LOR Recycling Program Information
Welcome LOR residents to the first recycling page in the history of our neighborhood. Bins from Waste Management have been delivered. Waste Management will collect recyclables placed in the recycle containters once a week on Wednesdays. All recyclables must be in the provided container or they will not be collected. The recycle bins will need to be placed no more than three feet from the curb. You can recycle all newsprint, cans and plastics #1 and #2 in the green bin.
The volume of information pertaining to recycling can be overwhelming so we would like to start with some basic information (see below). As the program progresses we can address questions and issues as they arise.
Thank you for your participation, Ginger Marze
**Block captains please submit the entries you have collected so that we can choose a title for our program.
www.epa.gov/msw/buyrec.htm
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Produce Less Waste by Practicing the 3 Rs:
Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you discard.
Reuse containers and products; repair what is broken or give it to someone who can repair it.
Recycle as much as possible, which includes buying products with recycled content.
Reduce
Waste prevention, or "source reduction," means consuming and throwing away less. It includes:
- purchasing durable, long-lasting goods;
- seeking products and packaging that are as free of toxics as possible;
- redesigning products to use less raw material in production, have a longer life, or be used again after its original use.
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Source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, so it is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment.
Reuse
Reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste. Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.
Reuse
Reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste. Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.
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Ways to Reuse
- Using durable coffee mugs
- Using cloth napkins or towels
- Refilling bottles
- Donating old magazines or surplus equipment
- Reusing boxes
- Turning empty jars into containers for leftover food
- Purchasing refillable pens and pencils
- Participating in paint collection and reuse program
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Recycle
Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products.
Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century. Recycling, including composting, diverted 82 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2006, up from 34 million tons in 1990. By 2006, about 8,660 curbside collection programs served roughly half of the American population. Curbside programs, along with drop-off and buy-back centers, resulted in a diversion of about 32 percent of the nation's solid waste in 2005. |
Benefits of Recycling
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Conserves resources for our children's future
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Prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants
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Saves energy
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Supplies valuable raw materials to industry
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Creates jobs
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Stimulates the development of greener technologies
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Reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators
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Buying Recycled Products
There's more to recycling than setting out your recyclables at the curb. In order to make recycling economically feasible, we must buy recycled products and packaging. When we buy recycled products, we create an economic incentive for recyclable materials to be collected, manufactured, and marketed as new products. Buying recycled has both economic and environmental benefits. Purchasing products made from or packaged in recycled materials saves resources for future generations.
Composting
Another form of recycling is composting. Composting is the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic waste into new soil, which can be used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping, and many other applications.
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Benefits of Composting
- Keeps organic waste out of landfills
- Provides nutrients to the soil
- Increases beneficial soil organisms (e.g., worms and centipedes)
- Suppresses certain plant diseases
- Reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides
- Protects soils from erosion
- Assists pollution remediation
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Household Hazardous Waste
Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides contain hazardous components. One way to help determine if your household waste has hazardous components is to read the labels on products. Labels that read "danger," "warning," "caution," "toxic," "corrosive," "flammable," or "poison" identify products that might contain hazardous materials. Leftover portions of these products are called household hazardous waste (HHW). These products, if mishandled, can be dangerous to your health and the environment.
Although we cannot completely stop using hazardous products, we can make sure that leftovers are managed properly. The best way to handle HHW is to reduce the amount initially generated by giving leftover products to someone else to use. Although federal laws allow the disposal of HHW in the trash, many communities have collection programs for HHW to reduce the potential harm posed by these chemicals. These programs ensure the safe disposal of HHW in facilities designed to treat or dispose of hazardous waste. More than 3,000 HHW collection programs exist in the United States.
President's Environmental Youth Awards
Highlights
· Regional Award Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting applications for the regional award program is October 31 of each year.
· Certificate Program
The regional certificate program is conducted year-round. Therefore, applications for this program can be submitted at any time.
Application Form - Link
PEYA application
Since 1971, EPA has sponsored the President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA). The program recognizes young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment. Young people in all 50 states and the U.S. territories are invited to participate in the program.
Projects submitted in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas including recycling programs in schools and communities; construction of nature preserves; major tree planting programs; videos, skits, and newsletters created by students that focused on environmental issues; and environmental science projects. To be eligible to compete, a student or students, sponsored by an adult, must submit to their local EPA regional office evidence of a completed project as defined in the PEYA application, as well as a completed application.
Click on the links below for information about this year's winners and winners from recent years.
We will ad relevant sites as we review them, here are a few to consider:
American Plastics Council's "Shop Recycled Mall," Recycled Products Database
Earth911
Information on recycling and other environmental resources in your community (also available by phone at 1-800-CLEANUP).
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