Dumpster Rental Blog | Chicagoland Trash Removal Company

Practical Waste Management Blog

Linas Kliarskis

Author

As far as I remember I've always been interested in different business ventures and ideas. More than 20 years ago I started a dumpster rental business in Chicago Area - A City Suburban Dumpsters. I have learned so much while growing my own business and still facing challenges every day - but that what makes it exciting.

While executing projects related with our services we focus on being environmentally responsible and innovative.

I'm happy being able to share my expertise and experience, and I hope you find our blog useful.

The Consequences of Illegal Dumping and Littering

Polluted environment after illegal dumping and littering

Most states have a department of environmental quality or something akin to it that addresses illegal dumping and littering and the ramifications that go along with it. For instance, Illinois’ Environmental Protection Agency addresses everything from safe disposal of pharmaceuticals and medical sharps to electronic waste recycling to waste disposal.

Illegal dumping occurs for a variety of reasons, but none are acceptable:

Lack of convenient alternatives
Increased disposal costs
Lack of public awareness
Lack of understanding of laws

Health and the Environment are at Risk

Regardless of the reason, the side effects of illegal dumping are very real. The Illinois EPA partners with other state departments in an effort to prevent illegal dumping because of the potential threat to public health and the environment. Illegal dumping goes by a variety of names, including fly dumping, open dumping, midnight dumping.

10 Big Recycling Myths

Recycling containers for paper, glass, plastic and metal waste

Most can agree that recycling programs are a positive step to a healthier environment. Unfortunately, there is a multitude of disinformation about recycling that circulates the WebSphere. Let’s tackle 10 myths that need debunking:

1) Recycling programs got there start in an effort to reduce waste.

A survey in the mid-1990s revealed that Americans thought trash was the nation’s top environmental problem, and nearly 80 percent of those surveyed said recycling could be a way out of the problem. This myth/belief system rose out of EPA regulations in the 1980s that caused a shift in the waste disposal industry, which began moving to larger landfills, thus causing the number of smaller landfills to go out of business. While the number of landfills might have dropped, the amount of landfill capacity certainly didn’t.

2) Energy costs associated with transporting recyclables negate the benefits of recycling.

Sure, there are costs, both environmentally and economically, that impact recycling efforts related to transporting materials from the curb to recycling plants. However, it’s really a fraction of the energy it takes to turn those recyclables into something usable. For instance, to manufacture products from a ton of recyclables takes 10.4 Btu. Collecting, hauling and processing a ton of the same materials only adds up to .9 million Btu.

Tags: recycling myths waste disposal recycling programs recycling containers