Recycling, Reusing and Waste Reduction

1. Recycling, Reusing and Waste Reduction Protecting Our Resources for Future Generations

2. What’s In the Landfill? Metals 8.5% 15.3 MT Glass 7% 12.5 MT Yard Trimmings17.6% 31.6 MT Plastics8% 14.4 MT Other-Rubber, Leather, Textiles, etc11.6% 20.8 MT Paper 40.4% 71.6 MT Food Scraps7.4% 13.2 MT MT=Million Tons Image Courtesy of US EPA

3. How Long Does That Trash Really Stay There? • 700 Years: Plastic Bottle • 1 Million Years: A glass bottle • FOREVER: Styrofoam

4. EPA • Stands for the “Environmental Protection Agency.” • Mission is “to protect human health and the environment.” • Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 regional offices located around the country.

5. Mississippi Recycling Coalition • MRC was established in 1997. • Educates the public about recycling. • Works with the government to help shape solid waste management policies. • Collect recycled materials. • Oxford Recycling:

6. 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

7. Why Recycle? It’s 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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://www.tonerbuyer.com/ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/recycle/toner.htm

11. Why Purchase Recycled Content Paper? • 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Questions? Photo Courtesy of Satish Hanumantha Rao