, you will be doing your part to protect the environment. A company specializing in recycling bins in Atlanta can help you create a recycling program for your business. To tour some of the top trends in green technologies, check out this video from TheRichest.
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Managing Waste in a Hotel Setting
Hotels produce a lot of waste, and a comprehensive waste disposal program is crucial to reducing waste in Atlanta . By implementing a recycling program and adopting sustainable waste management practices, your hotel can significantly reduce waste production and waste disposal costs.
Watch this video for more tips on waste management in a hotel setting. Your local waste management company can provide waste analytics that will help your hotel develop an effective waste management program that allows you to reduce waste, and also reuse and recycle any salvageable materials.
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