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In 2005, California diverted 55 percent of
the 88 million tons of waste it generated. More than 45 million tons of
waste materials were rescued from landfills and recycled into products
that serve Californians.
Photo courtesy of California
Integrated Waste Management Board. |
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From Curb to Serve:
Trash on the Rebound
By recycling trash on the job and at
home, the more than 200,000 state employees in California can make a major
contribution to the state's policy goals. As the season of giving (and
throwing away) approaches,
Margo Reid Brown, the Chair of the
California Integrated Waste Management Board, reviews the growth − and the
environmental benefits − of California's "recycling culture."
It's a
journey that starts at curbside, well before dawn. Where it finally ends
can depend on how innovative and resourceful a community is when it comes
to managing its waste. But between the curb and its final destination,
what happens to the trash we put out on "trash day" is an interesting
odyssey that very few of us ever contemplate.
A few short decades ago our wastes' disposal commute was shorter and
simpler. In the 1980s, California recycled about 10 percent of everything
it threw away. For 90 percent of the trash we put out at the curb two
decades ago, the trip to the nearest landfill was direct and
straightforward.
Today, our waste material can undergo a circuitous exodus from curb to
disposal, if disposal is where it ends up at all. Nowadays, trash is as
likely to end up as a recycled "treasure" for someone else−businesses,
offices, perhaps even your neighbor…if not yourself.
Whether you know it or not, what you bring to the curb and where it goes
from there has a huge effect on our environment and economy. It can also
make a difference in the reduction of harmful greenhouse gas and global
warming.
Every Californian generates approximately six pounds of trash per day!
This includes everything from paper, uneaten food, food and beverage
containers to construction leftovers, grass clippings, plastic, glass,
metal, old batteries, computers, phones, and tons of other "stuff." That's
a lot of trash to process everyday.
In many communities, garbage gets picked up by a local waste management
facility−a "garbage collector"−and then makes its way to a "materials
recovery facility" (MRF) to be sorted. MRFs sort trash in a variety of
ways. They may do it robotically, using a conveyer belt that sorts trash
by weight. They can also use workers to sort the trash by hand and place
items into various bins. MRFs sort out reusable and recyclable materials
that accidentally get put into the trash, like cardboard, paper, plastic
bottles and glass.
Recyclables are separated and taken to a recycling facility. For example,
plastic water bottles can be melted down and remade into other things:
plastic bags, other water bottles, perhaps even art objects.
The remainder of the garbage is transported to the nearest landfill.
Landfills today are not the simple holes in the ground that they were
until the recent past. Landfills are now lined on the bottom and sides
with plastic or clay to prevent water and decomposing trash from leaking
into the ground, much the same way a pool is lined with concrete to
prevent the water from escaping. Trash is poured daily into the landfill
and covered by a layer of soil so that the trash doesn't fly away, get
wet, or get into the surrounding area to affect wildlife. Each day's layer
of trash and soil is a "cell" of trash that gets stacked on top of the
previous one like a row of dominoes. This process is repeated daily until
the landfill is full.
Thanks to recycling its waste, California now celebrates a major
environmental accomplishment. We have reached the milestone of recycling
50 percent of our trash away from landfills, as mandated by the state
legislature.
Annually, recycling saves enough energy to power 1.4 million California
homes. Estimates show it saves up to 14 million trees, while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions that harm the atmosphere. Methane, a greenhouse
gas produced by decomposing trash, is 21 times stronger than carbon
dioxide at retaining atmospheric heat. Recycling also helps reduce air
pollution in California by 165,142 tons annually and cuts greenhouse gas
emissions by an amount equal to taking 3.8 million passenger cars off the
highway.
By reducing the trash thrown away and recycling it or reusing it,
California has created a mainstream industry of statewide importance
comprised of 5,300 businesses and related organizations. Recycling now
accounts for 85,000 jobs, generates $4 billion in salaries and wages and
produces over $10 billion worth of goods and services annually.
Using recycled materials cuts down on the energy used in the manufacturing
process which also reduces the amount of pollutants that enter our
waterways. But in fact, more energy is saved by not consuming products and
materials whenever possible, or by reusing products in their current form.
There is definitely an emergence of a new culture in California: the
recycling culture. There is a new understanding that wasting natural
resources is not efficient. It is becoming commonplace to have a recycling
bin next to the trash in the kitchen, and grocery bags are generally
either reused or recycled, or both.
Recycling is as much needed today as it has ever been. It helps protect
valuable lands from becoming landfills, reduces the amount of greenhouse
gas emissions and stimulates California's economy. The state is clearly
leading the nation in reducing waste.
For more
information on recycling, please visit:
http://www.zerowaste.ca.gov/
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