I have been recycling cardboard from my work. If I notice when the delivery truck comes in I try to get between the boxes and the dumpster. I keep some boxes to use for packing and transporting. I use some of the boxes for organizing things, and I cut some of them up for raw materials and take the others to the recycling drop-off. I am amazed at the sheer volume that is used and discarded.
I have also become aware of the amount of glass that is almost never recycled. It is incredible. Apparently unless there is a profitable alternative or a disposal cost, many local businesses and institutions aren't interested in doing anything except tossing these things in the dumpster.
I've been researching glass recycling on-line, and there is equipment to turn glass into the equivalent of sand, a rather basic raw material. The machine costs from about $10,000 to $40,000. Not something I can just ask for at Christmas, but a municipality or county could purchase. And someone will, as soon as it benefits them personally enough. Ah, the old self-centric at work.
Wouldn't it be nice to start a co-op to buy one. We could develop some jobs and make the world a little better, or just use the profits for ourselves (and other worthy causes) and still make the world a little better, and create and enlarge fewer landfills.
