WASTE WATCHERS BLOG

Lunch containers such as pizza boxes, brown paper bags, and compostable containers may or may not be recyclable. How can you decide what to do with them? Here are some tips to understand whether your lunch containers should end up in the trash or in a recycling container.

  “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” - John Muir   There’s a reason many of us choose to escape into nature, if only briefly at times, to find peace, quiet, and support mental health. The clean air, the sounds of the birds, and the tall green trees surrounding us have proven to help slow us down in this fast-paced world.   Your office lunch can play a major role in keeping wild spaces healthy and green. 

Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, the modern environmental movement created in the 1970s. What does that mean for your business? This day gives you a chance to have an impact on the future of the planet and learn about the small changes that can truly have a major impact.

  Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, the modern environmental movement created in the 1970s. What does that mean for your business? This day gives you a chance to have an impact on the future of the planet and learn about the small changes that can truly have a major impact. What is Earth Day? Recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, more than a billion people mark the day as a chance to change human behavior and impact public policy to ensure sustainability. Earth Day now celebrates the work people are doing to help save the planet, and highlights the work that still needs to be done.   Here are 5 easy things your business can do to mark Earth Day this year:

From egg hunts, to the massive amounts of candy, to Peter Cottontail hopping around; there’s a lot for many of us to celebrate in the spring season. If we want this yearly celebration of rebirth to continue, then we need to take a hard look at how we’re marking the day, and how we’re cleaning up afterward.

  From egg hunts, to the massive amounts of candy, to Peter Cottontail hopping around; there’s a lot for many of us to celebrate in the spring season. The sunny, warm days are here, and things are greening up everywhere you look. If we want this yearly celebration of rebirth to continue, then we need to take a hard look at how we’re marking the days, and how we’re cleaning up afterward.   First, we need to talk about a major part of any spring celebration: the plastic eggs. Newsflash, there’s an extremely high chance that they can’t be tossed into your local recycling bins. Plastics 1 and 2 are widely accepted in most recycling programs. Items marked 3-7 are not, especially after markets dried up and many foreign countries stopped accepting shipments of the material from the U.S. That’s where the plastic eggs fall, in the plastics 3-7 range. If you’re lucky enough to have a place nearby to take them, that’s great. In many cases, the eggs and their packaging don’t have any markings at all to indicate what type of plastic was used. Sadly, the best advice is to reuse them or toss them in the garbage.    MORE INFO: How to read plastic recycling symbols

Spring is here. For many of us, that means it's time for a yearly project: spring cleaning. It’s good for your mental health, and your home or office. It can also be good for the environment. Here are some tips, tricks, and ideas to get your space feeling less cluttered and less dusty all while going green.

  Spring is here. For many of us, that means it's time for a yearly project: spring cleaning. It’s good for your mental health, and your home or office. It can also be good for the environment. A recent survey found a whopping 92% of people said they were considering their environmental impact while spring cleaning, with more than half adding they were considering using environmentally friendly cleaning products.   Here are some tips, tricks, and ideas to get your space feeling less cluttered and less dusty all while going green.

As garden and farmer’s market season approaches, you may have some renewed interest in composting. The benefits of food waste may stretch far beyond growing veggies. There’s a growing interest from many states across the country in turning compost and wastewater into Biogas and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for fuel.

What started as a lights-out event expanded into a global event to raise awareness for climate change. Earth Hour is held every year on the last Saturday in March at 8:30 pm. The event has evolved far past switching off lights toward a global movement to raise awareness for the climate. Earth Hour is a great time to consider what we can do For the Greener Good.

  What started as a lights-out event expanded into a global event to raise awareness for climate change. Earth Hour is held every year on the last Saturday in March at 8:30 pm. The event has evolved far past switching off lights toward a global movement to raise awareness for the climate. Earth Hour is a great time to consider what we can do For the Greener GoodTM.

It’s no secret that gas prices have risen seemingly overnight. With no sign of slowing down, nearly every industry has been affected. Garbage trucks are more expensive than ever to own and drive, guzzling gas at only 2-4 miles per gallon. These expenses are passed onto you, the customer, through APIs. Here are some tips to help you keep your costs down as everything else seems to be on the rise.

  It’s no secret that gas prices have risen seemingly overnight. With no sign of slowing down, nearly every industry has been affected. Garbage trucks are more expensive than ever to own and drive, guzzling gas at only 2-4 miles per gallon. Many solid waste vendors have projected jumps in landfill tipping and hauling fees, with some surcharges topping 3-6%. The operating expenses for waste vendors have been skyrocketing with little relief in sight. So where does that leave you? You still have waste to haul and rising costs to deal with everywhere else. Waste vendors pass these expenses down through their annual price increases (APIs), which you can read about here. These APIs, if not negotiated, can end up costing you nearly double your original contracted amount in just five years.   Lucky for you, going green and combating the traditional waste process can save you from some of these expenses. We’ve got a few tips to get you started.

Plastic waste has become a huge problem across the globe. Looking for ways to reduce your plastic usage? Check out our tips to learn how to cut down on plastic packaging.

  The amount of plastic waste generated yearly is an astonishing 300 million metric tons. For comparison, that is roughly the weight of the entire human population. What’s worse, only a mere 10% of this plastic is recycled or reused according to Earth Day Network.  Our planet is choking on plastic - we see it on the side of the road, piling up in landfills, and cluttering the oceans. Not only is it unsightly, but the CO2 emissions are adding to the growing problem of climate change and harming the natural environment. What’s the good news? Well, consumers are becoming more aware of this problem and companies are searching for more eco-friendly solutions to reduce their plastic waste. Continue reading to learn more about plastic packaging and tips for reducing your plastic waste.

Recycling benefits your business in more ways than you may think! With advancements in Green Technology, recycling is becoming more accessible and cost-effective for small and medium-sized businesses. Read about the top 4 reasons why SMBs should recycle.

  For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), implementing a recycling program may be a project that you’ve always talked about starting - maybe you even began researching solutions - but for whatever reason, recycling always seems to lose its urgency due to other priorities popping up. Or perhaps you feel as though adding recycling services will be too complicated - after all, isn’t it cheaper to throw it all in one dumpster and not worry about it? Actually, no. Here at RoadRunner, we believe that recycling’s not only the right thing to do, but it can also significantly impact your business in a number of positive ways.