Recycling, Reusing and Waste Reduction

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Recycling, Reusing and Waste Reduction

• Protecting Our Resources for Future Generations

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Whats In the Landfill?
Metals 8.5 15.3 MT
Glass 7 12.5 MT
Yard Trimmings 17.6 31.6 MT
Plastics 8 14.4 MT
Other -Rubber, Leather, Textiles, etc 11.6
20.8 MT
Paper 40.4 71.6 MT
Food Scraps 7.4 13.2 MT
MTMillion Tons
Image Courtesy of US EPA
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This Decade In the US We Will Throw Away

• 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil
• More than 11 million tons of glass bottles and
  jars
• Over 4.5 million tons of office paper
• Nearly 10 million tons of newspaper

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How Long Does That Trash Really Stay There?

• 700 Years
• Plastic Bottle
• 1 Million Years
• A glass bottle
• FOREVER
• Styrofoam

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Recycling-Viewing Trash in a Whole New Light!

• Reusing waste to save resources

Because Glass Doesnt Grow On Trees!
Courtesy of Glassco Recycling
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Why Recycle?

• Its Good for the Environment!
• Recycled glass generates 20 less air pollution
  and 50 less water pollution
• Recycling one glass bottle saves enough
  electricity to light a 100-watt light bulb for
  four hours
• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to
  run a TV for 3 hours 1
• Annually, enough energy is saved by recycling US
  steel to supply Los Angeles with electricity for
  almost 10 years 2

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Trash Incineration is an Environmental and Social
Justice Issue
Why Recycle?

• Incinerators release Dioxin, Mercury and other
  Toxins
• According to US EPA and the National
  Academies, Dioxin, even at very low levels,
  causes cancer, birth defects, and developmental
  problems
• Incinerators are often sited in minority or
  impoverished communities

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Save Money for Your School
Why RRR?

• Each time you reuse paper it is less paper you
  have to buy
• You can hold fundraisers for toner and printer
  cartridges, as well as cell phones

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Recycling Begins With You

• If everyone in the U.S. recycled just 1/10 of
  their newsprint, we would save the estimated
  equivalent of about 25 million trees a year
• Recycling all of the waste newsprint, cardboard,
  glass, and metal in one home can reduce carbon
  dioxide emissions by 850 pounds a year

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Recycling Begins With You-How to Do It Correctly
Lids Liquid Unfit for Recycling
When In Doubt, Leave It Out
NO pizza boxes, napkins, or anything with
permanent food residue
Photos Courtesy of P. Hayes
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Clustering Recycling Bins Is Critical!

• Clustering Placing all disposal bins together in
  one area

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Signage!

• A study found that positioning sign prompts over
  receptacles resulted in a 29 higher rate of
  recycling

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Odds and Ends

• Electronics and Computers
• 
  
• Local drop-offs for batteries
• Printer and toner cartridges, and cell phones

www.perscholas.org
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Recycle Those Odds and Ends for Money!

• Recycle empty printer, fax, and copier
  cartridges,
  
  as well
  as cell phones.
• Raise money for a school fundraiser or towards
  your favorite charity.

Half a gallon of oil is conserved for every
laser cartridge returned!
http//www.collectcartridgesforcash.com/ http//ww
w.tonerbuyer.com/ http//www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you
_can_do/recycle/toner.htm
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Involve Your Students

• Make artwork out of trash!
• Recycling activities enable them to learn and
  have fun
• Research projects
• Visit a landfill or recycling center
• Use food scraps or yard waste as compost for a
  school garden that the students attend to
• Town or river clean up to collect recyclables and
  trash

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Composting

• Hands-on Science Lessons for Your Students
• 2/3 of trash is biodegradeable and can be
  composted
• Composting is possible
  with student and staff
  cooperation

Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School,
Connecticut
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What You Will Need To Compost

• Compost bin that allows aeration, but prevents
  waterlogged conditions and deters pests

Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School,
Connecticut
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What You Will Need To Compost

• Leaves and Wood Chips to place over each food
  addition
• A collection barrel
• Tools
• Schoolwide
  participation from
  custodians, teachers
  and students

Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School,
Connecticut
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Recycling saves
In Summary

• Energy
• Resources
• Landfill space
• Money for your school
• It is an easy, good environmental choice that
  can enhance your curriculum!

