Page 636 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

TABLE 22.1 Some Everyday Things You Can Do The recycling loop consists of three basic steps (FIGURE 22.9).
to Reduce and Reuse The first step is to collect and process used goods and materi-
als. Some communities designate locations where residents can
• Donate used items to charity drop off recyclables or receive money for them. Others offer the
• Reuse boxes, paper, plastic wrap, plastic containers, aluminum more convenient option of curbside recycling, in which trucks
foil, bags, wrapping paper, fabric, packing material, etc. pick up recyclable items in front of homes, usually in conjunc-
• Rent or borrow items instead of buying them, when tion with municipal trash collection.
possible . . . and lend your items to friends Items collected are taken to materials recovery facilities
• Buy groceries in bulk (MRFs), where workers and machines sort items using auto-
• Bring reusable cloth bags shopping mated processes including magnetic pulleys, optical sen-
• Make double-sided photocopies sors, water currents, and air classifiers that separate items by
• Keep electronic documents rather than printing items out weight and size. The facilities clean the materials, shred them,
and prepare them for reprocessing.
• Bring your own coffee cup to coffee shops Once readied, these materials are used to manufacture
• Pay a bit extra for durable, long-lasting, reusable goods new goods. Newspapers and many other paper products use
rather than disposable ones recycled paper, many glass and metal containers are now made
• Buy rechargeable batteries from recycled materials, and some plastic containers are of
• Select goods with less packaging recycled origin. Benches, bridges, and walkways in city parks
• Compost kitchen and yard wastes may now be made from recycled plastics, and glass can be
• Buy clothing and other items at resale stores and garage mixed with asphalt (creating “glassphalt”) to pave roads and
sales paths. The paper used in this textbook, besides being FSC-
• Use cloth napkins and rags rather than paper napkins certified (Forest Stewardship Council; pp. 325–326, 340), also
and towels contains 10% recycled post-consumer waste.
• Tell businesses what you think about their packaging and If the recycling loop is to function, consumers and busi-
products nesses must complete the third step in the cycle by purchasing
• When solid waste policy is being debated, let your govern- ecolabeled products (p. 173) made from recycled materials.
By buying recycled goods, consumers provide economic
ment representatives know your thoughts incentive for industries to recycle materials and for recycling
• Support organizations that promote waste reduction facilities to expand. As markets for products made with recy-
Adapted from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. cled materials expand, prices continue to fall.

into rich, high-quality compost through the actions of earth- Recycling has grown rapidly
worms, bacteria, soil mites, sow bugs, and other detritivores
and decomposers (pp. 99, 236). The compost is then used to Today 9000 curbside recycling programs across all 50 U.S.
enrich soil. Home composting is a prime example of how we states serve nearly half of all Americans. These programs,
can live more sustainably by mimicking natural cycles and and the 500 MRFs in operation today, have sprung up only
incorporating them into our daily lives. in the last 25 years. Recycling in the United States has risen
Municipal composting programs—3000 across the
United States at last count—divert yard debris from the
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waste stream and send it to central composting facilities,
where it decomposes into mulch that community residents
can use for gardens and landscaping. Nearly half of U.S. Collection and processing
states now ban yard waste from the municipal waste stream, of recyclable materials
helping to accelerate the drive toward composting. Some by municipalities
and businesses
now accept food scraps for composting, along with yard
debris. All in all, about one-fifth of the U.S. waste stream
is made up of materials that can easily be composted. Com-
posting reduces landfill waste, enriches soil, enhances soil
biodiversity, helps soil to resist erosion, makes for healthier CHAPTER 22 • MAN A GING OUR WASTE
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plants and more pleasing gardens, and reduces the need for
chemical fertilizers. Consumer Use of recyclables
purchase of products by industry to
manufacture
Recycling consists of three steps made from recycled new products
materials
Recycling, too, offers many benefits. It involves collecting
used items and breaking them down so that their materials can FIGURE 22.9 The familiar recycling symbol represents the
be reprocessed to manufacture new items. Recycling diverted three components of a sustainable recycling strategy. After
65 million tons of materials away from incinerators and land- recyclable materials are collected and processed, they are used to
fills in the United States in 2010. make new products, which are then purchased by consumers. 635

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