Can we get more people to use the bottle bank by making it fun to do?
At 0,4 Sodra Station, there is a Bottle Bank Arcade for recycling glass bottles:
How to play
Press START
Wait for light
Put bottle in
Collect points
OK? Lets play (watch the video below):
Result: Over one evening, the bottle bank arcade was used by nearly one hundred people. During the same period, the nearby conventional bottle bank was used twice.
Fun can obviously change behaviour for the better. They call it the fun theory (Volkswagen Initiative).
Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recycling. Show all posts
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Recycle Confidential Papers
Most organizations whether commercial, government and non-government organizations (NGO), etc., will have confidential papers that they would not want to fall into the wrong hands. On the other hand, environmental activists are screaming for greater efforts at recycling, and paper are one of the easiest used items to recycle. How do we reconcile the two? Easy. Get paper shredders.However, a check of the above website showed that there are 134 paper shredders listed, and that not including other paper shredders listed. How would one go about choosing a paper shredder to shred confidential documents to be sent for recycling? One can always do some kind of evaluation of each shredder on the market, but that is going to take a mighty long time and great effort. The other way to fall back on collective wisdom, and that is exactly what wize.com claims to use and coming up with what they call WIZERANK which is a number ranging from 0 to 100 and very easy to interpret. Check the table below:
| WIZERANK | Recommendation |
| 90 - 100 | Buy with confidence |
| 75 - 89 | Might meet your needs |
| 50 - 74 | Proceed with caution |
| 0 - 49 | Not recommended |
However, WIZERANK is only one part of the story. Different people or organizations have different preferences, priorities and needs. You will notice at the above product review website, there is a left sidebar which you can use to filter products according to Price, Brands, Cut Style, Maximum Sheet Capacity and Speed. If you only small small sheet capacity paper shredder. At he time I checked, the top ranked paper, Adler Royal JS55 Shredder had a price tag of only $15, so if that is accurate, you will save a bundle of money. However, you will have to live with maximum sheet capacity of 5, but perhaps that is sufficient for you.
It will all depend on your budget, preferences, requirements, etc. But having a product review website will definitely help you zero in on the paper shredder you that suit your circumstances.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Recycle confidential papers, maintain confidentiality
Most organizations whether commercial, government and non-government organizations (NGO), etc., will have confidential papers that they would not want ....
UPDATE: This post has been updated and you can view the updated version at Recycle confidential papers
UPDATE: This post has been updated and you can view the updated version at Recycle confidential papers
Monday, February 11, 2008
Recyling bins: Aid to encourage recycling
Recycling habits are hard to instill in people used to the old, wasteful, couldn’t care less attitudes. In some countries, effective recycling programs have to be enforced via regulations. In other countries, making it easy for people to recycle would be a big help, and one of the ways would be to place as many recycling bins as possible in as many convenient locations as possible. This has been done in my country where such recycling bins have been placed at strategic places like residence association’s centers, schools, shopping centers, etc.
Recycling bins can be made of various types of materials. The preferable ones are recycle container that are themselves made from recycled materials such as recycled plastic. One has to be seen as practicing what one preaches. Other than recycled plastic, there are bins for recycling which are made from recycled milk jugs.
It is not enough to just place a single recycling bin at a location as then people will stuff it with paper, glass, aluminum, plastic, etc., into a single bin. This will mean you need to have people to sort them out and divide them into different stream for the recycling process. There should be more than one bin. One for paper, one for plastic, one for glass, etc. This will make for much easier, less labor intensive and more cost effective recycling.
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Recycling bins can be made of various types of materials. The preferable ones are recycle container that are themselves made from recycled materials such as recycled plastic. One has to be seen as practicing what one preaches. Other than recycled plastic, there are bins for recycling which are made from recycled milk jugs.
