Nic Esposito’s Post

I've been told to write about things I am passionate about. This is one of them. Thank you to Jim Walsh for encouraging me. As a child, my father took extreme care in organizing our recyclable materials. I suspect that I get my passion for garbage from him. I manage the garbage removal in our household. I cannot think too much about garbage, it makes me anxious. I worry about creating too much garbage, consuming too much stuff, and what happens when it leaves my property? Many times, I will carry a bottle home just to be sure it makes it into the recycle bin. I was told that many recycle bins in airports do not actually get recycled, the horror. In the US, we are all aware that many of the items recycled do not find a second life. My section of town has a “recycling expert.” His name is Tony. Tony has made his living recycling bottles that people put out in their recycle bins or have set aside for him. I think it is a good living. He is outside all day riding his bike, makes his own hours and has a very secure supply base. On January 1, 2024, the state of Connecticut (CT) increased the bottle return deposit from $0.05 to $0.10. Tony's salary doubled in January. I did notice that he rides a Specialized bike now. Not an inexpensive brand, good for him. I’m writing this post because I heard an exciting news headline over the weekend. City “redemption center overwhelmed after CT doubles bottle deposit fee.” The facility had to close for 3 weeks because the amount of recycled bottles had increased dramatically. I had been told that people need greater incentive to recycle more responsibility. Maybe, this is what we needed in CT but as I was writing the post, I remembered that CT is one of the better states at recycling. In fact, resource-recycling.com indicates that Connecticut is one of the top 10 states in the US for recycling. We are actually number 10 at 39%. The 10 states with the highest recycling rates, excluding fibers and flexible plastics, in 2021 were: Maine (65%); Vermont (51%); Massachusetts (48%); Iowa (45%); Oregon (45%); New York (44%); California (41%); Michigan (40%); New Jersey (39%); and Connecticut (39%). Fun fact, 9 out of the 10 states on this list have bottle deposits. New Jersey is the outlier. Essentially, New Jersey is volunteering to recycle, this is my people (I was raised in NJ) and it makes me happy. If you look at the 10 states that recycle the least in 2021 include: West Virginia (2%); Louisiana (4%); Tennessee (5%); Alaska (6%); South Carolina (6%); Mississippi (6%); Oklahoma (8%); Alabama (8%); Texas (8%); and Colorado (11%).Dec 14, 2023. You can see the rate of recycling is significantly lower. So, it seems that the bottle deposit fee actually works. I realize paying more for any good is not easy, especially now. I have hope that we as a society will keep pushing for better ways and solutions. #recycling #bottledeposit

Waste-to-energy (WtE) is an ingenious process that converts waste into usable energy.Through innovative processes,we can reduce landfill waste and promote sustainable energy solutions, let's turn trash into treasure! What should we do with more and more garbage? Conversion of plastic and tire waste into energy carriers, such as heating oil, diesel, grill coke, synthesis gas, etc. Waste-to-Energy plant is a great alternative to reduce the area for waste treatment and disposal, in addition to generating energy for all small cities in the region. A good alternative is to create an intermunicipal cooperative between small cities to share costs It is a social advantage if small villages we are supplied with locally produced energy, thus creating local jobs for the local energy using population from waste collected locally, where the government should finance projects, if they do not want their country to be covered in waste. Our innovation in environmental protection is the use of microwave technology. The main advantage of vapor plasma reactors is that there is no nitrogen in the plasma reactor in the microwave steam plasma, no nitrogen from the air (only hydrogen and oxygen are produced from water vapor) In emissions no nitrogen oxide, which is 40x more toxic than carbon monoxid, no sulfur dioxide (filtration with ceramic filters, with adsorbents), minimal carbon dioxide and odorless flue gas. Wind turbine blades can be reused in a non-thermal microwave plasma field where the electron temperature is much higher than the generated gas temperature, including the vibrational and rotational temperature of the molecules. In the plasma space, all complex compounds such as resins, aromatic molecules and tars are effectively degraded and separated from the inorganic glass fiber reinforcement. I am a manufacturer and designer in the implementation: www.gumienergia.hu

This article highlights a few of the challenges local authorities are faced with as they look to improve recycling rates. Getting residents to adopt new policies is critical for their success and listening to their concerns is an important part of the process. But so too is understanding what's trying to be achieved and how it will ultimately benefit the community. I don't believe that demanding a scheme be scrapped is the solution. There's always room for change and improvement and hopefully residents are open to that.

