Green Brothers Recycling

We offer free or low cost commercial and residential recycling services. Specializing in junk removal, green demolition, battery recycling, E waste, more.

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Facts about Battery Recycling

Battery recycling is an activity that aims to lessen the number of batteries being disposed off as solid waste. A battery contains several heavy metals as well as toxic chemicals which if not carefully discarded can lead to contamination of the soil and pollution of our water resources. Most batteries can be recycled. However, some batteries can be recycled more easily than others. These include lead-acid automotive batteries and button cells which can be recycled by almost 90%. Other types, such as alkaline and rechargeable batteries are also recyclable. The recycling process is simple and 70% of the weight of the battery is made into reusable lead. As a result, over 50% of the lead supply is derived from recycled batteries. Other types of batteries such as mobile phone and consumer batteries are not too easily recycled, and several organizations are trying to discover ways of collection of spent batteries easier. Only about 20% to 40% percent of such batteries are currently recycled. The main aim of battery recycling is to prevent hazardous waste from being disposed in landfills. Lead acid and nickel-cadmium batteries are especially harmful so one needs to make sure that these are stored and disposed off carefully. Do not store old lead acid batteries in households with small children, as simply touching the lead poles can be harmful. Despite the fact that they are not eco friendly, lead acid batteries continue to occupy a strong market position. Lead acid batteries are used in battery operated cats, wheel chairs and UPS systems. Among rechargeable batteries, nickel-cadmium ones are most used and are critical to the functioning of commercial aeroplanes and sightseeing boats in large rivers. Unfortunately, there is still no alternative for toxic batteries. However, there is nothing wrong in using these batteries as long as we remember to dispose them properly. Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries were banned in Europe because a suitable replacement, the NiMH battery was found. The long-term damage to the environment if NiCd batteries are not discarded properly could be devastating. The battery recycling process begins by sorting the batteries into separate chemicals. Collection facilities place lead acid, nickel-metal-hydride, nickel-cadmium, and lithium ion batteries into separate drums or boxes. This separation according to different chemicals makes the recycling process more profitable. Once the batteries are sorted, the combustible material, such as plastics and insulation is removed using a gas-fired thermal oxidizer. Then, the pollutants released during the burning process are eliminated with the scrubber in the plant, before they are released into the atmosphere. This leaves the clean and stripped cells with only their valuable metal content. These cells are then cut into small pieces and heated until the metal gets liquefied. The result is that non-metallic substances are burned off which leave a black scum on top which is removed by a slag arm. The alloys then settle according to their weight and are skimmed off from the surface while they are still in liquid form. So, the next time you buy batteries for your laptop or your mobile phone charger, make sure that you dispose them and store them carefully. Click here to know more about Auto Recycling or visit our website: greenbrothersrecycling.com This content has been taken from http://greenbrothersrecycling.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/facts-about-battery-recycling/

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The Truth about Green Demolition

We often hear the term 'green demolition' nowadays. But do we actually know what the term implies. Green demolition is another term for deconstruction. It is actually the dismantling of a building in a way such that almost 80% of its materials can be recycled or reused rather than been dumped in landfills which subsequently pollute the earth's soil and water resources. At present mandatory in some cities of the United States such as San Diego, California, green demolition is a good initiative to conserve natural resources which would otherwise become scarce. The rule is that developers will only get the refunds of their permit deposits if they are able to prove that 50% or more of their construction waste has been reused or recycled. Some states in the US have facilities that accept construction waste in bulk quantities for a high fee while some other facilities have made it compulsory for the materials to be separated before they go in for processing. An expensive process no doubt, recycling is often the last option, the other two more cost effective options being reducing or reusing. Reducing however needs much preparation and planning because one needs to pay attention to the dimension of the materials that are needed so that excess amounts are not thrown away, especially with regard to items such as cardboard wood or drywall, which are the three most used materials in construction. Reusing old material on the other hand is the most convenient as well as cost effective option. Materials such as wooden floors and beams, doors and windows, tiles and carpets, bricks, aluminium frames, pipes, roofing material, fixtures, or appliances, can be reused in future projects if they are harvested properly. However, there is a downside to everything. Green demolition is indeed a time consuming process and also costs about $10,000 more per job than the usual demolition. But money can be saved on landfill charges and also by getting tax credits if some of the materials are donated. Additionally, if you want your company to be certified according to the standards of the United States Green Building Council, you have no choice but to go in for green demolition. Previously, green demolition was criticized because many experts felt that it took too long to complete a project and that the service was too expensive to be affordable by everybody. In fact, many of the earlier methods of green demolition were actually very time consuming as well as labour-intensive, thus making it difficult for most to build a sustainable business. But deconstruction experts point out that as much as 90% of a home can be reclaimed. Salvaging material for re-use as well as recycling offers numerous benefits not only to the builder or the client, but to the environment as well. Instead of going waste in landfills, these materials such as concrete, wires, plumbing and so on can be reused in other projects or sent to industrial recyclers to be put back into the product stream. Deconstruction also limits the production of carbon dioxide which results from the manufacture of new material. Click here to know more about Battery Recycling or visit our website greenbrothersrecycling.com This content has been taken from http://greenbrothersrecycling.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/the-truth-about-green-demolition/

