As an essential business, we are still servicing customers and following guidelines to protect the health of customers and employees.
SAVE A TREE - Recycling News
Now is a great time to focus on waste prevention where possible, and when recycling, keep the materials as clean and dry as possible. Follow the guidelines of your local recycling hauler and only put items in your recycling bin that they accept. If your community is not processing recycling due to the materials recovery facility being closed or another reason, consider dropping materials off at a recycling center, while following Center for Disease Control, state and local public health guidelines.
Reducing and Reusing Basics
The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy – raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money. This is why we at HPMCS uses recycled packing materials. Not only does it benefit the planet, it allows us to provide you the valued customer, with free packing materials to make your job easier.
Recycled materials serve as feedstocks necessary to produce essential supplies including those especially needed during this time such as paper towels, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, and packaging for a wide range of products including boxes for moving and shipping. Many businesses that would normally generate large amounts of recyclables have limited operations now. Therefore, household recycling is vital to the continued supply of raw materials for U.S. manufacturing sectors.
Recycling and Sustainable Management of Food During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency
As many Americans spend more time at home, we are changing the way we purchase and use goods and food. At the same time, there are some supply chain disruptions in the food and manufacturing sectors. There is the potential for households to generate more waste than they did before, but there is also an opportunity to focus on waste prevention, increase your reuse and recycling efforts, and use food more efficiently.
Mass production of boxes was first achieved in 1879
Mass manufacturing of boxes was achieved by a press operator accidentally cutting seed bags instead of creasing them. The owner of the paper company realized you can cut and crease at the same time with cutting dies and soon changed the box industry in 1879. Read Gizmodo’s article about it here.
Tips, Tricks, & Benefits
- Keep plastic bags, masks, wipes, and latex gloves out of the recycling bin.
- If someone in your home has COVID-19, treat your recyclables as trash.
- Don’t put your recyclables in plastic bags.
- Clean and shake dry recyclables to ensure products get recycled.
- Break down cardboard boxes and put them in the recycling bin whenever possible.
- Put recycling and trash in the appropriate bins, not next to them. Leaving materials next to bins increases risks to sanitation workers and can attract pests.
- Do not put lithium, lithium-ion or spent lead-acid batteries (e.g., car batteries) in your trash or recycling bins. These batteries can contain hazardous materials and can contaminate groundwater or cause fires at recycling facilities. Batteries from electronics and cars can be recycled at specified retail and other locations. You can also check with your city or county to see if they have a household hazardous waste collection program.
- If you are spring cleaning, consider setting aside things (batteries, paints, weed killer, plastic bags, clothing, other donations, etc.) to donate, recycle, or dispose of later when it’s safe to bring them to a drop off location or collection event. Follow local guidelines. Many localities are limiting service (e.g., not picking up yard waste or bulk items at this time).
- Return grass clippings back onto your lawn instead of bagging them.
Benefits of Reducing and Reusing
- Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
- Saves energy
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change
- Helps sustain the environment for future generations
- Saves money
- Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators
US data is readily available and according to a 2010 EPA report, one-third of all trash produced is containers and packaging, and 29 million tons of corrugated cardboard are generated annually. That’s the equivalent of 493 million trees, or 1.5 trees per person, per year. And that’s just boxes in the US!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
When you use our packing services we give you free used recycled boxes and packing paper (while supplies last). Let’s all do our part and save a tree!
Areas Under Stay at Home Orders:
Remember to follow any local and/or state guidelines before leaving your home to recycle or donate items.
Learn how reducing, reusing, and recycling can help you, your community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. Recycling programs are managed at the state and local level—find information on recycling in your community.