Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category
Hotels That Recycle
When you think about Recycling, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Recycling are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.
Are you planning a trip? Whether it is a trip for business or pleasure; you have options and with just a little research you can find a hotel that is environmentally friendly! There are “Green” Hotels in which the hotel does all it can in order to recycle, reuse and reduce.
Some of the ways hotels are becoming environmentally friendly are by letting guests know that they will only clean the room upon request; that cuts down on the amount of laundry that needs to be washed, electricity that needs to be used to vacuum and the man power itself, that it needs in order to accommodate for daily cleaning.
Hotels can also request that you re-use your towels rather than having them laundered every day. There are programs in some hotels that have bins for recycling glass, plastic and aluminum set up for easy recycling by the guests as well as the employees. Just by making these bins available gives no excuse for why recycling can’t be a success.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Recycling now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
Hotels that are on the “Green” list are in the forefront of ways to recycle and they are finding that more than 70% of their customers not only abide by their energy and cost saving measures, they have helped to develop them. Many hotels and motels have put suggestion cards in the rooms for their guests to fill out and have implimented some of the ideas that came right from their consumers.
If a hotel is a popular spot for banquets and meetings, changes as simple as using pourers for sugar and pitchers for cream have been able to cut down on the waste of individually wrapped sweetners and individual cups of cream. There is also less left over to add to the unused, end-of-the-day waste. Some facilities have gone as far as to place notices on tables in meeting rooms and some restaurants to advise customers that water will be poured, upon request.
There are some ways hotels are joining in the cause for an environmentally friendly product that most hotel guests will never see. There are water-saving devices that will save the water that is flushed by about 75%, never affecting the flush in any way, but making quite a difference with the utility costs. Devices such as the toilet tank fill diverter and tiny parts that fit into the head of a shower to cut down on the water useage will not be noticed by the guests but make a big impact on the environment.
Hospitality venues that are using these kinds of measures to cut back on our waste and are environmentally contientious should be the places we choose to stay. If we, as concerned consumers, take a stand and only patronize hotels and motels and B&Bs that are taking the idea of recycling to heart and have made changes to help the Earth, the more hotels will realize that we know how to exercise our choice and will do so even when we are away from home.
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By Vapor Diva, (Freedom from Smoke-Find Your Ambition) feel free to visit her top ranked quality electronic cigarettes affiliate site: Affordable Electric Cigarette
Recycling: How To Start And Maintain A Compost Pile
When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.
In today’s world, where the idea of recycling is not an option, but a necessity, having your own compost pile is a great activity and resources in keeping with the mandatory recycle laws. The bonuses of composting heavily outweigh any negative connotations compost piles have had to defend themselves against; mainly, the smell.
Because food waste, when compiled properly and maintained can create rich soil that can be reused on lawns and gardens, it seems the thought of not having one is the poorer choice. We have to eat and there is inevitably an excess and waste, that it seems like a no-brainer to put our scraps and law clippings to good use.
To begin your project you will need a compost bin. Compost bins can be built or purchased. Before putting out any money for this project, check with your town hall to see if they sponsor a program that will provide residents with the bins. If your town doesn’t provide bins specifically for composting, you should check with local hardware or home improvement stores. These bins can also be found online or via gardening center websites or catalogs.
If none of these options pan out, a compost bin can be built with just a few materials and tools. All that is needed to build your own compost bin would be; some wood, concrete blocks, pallets, wire and maybe even a garbage can with holes poked in the bottom. The only thing to keep in mind when constructing a compost bin is to remember to incorporate a way for excess moisture to escape and a great way to do that is to be sure there are holes at the bottom of the bin but that they are not so big that little critters can climb into the bin and wreak havoc! It’s best to keep the drainage holes no more than half an inch in diameter.
Most of this information comes straight from the Recycling pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.
Placement of the bin should be somewhere shady, where it can drain properly and where it will be fairly easy to access without being too close to become a “smelly” problem inside your home (or the home of your neighbor)!
The first level of compost should allow for air passages as well as drainage. A layer of smooth rock placed loosely on the bottom of the bin will work to do the trick.
When you start to add to your compost you should think in layers; start with the bottom layer of coarse materials to further enable the air and drainage passage, and then layer between “brown” waste and “green” waste. “Brown” waste may consist of, autumn leaves, wood chips, saw dust, pine needles, paper towels, newspaper and coffee filters and “green” waste consists of, food wastes, fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, grass clippings and weeds. Another tip is to add a layer of soil on top of each layer of waste because that will help speed up the process.
