Words from the SoapBox

Our country is facing a number of problems right now. Unemployment has continued to be high. We have huge deficits for as far as the eye can see. Our nation debt is around $14 trillion and growing. Our politicians in Washington have been more focused on the expansion of government services, and regulating businesses, than understanding what it takes to stimulate our economy. Some seem to believe that any dollar spent is stimulative by nature. But not every dollar is spent equally. Dollars spent by the government is only reshuffling the deck. Dollars spent by consumers help businesses to grow. And dollars spent by businesses is what creates jobs and wealth in our country. And what is the best way to grow our economy? By creating a positive business atmosphere where businesses look for opportunities to create jobs and create wealth.

The business community has been sitting on the sidelines, and it’s contributing to a sluggish economy. The economy and the markets do not like uncertainty, and they have been faced with nothing BUT uncertainty lately. The good news is that several things have happened recently that should help give the US economy a kick start.

1 – Tax Rates
Business like certainty, and predictability. Businesses have been faced with potential raising tax rates. If Congress had allowed tax rates on the “rich” to expire, then half of all profits from small businesses would have been effected by the higher tax rates. Critics like to explain that the higher tax rates will only effect a small number of small businesses. But this is incredibly misleading. Most small businesses are VERY small, and do not provide employment opportunities, or make enough money to be affected by the higher tax rates. Think of piano teachers, independent carpenters, Mary Kay consultants, local musicians, or the attorney down the street working out of her house. These are the people who make up the majority of small businesses. And while they’re very important to our communities, they’re not the job creators. It’s the “bigger” small businesses that create the jobs, and make enough money to be effected by the higher tax rates.

Do you want these small businesses to create jobs, or do you want them to be strangled with regulations and economic fear? Is it more important for these businesses to create jobs so that people can get off unemployment, or to pay more taxes so that we can keep more people on unemployment? Despite what some critics would like you to believe, keeping these tax rates consistent will be good for the economy, and good for job creation.

2 – The Omnibus Spending Bill
One of my biggest disappointments with the current Congress is that they haven’t even attempted to pass a budget for 2011 until now. We are already a couple months into the 2011 fiscal year, and all they’ve done is passed continuing resolutions to keep the government funded. This last week in the Senate, Harry Reid introduced a spending bill to fund the government for 2011 loaded with billions in earmarks from both political parties. The document was nearly 2,000 pages, and Reid was pushing for a quick decision from the Senate to pass the bill. It’s a good sign that the bill has been pulled. Maybe politicians are finally understanding that we can’t keep spending money we don’t have. And that the American people are fed up with business as usual in Washington.

Investor’s Business Daily explained it this way: “The lump of coal in our Christmas stocking that was the omnibus spending bill is dead. The Congress the people elected, not the one they repudiated, can now guard the public purse, not pick our pockets. The failure to pass a budget or any of 12 appropriations bills despite full control of both houses of Congress led to this paroxysm of spending, a $1.27 trillion bill full of earmarks that represented the antithesis to the type of government voters on Nov. 2 said they wanted. Those voices evidently were still being heard, particularly by the 23 Democratic and independent senators up for re-election in 2012.”

Families have to be fiscally responsible. Business have to be fiscally responsible. If the federal government doesn’t get its fiscal house in order, fear and uncertainty will continue to dominate the business mindset. The fact that this bill was pulled will be seen as a positive by the business world.

3 – Business Friendly Environment
For the last two years, rightly or wrongly, the business community has viewed the White House and Congress as anti-business. From new health care legislation that imposes new costs and responsibilities on businesses, to new financial regulations that impose new burdens on the financial community, Congress and the White House have pushed for priorities that are not viewed as pro-business, or pro-economy. The business community wants to be optimistic about the future. Seeing the first signs from the White House that they’re willing to consider a more pro-business approach will be seen very positively by the business community at large.

If Congress can continue to focus on tackling out of control spending, deficits, and the national debt, we should see some resurgence in our struggling economy. If President Obama and the White House continues to move to the center and work with business leaders, confidence should return. And hopefully we’ll put our small businesses in a position to grow, create wealth, and create jobs.

Author Bio: Lee Eldridge has been involved in marketing for more than 20 years. He’s the co-owner of the promotional items company Snap Promotions out of Lawrence, Kansas. As a custom marketing products specialist Eldridge is known as an innovative leader within the promotional products industry. Lee writes for his company’s blog as well as Love Promos.

It is very important to recycle waste to help protect our environment. Using skips to transport all the different materials to recycling centres is a very smart move indeed. This allows the maximum amount of recyclable materials from neighbourhoods to be collected.