It is not enough to just place a single recycling bin at a location as then people will stuff it with paper, glass, aluminum, plastic, etc., into a single bin. This will mean you need to have people to sort them out and divide them into different stream for the recycling process. There should be more than one bin. One for paper, one for plastic, one for glass, etc. This will make for much easier, less labor intensive and more cost effective recycling.
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Monday, October 15, 2007
Green Thinking for the Average Joe: Another environmental blog
I say the more, the merrier. What am I referring to? Environmental blogs. We cannot have too many of them (meaning, the more, the merrier). Our suffering Mother Earth, or what I often refer to as our only spaceship earth still without no lifeboat. She needs all the help she can get.
So I am pleasantly encouraged to learn of the existence of Eco Joes: Green Thinking for the Average Joe, another environmental blog. It says for the average joe, the ones that need convincing, something drastic need to be done.
From the topics in the Categories, I see that Eco Joes have covered many topics, Let us focus on a few. There is the recycle Category which at the time of publishing, have only one post "Recycle Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment". I wish the title of that post could be "Reuse Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment". Why? Because Reuse was what promted the creation of this blog. Because I think the familiar symbol for recyle with 3 arrows represents the 3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and recyle, I believe in order of importance with recycle filling the last (therefore least desirable) spot.
It is much better to reduce the amount of waste that we generate, for example by cutting down on beautiful packaging. I was very happy when I asked my daughter what was that she was taking out (to the car), and she answered it is a present. But why now gift wrap paper? No need, she said. That is one answer I loved. A present minus the trims. For there is just too much unnecessary packaging we get these days, genereting huge amount of avoidable waste. What to know my feelings about presents? Surf over to My first grandchild at his grandfather's 58th birthday. I can't smile for the camera. If I try, I always end up with a very artificial smile. On that occassion, I ended up not with a smile, but got caught on photos with a genuine laugh. Those photos enabled me to crop out my mugshot with a rare laughing face I could use for profile photos like the one for my now main blog Blogger Tips and Tricks. But my laugh would have been even heartier if they had not use any gift wrap paper. Just wondering, is it ever possible to persuade people to reduce or stop the practice of wrapping up presents with gift wrapping paper which often ends up in the recycle bins or the dumpsite. Or at least try to Reuse the gift wrap paper by carefully unwrapping the gift without tearing it so that it can be reused again when you need to gift wrap a present. I do that.
Why am I talking so much about Reuse. If you want to know, read the profile in this blog or surf over to Envirocard. Unfortunately, except for usable throwaway or repairable Cell Phones can't be reused. I reread that post. In my opinion, it should be retitled "Reuse Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment", for it is not talking about sending the hand phones to be recyled into something, but to be sold for a song or donated away for someone else to use. That is Reuse, not recyle. To me, there is a huge difference between the two terms.
Hey, looks like I am not as observant as I should be as a former Boy Scout. there is a reusing Category and I see 2 articles there! In my opinion, the post "Recycle Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment" should get its title changed and placed in this Category instead. By the way, I see almost the same statement "Lots of chemicals have to be used to recycle paper bags" as the one I made in my profile for this blog, except I said a lot more.
What else can we find on that environmental blog? One more of interest to me is the bike Category. that also have only one post - "Use Bikes Instead of Cars In College". Why bike? Along with walking, it is one of the most environmentally friendly form of transport. I bought a Peugeot lightweight racing bike from a flea market when I was in Geneva for the Geneva International Invention Exhibition to cycle around Geneva during my stay there. I even stayed at a caravan beside the beautiful Geneva lake instead of one of those expensive hotels nearer to town and nearer to the Exhibition Hall. I had a good time staying beside the Geneva lake although it involves cycling great distance. But cycling is very safe in Geneva. Not only do I get to see Geneva touring on the bike, I saved enough on public transport to pay for the cost of the bike.
I like the bike so much that at the end of the exhibition, I unassembled it, packed the components up and flew it back to Malaysia. Unfortunately, Malaysia is not so conducive to cycling around with the hot weather and the unfriendly motor vehicles. I eventually freecycled it away via Freecycle Petaling Jaya.
