The Importance of Recycling

Recycling is defined as the processing of used materials or waste. Recycling is increasingly becoming popular as people are becoming more environmentally conscious about the impact of garbage to the natural environment.

One reason recycling is important is that less natural resources is utilized in the creation of products. For example, the recycling of paper reduces the amount of trees felled. Rather than cut trees for the creation of paper, a used paper products are used. Thus, recycling prevents deforestation. Since deforestation is prevented, there will be less soil erosion and less carbon emissions in the air.

Another importance of recycling is the prevention of harmful chemicals from contaminating the earth. Some products such as batteries, light bulbs, etc contain chemicals. If these products were not recycled i.e. thrown into a dump site, there is a possibility that the chemicals in these products may leak out. It is not uncommon where there are news reports that rivers became contaminated because of chemical leaks from improperly-handled waste.

The Importance of Recycling

Another benefit of recycling is that there will be less demand for garbage landfills. In every major populated area, the problem of finding land for garbage landfills is a problem. Local authorities are finding it difficult to look for a suitable site for landfills. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that is brought into these landfills. Instead of being a garbage site, lands can be used for parks, agriculture, commercial use and housing.

The recycling of biodegradable waste, on the other hand, can be used for the production of electricity. Biodegradable materials emit methane. When done in a large-scale level, these methane emissions can produce enough electricity to power a small community. Another benefit of recycling biodegradable materials is that some of these materials are rich in soil nutrients. When recycled, these can be used as fertilizers.

Some garbage sites use incineration in eliminating wastes. Through recycling, there will be less garbage to incinerate which means that there will be less air pollution and less greenhouse gases in the air.

Plastics are widely used today more than ever. When not recycled, plastics take a very long time to degrade. Some these plastics find its way to waterways and oceans. In some urban areas, flooding occurs because plastics thrown improperly were found clogging rivers and waterways. Plastics that find its way to the oceans are harming the aquatic life. Some fishes and marine mammals die because plastics were mistaken for food. Another case is that plastics can destroy the habitat of marine life. Recycling of plastics prevents these from happening. Marine life can foster and there will be less flooding.

The Importance of Recycling
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The Meaning of Plastic Recycling Symbols

Plastic plays a crucial part in our current society. It's everywhere - the most common material used to make products for our convenience - containers, cell phone casing, plastic bags, etc. Have you ever thought, for a moment, about the meaning of those symbols found in your plastic-made items?

Plastic recycling symbols show the forms of resin used to create the material. These representations are established following the international Plastic Coding System, and are customarily delineated as a number (from 1 through 7) enclosed by a triangle or a plain triangular loop (also known as the Mobius loop), with an acronym of the specific material used, right underneath the loop.

Here are succinct descriptions of each of the 7 recycling symbols frequently used, today:

The Meaning of Plastic Recycling Symbols

1 - PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephalate Ethylene)

Light weight, low-priced, and easy to fabricate, Polyethylene Terephalate Ethylene is the most prevalent plastic material in use today. PET is primarily used in beverage bottles, food receptacles, and peanut butter containers. It can be remade into polar fleece, fiber, carpet, etc. The requirement for this plastic among recyclers is relatively strong, but at present, the recycling rate for this material has remained low at 20%.

2 - HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)

High Density Polyethylene is more durable and more impervious to chemical degeneration, this material poses a relatively low chance of spreading chemicals when used as container for food and drinks. It is largely used as containers for everyday household chemicals (shampoos, degreasers, etc.), juice bottles, milk jugs, etc. This can be reused into floor tile, drainage, new HDPE bottles, pipes, etc.

3 - PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

PVC has been tagged as a health hazard - it has been noted to typically drain chemicals when used as containers. PVC is mainly used for piping, window cleaner bottles, siding, etc. It has chlorine and will dispense toxins if burned. PVC should not be used in food preparation or food packaging. It can be reprocessed into mudflaps, panels, mats, etc.

4 - LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene )

LDPE is the material present in plastic bags, clothing, furnitures, etc. Resilient and flexible, it is perfect for packaging, insulation, and sealing. LDPE, through many curbside recycling programs, can be reconstituted into cans, compost bins, and landscaping tiles.

5 - PP (Polypropylene)

Polypropylene is most suited for boiling fluid receptacles and is likewise made into brooms, straws, ketchup bottles, etc. PP can be reprocessed into rakes, brooms, trays, etc.

