NOT IN MY LANDFILL!

                                        

  

When I first saw this picture, I was shocked that, in Austin, we send so much to the landfill that we could be recycling – 44%!

Then, I began observing recycling habits of businesses and activities around me. I now know why this percentage is so high.

At several of my doctor’s offices, there is a water dispenser with plastic recyclable cups and a garbage can to put the cups in (no recycling bin).

Many local fast food eateries serve their drinks in recyclable cups and, again, only a trash bin to put the empty ones in.

Recently, while I was putting gas in my car at a convenience store, I noticed 5 aluminum cans and several empty plastic bottles in the trash can by the pumps.  There was a recycling can outside by the front of the store, but nothing near the pumps were they were really needed.

UGH!!!

It is so frustrating.  We need more education, more awareness and, most importantly, more passion to recycle. I wish I knew how to make that happen.  ANY IDEAS????

One small solution to some of our “what goes into our landfill” problem has to do with the amount of textiles we are currently throwing away.

In 2014, an Austin Resource Recovery study found that its curbside customers were sending over 3,300 tons of textiles to Austin landfills each year. This, too, is shocking.

On December 5, 2016, the City of Austin will launch a new free service for its curbside recycling customers.  It is called Simple Recycling. This service will help curb the amount of textiles that go into our landfill.  They will provide green collection bags to put clothing and household items in.  The bags can be placed near the blue curbside bins on recycling day.   Simple Recycling trucks will follow the City of Austin recycling trucks and pick up these items to be reused or recycled. 

One important feature of this service is that they will take THE ONE LONE TENNIS SHOE (to be reused for the rubber content) and THE TORN T-SHIRT (to be recycled for its fabric content).  These are some of the items that normally end up in our landfill.

Above is a photo taken at a Simple Recycling presentation for the City of Austin Recycling Block Leaders. On my right is Adam Winfield, Founder/President of Simple Recycling. On my left is Jason Burke, Vice President of Operations.

These gentlemen are very committed to keeping items out of our landfill that can be reused, resold, or repurposed. Their business makes it convenient to get rid of holey underwear or one lone sock without throwing it into the trash bin. Their organization will give these items a new life. Adam and Jason are definitely a part of the solution to "NOT IN MY LANDFILL".

Kudos to Austin Resource Recovery for getting Simple Recycling as a part of the solution to achieve our City's goal of zero waste by 2040.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST TO THIS BLOG ANY RECYCLING QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.  I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOLIDAY RECYCLING AND REUSE CHALLENGES?

To my wonderful Lettuce Recycle blog followers – I would love your input on the following question:  WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST RECYCLING CHALLENGES DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

I can think of several examples, such as too much garbage and too many items to recycle. I am sure there are others.

Feel free to post your ideas to this blog.  If you have questions, I will try to answer them. 

RECYCLING JOURNEY - PART 2

Here is a question for my blog followers – WHAT IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL ITEM WE CAN RECYCLE??????

ANSWER: ALUMINUM!!!

Aluminum is one of the most plentiful substances on Earth – the most common metal found in the planet’s crust.  It is also a friendly element because it is often found tightly bound to other elements like rubies and sapphires.  The extraction of aluminum is done by electrolysis and is therefore very expensive.  The more aluminum we can recycle, the less has to be mined. Because aluminum cans are still thrown away, at some point it might become practical to “mine” them from landfills.

Recycling aluminum is a CLOSED LOOP PROCESS.  This means that no new materials are introduced during the recycling process.  Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.  The cans can be recycled over and over again without affecting the quality or quantity of the aluminum.  Because of this efficiency, more than 2/3 of all aluminum product ever produced is still in use today.

JOURNEY OF AN ALUMINUM CAN – I BECAME ANOTHER ALUMINUM CAN (AGAIN AND AGAIN)!

            As aluminum cans move along a conveyor belt, a special machine creates a reverse magnetic field that pushes them off the belt and into a bin. The cans are crushed and shredded into walnut-sized pieces. The pieces are screened to remove any non-aluminum materials and are then passed through a blast of very hot air to remove any paint or lacquer.

