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Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

Recycling Resources

Keep Omaha Beautiful: A Sustainability Model For All Cities

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photo by Cruise Curtis
photo by Cruise Curtis

Keep Omaha Beautiful, Inc. is an environmental organization that does what its name implies. KOB is dedicated to litter reduction, beautification and education on recycling and solid waste issues.

In this interview, Cindy Smilley, the Executive Director of KOB since 1990, encourages everyone to connect with KOB.  There are many opportunities for you to volunteer your time and dollars.  Here is the link for you to explore ways to get involved with Keeping Omaha Beautiful.

1.  What are the 4 easiest things that anyone can do right now to become a better recycler?

  • Just decide to start recycling…..today.
  • Find a place in your pantry, under the sink, or in the garage to place a recycling container. It doesn’t have to be fancy…just a box or container.
  • Talk to your kids about the recycling numbers on the bottom of plastics and educate them about what can be recycled in Omaha (and in your area).
  • Talk with your kids about recycling and have them watch you recycle…they can help too.

2.  What are the neatest changes you have seen in how Omaha takes better care of our planet?

Strong environmental groups have started that are very inclusive. They work together rather than by themselves.

3.  Name two companies that do excellent work in keeping Omaha beautiful. Continue Reading

Rockhurst University: Recycling Opportunities For Students

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Rockhurst University Logo

Rockhurst University is one of the top learning institutions in the Midwest.  But how do they rank in their sustainability efforts?  In this interview, Katherine Frohoff, Director of Public Relations at Rockhurst University, discusses opportunities for students to become better recyclers.

1.  What are 4 things that students can do right now to become better recyclers?

  1. Create a system for collecting personal recyclables and getting them in the bins.
  2. Use the bins correctly – don’t contaminate paper with food, for example.
  3. Keep sustainability in mind when organizing student events and work with university staff to ensure there are avenues for recycling.
  4. Think beyond the bin – look at personal consumption habits such as water usage, energy savings and purchasing habits

2.  Is there an environmental club where students can become more involved in sustainability initiatives?

We have several avenues – the Green Club, which is all students, the Sustainability Committee, which also involves faculty and staff, and involvement through various channels such as Student Senate and working with our Sodexo food service partner.

3.  What do you think Rockhurst University does best in the area of sustainability?

One of the things we do best is to collaborate across our internal constituencies to make positive changes. Just a few of the many areas that are involved in sustainability efforts are Physical Plant, Sodexo food service, Student Senate, Student Development, Faculty Senate and the Staff Advisory Council.

Recent Examples of Sustainability Efforts: Continue Reading

How To Recycle Glass: Ripple Glass Makes It Easy To Recycle

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Total Reading Time: Approximately 6 minutes.

Michelle Goth
Michelle Goth

Michelle Goth is the Program Manager at Ripple Glass where she makes glass recycling easier for Kansas City area businesses.  She assists bars, restaurants, hotels, event spaces, and other businesses to establish and to improve their glass recycling processes.

1.  What is the coolest innovation that you have seen in the glass recycling industry?

Michelle:  By far the coolest innovation in the glass recycling industry is the laser sorter. This machine can be programmed to identify thousands of different colors of glass. When a color is programmed into the machine, it scans all of the glass on the conveyor belt, searching for that particular color. When it finds it, it quickly blows a puff of air which pops the piece of glass onto a different belt. It has revolutionized the way that glass is recycled by allowing people to recycle all colors together. If a certain color needs to be separated out, the recycler can do so with the laser sorter. We use ours to separate out amber (brown) glass for re-manufacture into beer bottles.

2.  Does glass break down in the landfills?  How long does it take?

Michelle:  Glass does not break down or decompose in the landfill due to the lack of organic matter. If it is forcibly broken, it may eventually resemble something like sand.

3.  What else in the field of sustainability is interesting to you?

Michelle:  I think the issue of food waste is very interesting. Food composting is an underdeveloped area within the recycling industry here in the United States. Missouri Organic is pretty well established here in Kansas City, but I visit other large cities where businesses have no composting services available.

I’ve read that as much as 40% of the food we purchase in America ends up in the landfill. When you consider the level of resources that goes into food production, that is pretty devastating.  [Jason’s notes:  quick link to How to Stop Wasting Food and 27 Ways to Make Groceries Last Longer.]

4.  What are 4 things that anyone can do right now to be better at recycling?
Continue Reading