6 - PS (Polystyrene)

PS is the top component for insulation and is used in foam products like expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as styrofoam. It is found in carry-out food containers, meat trays, CD cases. PS contains benzene, a cancer-causing substance and should not be burned. It is reprocessed into insulation, packaging, plant beds, etc.

7 - OTHER (Polycarbonate)

Recycling symbol 7 - OTHER signifies materials not belonging to any of the other 6 resin categories. OTHER may also signify a hybrid resin made up of a mishmash of those materials. It is mainly found in children feeding bottles, flak jackets, business signages, five-gallon water jugs, etc. It can be recycled into plastic planks and other tailor-made objects.

Not all number 7 plastics are polycarbonate, a handful are even plant-based. Polycarbonate has become the axis of dispute in recent years, as it is discovered to leach BPA (bisphenol A), a hormonal disruptor that may disastrously influence gestation and fetal growth.

Plastic recycling symbols are designed essentially to help the staff in recycling plants in properly segregating materials for processing. A rudimentary knowledge of these icons can also help us in ascertaining if the plastic item were handling at home are risk-free for us and our children.

The Meaning of Plastic Recycling Symbols
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Michael Arms contributes articles the Pacebutler Recycling and Environmental blog. Pacebutler Corporation of Edmond, Oklahoma is a US trading company that pays cash for cell phones, in an online transaction. If you just want to dispose of your old cell phones in an environmentally-friendly manner, you may also recycle cell phones through Pacebutler.

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Green Living For Environmentally Friendly Changes

It is not the time to read about these environmental changes but it in fact is the right time to start acting towards green living. You can take a few steps in changing your lifestyle to modify it and try to practice more of the environmentally friendly choices. A number of tips are provided and hopeful most of you may already have started to incorporate it in your lifestyle. So if you start incorporating each of the eco friendly tips in your daily lifestyle then things will simply start becoming much easier for you. It may be soon when you start noticing the changes of how you can go about in this eco friendly planet. We certainly are not talking about any financial benefits that are linked with these products.

Always make sure you have to purchase products that don't have excessive packaging. We need to send some really strong and clear messages to these manufacturers. Or else products may simply continue to be packed in the same pattern. We need to keep in mind that plastics are the main damaging culprits here. So simply try to make your purchasing eco friendly by choosing products that have minimum packaging materials used. Select your products based on it. Any make a habit of rewarding the companies that minimizes the waste. If one of your favorite product continues to be sold excessively with most of the unnecessary packaging write a letter and try to inform them that you shall discontinue to buy the product because of the packing. Ask them to reduce it. This certainly will put your words in their ears. There may certainly be some impact on them.

Well if you don't tell the companies why you don't use their products anymore they will never tend to change their pattern. You need to make them aware of the environmental concerns. This certainly will leave them with very little initiative and they will certainly have to change their pattern. Writing to most of the companies may be time consuming but it can save our environment and eco system. So the best option may be to try and design a fixed template with your words in it. Mail to every manufacturers. As a consumer you still have the power to do it, so try utilizing your power to hold such companies.

Green Living For Environmentally Friendly Changes

If in any case you are simply unsure of the policies of the company then try writing them and asking for their policies. If you are simply concerned about practices that you feel are damaging the environment then try to speak out. It certainly will help the environment. Let them know that most of your purchase is based on environmental concerns. Try promoting the use of more eco friendly products. Make kids aware of this and ask them to select more eco friendly toys. This certainly may be a giant step towards saving our environment. Use environmental friendly baby products. Try being selective in what you purchase.

Avoid listening to music on CDs and VCDs instead you can download the music to your computer and listen. It makes no difference where you listen music from but reducing CD purchasing can certainly help save environment. Follow these basic steps and you certainly can create a better home for you to live in.

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GetEcoNow's mission is to educate and supply content to our community and make a difference in our environment and economy. GetEcoNow features links, reviews, blogs, articles and a podcast to offer our researched opinions and insight to all. Enjoy the site and may it benefit you in your business as well as personal life.

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How to Manage Ethics in the Workplace

The effective management of ethics is sound business practice. Employees' morale is raised; bottom-line performance is improved, your corporate image is enhanced; and customers choose to form business relationships with companies that adhere to high standards of ethical conduct. One of your key management tasks is to persuade employees to accept your organization's ethical values. Here are some points to consider...