            The shredded aluminum is fed into a furnace where it becomes molten metal. It is then poured into a mold.  This cooled aluminum is called a “brick” or “ingot” and weighs 36,000 pounds.  It takes 1.5 million cans to make an ingot. The ingot is then heated just enough to be rolled into a coil that is 9 miles long.  Manufacturers use this coil to make new cans and lids.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENT TO THIS BLOG THAT RELATE TO RECYCLING. I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

THE RECYCLING JOURNEY – PART 1

What happens to those items we carefully put into our recycling bins or take to recycling centers?  We know they no longer go to the landfill, but what do they become?  Below is the journey of four items that many of us recycle.  In some cases, these new items return to stores and store shelves within 30 days. The source for the information below is Keep America Beautiful, Recycling Campaign http://iwanttoberecycled.org/learn.

JOURNEY OF A CEREAL BOX - I BECAME A GAME BOARD!

            Cereal box cardboard is sorted from other paper products into specific grades and types of fibers. At the paper mill, the fiber is fed into a hydrapulper where it is mixed with water and turned into a slurry that will be used in the papermaking process. The wet slurry is spread onto a cloth or wire web where it is formed into multilayered paperboard, similar to a three-layer cake.

Traveling like a ribbon around drying drums, the paperboard is dried and then wound into rolls — 100 inches wide and 5 feet in diameter — weighing about 2 tons, ready to be shipped for converting into an end product like a game board.

JOURNEY OF A STEEL CAN – I BECAME A BICYCLE!

            As material moves along a conveyor belt, the steel cans are removed by a very powerful magnet. They are then baled and shipped to a steel mill or foundry, where they are usually mixed with other metal like automobile parts. The steel is melted in a furnace at nearly 3000 degrees. It is then cast into slabs and rolled into flat stock (rectangular bars) or steel sheets. It is then cut into sections, rolled and welded into tubes, and used for products like bicycle frames.

JOURNEY OF A STYROFOAM CUP – I BECAME THE INSULATION IN YOUR ATTIC!

            Styrofoam cups, meat trays, egg cartons etc. are collected in Austin at the Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Center.  The center has a machine that first shreds and then melts the Styrofoam to condense it so it is suitable for shipping. The condensed foam is then sent to various manufacturing facilities to be made into baseboards, crown molding, and attic insulation.

JOURNEY OF A PLASTIC BAG – I BECAME A PARK BENCH!

            Retail plastic bags, bread bags, flexible plastic packaging from paper towels and toilet paper, etc. are collected at the plastics collection bins at grocery stores and many other retail outlets. They are processed by turning the plastic into pellets which are used to make more plastic bags, durable outdoor decks and fences, deck furniture, and building products.

Please feel free to post any questions or comments to this blog that relate to recycling.  I will research your questions and post the answers.

No Landfill For Old Styrofoam

Neighborhood Recycling Collection Project – SUCCESS!!

One of the biggest recycling challenges is dealing with items that are not collected curbside.  It is very easy to throw something into that giant blue cart and roll it out to the curb, but what about those items that have to go elsewhere?

I have tried to address this challenge by organizing a neighborhood collection effort for some of these items (batteries, Styrofoam and light bulbs) and by personally transporting them to the City of Austin Recycling, Reuse Drop-Off facility in far south Austin.

My first effort, this past spring, was somewhat successful. Four neighbors contributed items.  One brought 3 years of batteries and the others brought batteries and Styrofoam. It was a good start.

Early this summer, I notified my neighborhood that I was planning to go to the collection center in the first part of August.  I encouraged everyone to begin saving the above items.  I sent out reminders, put collection boxes on my front porch, and hoped for the best.

As you can see from the picture above, our neighborhood kept a lot of Styrofoam out of the landfill.  My car was loaded with several boxes of batteries, light bulbs, and lots and lots of Styrofoam.  A young neighbor came over to help me load up.  Eight to ten neighbors participated this time.

It is difficult to convince people to wash out Styrofoam meat trays and save them.  There is a big “ick” factor. However, it is my dream that some day so many neighbors will participate that I will run out of room in my car to take everything!

Recycling Block Leaders for the City of Austin

The City of Austin is calling for individuals to volunteer to become Recycling Block Leaders.  Block Leaders are active, “green-minded” individuals who will help spread the word about recycling in their neighborhoods. After attending an orientation session to learn how to engage their neighbors in recycling in Austin, they will receive educational materials to share with their neighbors.

I have been a Recycling Block Leader for many years now.  For the last several years, the program has been inactive. I am very happy to report that the City now has on board a wonderful gal who is activating the program and making a huge effort to recruit and train new Block Leaders and reengage the ones from the past. Here is a link to apply to be a Recycling Block Leader – http://eepurl.com/qma8n.

Questions and Answers

Please feel free to post any questions or comments to this blog that relate to recycling.  I will research your questions and post the answers.