Are you wondering how to select the best recycling center for your waste? Follow this guide and see how. Our guide will help you find the right recycling center near you.

How to Choose the Right Recycling Center (Computers, Bottles, and Cans)

Every day, whether it’s in our homes or our places of work, we produce considerable amounts of waste materials. Numerous strategies have been put in place to handle these wastes, and ensure that the waste doesn’t cause harmful effects in the environment.

One of the major ways to get rid of the waste material is recycling, whereby the waste materials are taken to a recycling center(s) for recycling.

Recycling refers to the process that is used to convert the waste materials to form new usable materials or objects. The process acts as an alternative to the traditional way of reducing waste, and which produces lower levels of greenhouse gases. The process also helps to reduce the extraction of new raw materials as the trash is recycled to something new.

Today in this article, we will dwell more on recycling centers and how you can choose the right recycling center for different kinds of waste.

What is A Recycling Center?

When we talk of a recycling center, what we refer to is an establishment that is designed for the purpose of collecting recyclable waste and transforming it into something usable again. The process of getting new usable material from the recyclable waste may demand the crushing, bailing, and grinding of these materials.

This process helps in the production of new materials that can be used to make new products. Therefore, it is a source of new raw materials from the old recyclable products.

How Does A Recycling Center Work?

Generally, there are two main processes of recycling; One is the single-stream, and the other one is the dual-stream process.

For the single-stream, it is a method of recycling whereby various waste materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal are all mixed up for pickup. At the recycling center, they use a conveyor belt machine to separate the various waste materials.

For the Dual stream, it includes a process whereby cardboard and paper (fiber items) are put separately from containers with cans, glass, and plastic, for collection. The typical hours of recycling centers are usually from 9 am to 5 pm, although a decent number of recycling centers operate 24/7.

See Related: Are Plastic Straws Recyclable?

How the Waste Collection Process Works

After the recyclable waste is put into the recycle bins, the collection of these materials may take one of these four forms:

Curbside Pickup

This is where some special trucks that are fitted with different types of containers for collecting various kinds of recyclable waste go around the city collecting the garbage. The workers will sort out the materials before they throw them into their trucks.

In some communities, it is a requirement for the homeowners to sort the materials first and place them into different bins.

Drop-off Centers

These are designated locations that are built to receive recyclable materials. Homeowners can take their recyclable waste materials to these centers themselves. The drop-off centers can still be available in an area with curbside pickup, to receive hazardous materials such as propane gas and paint.

Buy-back Centers

Similar to drop-off centers, these ones also accept the recyclable materials from the homeowners. However, these centers compensate the homeowners for the recyclable waste depending on the market value of this waste. They are very popular in areas of retail businesses such as auto scrap yards which buy scrap metal.

Deposit And Refund Programs

In these programs, which are very common in the US, a deposit is added to the sale price of a canned beverage, so that you can return the empty can. For you to get a refund of your deposit, you have to return the can or bottle to a waste collection center.

Now that we have understood what a recycling center is, and how it works, lets now look at what to consider when choosing a recycling center.

Things to Consider When Choosing A Recycling Center

These are a few things that you should keep in mind when choosing a recycling center.

Recycling Certification

If you want to know if a recycling center is credible, the first thing to look for is the recycling certificate. The certificate will show you that the company is authorized to undertake the said tasks and that it’s qualified for the same.

Before the recycling center can receive the national recycling certification, it’s mandatory for them to undertake a training program which enlightens them on the best recycling practices. The program ensures that they have the necessary knowledge and expertise to perform their tasks with high professionalism.

Therefore, national certification is essential to make sure that the center you choose has all the right skills required in a recycling center.

Recycling Violations

The second thing you should be keen on is recycling violations. Companies that violate the set requirements are not ideal. You should look for a recycling center with no recycling violations.

The recycling violations can range from simple one like improper separation of recyclables by putting them into the wrong containers, to serious ones like ignoring OSHA’s safety guidelines. These violations may sometimes attract hefty penalties which help to discourage companies from violating the set rules.

If a recycling company owes $50,000 or more in fines, it triggers OSHA to issue a press release which can negatively affect the reputation of the company.

Recycling Method

The recycling method that the company uses is also of great importance when choosing the right center for you. For example, recycling centers that use Single stream method are mostly preferred than the ones that use the Double stream method.

This is because the method enables the recycling company to integrate two categories of recyclables which makes the processing of the materials easy. For instance, instead of separating every recyclable into different categories, such as plastic, glass, paper, and more, you can combine them.

The combined process makes things easy, and it also saves on time. This makes the Single stream method an easier one and one that many experts recommend.

Types of Recycling Centers

Let’s look deeper into the different types of recycling facilities, to increase our knowledge on the processes that take place in recycling centers.

Class A Recycling Facility

Class “A” recycling centers are those ones that deal with the most common categories of recyclable waste materials. For example, these facilities deal with waste such as cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal.

However, the processing of metal waste is more strictly regulated as compared to other waste materials in the same class. In a place like New Jersey, any junkyard or cycling center must possess a Class A Recycling Approval.

