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January 30, 2010

A Word About Recycling - Jan. 31, 2010

By Ollie & Gloria Maier The San Marcos Record Sat Jan 30, 2010, 01:34 PM CST

Received a short, but nice, e-mail the other day (thanks Betsy) asking in part: “Who recycles computers and who recycles plastic bottles? Anyone locally?”

Our answer to her was that Good Will recycles computers (both working and non-working) and the Green Guy Recycling Services drop-off site takes plastic bottles. Course she could also recycle any computers on Texas State University when they have their e-waste drive in April.

Her question triggered an interest in an item later noticed in the latest Recycling Today e-newsletter. “The Computer Recycling Center (CRC) announced that it recycled more than 1,500 tons of electronic scrap in 2009 through the company’s Springfield, Mo., facility. The total is a 39 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, the number of televisions recycled increased more than 82 percent from 2008, CRC says.”

(That’s a big increase in the e-waste recycled there.)

Betsy added, “Also, Buda's cement plant uses tires for fueling its furnace. Richard at the plant says it is cleaner than coal and I think he said like 99 percent clean. There are so many tires out there.”

She is right about a lot of tires out there and they burn very hot as a fuel. (We found out a lot of heat is needed in the making of cement when we visited the TXI cement plant in Hunter as part of our Leadership San Marcos training.)

Her comment also fell in line with another item in the Recycling Today e-newsletter.

“Global Resource Corp. (GRBC), Mount Laurel, N.J., has signed a joint venture to develop, build, own and operate several facilities with Phoenix Renewable Energy, Hot Springs, Ark., for the processing of scrap tires. The joint venture will have rights to develop and operate all facilities located in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.”

The first facility will cost about $12 million. (It will use a process relatively new but one we received info on a few years back when it as first developed.)

“The joint venture will be for the processing of scrap tire derived fuel into commercial hydrocarbons and carbon products utilizing GBRC's microwave technology.”

(We suggest you don’t try this in your microwave at home.)

When the facility opens, it will have a “... throughput capacity of 20,000 tons of tire derived fuel... “ annually. They hope to “... construct approximately nine of GBRC's facilities for tire recycling over the next 3 years.”

(That should take care of a lot of old tires. Incidentally, besides taking any old tires to the Green Guy drop-off site, you can also turn them in during the periodic ‘Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day’ in San Marcos.)

Till next week, do have a great one...

Gloria and Ollie are local citizens concerned with the environment and helping others. Ollie is a graduate of Leadership San Marcos and they both received higher education at TxState University and worked on staff before retiring. For questions or comments, please call them at 353-7432 or e-mail them to omaier@TxState.edu.

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