One last maintainance tip is to always fluff your layers as you go by using a hoe or a compost turning tool. You’ll also want to be sure to “toss” the entire pile once in the spring and again in the fall, wehre you turn the entire pile upside down with the bottom ending up on the top of the pile.
Enjoy your compost pile and know that with every item added it is one less item for the waste that will be left for future generations to contend with.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Recycling. Share your new understanding about Recycling with others. They’ll thank you for it.
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By Jim Martin, feel free to visit his top ranked site: Diabetes Information Bikram Yoga
Recycling: Even Bricks Can Be ReUsed!
The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Recycling is certainly no exception.
One of the most innovative ways of recycling materials that have probably been over-looked came in the form of a contractor re-using bricks from a brick wall that needed to be torn down during the construction of an addition to a home.
The contractor learned his trade from one long time mason worker who believed that if you have brick as part of your building project, it could last forever. He believed that the only structures that were worth a plugged nickel contained the strong and classy component of brick; also adding that more brick is better.
How could you go wrong following that kind of advice? In the Age of Recycling, as this time in our lives could be described, what would be the sense in sending perfectly good bricks off to a landfill? If we are going to be efficient at recycling, our best course of action is to prevent waste, right? Here are some ideas the contractor had when talking about recycling the brick wall, one brick at a time and his suggested materials.
This project may not be one where any kind of further education degree required, but it is a laborous task and keep in mind the fate of your back from bending and picking up throughout this activity. The only materials needed are, a bucket with water, brick hammers and some muriatic acid for those really stubborn cement-clinging bricks.
You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Recycling. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.
This project could really make an impact on the home renovations in keeping with the theme of recycling, if done properly.
The wall needs to be taken down a brick at a time. The best way to do this and still keep the bricks in tact is to be patient and methodical. Tapping the bricks away from the mortar may sound easy but it is a sure test of patience when, in the back of your mind, you continue to think about how much more easy the task would be if you were using a large sledge hammer to do the job!
Once you have the bricks removed from the wall, begin to remove the mortar from each individual brick by chipping at it with the tapered end of the hammer. There will be some instances where the mortar is not going to come off so easily and it is suggested that by placing the brick into a 5 gallon bucket of water, that should almost always make it easier for the mortar to come off the brick. In cases where the mortar is still clinging onto the brick after a few dips in the water, try soaking the bricks in a solution of water and muriatic acid. Please remember to pay close attention to the instructions when using muriatic acid and be sure to wear gloves and protective goggles. After the bricks have soaked in the acid and water mix, all mortar should come off by using a wire brush and cleaning them off.
Reuse the bricks anyway you choose and walk away from the project knowing you’ve done your best to recycle!
It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Recycling. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Recycling.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 training site for great bonuses: Perpetual20
Recycling: Are You Doing Everything You Can?
It may come as a surprise to you, but there is a really good chance that the town or city you live in offer a service you may not have heard of; an energy audit. Cities and towns all over the country have started doing this, where an auditor comes to your home and goes through your living space and helps you to see where you could make changes that will not only help you conserve energy but will help you save money! What a bonus it is to save money by doing the right thing.
There are so many changes you can make in your home to impact the way we recycle and in the end, will help you keep some of the money in your pocket.
Having recycling bins set up so that you can properly sort the items that are recycled is a great first step. That activity alone can cut down greatly on the items that end up in the landfills rather than where they can be recycled.
Keeping your televisions, DVDs, stereos and computers plugged in to a power strip or surge protector rather than directly into the wall and then turning off the power strip will cut back greatly on power “leaks” that can cost you money on your utility bill. Being aware to turn these items off, is the first step, and then having them plugged into the power strip will just further the action for saving money and energy.
If you don’t have accurate details regarding Recycling, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.
Don’t leave a light on when you walk out of a room and no one else is in there. And have you changed your light bulbs from the traditional ones to the compact flourescent kind? Did you know that the newer lights use 75% less energy to run and they will out live a traditional light bulb by up to 10 years? Make the changes that need to be made in your home.
Don’t run the dishwasher or the washing machine unless they are full. It’s a waste of energy and water to run a cycle through the dishwasher when it’s only half full. Don’t turn it on until you have a full load to wash and then just wash them all at once.
Use microfiber cloths for cleaning all kinds of surfaces like furniture, counters and sinks. The bonus is that these items can be tossed into the washer and are perfectly able to be reused again and again. Think of the savings in paper towels alone! Talk about a win-win; if we use fewer paper towles, then that means fewer trees need to be cut to make them in the first place. How can we go wrong with thinking like that?
Take shorter showers and see if you can pick up a shower head that is a water-conserving item, already in place, that will save you money and you’ll never even notice the difference during your shower.
