Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

by Beth Harvey (PMA)

Recycling by the Numbers

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans produce about 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day.
• Of that, 34.3 percent is recycled or composted.
• As a whole, the U.S. generates 254 million tons of trash each year and recycles or composts 87 million tons.
• More than 80 percent of this waste is composed of paper, garbage, yard trimmings, plastics, glass and metals. These materials can be recycled easily.

EPA Waste Reduction Hierarchy

• First, reduce what you can.
• If you can’t reduce, then reuse.
• If you can’t reuse it, then recycle or compost.
• The remaining material is either burned for energy recovery or disposed of in a landfill.

How Can I Reduce?

• Buy less food and paper products.
• Produce less mulch, grass and leaves, and compost organic waste like fruits and veggies.
• Use less water, energy and gasoline.

Top 5 Tips to Reuse

1. Before you throw something away, look for another use.
2. Try reusable instead of disposable products. (e.g., rechargeable batteries, cloth towels instead of paper, etc.)
3. Create new uses for discarded items.
4. Donate clothes, furniture and household items.
5. Buy and sell used items at garage sales, flea markets and antique stores.

Benefits of Recycling

• Less energy is used to make items from existing materials rather than raw materials.
• Recycling saves trees and preserves natural resources and wildlife habitats.
• Recycling produces less water and air pollution.
• It preserves our land by reducing the waste sent to landfills.
• It helps the economy by supporting the growing recycling industry.

How to Get Started

Contact your waste hauler or your village for information on containers and guidelines for your town.