Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

By Carly ThurgoodLeah Kirk

AB MorenoNalijah Caudle

Statistics• America generates 21.5 million tons of food residuals annually

• Out of 30 million tons of plastic waste generated in the US in 2009, only 7 percent was recovered for recycling

• In 2004 55 billion aluminum cans were landfilled, that is enough to fill the empire state building 20 times

• U.S. Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour

• The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups per year

• Americans recycle and compost 85 million tons of solid waste in 2010 (EPA)

• We recycle and compost 1.5 pounds of our individual waste generation of 4.4 pounds per person per day

• Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 20 percent

Air Pollution

Air pollution sources:

Industrial smokestacks, car and truck exhaust, wood stoves and even household products.

Air pollution causes acid rain which cause deforestation. It also diminishes the upper ozone layer, allowing dangerous ultraviolet radiation to reach the surface

Reducing Tips

Reduce Trips• Cutting down on miles driven. Form car pools and use the bus. If you must drive, do

several errands on the same trip. Burn Wood Sparingly• Use less-polluting wax fire logs or burn only dry, well-seasoned wood in small, hot

fires.Convert Your Fireplace• Install a natural gas, propane or electric fire.Drive at Steady Speeds• Try to avoid rapid acceleration and deceleration and stop-and-go driving.Don't Idle• It uses less fuel and causes less pollution to turn off an engine for 30 seconds rather

than keeping it running.Maintain Your Car• Keep your car properly tuned and keep tires inflated. It saves fuel and cuts pollution.Avoid Topping Off Gas Tanks• This wastes fuel by evaporation and pollutes the air. The problem is worse in

summer.

By taking steps to reduce waste, a business can:

• save money on supplies• give customers what they want: "green"

products and environmentally conscious businesses

• boost employee morale by giving staff members an opportunity to work together on an environmental project

• reduce the risk of future liability associated with the disposal of solid wastes.

Simple Ways to Reduce WasteFor Businesses

Writing and Printing Paper:• Buy recycled paper.• Keep mailing lists current.• Reuse manila envelopes.• Make scratch pads from used paper.• Proofread documents on the computer screen before printing themPackaging and Shipping:• Order merchandise with minimal packaging, in concentrated form, or in bulk.• Request that materials you order be shipped in returnable containers.• Reuse foam packaging pellets ("peanuts") and cardboard boxes or find someone who

will.Food and Personal Services:• Instead of paper, use cloth towels, tablecloths, and napkins.• Avoid using disposable tableware when serving food and drinks to the public.• Use cloth roll towels in the restrooms.• Encourage employees to use durable cups and dinnerware for their food and

beverages. 

DID YOU KNOW…

• One of the easiest ways to keep plastic out of the landfill is to refuse plastic straws. Simply inform your waiter or waitress that you don't need one, and make sure to specify this when ordering at a drive-thru.

• Can't fathom giving up the convenience of straws? Purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass drinking straws.

DID YOU KNOW…

• About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute, and a single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade.

DID YOU KNOW…

• Gum was originally made from tree sap called chicle, a natural rubber, but when scientists created synthetic rubber, polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate began to replace the natural rubber in most gum.

• Not only are you chewing on plastic, but you may also be chewing on toxic plastic — polyvinyl acetate is manufactured using vinyl acetate, a chemical shown to cause tumors in lab rats.

DID YOU KNOW…

• Bottled water produces 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, and these bottles require 47 millions gallons of oil to produce, according to Food and Water Watch.

• Bring a reusable cup to coffee shops and ask the barista to fill it up, and keep a mug at your desk instead of using plastic, paper or Styrofoam cups.

DID YOU KNOW…

• According to the  EPA, 7.6 billion pounds of disposable diapers are discarded in the U.S. each year.

• Plus, it takes about 80,000 pounds of plastic and more than 200,000 trees a year to manufacture disposable diapers for American babies alone. 

OCEAN POLLUTION

• Toxic waste comes from factories, landfills, mines, and farms.

• Theses toxins harm sea animals and can be quickly passed on through the food chain and may eventually end up in our seafood.

Garbage Island

• Garbage dumping is the most common type of waste that ends up in the oceans.

• There is a patch in the North Pacific Ocean Gyre that is also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex (Garbage Island).

• Its made up of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris that have been stuck their by currents coming from the North pacific Gyre.

• This Garbage island is about twice the size of Hawaii

Garbage Island

Atlantic Ocean

Ways to Recycle• Refuse plastic straws

• Buy recycled items- keep the cycle of recycling going not by recycling but by also buying the recycled items

• buy reusable grocery bags

• Use cloth diapers

• Hang dry clothes

• Recycle glass, paper, aluminum, plastic and batteries

• Recycle your water

• Make compost

• Shower instead of taking baths-baths use double the water

• choose matches over lighters- 1.5 billions lighters end up in landfills each year

• buy second hand

• pay bills online

• stop paper bank statements

References"50 Ways to Help the Planet." Wine and Twine. N.p., n.d. Web. 20

Nov. 2012. <http://www.50waystohelp.com/>."A Brighter Shade of Green." Recycling Stats. GreenWaste, 2012.

Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.greenwaste.com/recycling-stats>.America Beautiful® and Great American Cleanup™, n.d. Web. 20

Nov. 2012. <Keep America Beautiful® and Great American Cleanup™>.

"Geography." Trash Islands. About Geography, 24 2009. Web. 28 Nov 2012.

Mckenna, Mathew, Emily Bond, and Donna Devito. "Keep America Beautiful." Keep America Beautiful:KAB. Keep Treehugger, Team. "How to Go Green; Recycling." TreeHugger. MNN HOLDINGS, LLC, 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

"What is The Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch." Mother Nature Network. Mother Nature Network, n.d. Web. 28 Nov 2012.