YOU CAN MAKE
       A TON OF
      DIFFERENCE
   SEPA
     United States     EPAsao-F-92-003
     Environmental Protection April 1992
     Agency        Washington, DC 20460
RECK

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RECYCLE — IT MAKES SENSE!

    Call it garbage, solid waste, refuse, trash! It's the
    waste we produce in our homes and businesses. We
    throw it into cans and put it out for pickup. Our trash,
    plus our neighbors' and everyone else's, adds up to a
    massive pile of waste. In fact, each year our nation
    generates enough garbage to fill a convoy of trash
    trucks reaching halfway to the moon. And the convoy
    keeps growing longer every year!

What's in Our Trash?
                         National averages show:
                                 ONCE Is  NOT ENOUGH
                              38%
                                      aper
                              18%    Yard Trimmings
                               8%
                                     Metals
                               8%
                                     Plastic
                               7%
                                     Glass
                               7%
                                     Food Waste
                              14%
                                     Other
Where Does Our Trash Go?
    What happens to last night's empty soft drink cans
    and bottles?  And where does this morning's
    discarded newspaper go? For many years, most have
    gone to landfills. Now, many of these landfills are
    almost full. This is causing landfilling costs to soar,
    forcing many of our communities to raise fees or taxes
    to pay the additional costs. Landfilling is no longer
    the easy answer.
    In some communities, the waste goes to an incinerator
    that burns it and recovers energy. Incinerators reduce
    the volume of waste, but landfills are still needed to
    bury the ash that burning produces. Both incinerators
    and landfills are expensive and can take a long time
    to locate and build. In a growing number of
    communities, the morning newspaper is recycled,
    yard trimmings are composted, and cans and bottles
    are recycled or reused.
                                  The Solution
                                      Because there's not one simple remedy for our trash
                                      problem, we need to consider a combination of
                                      solutions to manage it. Reducing and reusing waste,
                                      recycling, burning trash for energy recovery, and
                                      landfilling are all parts of the solution. Federal, state,
                                      and local governments are seeking answers as they
                                      study and plan for current and future needs. Citizens
                                      in every community need to be involved in finding
                                      the best solutions  and making them work.
                                      Recycling is just one important remedy for the
                                      garbage problem.  It's an effective solution because it
                                      reduces the amount of waste for disposal. And
                                      individuals like you can be part of the solution by
                                      recycling at home and at work. You can use recycled
                                      and recyclable products, organize recycling programs,
                                      and encourage your neighbors to recycle. Just as we
                                      contribute to our nation's increasing garbage problem,
                                      we can all contribute to its solution by recycling.

                                  What Is Recycling?
                                      "Recycling" means separating, collecting, processing,
                                      marketing, and ultimately using a material that would
                                      have been thrown away. This morning's newspaper
                                      can be recycled for another morning's news or other
                                      paper products. Cans and bottles can be crafted for
                                      other uses.
                                      Quality products and packaging are being made from
                                      recovered materials. We can all help create markets
                                      for recyclables by buying and using these products.

                                  Why Should We Recycle?
                                   •  Recycling reduces our reliance on landfills and
                                      incinerators.
                                   •  Recycling protects our health and environment when
                                      harmful substances are removed from the waste
                                      stream.
                                   •  Recycling conserves our natural resources because it
                                      reduces the need for raw materials.
                                                                                  A CLOSER  LOOK AT  RECYCLING

                                                                                  A National Goal of 25 Percent
                                                                                      EPA has set a national goal of reducing and recycling
                                                                                      25 percent of our waste. Some communities have set
                                                                                      similar goals and are on their way to achieving them,
                                                                                      and others are just beginning recycling programs.
                                                                                      Your support and involvement are essential in
                                                                                      meeting these goals. To start, you can encourage your
                                                                                      local government and businesses to start recycling
                                                                                      programs or expand their current ones, and to use
                                                                                      recycled materials.

                                                                                  What Can We Recycle?
                                                                                      Each local recycling program is designed to handle
                                                                                      specific materials. Commonly recycled materials
                                                                                      include:
                                                                                   •  Paper — Newspaper, office paper,  cardboard, and
                                                                                      other paper types.
                                                                                   •  Yard trimmings — Grass, leaves, and  shrub and tree
                                                                                      clippings are recycled by composting.
                                                                                   •  Glass — Bottles and jars (clear, green,  and amber).
                                                                                   •  Aluminum — Beverage containers.
                                                                                   •  Other metals — Steel cans, auto bodies, refrigerators,
                                                                                      stoves, and batteries.
                                                                                   •  Used motor oil — Vehicle crankcase oil.
                                                                                   •  Plastics — Soda bottles, milk jugs,  bags, and
                                                                                      detergent containers.

                                                                                  What Do We Do with Our Recyclables?
                                                                                      Local governments, nonprofit organizations, and
                                                                                      private enterprises run several kinds of collection
                                                                                      programs.
                                                                                   •  Curbside collection is the most convenient way for a
                                                                                      household to recycle. These programs offer scheduled
                                                                                      pickups of separated, recyclable products from the
                                                                                      curb—like trash collection. Unfortunately, curbside
                                                                                      pickup is not available in some of our  communities.
                                                                                   •  Drop-off centers are sites set up for us to leave
                                                                                      materials for recycling. They serve as convenient
                                                                                      central pickup locations for processors or recyclers
                                                                                   •  Buy-back centers pay consumers for recyclable
                                                                                      materials.
                                                                                   •  Waste companies buy recyclables from offices,
                                                                                      businesses, institutions, schools, and industries
         67%
      Landfilled
  17%
Recycled
    16%
Incinerated

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 LET'S CLEAN  UP OUR ACT!
 Recycle at Home!
  •  Find out if there is a recycling program in your
    community.                                                 .3 is <
  •  If so, participate in the program by separating                    2. g" •?
    recyclables and taking them to your local drop-off or              ? g
    buy-back center, or put them out for curbside pickup.             ^ f.
  •  Don't throw away what you can use again — plastic
    containers, for instance, can be used many times.
  •  If you change your own auto oil, take it to a local
    service station or recycling center.
  •  Leave your grass clippings on the lawn or compost
    them with leaves.

Shop Smarter!
  •  When choosing between similar products, select the
    one with the least unnecessary packaging.
  •  Use products in containers that are recycled in your
    community, and things that can be repaired or reused.
  •  Support recycling markets by buying and using
    products made from recycled material.

Get Involved!
  •  Get involved in planning for your state and local solid
    waste management.
  •  Inform government officials about the benefits of
    recycling.
  •  Encourage state and local governments and
    businesses to recycle and to use recycled material or
    recyclables.
  •  Participate in or start a voluntary recycling program
    with a local college, church, union, or community
    service organization.
  •  Organize a recycling program where you work.

How to Start!
 Call the EPA Solid Waste Hotline at 1-800-424-9346
 (in D.C. call 703-412-9810) for additional information
 on how to contact recycling coordinators in your area.
 Or call your state or local government or local waste
 hauler.

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