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In case you missed it, last month Brannon Industrial Group announced an Earth Day Contest called "Reuse Your Recyclables"! The goal of this competition was to educate each other on what materials are recyclable and to challenge ourselves to think outside of the box in how we can be repurposing everyday items. We’re excited to announce that the competition is now closed, and we’ve officially selected our winners! As you might remember, this was a virtual competition throughout the whole Brazos Valley to make the most creatively functional item ONLY using recyclable materials. Recyclable materials mainly included: plastic, paper, metal, glass, aluminum, steel, wood, and cardboard. Furthermore, in order to be considered for the top prizes, projects must have an operable function, solve a problem, or serve a purpose. Our definition of functional was: completing or fulfilling a predetermined task. And now for the best part… drumroll, please… the winners of the 2023 Brannon Industrial Group Earth Day Craft Competition are… First Place: Reid with “Bottles Up! It’s Game Time!” Second Place: Kathy with “Recycled Bird Feeders” Third Place: Wyatt with “Kachow! Mack-truck” Our first-place craft is an ingenious birthday party game constructed of recycled crates and wine bottles. Reid even added a thematic flair by painting all of the bottles to match his cowboy birthday theme! Judges notes: “This project possessed the functionality out of all of the submissions! And it’s just SO cute!” “I loved how the bottles were recycled into a fun game that families and friends can enjoy together...and the painted cow print was a playful, creative design!” Our second-place project is so practical it makes you wonder why we don’t all make some! Kathy has filled her yard with beautiful birdfeeders made solely from recyclable materials. Kathy commented, “It’s a great way to keep our birds happy, and I enjoy watching them as well as recycling.” Well said, Kathy! We totally agree! Judges notes: “The bird feeders are such a sustainable and thoughtful project… which is the whole point of Earth Day! Well done!” “The bird feeders were cleverly recycled out of everyday items people commonly purchase at the grocery store. What a creative way to not only recycle but also take care of the nature and birds around us!” Our third-place craft has the WOW factor! For Wyatt’s Cars-themed birthday party, he constructed (an almost life-sized!) Mack truck face using only paper and cardboard boxes. This was a great idea that can be replicated in all kinds of shapes and themes. Great thinking, Wyatt! Judges notes: “This was such a cute and unique idea! The design was so well executed and well designed… I’m very impressed!” “The cardboard birthday party truck was adorable! Such a fun way to recycle cardboard while creating memories with your kids!” A huge thank you to all who participated in our BIG Earth Day Craft Competition. But the fun doesn’t have to stop here. We encourage everyone to take time to appreciate our great planet by reducing, reusing, or recycling. If you want to take it even further, read our blog post HERE for ideas on how you and your family can do this together... every day! Don’t forget; if you’re not signed up for recycling services, it’s never been easier! Just contact one of our BVR Waste & Recycling experts today!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: Recycling by Number Plastic is like trees: it’s everywhere, and you know it when you see it, but you probably can’t explain the different types. And why would you? At BVR Waste & Recycling , plastic is one of the main materials we see and process. It’s also the most complicated material to recycle, in part because consumers don’t know what types can be disposed of and in which ways. Most plastic products are stamped with a resin code, which is a number between 1 and 7 inside a small triangle made of arrows. The presence of a resin code doesn’t necessarily mean that the product can be recycled. It’s the number inside of the triangle that counts because each number corresponds to a different type of plastic. PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate) There’s a good chance you’ve held something made of this plastic-type today. PET or PETE is what’s used to make bottles for sodas, water bottles, and other drinks. It’s also used to make ketchup bottles, peanut butter containers or other popular food containers. PET/PETE products CAN be recycled. HDPE (High-density polyethylene) HDPE plastics are also extremely common. They’re those used to make milk jugs, shampoo bottles, cleaning product containers, and detergent bottles. HDPE products CAN be recycled. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) PVC is a soft, flexible plastic, so it’s used for a huge assortment of household products. Plastic tubing, toys, plastic trays, and furniture are often made out of PVC. PVC products CAN NOT be recycled. LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) A lot of plastic wrappings are made of LDPE plastic. It’s also used to make grocery bags and fresh produce bags, sliced bread bags, among other things. LDPE products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled. PP (Polypropylene) PP is used to make the food containers used for products like yogurt, sour cream, and butter. It’s also made into straws, rope, carpet, and bottle caps. PP products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled. PS (Polystyrene) Styrofoam products are made from PS plastic, so it’s commonly used to make disposable coffee cups, packing peanuts, coolers, and to-go food containers. PS products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled. Other Any type of plastic that doesn’t fit into one of the first six categories falls under this heading. Products stamped with a 7 are often made from multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can’t easily be recycled. #7 products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled. Plastic is evolving. The industry leaders such as the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) are developing ways to overcome the challenges of recycling. In the next few years, we can expect to see changes that will benefit consumers, producers, and our environment.

