Cardella Leads NY and NJ in Construction Recycling

According to Construction Waste Recycling online, construction of a 2,000 square foot home generates around 8,000 lbs. of landfill waste. With numbers like this, it seems obvious that we should be recycling construction supplies. But which home building materials are recyclable? In renovation or new builds, recyclables include:

• Appliances
• Masonry materials
• Sheetrock/drywall
• Glass and plastic windows
• Lumber and plywood scraps
  
• Cardboard materials packaging
• Metal scraps
• Metal and wood doors
• Some roofing materials

Building material recycling technology is developing rapidly, and Green waste management companies like Cardella are helping to spearhead the effort. If you're a construction manager, site owner or contractor interested in partnering with Cardella on your next building project, call us at 1-800-548-7001 today. We provide convenient, 24/7 services for your construction waste management needs and our streamlined, single-container recycling services will save you time and money.

Summer Vacation Recycling Made Simple

If you're a regular recycler, don't abandon your habits on summer break. With a little planning, you can keep up with recycling initiatives, even during your family vacation. Remember these tips when you're headed out of town:

1. Pack stainless steel or BPA-free plastic water bottles for each member of your family before you leave on a trip. Refilling your water bottle at restaurants or gas stations will prevent you from generating more waste with disposable water bottles--and it will save you money, too.
2. If you're unsure whether there will be recycling bins at your destination, place a small bag or recycling container in the back of your car. Deposit cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminum in the bin during your trip, and recycle it when you arrive home.
3. Look around for recycling bins at parks, hotels and rest stops on your trip. If you don't see any recycling options, talk to the site manager about the importance of recycling and encourage them to provide bins for future guests.
4. Pack food responsibly. Avoid the creation of waste by packaging your own fruit, vegetables and whole foods--rather than purchasing processed items in bulky cardboard and plastic packaging. In addition to reducing the waste stream, you'll probably be eating healthier, too.
   

Recycling when you're away from home is a great way to teach your children to take responsibility for themselves and the environment. For more great ideas on recycling, visit Planet Green at Discovery.com. To find out more about recycling on your home NY/NJ turf, call the recycling experts at Cardella Waste.

Decluttering Your Basement the Ecofriendly Way

Having guests for the summer? Tired of wading through basement clutter? When you plan ahead and acquire the right tools, decluttering your basement space doesn't have to be as daunting as it looks.

1. Gather the supplies you'll need. These include things like large garbage bags, boxes and packing tape. If you have years of unwanted items in your basement, you may even want to consider a dumpster rental. Disposal companies like Cardella can help you recycle many of the items you're tossing--like electronics, batteries, wood and cardboard--so you won't have to add all of your basement junk to the landfill.
2. Pick a corner of your basement, and begin going through boxed and unboxed items, one-by-one. Create large, designated boxes for "Donate," "Sell," "Throw Away," "Keep," and "Undecided"--and make sure that every item goes into a box. (If you find yourself putting most items in the "Undecided" pile because you're a packrat, force yourself to rethink things. Have you used the item in the last year--or even the last 6 months? If the answer is no, find another pile for it.)
3. As your "Throw Away" pile gets full, go through it for recyclables. Set the items aside to give to your local recycling company. Bag the rest of the garbage and dispose of it in your trash receptacle or rented dumpster.
   
4. Select a charity to give donations to, and schedule a pickup or drive items to the organization within 1-2 days. Getting rid of items quickly is a great way to help others--and to prevent yourself from second-guessing the giveaways and deciding to keep things you don't need.
5. Choose an organization system (cardboard boxes, clear plastic bins, etc.) to organize the items you're keeping. Print out large, easy-to-read labels for each bin or box, and cover the labels in clear packing tape to keep them from peeling or fading.

Cleaning out the basement can be a long, frustrating task--so give yourself several weeks to accomplish your goals. After the space is clean and clutter free, avoid making new piles. Continue to assign places to each item in your home--or be quick to give them away or recycle them. Regular home and basement maintenance is the best way to avoid a lengthy cleanout next summer!

