| Recycling & Waste Management |
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The average person creates almost four and a half pounds of waste per
day. Many of the things we throw away, however, are easily re-usable
or could be donated to a charitable organization. According the the NRDC
only 30% of people in the U.S. recycle. By doubling our current
recycling rate , we could save the equivalent of 315 million barrels of
oil per year. Unfortunately, as the EPA has pointed out the rate of recycling has leveled off at a time when we most need to improve it. There are some recycling trends, however, that are quite positive. China, for example, has recently banned the production of ultra-thin plastic bags. The ruling also prohibits all sales outlets from handing out free plastic bags. The ban is expected to have a big influence on consumer behavior by raising the overall awareness of the challenges they face in protecting the environment. The New York City council recently ruled that all stores must provide recycling bins for plastic bags. Shoppers will also be able to deposit shopping bags from other stores in any of these bins. Considering that New Yorkers use one billion bags a year, this also should have a big impact on the environment. It is expected that other cities will soon follow New York’s example. The Chicago City Council is already discussing it. We are also seeing promising signs from major retailers. A growing number of them such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Office Depot are coming up with programs to take back computers and other electronic waste. Ikea has even come up with a program to take back CFLs. We think all of this bodes well for the environment. ITEMS THAT CAN BE RECYCLEDLearning exactly what to recycle and what not to recycle is very important in leading a ecologically responsible life. Here are some recycling tips that everyone should know: PAPER Unless sorting is done by your recycling center, newspapers, except for glossy inserts, should always be placed in a separate bin. Glossy inserts, magazines, phone books, letters, copy paper, and paper packaging can be placed in another bin. Staples in paper are not a problem but you should remove any rubber bands and plastic wrappers. Small amounts of stained tissues, food wraps, and napkins should be tossed into your regular garbage. CORREGATED CARDBOARD Corrugated cardboard should be separated and baled and, if it is not too large a quantity, it will be picked up by most recycling services. GLASS Clear, green, and brown, unbroken glass items are always recyclable. Paper labels need not be removed from any glass items but you should always rinse the glass out with clean water. Light bulbs, sheet glass, mirrors, and pyrex are not recyclable. PLASTIC Here things get a bit complicated since there are seven distinct types of plastic material and not all of it is recyclable. Most plastic bottles are stamped with a #1 or #2 on the bottom of the bottle or container and are always recyclable. Caps are of a different material and can be tossed in the garbage. Though it can be argued that plastic grocery bags are also recyclable, only about 2 per cent actually get recycled and end up littering our streets, waterways, and landfills. So, unless you know of a grocery store that will recycle your plastic bags, don’t use them. Finally, check with your recycling center about polystyrene cups, egg cartons, glass bottles NOT labeled #1 or #2, as well as yogurt and butter containers - some accept them, while others do not. ALUMINUM, STEEL, COPPER Clean food cans and aluminum cans are always recyclable. Food cans can be flattened but do not flatten the aluminum cans. Scrap aluminum such as lawn chairs, window frames, and pots are also recyclable.. Copper, bronze, and brass, as metal alloys, are also always recyclable, as are empty paint cans and spray cans. WHAT NOT TO RECYCLEMOTOR OIL Call you local quick-lube, tire shop or call 1-800 MOTOROIL. PAINTS, SOLVENTS, PESTICIDES, CLEANERS Call your local garbage company for instructions on disposing of these items. Never dump them into a storm drain. AUTOMOTIVE BATTERIES AND SEALED LEAD/GEL CELL BATTERIES Call an automotive dealer for recycling or to trade them in for a new battery. RECHARGABLE BATTERIES FROM PHONES, CAMCORDERS, SHAVERS, COMPUTERS, AND PORTABLE APPLIANCES. Call 1800-BATTERY for information. Also Office Depot will accept most old cell phone batteries. LASER/INK JET PRINTER CARTRIDGES Send to a recycler or re-filler. There are many available. PAINTS, OILS, SOLVENTS, PESTICIDES, CLEANERS Call you local garbage company for instructions. Do not dump into storm drains. COMPUTERS, PRINTERS, AND HARDWARE A growing number of retailers now have programs in place to take back computers and other electronic goods and you can find them on line. Staples, for example, will now recycle computers, printers, and monitors for a $10 fee per item. Smaller items are taken without charge. Office Depot offers three sizes of tech recycling boxes ($5, $10, and $15) which customers can buy to put their electronics in and drop back off at an Office Depot Store. OTHER ELECTRONIC WASTE Though a growing number of retailers also have take-back programs for large electronic items like TVs, if you do not have such a store near you we recommend Electronic Recyclers —a web site that will help you find drop-off locations nearest you. CFLS Earth 911 is the largest online clearing house for recycling information and should have the most current information on where you can recycle CFLs. You can also check with your own recycling service to see if they have a program. Though not a big problem now, by 2010, the U.S. alone will need to dispose of about 100 million CFLs—all of which contain mercury. THE FUTURE OF RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENTUltimately, we will live in a world where, after we are finished using a product, the product can be broken down into either biological parts (like food waste) or re-enter the industrial system and be made into a new product. When that happens we will live in a world of zero waste. California-based Blue Fire Ethanol is a company that may be taking us in that direction. |
Learn More
- Recycling for Business & Government
- Borrow/Lend Program
- Recycling Center Locator
- Electronics Recyling