click to edit master title style recycling mythbusters updated: june 2014
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Click to edit Master title styleRecycling Mythbusters
Updated: June 2014
Click to edit Master title styleCurbside Collection
Multiple Categories
Now: Single Sort
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• Depends on the hauler• To find out what your hauler accepts, check with:– The hauler– Your city– Your county
What do Haulers Accept Curbside?
www.dakotacounty.us search curbside recycling
Click to edit Master title styleAccepted Curbside: Paper & Cardboard
Mail, office and school papersMagazines and catalogsNewspapers and insertsPhone booksShredded paperCereal & cracker boxesShoe boxes, gift boxes, electronics boxesToothpaste, medication & other toiletry boxes
Prep: Staples, plastic “windows” ok, shredded paper in closed paper bags (staple shut)
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Accepted Curbside: Containers
Food and beverage bottles and jarsSoup, broth & wine cartons Milk cartonsJuice boxes Food cansBeverage cans
Prep: Metal lids ok, labels are ok,empty, remove straws from cartons
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Bottles & Jugs– Water & juice bottles; ketchup & dressing bottles– Detergent jugs – Lotion, shampoo and soap bottles
Cups & Containers– Yogurt, pudding, fruit cups– Disposable cups and bowls
Packaging– Clear, rigid packaging
Prep: don’t crush, remove liquids, keep caps on
Accepted Curbside: Plastic
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• Refrigerated or frozen food boxes• Pizza boxes• Scrap metal • Aluminum foil • Plastic retail bags
Solutions: Call hauler to verify if they accept these!
Curbside: The Maybes
Click to edit Master title styleNOT Accepted Curbside
Styrofoam™ foam & packing peanutsJuice pouches Microwavable food trays (black)Paper plates and towelsDrinking glasses & dishesMirrors
Click to edit Master title styleTips to Recycle More Curbside
• Upgrade size of recycling cart • Ask for a 2nd recycling cart • Know what to recycle
659532
Pick me!
Click to edit Master title styleRecycling Doesn’t Save Natural Resources
1 ton of recycled steel = 2,500 lbs ore, 1,400 lbs coal
120 lbs limestone
MYTH #1:1 ton of mixed paper =
17 trees
Click to edit Master title styleMyth #2: We Already Recycle Everything We Can
Recyclables in the trash!
Click to edit Master title styleMyth #3: Recycling is Inconvenient
• Curbside– All haulers must offer recycling – Single sort—all in one bin!
• Drop-off – The Recycling Zone – City of Hastings (paper and cardboard only)– City of Farmington (cardboard only)
Click to edit Master title styleHaulers Send Recycling to Landfills
• It’s illegal • Haulers bring recyclables to materials recovery
facility
Myth #4:
Click to edit Master title styleMyth #5: Mixing Recyclables Ruins Them
• “Single sort” = putting all recyclables in one bin increases participation and amount recovered
• Bad practices cause contamination• Plastic bags get wound around machinery• Liquids can soil recyclables• Trash contaminates recyclables• Needles/sharps can harm workers
Click to edit Master title styleMyth #6: Recyclables Aren’t Worth Anything
• Recycling = profit: – Statewide 2.5 million tons recycled,
worth $690 million
• Not recycling costs money: – 1.2 million tons of recyclable material landfilled,
~ $285 million
• Recycling is business
Click to edit Master title styleRecycling Causes More Pollution Than It Prevents
A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas EMISSIONS equal to taking 25 million cars off the road
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Myth #7:
Making a bottle from recycled glass takes 50% less ENERGY
Click to edit Master title styleMyth #8: Recyclables Are Sorted At the Landfill
Click to edit Master title styleOne Person Cannot Make a Difference
Myth #9:
If you convinced two people to recycle and the next day, they convinced two people to recycle, and so on, it would take less than one month for
everybody in the United States to start recycling!
Image by Algalita Marine Research Foundation