There is so much you can do in the efforts to recycle, just be sure you’re doing your part.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 training site for great bonuses: Perpetual20
Buying Appliances With The Energy Star Rating
We all have appliances that break down or stop working with any kind of effeciency and the question becomes, where do we turn from here? Well, I have some suggestions and these suggestions will keep in line with the idea of energy conservation and recycling.
There are home products and products for the office that have been rated and earned the ENERGY STAR rating, which means that they are within the effeciency guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) as being cost effective and/or producing less waste. These agencies have deemed certain products as energy efficient and where ever you purchase appliances or heating and cooling systems, electronics and office equipment, by choosing a product that has the Energy Star mark, you are purchasing a product that is going to work with the efforts to recycle, reuse and reduce.
Many newer homes start off with energy efficient appliances and systems that are a savings right from the start, but not every one is that lucky to have brand new equipment. It’s always good to keep in mind that when you are replacing an item, the best bet is to get the updated version which will almost automatically fall into the ratings of Energy Star and you’ll know that you will be doing your best in the effort to use less energy and produce less waste.
If you don’t have accurate details regarding Recycling, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.
All of the retailers from the largest appliance chains have products that are Energy Star approved. Whether you are shopping at Lowe’s Home Improvements, Sears, Best Buy, Costco or the Home DePot, you will find a great selection of energy star rated options.
Because of the need for more and more options that will back the recycling effort in the United States, using Energy Star approved appliances not only makes sense but will end up, in the long run, saving the consumer on monthly expenses. How can helping the environment and saving money be a bad thing?
Please remember when you are making any home improvements or replacing any broken or out-dated appliances to only purchase those items that have the Energy Star rating and keep the process of recycling going. It’s always better to keep up with something, like recycling, when you don’t even know you’re doing it! Energy Star products will keep you in that frame of mind.
Also, if you are looking to upgrade your windows in your home there are Energy Star rated windows that, when installed properly, will be a great asset to your home in the struggle to control the high cost of heating. Look for double pane windows and be sure that all of the surrounding area of the window is not allowing the cold air in, because if it is, then you can bet the warm air is leaking out and there’s, “No need to heat the whole neighborhood,” as my father used to say, everytime one of my sisters or I would leave the back door opened, when we were growing up.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Recycling. Share your new understanding about Recycling with others. They’ll thank you for it.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his soon to be top ranked Perpetual20 training site: Perpetual 20
The Basics Of Plastic Recycling
The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Recycling.
Derived from the Greek word plastikos, which means capable of being shaped or molded, plastic refers to a wide array of synthetic or semi-synthetic solids that are used in producing a wide variety of industrial products and items.
When compared to materials such as metal and glass, plastics generally require a longer recycling process, because plastic has a high molecular weight, and it has larger polymer chains. Heating is generally not enough to dissolve a plastic material’s large molecules, as compared to organic molecules. Here are some major facts regarding the recycling of plastic.
Plastics Require A Lot Of Time And Energy To Recycle
Plastic is a truly versatile product. It can either rigid or flexible, opaque or transparent. It can also be made to look like silk, wood or leather. It can be made into plastic toys, containers or even heart valves. There are 10,000 different types of plastics, and the raw materials for plastic are natural gas or petroleum. The process of recycling plastic starts from the time the material is made, to the time it is once again reused as a new product after the recycling process.
Today, most cities and towns have recycling facilities, where residents drop off their recyclable items at collection facilities, and the plastics are sorted, cleaned, as well as reprocessed into new materials. However, unlike materials such as aluminum, which can easily be mixed with other aluminum variants, there are different types of plastic, with each carrying a resin identification code. This means that each plastic resin type has to be separately recycled.
The best time to learn about Recycling is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Recycling experience while it’s still free.
What Happens Once The Plastic Reaches The Recycling Center?
Once you send your used plastic items to a recycling facility, the workers here inspect the items, and look for contaminants such as glass or rock, or other plastic types which the plant cannot recycle. The plastic is then washed and chopped into flakes, and is sorted in a floatation tank, to determine which plastics sink or float.
The plastic flakes are then dried in a tumble drier, and are melted afterward in a machine called an extruder, where heat and pressure melt the material. Because there different types of plastic, each variant at different temperatures. The molten plastic is then forced into a fine screen to separate the contaminants, and the molten plastic is formed into strands.
The strands are then cooled in water, and are chopped in uniform pellets. The recycled plastic pellets can then be made into different products, from carpeting materials to flower pots, lumber substitutes and many more.
