It’s easy to forget about your waste once it’s dropped
down the discreetly designed garbage pale. You probably don’t think twice as
you throw away your uneaten food, wrappers, cups, utensils, and paper napkins
when eating out. Each week, garbage
companies pick up the contents of your family’s waste and haul it away. Over 71
million tons of paper annually, over 43,000 tons of food daily, and over 2.5
million plastic bottles hourly - that’s a lot of garbage! Have you ever
wondered what happens to it once it leaves your curb?
Luckily, some of this waste gets recycled or
recovered. Americans are working hard to increase the amount of materials
recycled or composted, but as our population increases so do our landfill
sites. Trash buried in landfills has
doubled since the 1960’s!
Each day, Earth-conscious garbage disposal
companies fill environmentally safe disposal sites with your tossed out goods,
lining landfills with double synthetic liners paired with environmental
monitoring systems to ensure the ground soil is protected. Some companies use a
pressure cooker like machine to “cook” the garbage in order to reduce the
amount of solid waste. But in the end, the trash is compressed slowly and soil
is added to the top, voila a new piece of land.
It’s important to remember; landfills aren’t
designed to break down your trash, merely to bury it. Think twice about what
you’re contributing! Follow these simple steps to minimize your part of the 251
million tons of trash Americans generate annually.
1. Recycle whenever possible
There’s
no need to throw items like glass, paper/cardboard, and certain plastics in the
trash (check with your local facility).
Toss them in recyclable bins instead!
2. Reuse
Be a smarter shopper by purchasing re-usable items. Quit opting for disposable
goods; think twice about unnecessary throwaways like plastic baggies, brown
bags, grocery bags and packaged items. Bring your own reusable bags with you to
the supermarket to put your goodies in.
3. Donate
Upgrading
your personal items feels good, but don’t throw away things that someone else
can use! You can make a real difference in someone’s life by donating items
you’d typically put in the trash.
Technology continues to advance our recycling capabilities
and, as the environmentally conscious mentality grows in popularity, so does
our ability to make a difference. As you place your garbage bins curbside this
week, remind yourself of its final destination – every decision counts!