Recycling Facts for the House
Humans have had waste management challenges ever since leaving the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and settling in villages, towns and cities. Solid, liquid, commercial and hazardous wastes require proper management for safe and responsible disposal. Keeping solid waste out of landfills and redirecting it into the reduce/reuse/recycle stream has a measurable impact on the environment. A large part of that responsibility falls on individuals and households. Does this Spark an idea?
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Plastic
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Plastic is a pervasive and expensive pollutant to manage. The Ocean Conservancy conducts annual ocean cleanups to remove millions of pounds of trash that threaten our waterways. The organization works to stop marine pollution as well and report on the results of its efforts. In 2009, the conservancy reported that plastic bags were one of the most common kinds of waste. The Clean Air Council reports that California spends millions of dollars every year to pick up and send plastic bags to the landfill, and that Americans use 1 billion plastic bags per year. More than 7 billion pounds of PVC are thrown away annually while only 18 million pounds are recycled. Keeping plastic out of the waste stream saves money, keeps water cleaner and protects wildlife.
Households are part of the solution by recycling all plastic instead of allowing it to go into the landfills. Recycle every plastic bag through local recycling programs: look for collection boxes at many grocery and pharmacy stores. Use reusable bags when shopping instead of disposable plastic bags. Recycle all plastic packaging such as plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups and food trays and old food storage containers.
Paper
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Holiday cards, magazines, books, cardboard and newspapers create 31 percent of the waste from towns and cities. Although paper products do break down in landfills, the large amounts that are put in the trash instead of being recycled take up a lot of space and take longer to decompose than single layers. The Clean Air Council reports that more than 75 percent of cardboard boxes were recycled in 2008, almost 65 percent of paper was recycled in 2009 and recycling a ton of mixed paper saves as much as 185 gallons of gasoline.
Households have many avenues to recycle paper and cardboard besides curbside recycling, such as shredding for garden mulch, using them as kindling for fireplace and camping fires, and taking them to fundraising recycling programs at local schools or churches. Reducing the amount of paper discarded by your household by using more library materials, donating unused books and reducing or eliminating junk mail received are proactive ways to keep paper out of landfills.
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Glass
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The Ocean Conservancy reports that glass makes up 4 percent of trash recovered in annual ocean cleanups. The Clean Air Council states that recycling glass saves natural resources and reduces energy costs. Recycle all household glass through curbside recycling and reusing and repurposing through crafts and homemade gifts.
Electronics
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Electronics create e-waste, which is much more difficult to recycle than paper and plastic. E-waste includes cell phones, laptop and desktop computers, televisions and hand-held electronics devices. These items contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and chemicals that must be separated out to recycle, which is an expensive and time-consuming process. Much of the e-waste generated in prosperous industrial countries is shipped to third world countries where it is heaped in illegal and unregulated waste piles. Dispose of household electronics through specialized e-waste recycling programs. Call cellphone and computer manufacturers and ask about recycling old products.
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References
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