While many of us frown on plastic, the sad thing is that we’re using more and more of them than ever before. If you’re worried about the effects of plastic on the environment, here’s how you can personally help. Try reusing plastic products as often as you can, or you may try using other alternatives such as paper or cloth. If you’re buying grocery items, buy the product refills instead of the new plastic containers. Best of all, follow the three R’s reduce,reuse and recycle.
Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Recycling. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 training site for great bonuses: Perpetual20
Recycling: How To Prevent The Excess
The idea of recycling is to reuse an item rather than toss it into the trash and have it end up filling space in a landfill, right? Here’s a thought; why not have the waste in the first place? Are you with me? How can this be accomplished, you may be asking yourself, and that’s good because I have a few ideas I’d like to share.
Be aware of the items you purchase and how they are packaged. Some manufacturers use layers of wrapping that will just get tossed into the trash because there isn’t another use for it. Try not to purchase such items. Do a little looking, a little digging, a little research and find items that have less packaging and stick to only buying them. I believe the manufacturers will get the hint when consumers start paying attention to the waste one product makes and opt for its competitor.
A good way to utilize this kind of thinking is to buy in bulk. Buying in bulk cuts way down on the packaging and more often than not, it is a better buy just by the price. That’s a win-win, in my book!
I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.
If you have to buy something that has an excess of packaging, stretch your mind a little and figure out what you can use that excess for and then put it to good use.
A great way to curb the surplus in a landfill is to reuse things and an easy one to do this with is the plastic bags you get to carry your groceries home in. Rather than getting the bags home, emptying the contents and putting them away and throw the used bag into the trash, think about the different things you can use that bag for; in my house all of our home-lunches are carried to and from school in reused plastic bags. We even reuse the bags over and again, until we know that nothing will stay bagged but will fall out. Just by reusing items like this will cut down greatly on the stuff that is filling up our precious space-craved landfills.
At my grocery store the store has manufactured mesh bags with the company’s logo on it and they sell them for less than a dollar. These are excellent for reuse because they last a lot longer than the plastic bags do and if you continue to bring these bags to the store rather than the plastic or even the paper bags that is a few more less that will ever leave the store.
Recycling, at its best, is prevention of excess. Keeping that in mind and taking the steps to incorporate the changes into your life will further enhance the lack of waste and will make it much easier for landfills not to get so over-filled; because over-filled landfills are not a pretty sight and not what we want in our future or in the future of our children, down through the generations. Prevention of waste takes just a little forethought, and any of us are capable of that.
Is there really any information about Recycling that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 training site for great bonuses: Perpetual20
Recycling: How You Can Make An Impact
When you think about Recycling, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Recycling are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.
Have you been bombarded with advertisements and news stories about the desperate shape our planet is in and thought to yourself, “I’m only one person, I can’t even put a dent in what needs to be done to make things better?” With all of the media coverage on issues like, acid rain, loss of rain forests, endangered animals, the depleting ozone layer and even former Vice President Al Gore’s pet project, global warming, it’s an easy thing to feel over-whelmed and small on this great space. But the reality is this; if not you, then who?
As an individual you can’t control factories pouring toxins into water ways or prevent oil leaks that endanger some species, but you can make an impact, none the less. How? First, by not adding to the madness and wasteful ways others are handling items and materials that can be recycled and secondly, and maybe more importantly, you can make an impact by being a leader in the crusade to save the planet by doing the right things.
It’s a well-known fact that when we are parents we are the top role-models for our children and that they will imitate what they see us do. Even if you are not a parent, you can still lead the way for others by taking on the awesome responsibility of being the leader. Imagine the people you come in contact with in your neighborhood who see that you don’t just talk about recycling but every week your trash collection is separated and ready for the recycle truck. What if the people you work with come to notice that instead of having your coffee every morning in a throw-away cup from the local coffee chain, you are drinking from a mug you brought from home that you rinse out and reuse? Can you just imagine the impact you would have for someone who is maybe not quite recycling like they should but decides that, after seeing that you take this responsibility seriously, decides to change the way they do things and follow suit?
Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Recycling, keep reading.
Most people don’t recognize the impact they have everyday on people in their lives that they may or may not have a connection with. As a leader you “walk the talk” by abiding by the causes that mean the most to you and not just by saying the words. We are all aware of people around us and never know what we may do that will make a difference for another person. Don’t misuse this opportunity to make an impact for recycling.
When you recycle yourself, believe that there are people who are watching and making decisions everyday, by watching how you handle yourself. Big issues are often started with a few concerned, aware people, well before the word gets out to big corporations and law makers that there is a change that needs to be made.