Courtesy of Waste to Wealth
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Methods of Success for Reduction, Recycling and
Reuse At Your School

• Survey the facilities to identify problems
• Measure baseline usage look at bills and
  purchasing records
• Have a recycling audit to determine initial rates
  of recycling
• Make a To-Do List
• Start with easier steps that save money for more
  elaborate programs
• Measure your success! Compare records before and
  after.
• Publicize to educate and gain support

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How To Do A Waste Audit

• Materials Needed
• A Worksheet to record all
  information
• Trash and recyclables for a
  given period
• Scale
• Plastic Tarp
• Gloves and nose pinchers!

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How To Do A Waste Audit

• TRASH BAGS
• Sort out the rubbish in the trash bags into
  categories trash vs. recyclables. Place
  recyclables into separate piles based on type
• - Cans and bottles
• - Paper
• - Compostable items food, leaves
• Weigh the different piles
• RECYCLABLES BAGS
• Weigh the recyclables based on type

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How To Do A Waste Audit

• Calculate the percentages of total recyclables
  found in the trash by using the recorded weights.
  
• For example
• 5 lbs of paper found in the trash
  10 lbs of paper recycled
  Total paper
  15 lbs
  Percentage of paper thrown
  away 33.33
  

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Empowerment Through Reduction and Green Purchasing
An Integral Part of Any School Paper !

• Make a big difference through purchasing recycled
  content paper and using less paper overall

Courtesy of PADEP
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Easy Ways to Cut Back on Paper Use

• Make a scrap paper bin easily available for use
  in printer or for students
• Print and copy double-sided if possible
• Allow students to print assignments on scrap
  paper
• Print single spaced to save room
• Utilize online capabilities for assignments

Courtesy of Amazing Recycled Products
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Why Purchase Recycled Content Paper?

• Ton for ton, replacing virgin kraft pulp with
  deinked pulp will have the greatest positive
  environmental impact on forest resources1
• 1 tree makes 16.67 reams of copy paper or 8,333.3
  sheets, therefore 1 ream (500 sheets) uses 6 of
  a tree (and those add up quickly!)2
• Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380
  gallons of oil 2

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Recycled Content Paper
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Understanding Terms Pre
and Post Consumer Waste

• Post refers to products or materials generated
  that have already served a particular function,
  and were subsequently recovered or otherwise
  diverted from the solid waste stream to be
  recycled
• Pre refers to materials generated within the
  production cycle of a product that have been
  recovered from or otherwise diverted from the
  solid waste stream to be recycled.

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Many Recycled Paper Options
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Performance Guaranteed!

• The age, capabilities, and operation of
  papermaking equipment have a greater impact on
  the properties of the finished product than its
  recycled or virgin content
• Based on extensive interviews with paper and
  equipment manufacturers, it was found that the
  frequency of copy machine jams is not correlated
  with the use of recycled content paper.

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Cost Effective!

• Many times recycled content paper is the same
  price or cheaper than virgin paper
• However, if recycled content paper is more
  expensive through your supplier you have options
• Try to find other areas to cut paper costs and
  use money saved to buy recycled products
• Work with suppliers to reduce the costs of other
  factors within the supply system
• Accept a lower level of recycled content within
  the paper if need be

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Paper Is A Key Ingredient to Any School-You Can
Make A Big Difference!

• You directly save trees, resources and energy
  with reducing paper use and buying green
• Students understand the importance of conserving
  resources with each and every assignment

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Summary

• Recycling, Reusing and waste Reduction are great
  for the environment, student learning and savings
  for your school
• There are many ways to make a difference,
  including recycling, purchase of recycled content
  products, and reuse of paper
• It is not an overwhelming changeREMEMBER SMALL
  CHANGES SAVE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES!

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Questions?
Photo Courtesy of Satish Hanumantha Rao