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Tips on Auto Recycling

Auto recycling is the process of dismantling vehicles for spare parts. Automobiles are depreciating assets. Once they reach the end of their useful life, the only value they retain is that of their spare parts and this has created an industry by itself. Around twelve to fifteen million vehicles reach the end of their use every year in the United States alone. These automobiles, although out of utility, still serve a purpose by giving back the metal that they contain. The vehicles are shredded and the metal is recovered for recycling, while the remaining junk is put into a landfill. Up to date vehicle recycling methods are as cost-effective as possible and almost 75% of the materials are recycled. Do you know that these out of use vehicles provide the steel industry with more than 14 million tons of steel? One may ask, what is the purpose behind vehicle recycling? Why do we scrap and shed cars? Not only is auto recycling a lucrative business, it also helps in conserving natural resources, thereby protecting the environment from further damage. The sale of reusable parts of old cars is only a small fraction of the auto recycling industry. About 65% of a scrapped car is made of steel and the price of scrap steel and iron, though rising and falling, often stabilise to around $250 per ton. Expanding Asian economies have lead to a higher demand for scrap steel, thus providing a boost to the global market which is turning into a multibillion dollar industry. As we have already read, recycling steel saves energy and helps to conserve natural resources. The steel industry saves enough energy to provide power to almost 18 million households for a year, on an annual basis! Recycling metal also uses about 74% less energy than creating it afresh. Thus, recyclers of vehicles save almost 85 million barrels of oil per year that would have been used in the manufacturing of other parts. Similarly, recycling a car helps to keep 11 million tons of steel and 800,000 non-iron metals out of landfills to be reused by consumers. Recycled steel is cheaper too, since one does not need to mine new ore to produce it. All steel manufactured nowadays contains at least 25 percent of recycled steel in it, and some products are entirely made from recycled steel. So apart from the economic as well as environmental advantages, recycling cars is a vital part of the world's industrial infrastructure. Once cars are crushed, they are shipped off to a recycling centre where they are shredded and separated into small pieces, which are then sorted into different metals. Surprisingly, many auto recycling companies cause more harm to the environment than protecting it. For example, when auto recyclers dispose off hazardous auto parts or toxic substances like oils, coolants or mercury, some of these substances percolate to the ground and can be flushed into our waterways when it rains. This can endanger marine life and public health. So, it is important to known which metals can be recycled before the recycling process begins. Click here for more information about Green Demolition then visit the website greenbrothersrecycling.com This content has been taken from http://greenbrothersrecycling.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/tips-on-auto-recycling/

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Tips on Metal Recycling

Recycling metal items from your household waste is a great way to save energy and also reduce the waste piles that collect in our home. However, remember that all metals cannot be recycled, so it would be a good idea to read up the pointers below before you decide on scrap metal recycling in your home. Aluminium is a highly recyclable metal and recycled aluminium needs only five percent of the energy required for making it right from scratch. Some of the items that you may consider recycling include aluminium candy bar wrappers, however make sure they are not tin foil else they will not be recycled. Others include aluminium plates, cans, gardening tools, aluminium frames of doors and windows, containers, foil or construction material. Another commonly found metal that can be recycled is steel. Some of the items that you can recycle are motors, tools, food cans, frames, nails, construction beams or girders, or even inner structures of concrete rods. Another good metal to be considered for recycling is copper. Copper is now worth a good sum. You can exchange your old copper pipes and household items such as wires, coins, old unused pots and pans for cash by taking them to a well known recycling depot. There are several other metallic items found in households such as food and drink cans, jewellery, bronze or brass artifacts which can also be recycled. It is important to keep in mind which metals are not recyclable. There are a number of items that are not recyclable at most depots. These include containers used for paint or aerosols , pipes, toxic products, clothes hangers or pieces of unknown metal. You must always make sure that such items are disposed off as per relevant laws. If you are keen on metal recycling, it would be a good idea to check out metal prices online to see if you will be making a profit while doing a good deed as a responsible citizen. Recycling is nothing but reusing old metal items, mainly aluminium and steel, to make new products. Recycling old metal items uses 95% less energy than manufacturing them from new material. Metal recycling processes consume tons of energy, so if we recycle metal products, we only need to use around 4% of this total energy, which goes a long way in saving our natural resources and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Apart from conservation of natural resources, recycling of metals has some other advantages too. Recycling aluminium and steel can earn you cash in return for those metals, can cause less land and water pollution, reduce damages caused by mining, and overall reduce our consumption of energy in daily lives. So, go ahead and be a responsible citizen. You can contribute in your own way in protecting the planet for your children and the future generations. The watchwords should be Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These three Rs will help in conserving our natural resources without which life cannot be imagined. Click here for more information about Green Demolition or visit the website greenbrothersrecycling.com This content has been taken from http://greenbrothersrecycling.wordpress.com/2013/10/22/tips-on-metal-recycling/