RECYCLING
Why recycle? Why NOT! It's as easy as walking to a trash can, and it is just one of the small ways you can help protect/save the environment in your daily life! Many of you do hope to one day bring children into this world. Do you want them living in the garbage you, as well as others, have thrown away over the past years? Landfills do not get rid of our wastes or solve our problems; they only cover it up. The problem does not disappear at all. It just creates more hazards and worries. The garbage is just hidden from our view, out of sight, out of mind (although you will notice a landfill when you see/smell one). YSU is fortunate enough to have an excellent recycling program on campus. YSU students will find recycling bins (slim jims) throughout practically every building on campus and in the dorms. Students can recycle white and colored paper, magazines, newspapers, and bottles and cans. For more information on YSU Recycling click here http://www.ysu.edu/recycle/
The state of solid waste.
The strain upon the Earth for all the limited natural resources we use to create the things we want is too much for long term sustainability. Edward O. Wilson, Harvard biologist claims that if you add up all the farming, fishing, mining, building, and fuel consumption - our global demand is 120% of what the Earth can provide. In essence – we are overworking our planet and the consequences will prove devastating.
According to the US EPA – 14.5 million college students generate 3.7 million tons of waste per year – an average of 510 lbs. per student per year. Our nation’s residents generate an alarming 4.5 lbs. of solid waste per person per year – that is about double the amount from 1960.
Landfills are declining in number: Source – Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
In 1978 – 20,000 landfills in operation
In 2000 – 2,157
According to the Ohio EPA – of all the OUT-OF-STATE municipal solid waste entering Ohio’s landfills – ABOUT 45% OR ALMOST HALF IS DEPOSITIED IN MAHONING COUNTY, OHIO. That is a severe burden on the roads – infrastructure – fire and police departments – and especially on the land and water. Having an abundance of solid waste importation in a community tends to lessen property values, lessens the desire for residents and businesses to reduce and recycle waste since they believe it will just come from somewhere else anyway, and has the potential for major environmental pollution and other problems such as water – air – land pollution and even a landfill slide where millions of tons of buried trash shifts and is exposed.
More about landfills...
Landfills and incineration are major sources of pollution such as leachate from landfills similar in composition to hazardous waste landfill leachate (affectionately called garbage juice)
About a fourth of the sites listed on the Superfund are former MSW landfills.
Landfills are responsible for 36% of all methane gas emissions, a potent global warming, greenhouse, and ozone depleting gas.
Landfill closure rules generally cover only 30 years – what about years later?
Although more people recycle than vote – the national rate is only 28%, EPA goal is 35% - many areas are at or above 50%. Mahoning County is around 13%, Trumbull/Geauga Counties are at 25%, Lawrence County, PA. is at 35%.
Facts from Mike Giuranna, Region 3, US EPA
Recycling created about 1 million jobs over the past several years as compared to just landfilling everything.
The amount we recycle each year in the nation saves enough energy – compared to just making products from virgin sources – to provide electricity for 9 million homes.
Recycling results in a net reduction in 10 major categories of air pollution, and 8 of water pollution.
At the current recycling rate, by 2005 recycling will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 48 million tons or what 36 million cars emit.
Recycling prevents habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion associated with logging and mining.
Recycling is the reason we have no current landfill capacity crisis.
Recycling saves energy – Landfills use it.
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE A COMMUNITY’S SOLID WASTE STREAM
Promote Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) so that residents – businesses – industries can realize an economic incentive for reducing their waste amount. Generate less – Pay less.
According to the US EPA – over 5,000 USA communities have PAYT or a variable rate system so citizens may save money by generating less trash. In Portland, Maine, after implementing PAYT – their recycling rate went from 7% to 35%. Austin, Texas and San Jose, CA.– recycling increased by 50%, and Worchester, MASS. had 40% less MSW.
Consider Mandates, They Work
When communities mandate recycling or better yet, mandate certain materials from not entering the waste stream, recycling increases and waste generation decreases. According to the US EPA, when Durham, NC implemented their new recycling ordinance in 1997 that banned glass bottles, food and beverage cans, newspaper, cardboard – from all trash bins, they had a 20% increase in curbside participation in just 6 months, a 31% increase in recyclable materials collected, and a 11.7% drop in MSW.
Provide Convenient and Ample Reuse and Recycling Opportunities
Communities with weekly curbside collection, with programs that accept many paper grades like office mix, newspaper, phone books and junk mail; metal cans and glass or plastic bottles, and yard waste - almost always have impressive recycling participation rates and out-perform those that don’t provide a comprehensive curbside program.
Communities that provide numerous drop-off sites, one per 1,500 residents, with bins for a wide range of items including appliances, tires, electronics, and other specialty items – the participation and weights diverted increase dramatically. A great example is the Centre County, PA. Solid Waste District that has 80 drop-off recycling sites for its 125,000 residents, plus provides weekly curbside collection. Limited drop-off sites and limited material acceptance hurts diversion totals.
Providing Community-Wide Composting
Keeping organics such as twigs, leaves, and grass clippings out of the landfill is essential for effective solid waste minimization. About 20% by volume of all landfill waste consists of these items that naturally decompose and can produce excellent compost to replenish our declining topsoil levels. Organics produce methane gas, the potent greenhouse producing and ozone depleting gas. Communities with “Green Collection” programs fare much better than those that simply co-mingle organics with solid waste. Several states such as PA have banned leaves from the landfill, but Ohio still permits yard waste combined with other solid waste to be landfilled.
Provide Apartment Complexes and Even Commercial Establishments with Recycling Opportunities
The Centre County, PA. SWD provides curbside collection for 500 commercial establishments, and they have an amazing 52% recycling/waste diversion rate! Oakland, CA. provides recycling collection for numerous commercial establishments also. In each case, this dramatically increases the overall MSW diversion totals. Commercial establishments, including offices both private and governmental, libraries – schools – institutions – museums, restaurants, stores, travel and tourism complexes, convention centers, and non-industrial warehouses…contribute an average of 50% of a community’s solid waste stream. Targeting these establishments is essential, and providing convenient and cost effective remedies to solve their solid waste challenges is vital for their participation. Some areas mandate their participation and this is most effective.
Provide Reuse Opportunities to Supplement Recycling Activities
Recycling alone cannot do it. That fact was realized over a decade ago, and is more relevant currently. During the YSU student residence hall move-out in May 2002, over 100 cubic yards (enough to fill a semi-truck trailer) of non-recyclable…BUT REUSABLE clothing, TVs, computer components, furniture, rugs, and many other items – were recovered thanks to the national non-profit agency Dump and Run, Inc., and the local non-profit agency The Way Station. Traditionally these unwanted items end up landfilled, but they are a valuable commodity to hundreds of less fortunate folks who can purchase a working TV or computer for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Reuse is essential in any solid waste minimization program. At YSU, bookstore boxes are transported to the print shop for reuse; books from the library are given to students during special book-give-aways, and many other examples.
**Source of Some Information: US EPA publication EPA-530-R-99-013, Cutting the Waste Stream in Half
YSEARC thanks Jim Petuch of YSU Recycling for providing the information on the state of solid waste and recycling.
LINKS
YSU Recycling
YSU Re:Create
Internet Consumer Recycling Guide Excellent home recycling guide
Battery Recyclers/Brokers & Disposal Facilities
What Happens to Recycled Plastics?
Recycler's World: Ohio Scrap Metal Recycling Network
Recycling Instructions: Plastics
Recycling Plastics
What do those recycling numbers mean?
RECYCLING SITES in Mahoning County
Where to Recycle in Mahoning County
|