Cells for Cells

Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

Kansas City

Recycle My Glass: How Old Glass Becomes New Glass via NPR

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At a recycling convention, I spoke with a glass manufacturer about recycling.  At one point in the conversation the glass guy said, “you can’t get cheaper than sand.”  Shocked, I interpreted the underlying philosophy (of the glass guy) that it was a more of a hassle to recycle glass than it was to just bring in some fresh sand.  It made me a little bit suspicious of why he was at the recycling convention.  Also, I began to wonder about the public’s participation in some of the recycling programs available for glass.

Yes, Recycle Your Glass

In Kansas City, Ripple Glass is THE glass recycler.  They have bins everywhere; making it super easy to recycle your glass.  So, if you are looking for ways to be more friendly to our environment, Ripple Glass is the answer.

How Is Glass Recycled?

Have you ever wondered about how glass is recycled?  I caught this 3 minute video from NPR and was amazed by it.  Enjoy!

Secrets From The Recycling Plant: How A Used Bottle Becomes A New Bottle from Planet Money on Vimeo.

Additional Reading

How To Be A Better Recycler At Home

Recycling Tips From Deffenbaugh Industries

Green Team Window Cleaning: Sustainability Is Key To Owner Chris Deulen

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Green Team Window CleaningChris Deulen is the owner of Green Team Window Cleaning.  He claims to be the only 100% green window cleaning company in Kansas.  In this interview, you’ll read why that claim is easy for Chris to make.

If you are currently shopping for a window cleaning company, take note that:  1.   You won’t pay more for green.  2.  There is a way to have 50% of your window cleaning bill REFUNDED back to you.  3.  Look for the DIY tip that will help you keep your windows spotless between professional cleanings.

1.  Chris, you claim to be a green window cleaning company – what does that mean?

Chris:  Green to us means taking every step possible towards becoming environmentally sustainable in our business as well as in our personal lives.  We only have one earth, so we like to treat it with care.

2.  What really sets you apart from other “green” cleaning companies?

Chris: We use eco-friendly biodegradable soaps, towels made from organically grown cotton, and our vehicles are fuel efficient – some even running on alternative fuels.

3.    Does this green stuff really make all that difference?

Chris: We believe that everyone is responsible for their own business/life.  If everyone were to run their business the way we did, there would be an enormous positive global impact.

4.  Okay, does this mean your customers will pay more? Continue Reading

Tom Coffman formerly with Deffenbaugh Industries Answers 15 Questions: Recycling, Sustainability, and Green

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This interview with Tom Coffman, former Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with Deffenbaugh Industries, covers the topics of sustainability, recycling, green ideas, and the services that Deffenbaugh Industries and Deffenbaugh Recycling provide to the Midwest.

Total Reading time: 5:00 minutes.

1.  What are 4 things that anyone can do, right now, to be better at recycling?
Tom:   Eliminate plastic bags, eliminate plastic bags, eliminate plastic bags, and eliminate plastic bags from recycling containers. Plastic bags are a menace when they get to the recycling facility. They gum up our systems and they blow all over the place. Most grocery stores have containers for recyclable plastic bags.

2.  What is exciting to you in the area of sustainability?
Tom:    I think the growing awareness, support and public interest around sustainability issues has been very heartening. Whether it is the food people eat, the homes they build and maintain or the way they handle their yard waste, you can see behaviors continue to move toward greater sustainability.

3.  What is your favorite innovation that you have been a part of at Deffenbaugh Indsutries?
Tom:    There are three innovations I’ve seen in the past 20 years at Deffenbaugh Industries that I think are particularly cool. The move toward automated collection for residential trash and recycling has been a great step forward, as has the implementation of a single-stream recycling system. And the fact that we collect and process approximately 15 million cubic feet of landfill gas per day, which is used to serve the equivalent of 5,000 homes daily, always impresses me. Continue Reading

Uber-Useful Way to Lower Your Electric Bill: Power Sucks at the Johnson County Library

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Do you wonder why your electric bills keep going up and up?  What can you do?  Well, The Johnson County Library, in conjuction with the Jo. Co. Health and Environment Department are providing the uber-useful Kill-a-Watt device so that residents and business can locate energy waste.  Who would have thought you could lower your electric bill with a trip to the library!

According to the press release, “The average household spends up to 10% on their energy bill each month powering devices in the standby mode; that means they are off, but still sucking power. Some common devices that contribute to the “phantom energy” are computers in sleep mode; power cords plugged into the wall, but not connected to a device; and electronics with a digital display such as DVD players. The modern household has an average of 27 electronic gadgets, and they all add up.  Residents who check out the Kill-A-Watt energy meters can identify the power sucking devices in their homes and make small changes that will save on their electricity bill.”

I have already reserved my Kill-a-Watt meter.  I am super curious about which electronic devices in my home suck my power.  Some quick off-the-top-of-my-head calculations indicate that I could save $20 – $30 per month by identifying and UNPLUGGING some of my power sucking devices.

Here are more details via KCTV5

KCTV5

Scrap Metal Recycling: Best Scrap Metal Prices in Kansas City

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Ever wonder where your old cell phone chargers and power cords went

when you recycled them with Cells for Cells?  Each and every old charger, cord and wire that we receive through our cell phone recycling program goes to  North Kansas City Iron & Metal L.L.C in North Kansas City, Missouri.

If you are looking to recycle some of your personal scrap metal,

I would not hesitate to take a trip to their facility.  They are fair and honest – a quality that sometimes can be difficult to find when dealing with recyclers.  And I believe, they pay some of the best prices in the area.

One idea to consider when taking your metals to NKC Iron & Metal:

Make your recycling neat and tidy.  At Cells for Cells, we trim both ends off of all the cords we receive.  It allows NCK Iron & Metal to sort and sell it quickly and easily.  And Cells for Cells benefits with a little bit better pricing for it.

Some of the materials that NKC Iron & Metal will PAY you for your recycling efforts:

  • Aluminum
  • Aluminum cans
  • Batteries
  • Brass
  • Catalytic converters
  • Copper
  • Electrical & Communication Wiring
  • Heater Cores
  • Iron
  • Lead
  • Radiators
  • Steel
  • Stainless Steel
  • Wheels
  • Appliances (see prep)
  • And more!!!

For a full list of items they will accept and items that thy will not accept, visit North Kansas City Iron & Metal’s website for their recycling guide.

Here’s where they are located:

 

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Kansas City Star Interviews Cells for Cells

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RECYCLING CELLPHONES TO FIGHT CANCER
Jill Reitz, Special to the Star

After Jason Clements and Aaron Randel both lost close family members to cancer, they wanted to raise money for people going through similar experiences.

They approached a friend at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with their idea of what would become Cells for Cells: Their business would work with corporations to recycle used mobile devices. Clements and Randel would then sell the refurbished parts and scrap metal, and sale proceeds would be directed to the cancer organization.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society said yes. Cells for Cells now has more than 100 corporate partners and has raised more than $30,000 for the organization.

The company’s founders hope the money they donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helps relieve some of the everyday financial burdens families face.

The company also has developed the “Extreme Medical Bill Makeover,” which donates $500 or more to families who submit their stories.

“What happened to us happens to thousands of people every day,” says Dawn Wooten of Wichita, whose husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age 37. Cells for Cells gave them an outlet to tell their story. They became the first recipients of the makeover award.

Cells for Cells sent them a check for $500 to put wherever they needed it most.

“That doesn’t sound like much, but we were able to put that money toward one of Jeff’s medical bills,” she says. “Four and a half years after the original diagnosis, we still have an insane amount of medical debt, but every little bit helps.”