Materials such as electronics, plastic, metal, paper and glass are all recyclable and doing so keeps them from taking up space in landfills. The skips typically have a certain day they are picked up with all the recyclables from each neighbourhood and taken to their processing site. They are picked up with special lorries that carry them away.

With the many concerns about the environment, the proper disposal of waste is vital. Regulations are being put into place by UK councils regarding this very issue. By having a skip as an option for taking away the different types of waste households and businesses typically have, the process becomes simpler. The materials are gathered, organised according to the recycling classification and transported to be recycled. What cannot be recycled will be disposed of in a proper manner.

Skips come in many different sizes from the large ones discussed earlier that must be hauled away by a lorry to a smaller size. The skip hire companies will deliver them for customers and come back to remove the skip and take the materials to be recycled. When working on a building job, they can be very beneficial. There are many types of lumber that can be recycled. The wood used in flooring, walls and even cabinets can be recycled to be used again.

The recycling of organic materials are another type that can be transported by skip and made into mulch, fertilisers and compost. Glass is always a good prospect for recycling. It should be separate from other materials and there are skips designated just for this purpose. There are also other valuable materials that can be recycled. Metals such as copper and aluminium are two of the recyclable types and tungsten is another. Iron and steel are two more that can be made into entirely different things when recycled. The skips play an important role in the collection and disposal of all types of materials that can be recycled.

People are more inclined to recycle if there are containers put out for placing items into. There are various cities that provide small skips in neighbourhoods to encourage people to separate the things they are throwing out according to the type.

It does not matter if it is an individual, a small business or a corporation of large proportions; all of these should properly dispose of waste which includes recycling. This keeps landfills clear which in turn keeps the environment cleaner. The use of skips for all of these individuals makes doing so efficient. In addition, the laws are specific for businesses as well as others when it comes to keeping the environment safe.

This is a convenience that was not always available so today the advantages are even more viable when it comes to hiring skips to help in the recycling process. The future may well depend on the recycling we are doing today.

Author Bio: Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For professional waste management services, plant hire and UK Skip Hire he recommends Nationwide Hire.

A week ago, Suzie, my little sister ran to me and showed me that her teacher told them that carpet could be recycled.

- No it is not recyclable, I said quickly . It might be possible to reuse it, but doubtlessly not possible to be recycled.

As she was keeping on arguing with me and even said that those carpet recyclers had their own association in U.S.A.. So I went on Google and searched it out. As it appear, my little friend was incredibly right. An association of carpet recyclers exist in the US. And there is also a construction waste recycler in my area that handle such items. I found about Recyconstruction and Recymobililer in my sector : they process the recycling of all appliances, furniture, electronic material and construction debris. I talked to an environment specialist, Ianick, and he explained to me about all the things that are possible to recycle as of today.

- Carpet is recycled for its plastic content, it could end up making brand new carpet or something else made of plastic.

- Wood debris are sent to an electric producer, they use wood to make power. The process is a smoke less fermentation that has no impact on climate changes.

- Drywall are passed through machines and transformed into powder, paper and paint are removed, and the gypsum will either serve in agriculture or be used to make new panels.

And it goes on and on to each variety of recyclable material. It is incredibly amazing to realize that we are at that point. To those expecting to earn money out of their old sofa or wood, It is important to add that there are fees to recycle that type of material.

- We used to work exclusively in the area of computer recycling a while ago. It changed, since at some point we were only recycling the items that we were accepting since there was no value to resell it, we started to put a recycling fee to some material that cost more to recycle than to toss away. When we realized that most people were interested in making a difference for the earth and were agreeing to pay a minimal charge to help with our handling of the material, we decided that the time was good to add more recycling services that couldn’t be sustainable by themselves to give an alternative choice to landfill.

- Luckily, the service received a tremendous feedback, as it came to the market when people and businesses realized about their impact on the planet, personally or on a global level. Industries and building owners are getting more aware of the green advantages, reason why a lot of building managers are fighting to be LEED certified.

A carpet may take over 1000 years to degrade itself. Drywalls emit bad odours at landfill sites. Paint is highly toxic and poison the soil and water. Wood takes a lot of space and could easily be transformed into power. At some point, we can’t keep on digging holes to fill them with trash. Doing so is comparable to a kid hiding stuff under his bed: it is still not organized, but its all just hidden. We must all take our responsability and make sure we make the concept of trash disapear in the near future.

Author Bio: More information can be found at http://www.recyconstruction.com Please submit a form addressing the webmaster if you want a unique article on the matter.

For whatever reason, many people do not consider the harmful effects that throwing their used cell phone away has on the environment. In an era where things like global warming and Green Living are at the forefront of many conversations, it is time that everyone starts thinking about donating these so that they can either be recycled or become refurbished cellular phones instead of waste.