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So I am pleasantly encouraged to learn of the existence of Eco Joes: Green Thinking for the Average Joe, another environmental blog. It says for the average joe, the ones that need convincing, something drastic need to be done.
From the topics in the Categories, I see that Eco Joes have covered many topics, Let us focus on a few. There is the recycle Category which at the time of publishing, have only one post "Recycle Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment". I wish the title of that post could be "Reuse Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment". Why? Because Reuse was what promted the creation of this blog. Because I think the familiar symbol for recyle with 3 arrows represents the 3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and recyle, I believe in order of importance with recycle filling the last (therefore least desirable) spot.
It is much better to reduce the amount of waste that we generate, for example by cutting down on beautiful packaging. I was very happy when I asked my daughter what was that she was taking out (to the car), and she answered it is a present. But why now gift wrap paper? No need, she said. That is one answer I loved. A present minus the trims. For there is just too much unnecessary packaging we get these days, genereting huge amount of avoidable waste. What to know my feelings about presents? Surf over to My first grandchild at his grandfather's 58th birthday. I can't smile for the camera. If I try, I always end up with a very artificial smile. On that occassion, I ended up not with a smile, but got caught on photos with a genuine laugh. Those photos enabled me to crop out my mugshot with a rare laughing face I could use for profile photos like the one for my now main blog Blogger Tips and Tricks. But my laugh would have been even heartier if they had not use any gift wrap paper. Just wondering, is it ever possible to persuade people to reduce or stop the practice of wrapping up presents with gift wrapping paper which often ends up in the recycle bins or the dumpsite. Or at least try to Reuse the gift wrap paper by carefully unwrapping the gift without tearing it so that it can be reused again when you need to gift wrap a present. I do that.
Why am I talking so much about Reuse. If you want to know, read the profile in this blog or surf over to Envirocard. Unfortunately, except for usable throwaway or repairable Cell Phones can't be reused. I reread that post. In my opinion, it should be retitled "Reuse Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment", for it is not talking about sending the hand phones to be recyled into something, but to be sold for a song or donated away for someone else to use. That is Reuse, not recyle. To me, there is a huge difference between the two terms.
Hey, looks like I am not as observant as I should be as a former Boy Scout. there is a reusing Category and I see 2 articles there! In my opinion, the post "Recycle Your Cell Phone For Money And The Environment" should get its title changed and placed in this Category instead. By the way, I see almost the same statement "Lots of chemicals have to be used to recycle paper bags" as the one I made in my profile for this blog, except I said a lot more.
What else can we find on that environmental blog? One more of interest to me is the bike Category. that also have only one post - "Use Bikes Instead of Cars In College". Why bike? Along with walking, it is one of the most environmentally friendly form of transport. I bought a Peugeot lightweight racing bike from a flea market when I was in Geneva for the Geneva International Invention Exhibition to cycle around Geneva during my stay there. I even stayed at a caravan beside the beautiful Geneva lake instead of one of those expensive hotels nearer to town and nearer to the Exhibition Hall. I had a good time staying beside the Geneva lake although it involves cycling great distance. But cycling is very safe in Geneva. Not only do I get to see Geneva touring on the bike, I saved enough on public transport to pay for the cost of the bike.
I like the bike so much that at the end of the exhibition, I unassembled it, packed the components up and flew it back to Malaysia. Unfortunately, Malaysia is not so conducive to cycling around with the hot weather and the unfriendly motor vehicles. I eventually freecycled it away via Freecycle Petaling Jaya.
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
Recycle your old spectacles
Bespectacled people, especially the trendy youngs, are likely to change their spectacles every 2 or 3 years. Now they don't have to end up in the landfill because there is a collection campaign under a collaborative project between Lions Club and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ or Majlis Bandaran Petaling Jaya).
