Solid Waste
According to the EPA, residents, businesses, and institutions in the United States “produced more than 251 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), which is approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day” in 2006 alone. Currently, in the United States, 32.5 percent of MSW is recovered and recycled or composted, 12.5 percent is burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 55 percent is disposed of in landfills.
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Prevent MSW from Entering the Waste Stream (1)
Several MSW management practices, such as source reduction, recycling, and composting, prevent or divert materials from the waste stream:
- Source reduction involves altering the design, manufacture, or use of products and materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of what gets thrown away.
- Recycling (epa.gov) diverts items, such as paper, glass, plastic, and metals, from the waste stream. These materials are sorted, collected, and processed and then manufactured, sold, and bought as new products.
- Composting (epa.gov) decomposes organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, with microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi), producing a humus-like substance.
Other practices address those materials that require disposal:
- Landfills are engineered areas where waste is placed into the land. Landfills usually have liner systems and other safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination.
- Combustion is another MSW practice that has helped reduce the amount of landfill space needed. Combustion facilities burn MSW at a high temperature, reducing waste volume and generating electricity.
Source Reduction (Waste Prevention) (1)
Source reduction can be a successful method of reducing waste generation. Practices such as grasscycling, backyard composting, two-sided copying of paper, and transport packaging reduction by industry have yielded substantial benefits through source reduction.
Source reduction has many environmental benefits. It prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases, reduces pollutants, saves energy, conserves resources, and reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.
Tips For Reducing Solid Waste (2)
Reduce
- Reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging.
- Adopt practices that reduce waste toxicity.
Reuse
- Consider reusable products.
- Maintain and repair durable products.
- Reuse bags, containers, and other items.
- Borrow, rent, or share items used infrequently.
- Sell or donate goods instead of throwing them out.
Recycle
- Choose recyclable products and containers and recycle them.
- Select products made from recycled materials.
- Compost yard trimmings and some food scraps.
Respond
- Educate others on source reduction and recycling practices. Make your preferences known to manufacturers, merchants, and community leaders.
- Be creative – find new ways to reduce waste quantity and toxicity.
Tips For Reducing Waste By Month (3)
Wireless Waste (4)
- A 2005 CEA consumer survey found that 76 percent of consumers are unaware of their local electronics recycling options. Of that 76 percent, 71 percent said they would recycle if they only knew where to do so.
- The average life span of a wireless phone is 18 months. (EPA’s "Life Cycle of a Cell Phone")
- Phones are being discarded at a rate of 125 million phones a year, which results in over 65,000 tons of wireless waste. (EPA, E-Cycling Initiative)
- The most eco-friendly thing you can do with an old phone is to reuse it.
- Recycling the phones ensures that the toxic materials they contain don’t end up in our landfills.
- Phones collected from this program are either refurbished and reused or smelted down for metals and plastics at an EPA regulated facility that is ISO14001 certified.
Tips to Reduce Wireless Waste (5)
Phones contain toxic metals – including arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc – that do not degrade in the environment, so it is important to recycle them. There are several leading industry recycling programs, among them Recellular Inc.’s www.wirelessrecycling.com and www.charitablerecycling.com, where you can donate your used cell phone and help make a difference, both in the environment and in someone’s life. Old mobile phones that still work can be exported to developing countries where they can help bridge the digital divide, be given to domestic nonprofit organizations to assist those in need, or be dismantled for parts and recycled to make other products.
"Wipe Out Wireless Waste" is a campaign to recycle used wireless phones and generate proceeds for local community improvement and revitalization projects through Keep America Beautiful.
With more than 200 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. today, the need to keep used wireless phones out of local landfills is more important than ever. The Wipe Out Wireless Waste (kab.org) campaign makes it easy for anyone to recycle their mobile phone equipment, and in turn provides funding to Keep America Beautiful that supports diverse hands-on stewardship activities such as cleanups of public lands and waterways, tree and flower plantings, and recycling activities.4
Reference Sources: back to top
- "Basic Information – Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)"
www.epa.gov
2 Sept. 2008. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 5 Sept. 2008 http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm - United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1996)
" The Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste." [Brochure] - "Consumer Tips – What Can You Save Today?"
www.epa.gov
2 Sept. 2008. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 4 Sept. 2008 http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/specials/funfacts/index.htm - "Help Us 'Wipe Out Wireless Waste'"
www.kab.org
2008. Keep America Beautiful. 4 Sept. 2008 http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GAC_Sprint_WOWW - Bonnin, Jenny and KimMcKay
True Green
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2006.