Therefore, if you are looking for recycling centers for bottles, Class A facilities are the ones that do the job.

Class B Recycling Facility

The next class of recycling facilities is “Class B” facilities. These ones mostly handle materials referred to as demolition or construction waste. This category of materials includes things like trees, non-treated wood, brush material, stumps, as well as leaves.

It will also include bricks, concrete, asphalt, masonry, and non-hazardous soil that is free from petroleum contamination. One thing to note here is that for soil to pass as non-hazardous, it must have petroleum levels that are below 30,000 parts for every million.

Class C Recycling Facility

The third class here is “Class C.” in this category; all materials they handle are compostable, which means that they decay. They include materials such as food waste and plant matters like leaves or grass.

As you can see, just like in Class B, this class also handles leaves. However, the difference occurs in what happens to the material after it reaches the facility. In Class B, they process the materials via machines like the wood chipper, while in Class C, they lay out the leaves somewhere and leave them to compost by themselves.

Class D Recycling Facility

The last category in types of recycling centers is Class D. In this class; they deal with the more complicated materials to recycle. These include used oils, antifreeze, batteries, light bulbs, latex paints, consumer electronics, as well as equipment that contain mercury.

The process of recycling this kind of wastes is a bit more complicated than recycling other types of waste.

Computer Recycling Company

A computer recycling center is a facility that deals with electronic materials such as laptops, monitors, televisions, and other obsolete electronics. Due to the increase in the use of electronic, electronic waste has also increased immensely. For these reasons, a state like Missouri requires by law, every business, all schools, nonprofits, and public firms, to effectively manage specific discarded electronics.

We can categorize some of these electronics as hazardous and therefore need proper disposal. Recycling is one of the safest ways to dispose of these materials, and therefore, there is need to choose the right recycling center for the job.

Some of the devices such as computers, televisions and circuit boards, contain levels of heavy metals which makes it illegal to dispose of them in the landfills. In Missouri, recycling facilities are using certified e-cycle Missouri recyclers which help them ensure that they comply with the set law.

A company that is R2 Certified is better for recycling your e-waste. An excellent example of a computer recycling center that you can use is the Computer Recycling Company, LLC in 528 N. Prince Lane, Springfield.

See Related: Important Pros and Cons of Recycling

How to Find A Recycling Center Near Me

If you are searching to locate the nearest recycling center to you, various online tools can help you with this task. For example, RecyclerFinder.com is one such platform. RecyclerFinder.com is among the best apps that help you locate the nearest recycler.

With its online and mobile apps, finding a recycling center near you has never been this easy. All you need is to enter your zip code, choose the material you want to recycle, locate a facility, click, and then navigate. It is as easy as that.

Also, you can use the services of another great resource known as Earth911.com. With this platform, you only need a zip code and the material you want to recycle. The platform has a tool which enables you to search for what you need to recycle, as well as offer so much other recycling initiatives information.

The tool also offers detailed information. For example, if you want to recycle your battery and type in batteries, the tool will provide options for different batteries such as alkaline batteries, car batteries, and more. It also gives you the name, as well as addresses and phone numbers, which makes locating the place easier.

Recycle And Make Money

Did you know that you can find a recycling center that pays you money to recycle? Well, that’s the truth. There are various places you can do this, and which can help you make some extra cash. Depending on the type of waste, here are some websites that can help you earn with recycling.

General Electronics

If you want to recycle some general electronics, here are the best websites for that:

USell

With this website, they will pay you to recycle all your obsolete electronics, such as computers, phones, and tablets.

YouRenew

Here, they will also pay you for your obsolete electronics. These may include laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, DVDs, MP3 players, calculators, as well as gaming devices. You will receive a shipping label from them, too allow you to send the electronics for free. Also, they offer you a chance to make donations to nonprofit organizations.

Gazelle

The platform works in the same way as YouRenew, but in addition, they also buy things like camcorders, camera lenses, PDAs, and more.

BuyMyTronics

This website buys both new, and used, as well as broken electronics.

MyBoneYard

If your wish is to donate your proceeds from the sale, this website enables you to do so. You will be able to give the money to local and national nonprofits.

Cell Phones

Flipswap

This one buys your obsolete cell phones.

Ink Cartridges

Cash4Cartridges

Cash4Cartridges is one website that allows you to earn through selling your old laser printer and inkjet cartridges.

Toner Buyer

Toner Buyer, on the other hand, helps you to make money by selling your old and used fax machines, printers, copiers, as well as empty printer cartridges.

Therefore, if you want to make some money out of your old electronics, the above websites are a good place to start from.

See Related: How to Recycle Brita Filters Properly

Conclusion On How to Choose the Right Recycling Center

Due to the nature of the recyclable waste materials, as well as many other contributing factors, there are different types of recycling centers. I believe that this guide offers you the most important things you need to know when choosing a recycling center. This way, you will not need to wonder anymore, where your type of waste stands. You can use these recycling centers to properly recycle and reuse your cans, bottles and electronics.

What are your views on recycling centers? Kindly share your insights on our comments part.

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