Make every step you take count for something. Do your part in the efforts to keep our planet healthy; reduce, reuse, recycle.
There’s no doubt that the topic of Recycling can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Recycling, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.
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By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO
How Recycling Bags Helps The Environment
You may not be aware, but in the United States, we are using bags all of the time! There are the bags we get at the grocery store, the ones we pack lunches in, the ones other retail items come in and everything that is packaged by the manufacturer. Inevitibly we could all end up, literally, buried under the pile of bags that we collect in a life time. And what a waste that would be! The good news is that most of those bags come from recycled products and with any luck, in the recycle process, will return to the start and be recycled into bags that we will use again and again.
But what should the average American consumer do when those bags start to pile up? It doesn’t take long for the pile to start to form, maybe two or three big trips to the grocery store, and you could end up with 15 or more bags per visit. What are some of the ways we can keep the build up of plastic bags to a minimum?
It there are cats in your house those left over bags from the grocery store come in handy when cleaning out the litter box. Just having the bags around when you have to touch something you really don’t want to. By having the bags, in hand, the actual touching of the item is no longer an issue and it will help with germs being passed from cat litter box to human, which can cause all kinds of illnesses.
Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:
People can reuse the bags as lunch bags, rather than the old way of using a new “brown bag” for lunch carrying purposes. It may not seem like a great effort but each and every effort, no matter how little, is having an impact.
Another way to cut down on the recycling in the area of shopping is to have a designated bag that can be used over and over again for the groceries. Totally eliminating the need for the plastic bag is a huge step toward progress when it comes to recycling. There are companies that sell bags for this purpose and some of them are made from organic materials and even have sayings on them like, “Nothing on me is plastic,” and my personal favorite, “I’m not an old bag!” I love the companies that make bags like these because they can do it with flair. Some of the recycled bags come in a rainbow of neon colors that are, to say the least, eye catching, as well as reusable! Canvas totes can be thrown into a washing machine and will serve for many, many trips to pick up bread and milk.
The bottom line is becoming aware of what we use and how such items can be reused. No matter where you shop or what purchases you make, if, at the end of the day you’re surrounded by plastic bags, there’s always a way to get more use out of them.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 affiliate site for great bonuses: Perpetual 20
Whats The Best Way For Recycling Cardboard?
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Recycling to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Recycling experts.
The word cardboard generally refers to any heavy-duty paper product. The most common form of cardboard is corrugated cardboard. This type features a wavy cardstock sheet that’s squeezed between two other cardstock sheets.
Corrugated cardboard is made from sturdy and long-lasting material, and is best used for packaging. The production of cardboard is often considered a costly one, because more resources are required to complete it. The good thing is that cardboard can be recycled. Here are a few tips for the proper recycling of cardboard.
Which Types Of Cardboard Can Be Recycled?
According to recycling experts, two types of cardboard can be recycled. These are flat cardboard and corrugated cardboard. Flat cardboard is generally used in packing cereal and shoe boxes, while corrugated cardboard is often used in packing boxes, because it has a ruffled layer between two pieces of cardboard. These two variants can easily be recycled through your tow o city’s curbside recycling program.
While it’s quite rare to find 100 percent recycled cardboard material, most recycling facilities create a blend of both recycled and new material, to make the end-product much sturdier. The packaging may sometimes be identified as using 25% recycled or post-consumer material.
The best time to learn about Recycling is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Recycling experience while it’s still free.
How To Recycle Cardboard
Before you contact your local recycling facility, first tear or break down all the cardboard boxes you have at home, until they are flat in a stack. You may also need to break cardboard down, depending on your town or city’s recycling program, so that it easily fits in a brown paper bag. You may also bring it along with your mixed paper wastes.
Cal or notify your local community recycling facility, and find out whether they accept corrugated and flat cardboard. If your local recycling program doesn’t accept one or both cardboard types, then take your boxes to the local supermarket, since most supermarkets will take in the boxes.
Also determine whether your local recycling facility accepts or recycles waxed cardboard. Waxed cardboard types include milk and juice cartons. Call your state or county recycling department for more information regarding waxed cardboard recycling.
These days, it’s easy for consumers to recycle the cardboard items they have at home. Most city and municipal recycling agencies collect different types of cardboard, along with other common recyclables such as metal, glass, plastic, textiles, aluminum and electronic products. Consumers can also deliver cardboard by bulk to a recycling facility. By promoting the recycling of cardboard and other materials, we help promote the use of recycled materials, and also help reduce the number of trees that need to be harvested for producing paper products such as cardboard.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his soon to be top ranked Perpetual20 affiliate site: Perpetual 20