1. Understand the benefits of ethical conduct.
All key parties benefit from ethical conduct within the organization. Employees who have confidence in their management contribute to their organization's prosperity. Conversely, in an unethical climate, employee productivity declines, creativity is channeled into seeking ways to profit personally from the business, loyalty diminishes, and absenteeism and staff turnover increase. Customers prefer to be associated with and remain loyal to companies that adhere to codes of ethical behavior. Shareholders derive up to fifteen times greater return from companies with a dedicated commitment to ethical conduct. US research in the 1990s identified companies across industry sectors that had outperformed their peers. The one common quality among those companies was a demonstrated commitment to their stated values.

2. Focus on ethical conduct.
When referring to codes of behavior, the term 'ethical conduct' is more comprehensive and more meaningful than 'ethics'. The best ethical values and intentions are relatively meaningless unless they generate fair, just, and observable behaviors in the workplace. Ethical conduct focuses on demonstrated behavior-doing, not just saying.

How to Manage Ethics in the Workplace

3. Develop a code of ethical conduct.
The best way to handle ethical dilemmas is to avoid their occurrence in the first place. The process involved in developing a code of ethical conduct helps to sensitize employees to ethical considerations and minimizes the likelihood that unethical behavior will occur. A process is outlined in How to develop a code of ethical conduct on page 18 of the e-Book Ethics.

4. Promote process.
When it comes to managing ethics and, in particular, developing a code of ethical conduct, the journey is just as important as the destination. Codes, policies, procedures, and budgets are important. So, too, is the process of reflection and dialogue that produces those deliverables. Where possible use group decision making to actively involve participation in, and ownership of, the final outcome.

5. Link ethics to other management practices.
The development of a code of ethical conduct should not occur in isolation. The creation of a values statement, for example, should occur as part of a strategic planning process. A link to ethical conduct fits ideally with this process. Similarly, any discussion about personnel policies could also reflect ethical values as they apply to the organization's culture.

6. Demonstrate ethical practices.
The best way for you and your organization to gain a reputation for operating ethically is to demonstrate that behavior-the most important way to remain ethical is to be ethical. And the best advertisement your ethics management program can have is everyone's commitment to it. Be prepared for an increase in the number of ethical issues to be dealt with. As staff become increasingly aware of the importance of ethics management, it is to be expected that more issues will be identified. As Helen Vines says in 'The Core of Good Business' (HR Monthly, June 1999): 'The most damaging thing is for management to come out with a code of ethics, or a value statement, and model a different type of behavior.'

7. Allocate roles and responsibilities.
The approach will vary according to the organization, but an appropriate structure could include the following:
• An ethics management committee, representing the entire organization, with responsibilities to include implementing and administering an ethics management program. The creation and monitoring of a code of ethical conduct would be part of that overall program.
• An ethics officer who ideally should be a senior executive but not from HR or the Legal Department. He or she must be trained in matters of ethics in the workplace and have ultimate responsibility for managing the program.
• Demonstrated involvement and support of top management. Staff and Board must see that senior management takes ethical conduct seriously.

8. Identify and model industry benchmarks.
An increasing number of companies strive to match practices with espoused values. The Soul of a Business (Bantam, 1993), for example, is an account of the way in which ethical considerations guided the day-to-day operations of the American company, Tom's of Maine. One of the company's stated values was its commitment to the health of the environment. The company, therefore, used glass containers instead of plastic, even though plastic was cheaper to purchase, label, and ship. Tom's of Maine was also committed to supporting its regional economy. Only when it couldn't purchase a resource in its local area would Tom's go farther afield. This demonstrated commitment to espoused values contributed to the company's growth and profitability and inspired others to follow its lead.

How to Manage Ethics in the Workplace
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Dr Neil Flanagan provides for busy people on the go, access to essential management know-how. That's why his site is called management2go. When you visit http://www.management2go.com a FREE gift and a FREE e-Topic are yours-for-the-downloading. And you can opt to receive a regular newsletter that will keep you informed about everything management and link you to a worldwide network of people just like you. If you'd like more information about issues raised in this article, go to http://www.management2go.com/products/Ethics.html

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Thatch Roofing - Innovations in Fire Protection

'How very little since things were made, Things have altered in the building trade' -Rudyard Kipling

If one look at the quote above one can deduct that there has not been a lot of innovations in the thatching industry, there has however been huge advances in the fire protection of the thatching material. Modern laying techniques also eliminate the exaggerated fire risk that many people fear regarding thatch. Nowadays various fire blankets are placed in between the thatch and with the correct compaction the fire risk is virtually eliminated and with the use of lightning conductors, thatch is no longer the hazardous material of the past.

o PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

Thatch Roofing - Innovations in Fire Protection

Lightning protection

Lightning conductors should always be installed to protect the thatched buildings. For single masts the angle of protection is 45° from the highest point downwards and one should make sure that the whole roof is covered by at least one meter above the roof of the building. For a high risk zone of lightning for example on sloping ground or on a hill, the angle of protection is only 30° from the highest point downwards along the pole and naturally the lightning conductor will have to be a lot taller or multiple conductors can be installed. When more than one lightning conductor is installed, the angle of protection between them is 60° from their highest points downwards along the poles.

