Last month we published information about our dumpster company’s efforts to be environmentally friendly. To reduce our impact on the environment, we recycle all possible materials that we collect from job sites. We recently came across some information about how other waste management systems are being environmentally responsible and thought we would share them.

In cooperation with the Oklahoma Municipal Authority of the Oklahoma Department of Energy, the American Environmental Landfill is now sequestering methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from the landfill and using it to pump a generator, which creates electricity for consumers in Oklahoma. This benefits the environment because it prevents the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere, and using an existing power source to power a generator cuts down on energy consumption.

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Our dumpster rental company recycles much of the materials that we collect from our construction sites.  This is because we believe that recycling is an important part of what we do, because recycling construction materials keeps them out of landfills, where they can cause environmental harm (which you can read more about on our previous posts). Using recycled materials benefits the environment and can be a more cost effective option for builders.

Wood, drywall, asphalt, concrete, metal, and cardboard are the most commonly recycled construction materials. They are reused in the following ways:

Concrete:  crushed for use in pavement, as drainage material, and as filler.

Asphalt: crushed and reused to make more asphalt or as-is as a base for a new road.

Wood: re-milled, chipped, or ground for use in particle board and in flooring, or  as mulch or animal bedding.

Drywall: reused to manufacture cement and gypsum wallboard.

Metal:  melted down to create new metal products.

Paper: ground to create new paper products.

So, for your next project, use a dumpster rental company that recycles, so that the materials from your work site that would otherwise be thrown away can be re-purposed  lessening the strain on landfills and our resources.

photo credit: Roman Milert / photoxpress

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At Sunshine Recycling, we offer a variety of dumpster sizes with different functionalities, like 2, 4, 6, and 8 yard front load dumpsters; 20, 30, and 40 yard full size construction dumpsters; 20 and 30 yard roll off dumpsters; and more. This means that we can provide you with whatever dumpster rental that would suit your job.

For instance, for a bathroom demolition, a 20 yard construction dumpster would be appropriate.  For bathroom demos, we will take all materials (except hazardous waste), including shower walls, glass block windows, stone flooring, tile, and more. We will also recycle all possible materials. See our services page for more information.

photo credit: jedi-master / photoxpress

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To celebrate Earth Day 2013, we want talk about some of the positive things going on in the recycling and waste management industries.

The waste management and recycling industries have improved their methods of dealing with landfills and other collection methods, resulting in improved reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program’s most recent report, industry emissions of methane and carbon dioxide have declined thirty percent over the last twenty years. Gas collected from landfills is now being used as energy to power homes, businesses, and government buildings.

Fun fact: landfills are the third largest emitters of anthropogenic methane in the US, behind collection of natural gas and ruminant animals like cows, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Photo credit: SSilver / photoxpress

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Sunshine Recycling strives to be responsible as a dumpster rental company by recycling anything that we can, reducing the amount of trash that we contribute to landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), landfills release large amounts of methane gas. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the EPA. By recycling materials like drywall, we reduce the amount of waste that we contribute to landfills, thus reducing our emissions of greenhouse gasses as a company.

photocredit: icholakov / photoxpress

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