Our society, whether consciously or not, focuses almost exclusively on recycling as the means to curb environmental pollution and decrease solid waste in landfills, but there are two other very important R words in addition to recycling. They are reduce and reuse.
Reduce (consumption): Reducing consumption of non-recyclable single-use products is a huge ask. Convenience items have become a cornerstone of modern day living. But, as consumers press companies to move away from styrofoam and individually wrapped plastic items, the needle is beginning to move towards more sustainable/conscientious products. Major airlines, cruise ships, restaurants, hotels, entire cities, and now the European Union are turning away from single-use items. Of course, individuals are, too. And that’s most important. Some easy ways to reduce waste for individuals: invest in a reusable water bottle or travel mug, bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store, use cloth napkins, rediscover the glass jar in all its containable glory, and check out how you can make your own cloth wax seals.
When you do feel the need to purchase an item, consider its lifespan and your intentions after it’s no longer useful to you. Consider investing in long-lasting products. Greater product life will decrease the amount of waste.
Reuse (materials): Purchasing items that can be reused instead of one-time or single-use items are the key to eliminating excess waste. Styrofoam, paper products, and many plastics can be replaced with cloth or glass; more permanent and sturdy materials that will last longer and are still recyclable or compostable.
Last month, I wrote an article about food waste in America. One pound of food per person per day is more than 150,000 tons of food per day, or 56,000,000 tons of food per year. In that article I highlighted that food waste in 2017 represented 30 million acres worth of “wasted farmland” and 22% of the solid waste in America’s landfills. This month, I would like to focus on some of the other 78%.
One disclaimer; the EPA has not updated their overview of the facts and figures concerning material waste since 2017. Resultingly, these numbers are not reflective of the current environment now that China has ceased accepting American waste products.
Paper products: 67 million tons of paper products were generated in the U.S. in 2017, nearly 18.4 million tons ended up in landfills (13.1% of what went into landfills that year) and 44.2 million tons were recycled.
Metal: Of the 25 million tons of metal products generated in the U.S. in 2017, nearly 13.8 million tons ended up in landfills (10% of what went into landfills that year) and only 8.3 million tons were recycled.
Glass: 11.4 million tons of glass products were generated in the U.S. in 2017, nearly 6.9 million tons of glass ended up in landfills (4.9% of what went into landfills that year) and only 3 million tons were recycled.
Plastic: Since the 1950s, almost 9 billion tons of plastic has been generated worldwide. While 35.4 million tons of plastic products were generated in the U.S. in 2017, nearly 26.8 million tons of plastics ended up in landfills (19.2% of what went into landfills that year) and not even 3 million tons were recycled. An estimated 165 million tons are currently circulating in our oceans.
These figures are astounding and represent 2017 alone. Perhaps if the landfill were in our backyard, we’d recognize how incredibly wasteful we are. Very few items are 100% recyclable, and even fewer are recycled 100% of the time. Therefore, it is important to avoid the non-recyclable material. Even if the initial cost of the item is less, the longer lasting cost is greater. Across the world, researchers are teaming up with technicians to develop more effective ways to recycle things as basic and necessary as water to such complexities as entire cities.
With the holidays around the corner, consider gifts of experiences rather than things. Before you buy, be mindful. Who made it? Can I find it used? Can I buy it locally? Why do I want it? How long will it serve me? Where will it go when I’m finished with it? Is it really necessary?
There is no Planet B. Cheers.
EPA figures: www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials
End of Recycling? www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/china-has-stopped-accepting-our-trash/584131/
Recycling Images: area-77.com/cliparts
Plastic in Oceans videos: lmgtfy.com/?q=video+of+plastic+in+the+ocean&s=b
Companies Nixing Single-Use: www.cntraveler.com/story/travel-companies-and-places-phasing-out-single-use-plastics
Plastic produced: www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-much-plastic-is-in-the-ocean.html
Microplastics and Human Health: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132564/
Building Material Recycling: www.researchgate.net/publication/237433515_Building_Materials_Reuse_and_Recycle
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