On my weekly visit to the county transfer station (aka the dump), a young woman in an orange vest and hardhat stopped to thank me for recycling. I thanked her (and her boss) for making it so easy. Giant bins separate different types of plastics, glass bottles by color, aluminum cans from ordinary steel cans and aluminum scrap, magazines from mixed paper (office and ad mailers), newspapers and cardboard.
It takes a fast 10 minutes to unload a week’s worth of family detritus from my car trunk. On the opposite side of the driveway is a separate place for construction materials and green waste, to which I also donate when I can use my son’s truck.
The woman told me that in just a couple of years they had reduced trash sent to the landfill by 40 percent. Impressive for a small town generating enough beer bottles and soda cans to fill the Sunshine Landfill annually.
For a small fee they will also take bald tires (limit four) and those aged TV sets (one a day at no charge) that technology has passed by. Some need only minor repair, but it’s cheaper to buy new, people say. Same goes for VCRs, DVDs, telephones, portable tape recorders and all sorts of electronic gear that contain materials too toxic for ordinary disposal. Pity.
The attendant admitted she used to throw everything in the dump because she just never thought about the consequences. Now she’s such an avid recycler, she’s even changed from disposable to cloth diapers for her baby.
I thought about this on the way home and realized that more people would recycle and even buy recycled products if they only knew how important it was and how to do it. In the Sunday funnies, a cartoonist nailed it.
A woman holding a “Stop Pollution” sign talks on a pay phone to her husband. “I’m down at City Hall picketing,” she says. “So you’ll have to do the grocery shopping.” She then lists a dozen chemical-laden products-detergent, bleach, shampoo, conditioner, fabric softener, toilet bowl cleaner, spray oven cleaner, paint thinner and weed killer-all the while balancing the “Stop Pollution” sign. Some folks just don’t get it.
For those who are trying but finding it difficult, a new book by the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine shows the way. As a resource guide, “Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth” is absolutely the best for dedicated greens and novices alike. In the chapter, “Second Time Around,” there are 10 pages of information on recycling and reuse including news on legislative and political aspects. The National Recycling Coalition allows that the movement needs more education.
The NRC also works to dispel many myths such as the idea that it costs more than it can contribute to the economy. In fact, an NRC study cites recycling as a strong business, larger than either the mining or waste industries in the U.S. with jobs that pay more than manufacturing. Another myth is that materials do not get recycled even when put in the right bins. This myth was based on exaggerated reports of contamination. Single-stream systems using compactor trucks brake and blend materials contaminating other products, particularly paper, since glass shards imbed in paper fibers and reduce or destroy their quality.
Recycled glass, on the other hand, takes less energy than raw materials to melt and the demand for recycled glass far exceeds the available supply. Low quality glass is expensive to process and so is recycled for use in road construction or as landfill cover.
The ultimate goal of “zero waste” is catching on around the world with New Zealand probably leading the way. Here, it has been adopted by companies like Aveda (personal care products) and Fetzer Vineyards. Xerox’s goal is a waste-free factory. Bill Sheehan, who helped found the GrassRoots Recycling Network and organized the Product Policy Project, says, “Corporations should be made to adopt “cradle-to-cradle” management of their products. Producer responsibility laws in Europe are already in effect. In the United States, it’s still a challenge to get the seller of a new VCR to take their old one back. Probably because it was made in China.
“Green Living” also discusses smart food choices, natural health care, healthy home construction and furnishing, organic gardening, renewable energy, ecotravel and transportation. Each chapter includes tips on what individuals can do, where to find green products, contractors and the like. What got my attention was a comparison of light fixtures and dispelling the folk wisdom of leaving lights and appliances on. “Turning a lamp off for 12 hours a day actually doubles the overall longevity of the lamp. Turning off an incandescent light bulb starts saving energy after three seconds; halogen lights after five minutes. And EnergyMiser bulbs use 5 to 13 percent less electricity than standard bulbs. “But “long life” incandescents gain lifespan at the expense of energy efficiency.
It also helps to power down a computer (to sleep mode) rather than using graphical screensavers, which take energy to run. Well, I needn’t worry about that. My PowerBook nods off as often as I do. A Plume paperback, “Green Living” is available locally at Diesel, A Bookstore.