JJenny enny HHalpinalpinRecycling Information Specialist

(209) 723-3153, ext. 315Jennifer.Halpin@MCAGov.org

www.MercedRecycles.com

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

The recycling process

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

The recycling process

Reasons to recycle

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

The recycling process

Reasons to recycle

Recognizing recyclables

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

The recycling process

Reasons to recycle

Recognizing recyclables

Making new items

Topics:

Topics:Topics: The waste stream The diversion law The recycling process Reasons to recycle Recognizing recyclables Making new items Reduce & reuse

The waste stream

The diversion law

The recycling process

Reasons to recycle

Recognizing recyclables

How to prevent waste

Reduce & reuse

Topics:

What is a waste What is a waste stream?stream?

The Waste Stream:The Waste Stream:

A waste stream is whatever is going into the garbage to be wasted into a landfill.

Landfills not only take up space, but give off bad gases and can also let poisons escape.

1. Purchase a product

3. Throw away the product

2. Use the product

4. Collect/transfer materials

The Waste Stream Process:The Waste Stream Process:

5. And dump in the landfill

The law that The law that changed itchanged it

The Diversion LawThe Diversion Law

In 1989: The California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939) called for a 50% diversion rate from landfills by the year 2000. All towns and cities had to divert half of what they threw away in their landfills.

Image from: http://www.sprucegrove.org/Assets/Reduce+your+waste+line.jpg

The Diversion LawThe Diversion LawBecause of the law that required them to divert 50% of their waste, cities started:

Recycling programs (such as drop off programs, CRV and other buy-back programs, and curbside recycling),

Composting programs (for grass clippings, leaves, and other organic material),

Finding ways to reduce or reuse what they had,

and/or

Sending materials to be burned for energy.

Recycling programs (such as drop off programs, CRV and other buy-back programs, and curbside recycling),

Composting programs (for grass clippings, leaves, and other organic material),

Finding ways to reduce or reuse what they had,

and/or

Sending materials to be burned for energy.

Image from: www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk

The Recycling The Recycling ProcessProcess

$

1. Buys a product

The consumer (you):

Recycling Process:Recycling Process:

2. Uses a product

3. Turns in recyclables to drop off centers, buy-back centers, or in your curbside recycling container

4. Collected & processed

Afterwards, it’s:

Recycling Process:Recycling Process:

5. Manufactured into new products6. Purchased by you

Waste Stream Process:

Product

You

Collected/transferred

LandfillManufacturer

Collected/Processed

You

Recycling Process:

Lead, mercury, & cadmium - from batteries and electronics

Mercury - from fluorescent tubes and energy-saving lights bulbs (CFL’s)

Toxins also come from motor oil & other car fluids, electronics, paints, pesticides, pool chemicals, and other hazardous waste.

The Waste Stream Process:The Waste Stream Process:

When you throw certain items away, they contain toxins that leak out of landfills and into the surrounding environment or into underground water systems

Don’t throw it awayDon’t throw it away

You can take these items to scheduled hazardous waste collections in your area or to the environmental health’s free drop off area in front of the landfill (off Hwy 59).

Recyclable items:

Other things to keep out of the Other things to keep out of the landfill:landfill:Don’t throw it away, Part 2Don’t throw it away, Part 2

80- 100 years

700 years

1,000,000 years

How long does it take for them to start breaking down?

Reasons to Reasons to recyclerecycle

Reasons to Recycle:Reasons to Recycle: It’s the law (saves

landfill space) Saves energy &

resources Releases less

greenhouse gases & water contaminants

Saves energy & resources

Releases less greenhouse gases & water contaminants

It’s the law (saves landfill space)

Landfills take up space.

Once things are placed into a landfill, they will usually stay there. Scientists, called “garbologists,” can dig things out of landfills that have been there for decades.

Reasons to Recycle:Reasons to Recycle:

*according to Garbologist William Rathje

*Most often found are: 1)Newspapers and magazines 2) plastics 3) glass, metal, food waste 4) construction & demolition materials

(which can all be recycled or composted)

Reasons to Recycle:Reasons to Recycle:

Releases less greenhouse gases & water contaminants

It’s the law (saves landfill space)

Saves energy & resources

It’s more efficient to make things out of recycled resources rather than making things out of new resources.

For example, it takes 95% less energy to make an aluminum can out of other aluminum cans instead of making it out of bauxite ore (a mineral brought in from Australia)

It’s the law (saves landfill space)

Saves energy & resources

Releases less greenhouse gases & water contaminants

Since it takes less energy and resources to make things out of recycled materials, then less pollution, greenhouse gases, and chemicals are produced.

Recycling keeps toxins from batteries, fluorescent lights, and electronics from contam-inating underground water.

Reasons to Recycle:Reasons to Recycle:

What is What is recyclable?recyclable?

Metal Emptied & rinsed Glass containers

All #1- #7 Plastics (NO Styrofoam)

Unsaturated Paper

Recyclables in Merced Recyclables in Merced County:County:

1) Ask yourself what it’s made of

2) If it’s made out of any of these four materials, then there’s a good chance it’s recyclable

Making New Items from Recycled Making New Items from Recycled OnesOnes

Can you guess what material it comes from?

Plastic

Glass

Paper

Metal

Creative Idea - video

What’s better What’s better than recycling?than recycling?

Before you recycle:

1) Reduce the amount of materials and items that you take in

2) Reuse, sell, or donate what you can

Reduce & Reuse (…then Reduce & Reuse (…then Recycle)Recycle)

Made from aluminum can openers

Packaging around a product.

Same box, with 5 of thesame product.

Be Aware

Do your Part whenever you can

See the Results

What are the things I can’t throw What are the things I can’t throw away away and why?and why?

Can I recycle____?Can I recycle____?

Is ____ recyclable?Is ____ recyclable?

Why can’t I throw Why can’t I throw away batteries?away batteries?

Why can’t I throw Why can’t I throw batteries away?batteries away?

Is ____ recyclable?Is ____ recyclable?

How come we don’t How come we don’t just send all the trash just send all the trash into space?into space?

How come we don’t just send How come we don’t just send all the trash into space?all the trash into space?

Can I recycle my ____?Can I recycle my ____?What are the things that I can’t throw What are the things that I can’t throw away away and why?and why?

Any Any questions?questions?

Thank youThank you

JJenny enny HHalpinalpinRecycling Information Specialist

(209) 723-3153, ext. 315Jennifer.Halpin@MCAGov.org

www.MercedRecycles.com