Almost every household in America has a minimum of one cell phone and many have used phones laying around not even being used. The metals and chemicals that are used to manufacture these phones are not only toxic but they require energy to make as well. You wouldn’t throw away a light bulb for no reason that still has life left in it so why would you simply throw a phone away?

Toxins

Cell phones are right up near the top of the list of electronics that are polluting landfills. Lead, mercury and arsenic are among the toxic chemicals that are used in the production of these phones. It is true that your cell phone only contains a very tiny amount of each of these chemicals however, you need to look at the big picture of over 140 million of them being disposed of annually. This enormous figure makes for a haunting amount of toxins that are leeching into the Earth’s groundwater. As the number of thrown away used phones increases, so does the negative environmental effects.

Breakdown

Not only are the toxins harming the environment, they are not exactly biodegradable either. They are created from metal and plastic parts that will become nice permanent fixtures on landfills. You may as well wrap them up in a plastic shopping bag as well since neither is going to break down for the next 1000 years.

An average lifespan of a cell phone is approximately 18 months but most are replaced long before this point. This means that each person could potentially throw 40 cell phones away through the course of their life. When you multiply that number by the number of users worldwide, you are given a devastating negative environmental effect.

Accessories

The cell phone isn’t the only culprit filling landfills. Each phone brings with it a number of accessories as well. Every time you upgrade, there are also additional accessories since most are not interchangeable. All of these add up too. Many landfills do have regulations about accepting electronics but accessories are small and easily concealed in trash bags.

What You Can Do

Since it is unlikely that cell phones will ever be given up, you can do your part to at least help minimize environmental threats. Instead of throwing your phone away, find out where you can donate or recycle it. Many providers offer postage paid return bags that you can send your old phone back to them in and they will take care of either recycling or refurbishing it.

Take steps to stop the negative effects of these phones today and bring awareness to those around you to not carelessly dispose of their phones as well.

Author Bio: Scott Bradshaw writes articles that focus on cell phones, cellular apps, and mobile services. He encourages people to save money with refurbished cellular phones and avoid signing contract extensions by purchasing used cell phones.

Some environmentally friendly things are part of practicing recycling in a city environment. You can help make your city a greener place by doing your part to recycle in your area. If everyone does a little bit it can make a big difference to not only how the city looks but in the consumable waste that builds up.

Jobs are created through recycling efforts as well. The city sanitation department is enhanced and they hire more people to handle the separation of the materials that are turned in. This is an added perk to each of our individual efforts to make a difference and it pays off with jobs for others who would not have them otherwise.

It is becoming more economical and easier to recycle in the environment of a city. There is a conscious effort being made to create ways that people can recycle in an easy fashion. You will be able to look around and see what you can do wherever you live.

Home: Many sanitation offer bins to home owners who wish to recycle. Typically this is bottle, can and newspapers. It can be easy to do this and you put out the materials when you put out your regular trash container. They also have special days in some cities where they pick up yard waste that can help as well. You ask for a special sticker in some cities to place on a container that you purchase yourself.

Apartment: If you live in a green centered apartment building then they should offer you a place to separate your recyclable materials on your floor or at least an alternate floor. If you live in a coop you can start a program yourself with like minded people. Bring it up and have a plan laid out for your next coop meeting and you will be surprised how the idea catches on.

You can also collect materials in containers at your apartment on your own if they do not offer recycling yet. This way you can still do your part effectively. Many stores have nice looking bins to hold materials in until you fill them up. Then you can bring them to your sanitation department easily and even get some extra cash on hand while you do it.

Other more forward cities are offering recycling next to their regular bins on city streets. This makes it convenient for citizens to drop in their bottles while they are walking. It is proven that if they are made available people will use them. The same is being done in some take out restaurants or even in finer restaurants behind the scenes that you cannot see. But more people are making a conscious effort to recycle when they can and have the opportunity.

It is easy to see the city around you and imagine it a bit greener. Be a forward thinker and get your bottles and cans separated and practice recycling. Join in and encourage others to recycle as well to get yourself a green city you can be proud of.

Author Bio: Many organizations are seeking helpful services to sustain the environment, such as disposal consultation or waste management Toronto. Do your part in beautifying the city by hiring professional and reliable assistance with Markham recycle initiatives.

For the past few years, Canada has become very concerned about e-waste recycling electronic waste. Electronics such as computers and cell phones can hold hazardous materials, which means they cannot be disposed of in regular landfills. Because these electronics may have materials in them such as lead mercury, it can be harmful to humans and the environment.