Binding

For lightning protection purposes, it is strongly recommended that galvanized steel wire should not be used for binding the thatch, and rather a suitable natural material should be used. Poplar and wattle sticks are commonly used and some use cane or thatch strands. Tar treated string should not be used for binding as this can create a fuse-like effect in the event of fire.

Chimneys

Chimney stacks should be constructed in such away that the outer faces in contact with the thatch do not become hot. A full brick thickness (220 mm) is normally sufficient to satisfy this requirement. All mortar joints in the stack must be properly filled. The top of the stack must extend to at least 1m above the highest point of roof and a spark arrestor, (stainless steel wire mesh), fitted close to the top, covering the full width of the flue, must be built into the flue around the edges to prevent sparks flying out and possibly ignite the roof.

Cabling & Services

Electrical power supply and telephone cables should enter the building by means of underground ducts, and all electrical wiring in the roof space should be run in screwed metal conduit, with all junction boxes properly sealed.

Refuse

Combustible material should not be allowed to accumulate near the house. A number of thatched roofs have, in the past, been set on fire as a result of the burning of garden refuse in the vicinity.

Adjacent buildings

Sufficient space must be allowed between buildings to prevent fire spreading to the thatched building from adjacent buildings and vice versa. Some countries' regulations calls for at least a 15m distance between the building and its plot boundary line.

o REDUCTION OF COMBUSTIBILITY

Fire retardant chemicals

Many fire retardant chemicals are available these days that can be applied to thatch by immersion or spraying, but as these chemicals are generally water soluble they are, in time, largely washed out by rain as they do not penetrate the material but only form a surface coating.
A lot of exposure to the sun will also gradually evaporate the chemicals and might leave the top layer unprotected.

Fire resistant blankets

A protective, noncombustible membrane can be laid under the thatching grass to act as a blanket preventing the spread of fire between the thatch layers. Materials that are generally used for such a purpose is aluminum, building paper or glass fibre. The disadvantage of such a measure in warm, humid or high rainfall areas is that because of the impervious membrane or blanket, air flow between the thatch is restricted and will enhance the growth of destructive fungi. To allow air flow through the thatch to avoid fungi growth the chosen membrane should be sufficiently perforated.

o FIRE FIGHTING FACILITIES

Soaking with water

Perforated horizontal pipes can be provided on each side of and running parallel to the ridge, controlled by stop taps at ground level. The pipes can be of galvanized steel or copper, perforated with holes at sufficient intervals along the length of the pipe to discharge water over the roof surface in the event of fire. Alternatively a horizontal pipe may be run inside the roof at the ridge, with 'spreaders' protruding through the thatch at sufficient intervals. Such installations can be used to soak the thatch in the event of a fire risk. A high rate of water discharge is needed for this to be effective and will not be able to run of a domestic water supply. Special arrangement will need to be made with the local council for such an installation.

Other

There are two schools of thought about the value of swimming pools as a source of water supply for fire fighting. Some local authorities consider that a pool can be useful if located near enough to the house and with unrestricted access for the fire brigade.

However, some specialist organizations believe that thatch burns so rapidly that the fire brigade can rarely reach the scene before the fire has got a hold and that initial use of water from the brigade's unit tanks would be quicker than using a swimming pool supply.

A long-handled metal rake should be provided in an easily accessible place, for pulling down smoldering thatch from the roof. The handle may be fitted with a suitable clip to which the nozzle of the hose pipe may be attached, thus improving the reach of the jet.

Even when all these precautions have been taken, the occupant of a thatched house must always exercise care when handling open fires in or near the house e.g. when preparing for a bbq or burning garden refuse or if fireworks are being discharged in the vicinity.

Thatch Roofing - Innovations in Fire Protection
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Written by Jere Botes, architect & founder of http://www.dreamhouses.co.za a website dedicated to provide home builders, renovators, owners & developers with free professional advice on all aspects of home design, building & diy and http://www.cad-architect.net a source of over 2000 CAD Symbols, Details, Drawings and lots of other information for Architects & Building designers. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to either dreamhouses.co.za or cad-architect.net

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