Recycling, Reuse and Waste Reduction

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Recycling, Reuse and Waste Reduction

• Protecting Our Resources for Future Generations

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Whats In the Trash?
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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This amounts to nearly 9,000,000 Hummers Worth
of Recyclable Material Thrown Out Every Year!
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Do You Know Where Your Schools Trash Goes?

• Insert information, ie/ incineration, landfill,
  etc and change picture accordingly

Photo courtesy of www.ejnet.org
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Trash Incineration is an Environmental and Social
Justice Issue
Why Should I Care?

• 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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Trash Sits In a Landfill For A Long Time
Why Should I Care?

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

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YOUR Mission Make Your School A Zero-Waste
Institution

• How? Recycle, Reduce, Reuse!

Image Courtesy of www.ecocycle.org
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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!
• LESS POLLUTION
• Recycled glass generates 20 less air
  pollution and 50 less water pollution
• SAVES ENERGY
• 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

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Why Is Recycling So Important?
Image Courtes of www.recycle.alcan.com
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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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Understanding Recycling
Guidelines Make Recycling Easier and More
Effective
Image Courtesy of www.ecologycenter.org
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How to Recycle Correctly
The plastic bottle numbers that your facility
recycles. Call the facility and ask
Lids Liquid Unfit for Recycling
Discuss if things are separated or commingled
NO pizza boxes, napkins, or anything with
permanent food residue
Photos Courtesy of P. Hayes
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Other Rules

• Plastic Bags Clean plastic bags may be placed in
  containers at stores in your local area.
• Hazardous Waste Check your localitys
  guidelines

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Odds and Ends

• Electronics and Computers
• Local drop-offs for batteries where?
• Recycle empty printer, fax, copier cartridges,
  and cell phones as a fundraiser.

www.perscholas.org OR SIMILAR CHARITY IN YOUR
AREA
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The Two Most Important Factors For A Good
Recycling Program At Your School

• Clustering Signs
• Success

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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 (Austin et al. 1993)

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RRR Can Take Many Forms
Think Outside the Box!
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Banish the Plastic Silverware and Styrofoam!

• Americans toss out enough paper plastic cups,
  forks and spoons every year to circle the equator
  300 times.
• Using reusable silverware saves resources and
  waste

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Composting

• Composting gives your trash a second chance, by
  turning your organic waste into nutrient rich
  humus
• 2/3 of trash is biodegradable and can be
  composted
• 43,000 tons of food is thrown
• in the trash each day
• in the US

Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School,
Connecticut
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Students Have A Hand In Successful Recycling
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Charting Recycling Activity
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Making Recycling Signs
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Improving Recycling Through Creative Means
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Recycling saves
In Summary

• Energy
• Resources
• Pollution
• Landfill Space
• It is an easy, good environmental choice that
  can enhance your curriculum!

Courtesy of Waste to Wealth
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Useful Links

• Waste Free Lunches
• http//www.wastefreelunches.org/
• Recycling Facts http//www.oberlin.edu/recycle/f
  acts.html
• EPA Guide to Waste Reducation In Schools
  http//www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education/pdfs/mad-gui
  de.pdf
• Composting Guide for Urban Areas
  http//www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/downloads/pdf/compost
  ing.pdf

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Questions?
Photo Courtesy of Satish Hanumantha Rao