It's bracket season! Might as well make it a recycling bracket, right? Check out our "biggest losers" for what not to put in your recycling bin! Thanks Kristin Hostetter for the awesome story! #recycling #circulareconomy #sustainablepackaging

🌿 Attention Alabama Communities: Recycling Fund Grant Deadline Approaching! 🌿 As we dive deeper into environmental sustainability and waste management, the importance of recycling cannot be overstated. With the March 1 deadline for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's Recycling Fund Grant Program fast approaching, now is the crucial time for municipalities, non-profits, and community organizations to evaluate opportunities for improvements. Our recent blog post on "Trash Talk: From Litter to Illegal Dumping" highlighted the significant impact of litter and waste on our communities and environment. (Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/eW7ZJ6Qc) Implementing robust recycling programs is a key strategy in mitigating these issues, promoting a cleaner, healthier Alabama. The Recycling Fund Grant offers a golden opportunity to enhance your local recycling infrastructure, educational campaigns, and initiatives aimed at reducing the waste stream's adverse effects. This grant supports projects that: ✅ Expand local recycling capabilities ✅ Improve collection infrastructure ✅ Increase public participation in recycling efforts ✅ Investing in recycling not only addresses the immediate challenges of waste management but also contributes to a sustainable future by conserving resources, reducing landfill use, and supporting Alabama's economy. 📅 Don't miss the deadline: March 1 🔗 Grant Details: https://lnkd.in/e7VSQt-g Apply now and take a pivotal step toward enhancing your community's recycling program. #Recycling #Sustainability #Alabama #RollTide #EnvironmentalGrant #WasteManagement #Litter #IllegalDumping #Grant #SmartCitiesConnect

📢 Attention all LinkedIn followers! 📢 Are you wondering why 'thousands' of bins have been left unemptied after the recent recycling changes? Council chief has spoken out to provide some much-needed clarity. Find out the reasons behind this issue and the steps being taken to address it in this insightful article from Nation.Cymru. Let's stay informed and keep our communities clean and green. ♻️ Check out the full story and join the conversation. #RecyclingChanges #WasteManagement #LocalCouncils https://ift.tt/oavKhtE

🌿 Attention Alabama Communities: Recycling Fund Grant Deadline Approaching! 🌿 As we dive deeper into environmental sustainability and waste management, the importance of recycling cannot be overstated. With the March 1 deadline for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's Recycling Fund Grant Program fast approaching, now is the crucial time for municipalities, non-profits, and community organizations to evaluate opportunities for improvements. Our recent blog post on "Trash Talk: From Litter to Illegal Dumping" highlighted the significant impact of litter and waste on our communities and environment. (Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/eDtAQbrQ) Implementing robust recycling programs is a key strategy in mitigating these issues, promoting a cleaner, healthier Alabama. The Recycling Fund Grant offers a golden opportunity to enhance your local recycling infrastructure, educational campaigns, and initiatives aimed at reducing the waste stream's adverse effects. This grant supports projects that: ✅ Expand local recycling capabilities ✅ Improve collection infrastructure ✅ Increase public participation in recycling efforts ✅ Investing in recycling not only addresses the immediate challenges of waste management but also contributes to a sustainable future by conserving resources, reducing landfill use, and supporting Alabama's economy. 📅 Don't miss the deadline: March 1 🔗 Grant Details: https://lnkd.in/ejuwxHJE Apply now and take a pivotal step toward enhancing your community's recycling program. #Recycling #Sustainability #Alabama #RollTide #EnvironmentalGrant #WasteManagement #Litter #IllegalDumping #Grant #SmartCitiesConnect

How much is recycled in your community? A newer study finds that residential recycling rates aren’t great.27% of households do not have access to recycling.43% of households recycle.Only 21% of residential recyclables a...

How to Educate Your Community About Recycling: Tips for Community Outreach How much is recycled in your community? A newer study finds that residential recycling rates aren’t great.27% of households do not have access to recycling.43% of households recycle.Only 21% of residential recyclables are recycled correctly. Of the materials that are improperly handled, 76% of them are improperly recycled before they leave a consumer’s home. 87% of materials […] The post How to Educate Your Community About Recycling: Tips for Community Outreach appeared first on RecycleNation.

Tackling contamination in recycling is a challenge for councils across the UK, and changes to enforce stricter rules often highlight the scale of the problem. Routeware's Waste technology can help with enforcing stricter rules, whilst also educating residents to both rule changes, and correct disposal habits 🚛 - Devices within vehicles allow crews to quickly and easily report a variety of contamination events, logged at addresses, with photographic proof 🖥 - Waste Teams can create bespoke reports using back office systems, to analyse contamination behaviour in different areas and rounds ❓ - Residents can easily access correct waste and recycling disposal information through a variety of online educational resources, removing the habit of "Wishcycling" 📲 - Councils can send proactive messaging and reminders directly to residents through mobile apps, helping them understand any policy changes, and communicating correct behavior. If any of the above aspects could benefit your local authority, get in touch and I'd be happy to help. #waste #recycling #contamination