Containers Aid Collection Efforts

Recycling bins are storage containers that hold materials destined for reprocessing centers where they are sorted and then converted into materials for reuse. They come in many sizes and shapes depending on their location and function. Individuals may have a small container in the house to hold glass or paper temporarily until they are able to take them to a recycling center for redemption. The recycling center will then have larger bins where the material is housed until it can be transferred to a processing plant. The bins at these recycling centers may also be more specialized. For instance, there can be separate bins for clear and colored glass or for different metals such as copper and aluminum.

Different products will have different redemption value. Currently copper seems to bring the best prices in the recycling industry so much so that the money to be made has prompted a rash of copper thefts that have left many locals with darkened street lights and traffic signals as thieves rip out wires and cables from such devices for the copper they contain.

Recycling centers can now be found throughout the United States and indeed throughout the world. In America, they will often be sited in parking lots of supermarkets and shopping malls. The recycling bins they contain make them easily identifiable. Many homeless people now depend on these places for money that they receive from bringing items such as cans and

bottles they collect from local dumpsters.

Called Out by Their Colors

Recycling bins are often arrayed in different colors so patrons of recycling centers can easily determine where various materials should go. Blue bins are often reserved for metals while plastics go in green. Red may be for paper, and yellow will hold glass. There will also generally be labels on each bin to further insure that items receive proper placement. This may also be the only method for identification since the bins will all be the same color, or there will only be two or three color types available but far more designations.

Recycling bins will often have a decal with a logo that promotes recycling. Another way to defray costs and earn extra revenue is to place advertisements along the sides. The use of recycled products generally results in significant energy savings over making new materials from scratch. Although a more hidden means of savings than the cash redemption often associated with recycling centers, this is nonetheless another way that recycling bins help convert trash to cash. Trash can now be considered more than merely waste material, but a temporary stage in the renewing of materials.

Recycling bins are a vital cog in the recycling process. They achieve both storage and sorting. The high cost of sorting out trash to find useful material is one of the chief impediments that currently limits the level of recycling. By boosting the percentage of trash that can be converted for use, recycling bins act as a portal to expand the range of the endeavor.