The old spectacles will be cleaned, repaired and distributed to the under-privileged in the poor countries of Africa, Asia and Central America.
The programme called the Give the Gift of Sight was started off by Luxottica Group, a United States eyeware company as a corporate charity programme in 1998 with the support of Lions Club International and now has come to the Malaysian shore. Actually, this programme has been going on with The Lions Club collecting used eyeware, but now have joined hands with MBPJ.
The programme will contribute towards solving the mounting garbage problem as well as helping the poor of the world.
The collection centers are at MBPJ headquater, Menara MBPJ, DIJROA Community Recycling Center, Ming Tien Food Court at Taman Megah, Taman Megah Resident Association, Magnum in Taman Megah, Taman Mayang Resident Association, Morning Market at Road SS2/63 in front of MJ restaurant, Lovely Disabled Home in SS2, Beautiful Gate at Road SS2/24, Petaling Jaya Community Center at Road 17/23, ICT Center at Jalan 17/1A, London Optical in Damansara Utama, Malaya Optical at Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Section 5 Resident Association (Photo Shp of Jalan Chantek), Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Kelana, Rukun Tetangga Jalan Carey, Rukun Tetangga Section 1A, Rukun Tetangga SS5, Komuniti Link at Summit Shopping Center, Saujana Apartment Resident Association in Damansara Damai, Rukun Tetangga Kampung Chempaka, JKKK Kampung Kayu Ara, Resident Association SS3, Klinik Huang in SS3, Rukun Tetangga Sea Park, Clinic MBPJ, Rukun Tetangga Section 4A, MBPJ Landscape Department in Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya, Hotel Lisa De Inn and Hotel PJ De Inn.
Further details and for donation in bulk, contact Lee Lik Shyan at 012-2081 489.
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The old spectacles will be cleaned, repaired and distributed to the under-privileged in the poor countries of Africa, Asia and Central America.
The programme called the Give the Gift of Sight was started off by Luxottica Group, a United States eyeware company as a corporate charity programme in 1998 with the support of Lions Club International and now has come to the Malaysian shore. Actually, this programme has been going on with The Lions Club collecting used eyeware, but now have joined hands with MBPJ.
The programme will contribute towards solving the mounting garbage problem as well as helping the poor of the world.
The collection centers are at MBPJ headquater, Menara MBPJ, DIJROA Community Recycling Center, Ming Tien Food Court at Taman Megah, Taman Megah Resident Association, Magnum in Taman Megah, Taman Mayang Resident Association, Morning Market at Road SS2/63 in front of MJ restaurant, Lovely Disabled Home in SS2, Beautiful Gate at Road SS2/24, Petaling Jaya Community Center at Road 17/23, ICT Center at Jalan 17/1A, London Optical in Damansara Utama, Malaya Optical at Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Section 5 Resident Association (Photo Shp of Jalan Chantek), Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Kelana, Rukun Tetangga Jalan Carey, Rukun Tetangga Section 1A, Rukun Tetangga SS5, Komuniti Link at Summit Shopping Center, Saujana Apartment Resident Association in Damansara Damai, Rukun Tetangga Kampung Chempaka, JKKK Kampung Kayu Ara, Resident Association SS3, Klinik Huang in SS3, Rukun Tetangga Sea Park, Clinic MBPJ, Rukun Tetangga Section 4A, MBPJ Landscape Department in Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya, Hotel Lisa De Inn and Hotel PJ De Inn.
Further details and for donation in bulk, contact Lee Lik Shyan at 012-2081 489.
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Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Even more environmentally friendly way to recycle paper
In my country, there are collectors who cruise around housing estates to collect old newspapers for recycling, and even things like old car batteries, scrap metal. Previously, I used to only collect old newspapers and then pass it to them for which I get a small sum of money. Now rather than throwing away used envelopes, junk mail, company reports (I remove the staples first if they are stapled), used papers, etc. And the collectors do accept them. I do not know if I am even paid extra for it and I don't ask, but I doubt it. However, I have at least kept some stuff out of the dump sites.
