The recycling process. Reasons to recycle. Recognizin

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Jenny Halpin
Recycling Information Specialist [phone],
ext. 315 Jennifer.Halpin_at_MCAGov.org www.MercedRe
cycles.com
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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics
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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream

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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law

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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process

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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle

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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables

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Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items

9
Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• Making new items
• Reduce reuse

Topics

• The waste stream
• The diversion law
• The recycling process
• Reasons to recycle
• Recognizing recyclables
• How to prevent waste
• Reduce reuse

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What is a waste stream?
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The Waste Stream
A waste stream is whatever is going into the
garbage to be wasted into a landfill.
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Landfills not only take up space, but give off
bad gases and can also let poisons escape.
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The Waste Stream Process

• 1. Purchase a product

2. Use the product
3. Throw away the product
4. Collect/transfer materials
5. And dump in the landfill
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The law that changed it
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The Diversion Law
In 1989 The California Integrated Waste
Management Act (AB 939) called for a 50
diversion rate from landfills by the year 2000.
All towns and cities had to divert half of what
they threw away in their landfills.
Image from http//www.sprucegrove.org/Assets/Redu
ceyourwasteline.jpg
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Image from www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk
The Diversion Law
Because of the law that required them to divert
50 of their waste, cities started
Recycling programs (such as drop off programs,
CRV and other buy-back programs, and curbside
recycling), Composting programs (for grass
clippings, leaves, and other organic material),
Finding ways to reduce or reuse what they
had, and/or Sending materials to be burned for
energy.
Recycling programs (such as drop off programs,
CRV and other buy-back programs, and curbside
recycling),
Composting programs (for grass clippings, leaves,
and other organic material),
Finding ways to reduce or reuse what they had,
and/or Sending materials to be burned for energy.
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The Recycling Process
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Recycling Process
The consumer (you)

• 1. Buys a product

2. Uses a product
3. Turns in recyclables to drop off centers,
buy-back centers, or in your curbside recycling
container

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Recycling Process
Afterwards, its

• 4. Collected processed

5. Manufactured into new products
6. Purchased by you
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Waste Stream Process
Recycling Process
Product
You
You
Collected/Processed
Collected/transferred
Manufacturer
Landfill
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The Waste Stream Process
Dont throw it away
When you throw certain items away, they contain
toxins that leak out of landfills and into the
surrounding environment or into underground water
systems
Lead, mercury, cadmium - from batteries and
electronics Mercury - from fluorescent tubes and
energy-saving lights bulbs (CFLs) Toxins also
come from motor oil other car fluids,
electronics, paints, pesticides, pool chemicals,
and other hazardous waste.
You can take these items to scheduled hazardous
waste collections in your area or to the
environmental healths free drop off area in
front of the landfill (off Hwy 59).
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Other things to keep out of the landfill
Dont throw it away, Part 2
Recyclable items
How long does it take for them to start breaking
down?
80- 100 years
700 years
1,000,000 years
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Reasons to recycle
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Reasons to Recycle

• Its the law (saves landfill space)
• Saves energy resources
• Releases less greenhouse gases water
  contaminants

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Reasons to Recycle

• Its the law (saves landfill space)

Landfills take up space. Once things are placed
into a landfill, they will usually stay there.
Scientists, called garbologists, can dig things
out of landfills that have been there for
decades.

• Saves energy resources
• Releases less greenhouse gases water
  contaminants

Most often found are 1)Newspapers and magazines
2) plastics 3) glass,
metal, food waste 4) construction demolition
materials (which can all be recycled or
composted)
according to Garbologist William Rathje
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Reasons to Recycle

• Its the law (saves landfill space)

• Saves energy resources

Its more efficient to make things out of
recycled resources rather than making things out
of new resources. For example, it takes 95 less
energy to make an aluminum can out of other
aluminum cans instead of making it out of bauxite
ore (a mineral brought in from Australia)

• Releases less greenhouse gases water
  contaminants

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Reasons to Recycle

• Its the law (saves landfill space)

• Saves energy resources

• Releases less greenhouse gases water
  contaminants

Since it takes less energy and resources to make
things out of recycled materials, then less
pollution, greenhouse gases, and chemicals are
produced. Recycling keeps toxins from batteries,
fluorescent lights, and electronics from
contam-inating underground water.
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What is recyclable?
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Recyclables in Merced County

• Ask yourself what its made of
• If its made out of any of these four materials,
  then theres a good chance its recyclable

All 1- 7 Plastics (NO Styrofoam)
Unsaturated Paper
Emptied rinsed Glass containers
Metal
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Making New Items from Recycled Ones

Can you guess what material it comes from?
Plastic
Paper
Creative Idea - video
Metal
Glass
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Whats better than recycling?
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Reduce Reuse (then Recycle)

• Before you recycle
• Reduce the amount of materials and items that you
  take in
• Reuse, sell, or donate what you can

Packaging around a product.
Same box, with 5 of the same product.
Made from aluminum can openers
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Be AwareDo your Part whenever you canSee the
Results
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Any questions?
Is ____ recyclable?
How come we dont just send all the trash into
space?
How come we dont just send all the trash into
space?
Is ____ recyclable?
What are the things I cant throw away and why?
Can I recycle____?
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Thank you
?
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Jenny Halpin
Recycling Information Specialist [phone],
ext. 315 Jennifer.Halpin_at_MCAGov.org www.MercedRe
cycles.com