Previously, Canada has disposed of e-wastes in other ways besides the use of recycling. Although recycling was used, it wasn’t the choice of the majority. In 2002, there are 157,000 metric tons of e-waste that was disposed of. Out of this statistic, the disposal via recycling was only 9,000 metric tons. It has been estimated that waste disposal may rise to 206,000 metric tons in 2010 alone.

The general goal beyond all of this is to keep this type of waste outside of the landfills. If e-waste is not properly disposed of in a landfill, it can effect the rest of the environment around it and make people sick. The best way to prevent this from happening is to recycle waste properly. This can be done any all of the drop-off points that are available in Canada.

It is important to understand, however, that there are people who do not know about e-waste or that it can be recycled. There are many individuals that do not know that cell phones and other electronics can be recycled. In order to change that, the government must take further initiative to educate people about the necessity for e-waste recycling as a whole.

There are a lot of non-profit organizations in Canada which are already working to promote this concept to the public. In general, you may notice that there are many organizations that focus on the recycling of rechargeable batteries and cellphones. But there are additional programs that focus on other parts of the e-waste recycling movement. Contacting programs like these can help people to get information about where they can drop off old electronics.

Companies have also begun to become concerned about the topic of e-waste. There are now some companies that are stepping up to make an example of how important it is to contribute to recycling. In Canada, Sony has a recycling program that it has created for its own products. People that have purchased Sony products that they no longer use are now encouraged to send them in to the company. The company will then recycle the products properly. Many other companies are starting to follow this trend.

In general, the e-waste recycling movement still has farther to go. Canada’s society has made a great effort to reduce the amount of e-waste that is disposed of improperly, and continues to do so. But there are many that still do not know about e-waste and the risks it can pose if it is not recycled. It should then become the responsibility of those who know about this information to promote it as well. Canada understands that if this does not happen, e-waste can truly harm our environment and everyone.

For those that would like to know about more about e-waste recycling electronic waste, there are a few steps you can take. Try to find out if there are recycling programs in your city and your area’s stance on e-waste. You can find a lot of this information in local listings or even on the internet. When you have found a program to contribute with, tell your friends and family about it. E-waste can be prevented if everyone begins to contribute.

Author Bio: The environment can be better protected. If you are looking for a junk removal in Toronto and rubbish company located in the GTA please visit us at: Garbage Removal in Toronto.

Most people consider recycling to be a recent phenomenon of the green revolution, however, there is evidence of recycling taking place from as long ago as 400BC. It was around the mid 1900s though that recycling was first given real attention. During the Second World War, resources were hard to come by and Governments ran massive recycling campaigns to ensure nothing was wasted.

Here are a few examples of what was recycled and for what reason…

- Metal and tine were recycled for use weapons, tanks and aircraft.

- Rubber was collected to make new tires.

- Boiled bones were recycled to make glue for aircraft, ground up to make fertilizer or turned into glycerin for explosives.

- Left over food provided feed for chickens, pigs and goats and people would bring their scraps to communal bins.

People were also encouraged to mend belongings, such as clothes, rather than buy new. Campaigns such as ‘Make Do And Mend’ and ‘Sew And Save’ advised people on how to recycle textiles and make clothes last longer. Knitting also became very popular around this time.

Families had to plan meals carefully to ensure that food did not go to waste. With no fridges or freezers, perishable food had to be bought in small quantities and substitutes had to be found for foods that were no longer available. Meat fat was commonly saved to make pastry, and even the cream from milk was stored in a jar and shaken to make butter and buttermilk.

Everyone did what they could and came together to achieve a common goal. At first the Government’s had to tell people what to do and regularly remind them of it, but it did not take long for people to become accustomed to it, and not only recycle themselves, but also remind their friends and neighbors to do it too.

It is sad that it took people such a long time to recognize the importance of recycling, and also that it took such unfortunate circumstances to draw it to our attention. These days, we realize the importance of recycling to preserve the Earth’s resources and to reduce pollution.

Even so, we are still failing to recycle a lot of items that are recyclable. Though we know what we should be doing, and though it is not difficult for us to do it, there is still a very relaxed attitude to recycling. Too many of us simply cannot be bothered to recycle, and that is undoing the good work being done by those who do take the little time and effort required to recycle.

The uses of recyclable materials may be different now from what they were during the War, but we can still look to our grandparents and the older generations for tips and inspiration. If they could do it, then why can’t we do it too? We should all be doing what we can now, and not be waiting around for a major crisis to kick-start us into mass recycling again.

Author Bio: Ware 4 Recycling Bins Ltd have been promoting cost effective recycling bins, trolleys and waste containers for over 5 years.

Category: Society
Keywords: recycling tips, recycling, recycle, green living, green, environment, environmental, society

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