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Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Manufacturing gasoline from cowdung
Sakae Shibusawa, an agriculture engineering professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and his team claim that they have successully extracted a half ounce of gasoline from every 3.5 ounces of cow dung. They were helped by staff from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. They did this by applying a 30-atmosphere pressure and temperature of 572 degree Fahrenheit to the cow dung in the presence of unspecified catalysts.
The team hopes to improve the technology further so that it can be used commercially within 5 years.
From Corn Waste To Bio-fuel : An article from: E : the Environmental Magazine [HTML] (Digital)
Methane from Community Wastes (Elsevier Applied Biotechnology Series)
The team hopes to improve the technology further so that it can be used commercially within 5 years.
From Corn Waste To Bio-fuel : An article from: E : the Environmental Magazine [HTML] (Digital)
Methane from Community Wastes (Elsevier Applied Biotechnology Series)
Turning Garbage into Oil
Brian Appel and Changing World Technologies have developed a system that can convert any organic waste (municipal garbage, used tires, plastic wastes, offal, oil refinery residues, etc.) into a high quality gasoline, clean burning gas and purified minerals that can be used as fuels, fertilizers or specialty chemicals. It does this by doing the same thing as mother earth, that is, using intense heat and pressure, but in hours.
They have just completed the first industrial-size installation. The experimental factory takes turkey parts mixed with leftover restaurant grease and water and runs the smelly mixture through grinders, boilers and separation tanks. Along the way, the mixture is heated up twice - to about 500 and 1,000 degrees respectively and subjected to intense pressure 50 times normal atmospheric pressure. Every ton of turkey slop that goes in results in 640 pounds of clean burning oils that are sold as fuels, 100 pounds of methane, buthane and propane gas that are burned on site to generate the electricity that power the process, and 60 pounds of solid minerals that are sold as fertilizer. The only waste that is left behind is distilled water, plus there are no smokestacks belching pollution-laden smoke, no discharge pipes spewing wastewater, and enough electricity is generated to power itself without using any additional energy.
"This system will accept almost any carbon-based feedstock," says Appel. "If a 175 pound man fell in at one end, he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, 7 pouns of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water."
They have just completed the first industrial-size installation. The experimental factory takes turkey parts mixed with leftover restaurant grease and water and runs the smelly mixture through grinders, boilers and separation tanks. Along the way, the mixture is heated up twice - to about 500 and 1,000 degrees respectively and subjected to intense pressure 50 times normal atmospheric pressure. Every ton of turkey slop that goes in results in 640 pounds of clean burning oils that are sold as fuels, 100 pounds of methane, buthane and propane gas that are burned on site to generate the electricity that power the process, and 60 pounds of solid minerals that are sold as fertilizer. The only waste that is left behind is distilled water, plus there are no smokestacks belching pollution-laden smoke, no discharge pipes spewing wastewater, and enough electricity is generated to power itself without using any additional energy.
"This system will accept almost any carbon-based feedstock," says Appel. "If a 175 pound man fell in at one end, he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, 7 pouns of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water."
Biodiesel: Growing A New Energy Economy
21st Century Essential Guide to Methane and Biogas: Landfill Methane and Manure for Energy, AgStar Program, Recovery and Mitigation, Greenhouse Gas Emissions ... Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Biobased Products (CD-ROM)
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Wood recycling systems
PAL has sold 3 chips recycling systems to Sung Chang, Korea, Egger Rambervillers (France) and Belipa (France). PAL's family of recycling systems now total 187 members. This means that when the latest systems begin operating it will be capable of processing 32 million tonnes of bd wood per year, thereby saving on a yearly basis 64,000,000 tons of fresh polar wood, or the equivalent to 4,300 meter squared of plantation. (Source FDM Asia)
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