Need to rent a dumpster to help with your basement decluttering--or a summer renovation project? Call 1-888-772-RENT to reserve your container today!

Spring and Summer Cleaning Safety Tips

As you prepare your home for summer house guests, it may be time to spring clean under your counters, in the garage--and in kitchen and bathroom cupboards. While purging outdated and used items, remember that not everything can be thrown in the trash can. Many chemicals, electronics and household items can damage the environment if they're sent to the landfill.

Follow these tips for safe, environmentally friendly housecleaning:

1. Electronics make up some of the most commonly disposed-of household items. If you're throwing away old cell phones, computer monitors, PDAs or televisions, these items may contain dangerous chemicals--like mercury--that can contaminate landfill soil. Instead of tossing them, consider selling them, donating them to a charity or recycling them with Cardella's new e-cycling program.
2. Batteries are small, everywhere--and easy to throw in the trash! However, batteries also pose an extreme environmental danger due to their heavy metal content. Collect used batteries in a corrosion-proof container, and donate them to an established recycling program.
3. If you're considering the transition to green cleaning, think about getting rid of your old, chemical-filled household cleaners. Pesticides, adhesives, automotive products, bathroom disinfectants and kitchen oven cleaners should NEVER be thrown in the dumpster. Instead, follow the chemical labels for proper disposal--and watch your local news for city- and county-wide chemical collections. Often called "roundups," these collections offer the opportunity for local residents to drop off hazardous chemicals for safe disposal by environmental agencies.
   

Composting 101: Environmental Benefits

It's that time of year--when residents begin planting, fertilizing and anxiously awaiting the arrival of fruits, vegetables and herbs from their home garden. If you're looking for ways to take produce-growing to the next level, consider composting. Composting is a great way to neutralize your garden's pH while releasing a variety of healthy nutrients into the soil. If you're thinking about starting a compost heap to improve your garden's soil quality, consider the environmental benefits of your efforts.

1. When used on a large scale, composting has been found to "detoxify" contaminated soils by limiting toxic runoff into rivers and lakes. And because it's a natural way of treating the soil, gardeners can avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides--which also saves money.
   
2. Composting adds beneficial nutrients to the soil, which encourages the growth of worms and healthy bacteria. These micro-organisms aerate the soil and break down into bio-available nutrients that fend off garden pests and soil diseases.
   
3. Composting reduces the waste stream, since you're recycling yard and kitchen waste instead of tossing it. It's a responsible addition to any home recycling program.
   

To make the most of your composting efforts, don't limit compost use to your garden. Spread it around flower beds, trees--and even around trouble spots in your lawn. It's especially beneficial in areas with poor soil quality, since wet soils will drain better--and sandy soils will retain essential moisture.

Cardella Waste and Integrity Recycling Launch New iPhone App

Cardella is excited to partner with Integrity Recycling & Waste Solutions of Flemington to launch the first-ever conservation calculator iPhone app. This Green Machine Conservation Calculator can be downloaded for free from iTunes, and measures your environmental impact based upon provided recycling amounts.

By inputting paper, metal, plastic and wood recycling tonnages into the Green Machine, consumers and businesses will receive an environmental impact report that measures their conservation savings in gallons of oil, kilowatts of electricity, liberated landfill space and other eco-friendly terms. Cardella and Integrity hope that consumers will use the Green Machine app to (1) understand their personal impact on the environment, and (2) track the ongoing reduction of their carbon footprint.

“The Green Machine recycling calculator should be a favorite among industry professionals looking for environmental information related to their recycling efforts—and a staple for anyone who wishes to measure their recycling programs’ successes,” says David J. Cardella, one of Cardella's principals.

Currently, the Green Machine is only available for iTunes and Apple users. If you're a Blackberry or Droid user, however, don't despair. The app may soon be able for those platforms, as well. Visit the iTunes Store to download the Green Machine today, or call Cardella’s recycling experts for more information about this cool conservation tool.