Tulsa will burn trash again

[Wrinkle]

This site at Consumer Reports:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/resource-center/energy-star-has-lost-some-luster/watts-on-tv/energy-star-watts-on-tv.htm

states a 50" PLASMA uses about 250W, or 5W per diagonal inch.

btw, the DuMont was an 8" x 10" B&W display using 250w. Diagonally, that's 12.8" and over 19.5W per inch.

At that rate, a 50" would use 976W, or about 1KW-Hour per hour of use.
At $0.8/KWH, a 12-hour viewing day would cost $0.96 in current rates.

The 50" plasma would cost about $0.25 for the 12-hours, and my 23" Samsung, at 53W, would cost just over a nickel.

You see, politicians think that's just too cheap.

[Conan71]

I try to be environmentally friendly.  I have recycling bins at my house for newspaper, #1 and #2 plastic, glass (sorted), aluminum, as well as plastic sacs and magazines (taking up a considerable amount of garage space!).   I used to have bins for #5 plastic and steel . . . but I couldn't find anyone to take the #5 and had to drive to Owasso to donate my steel (which was probably counter productive).   So they now get thrown away (though I do reuse a lot of QT cups).

For batteries, I try to remember to do something with them.  I generally save them in my garage for the turn-in days . . . then forget and find them during spring cleaning and just throw them away.  Larger batteries (12v) I do save and make sure to turn in.  But admit to being awful with smaller batteries.

And in the greater scheme of things, I'm a fantastic Tulsan.  The vast majority of Tulsans don't recycle anything at all.  Cans, bottles, batteries, plastic - all right in our bottomless twice a week trash.  And it would all go to be burned (interestingly, the steel recycling rate would go up as it is a ferrous metal.  It might actually help with batteries too). 

RM, do you have a feel for what Tulsa's "recycling rate" is?

And my used 22 oz. Marshall's bottles get put to VERY good use in your garage. 

[Wrinkle]

There are a few issues, but Tulsa was on the dirty air list before this plant was built and got off the list a few years after it opened. The steam they sell to Sunoco has to be generated somehow and the WTE operation means there are fewer natural gas fired units boiling water.

It is pretty regulated and has to meet very stringent continual testing. One thing I like about it is that it is so regulated. We have no idea what is buried each day at a landfill.

It also doesn't really cause pollution...we do. When we throw away things that don't burn well (like batteries and plastics), there are some emissions. This plant has installed excellent control measures, but there are still traces.

I really follow this plant. I know all the management people and all the regulators. The reports are public record and I make a point to research them.

   

This is the posting to which I was refering in the other thread on the politics board. Could you please post links to these reports.

[dbacks fan]

So, lemme guess, instead of listening to your music on an iPod or CD player, you still listen to your old Victrola, right?

No, he's moved up. He has an 8 Track from Radio Shack now.

[RecycleMichael]

RM, do you have a feel for what Tulsa's "recycling rate" is?

It depends what you count and how you measure. Some states count scrap metal from salvaged cars and wood chips. Some do not.

In terms of participation...just over 11% of the single family residences have signed up and are charged extra for curbside collection of recyclables and the M.e.t. centers receive an almost equal tonnage amount of recyclables. That means about 12,000 homes subscribe to curbside and another 12,000 use the five M.e.t. locations in Tulsa.

Add to that some Tulsans only recycle paper at their kid's school or their church, others sell their cans to private dealers, some Tulsans drive to Broken Arrow because it accepts more materials, and some apartments have now started recycling and I would safely say that about 25% of Tulsans recycle (compared to the national average of 50%).

If you just count paper and containers, only about 3% of Tulsa's trash is recycled. If you count wood chips, it becomes 25% and if you count salvaged cars, it jumps up to 50%.

[RecycleMichael]

This is the posting to which I was refering in the other thread on the politics board. Could you please post links to these reports.

I don't have electronic copies of everything. I actually go the the meetings and get handouts and keep a file on each disposal facility within 50 miles of Tulsa. I also have interns go to OKC each summer and pay to make copies of permits and notice of violations.

[RecycleMichael]

Here is the DEQ site for air quality...

http://www.deq.state.ok.us/AQDnew/AQIndex/Tulsa/tulaqi.htm

[Red Arrow]

No, he's moved up. He has an 8 Track from Radio Shack now.

I think I had one like that.  Thieves damaged both my car doors ($150+) to steal the player and a rusty pocket knife.  They must not have liked my choice of music as they left all the tapes.

[Hoss]

We've got 2x a month curb-side in my 'hood.  I assumed that was available city-wide, is it not?

C, I have a question for you, or anyone else for that matter with this service.

I'm trying to decide if I need more than one bin.  I know I'll be getting a lid and wheel kit, but just how big are these bins?  I live with and help take care of my mother, so it's just the two of us, but she does take the daily newspaper and gets a LOT of catalogs/flyers/junk mail.  Would one suffice, you think, or might two work?

Thanks.

[TURobY]

C, I have a question for you, or anyone else for that matter with this service.

I'm trying to decide if I need more than one bin.  I know I'll be getting a lid and wheel kit, but just how big are these bins?  I live with and help take care of my mother, so it's just the two of us, but she does take the daily newspaper and gets a LOT of catalogs/flyers/junk mail.  Would one suffice, you think, or might two work?

Thanks.

I have two smaller bins. I usually fill up one per 2-week cycle (I don't make much waste to begin with, and I'm the only one at my residence). The second one for high volume months (holiday season or when I have guests).

[RecycleMichael]

The bins are 18 gallon size. We have lots of recyclables so we have more than one bin. We have parties when we fill up three bins.

You also can out recyclables in other containers. We usually put our glass bottles and jars in a five gallon bucket and just set it out next to the bin.

[Conan71]

I really generate very little waste these days.  It's just me, my dog (and if you've seen my dog, you'd know he's not a big waste generator either) and the occasional visitor.  I probably only spend about two waking hours a day at my house.  I re-use bottled water bottles until they are skanky or get a hole in them, don't take the paper, no magazines anymore, Cannon_Fodder gets all my 22 oz Marshall's bottles.etc.  I have two bins but I find I'm only even 1/2 filling one bin a month.  Cutting beer intake for rowing and bike training hasn't hurt either   

I do keep a spare bin in case I have a party or wind up finally sorting through old boxes of stuff and figure out I don't need 150 copies of 10+ year old Car & Driver, Plane & Pilot, Sail, or whatever.   

Question for Recyclemichael: One of my neighbors told me Hoover Elementary takes recyclables, especially magazines and newsprint?  Is that right?  Just want to know in case I ever do have the need to take a box of old magazines or junk mail up there.

[RecycleMichael]

Yes. Many schools and area churches have bins that take back paper. There is a company that collects only paper and then gives the school a small check.

Here is their list of locations.

http://papermq.contentactive.com/mapquest/advantage.asp?transaction=search&country=us&template=paper_retriever&pageresults=10&maxsearchresults=25&units=&radius=5&code=1132&proxIconId=501&radius=5&address=&city=Tulsa&stateProvince=OK&county=Tulsa+County&postalCode=&x=60&y=13