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, businesses are under more pressure than ever to reduce their environmental impact. One of the most effective ways to do this is by optimizing your recycling efforts. Not only is recycling better for the planet, but it can also save your business money in the long run. BVR Waste and Recycling strives to be an industry leader in providing high quality service with solutions to support your waste management as your business grows. Let’s explore some practical advice for businesses looking to optimize their recycling efforts, from implementing a waste audit to partnering with a trusted waste management company. Environmental Benefits Recycling is one of the most effective ways for businesses to reduce their environmental impact. By recycling materials like paper, plastic, and aluminum, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, and prevent waste from ending up in landfills. It offers a number of significant environmental benefits that can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. One of the primary benefits of recycling is it helps to conserve natural resources by reducing the need for new raw materials. When materials are recycled, they can be transformed into new products, reducing the demand for virgin materials that must be extracted from the earth. Recycling helps to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Landfills are one of the largest sources of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Conserving energy is another big benefit of recycling materials as it requires less energy to produce new products than it does to extract raw materials and manufacture products from scratch. Just recycling aluminum requires 95% less energy than producing new aluminum and that is something easily implemented daily in any business. Water pollution and the conservation of water resources can be reduced with recycling efforts. Manufacturing requires large amounts of water, and the extraction of raw materials can contribute to water pollution. By recycling materials, businesses can reduce the amount of water that is needed to produce new products, as well as the amount of water that is contaminated during the manufacturing process. Financial Benefits Recycling can save a company money in the long run with proper waste management processes. Businesses can save on disposal fees and potentially earn revenue by selling recyclable materials. Recycling can help a business identify inefficiencies in their operations and implement cost-saving measures. The first step in optimizing recycling efforts is to conduct a waste audit. This involves analyzing the business's waste stream to identify the types of materials that are being generated and how they are being disposed of. By conducting a waste audit, it identifies areas where waste can be reduced, increase recycling, and potentially save money. To conduct a waste audit, gather data on your business's waste stream. This could involve sorting and weighing waste, analyzing trash, recycling bins, and reviewing purchasing practices. Once this data is collected, opportunities can be identified for waste reduction and recycling. The next step is to set recycling goals for the business. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. For example, one goal would be to increase the business's recycling rate by 20% within the next year. By setting recycling goals, it creates a roadmap for the business's recycling efforts and tracks progress over time. This can help the business stay motivated and focused on achieving recycling targets. Another important aspect of optimizing recycling efforts is to educate employees about recycling best practices. This could involve providing training on how to properly sort and dispose of recyclable materials, as well as educating employees on the environmental and financial benefits of recycling. By educating employees, it creates a culture of sustainability within the business and ensures that everyone is working together to achieve the company's' recycling goals. In closing, partnering with a trusted waste management company is key to optimizing recycling efforts. A waste management company can provide tools and expertise needed to properly manage a company’s waste stream, from providing recycling bins to helping identify cost-saving opportunities.BVR Waste and Recycling is committed to sustainability and has a track record of delivering high-quality service. We offer a wide range of waste management solutions with experts that can customize the job to fit your business needs. Give us a call today.