3/14/2016

Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuide
PostedonJuly24th,2015byThePurpleFig

Weveallbeenthere:standinginfrontofourgarbagecans,holdingsomeunusualitem
thatmayormaynot?bedisposable,recyclable,compostable,or-unbeknownsttoyouclassifiedashazardoushouseholdwaste.Theworldslandfillsarealreadyoverburdened
withwastedfoodandirresponsiblydiscardedscrap,soinordertoreducecarbon
footprintsaroundthenation,ThePurpleFighasconjuredupacomprehensiveguideto
answerthedreadedquestion:Isthisrecyclable?
WhyDoesitMatter?
Landfillsarewherepotentiallyrecyclableandcompostableitemsgotodie.Sustainability
issidestepped,whetheroutofignoranceorirresponsibility,whenthesereusable
materialsaretossed,unsegregated,intothegarbagecanandshippedofftothedump.
http://cleanfig.com/trashrecyclingwastethedisposalguide/

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

TheEPAestimatesthat75%oftheAmericanwastestreamisrecyclable,butweonly
recycleabout30%ofit.
Ifyoutakeaquickglanceinyourgarbagebinandseefoodscraps,glass,oroddsand
endslikebulbsandbatteries,hurryandsavethemfromthehandsofgarbagetruckmen!
Theyhavebetterfutureselsewhere
IfItsFood,TossItIntheCompost
AsdiscussedinourarticleComposting101,compostisprimarilyfood
scraps,butcanalsocontainanythingthatisnaturallybiodegradable.
CheckoutPlanteaslistof163compostablematerialsforan
extensiveencyclopedia,andfeastyoureyesonsomelesserknown
compostableItemslike:

Teabags
Coffeegrinds
Papertowels(used)
Tissues(usedandnew)
Chopsticks
Crayons
Dryerlint
Post-itnotes

Whyitsimportant:Landfillsarenotdesignedforcompostableproducts.Whenorganic
productsbiodegradeunderlayersofinorganictrash,methanegasisproduced,
potentiallyincreasinggreenhousegasemissionsintheatmosphere.Compostingalso
contributestosustainability,wastereduction,andrecycling(compostalways
createsfertilesoil!).
Recycling

http://cleanfig.com/trashrecyclingwastethedisposalguide/

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

Sodacans.Cerealboxes.Milkcartons.Wehandlerecyclablematerials
literallyeveryday,andyetaccordingtoWasteManagement,
Americansonlyrecycle49%ofourusedaluminumcans,70%ofour
cardboard,and27%ofourplastics.Thatdoesntevenincludeglassor
electronicmaterial!Hereareafewfactsthatcouldhelpusconserve
ourresources:

Aluminum,glass,metal,paper,andcardboardareallgenerallyrecyclable(checkifyou
areunsure)
Keeptheitemsasfreeoffoodresidueaspossible.Washthemorwipethemoutbefore
tossingthemintherecyclingbin.
Certainplasticsarerecyclable,butnotall.Iftheproductlabelcode(thetriangleicon)
hasthenumbers1or2,itISrecyclable.Somemoreunknownrecyclablesinclude:
Motoroilbottles
Detergent/householdcleanerbottles
Cerealboxliners
Mouthwashbottles
Peanutbuttercontainers
Vegetableoilcontainers
Saladdressingbottles
Oven-safefoodtrays

Batteries,bulbs,andelectronicsARErecyclable!Mostmayrequirespecialdisposal*,but
theseitemsarehighlyencouragedtoskipthelandfill:
Car,household,andrechargeable(ex:laptop,hairdryer,powertool)batteries
CFL,incandescent,andLEDbulbs
Computers
Officeequipment(ex:printers,scanners,faxmachines)
Televisions
Personalelectronics(ex:cellphones,stereos,mp3andDVDplayers..)
Whyitsimportant:CheckoutNationalGeographicsarticleabouttheGreatPacific
GarbagePatchtostudytheconsequencesofourirresponsiblehandlingofrecyclable
material.
*HazardousHouseholdWaste:WhatItIsandWhattoDowithIt

http://cleanfig.com/trashrecyclingwastethedisposalguide/

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

AccordingtotheEPA,hazardoushouseholdwaste(HHW)isclassifiedaswastecontaining
corrosive,toxic,ignitable,orreactiveingredients.Productslikethisrequirespecial
disposalguidelines,toavoidendangeringbothpeopleandtheenvironment.Mostmajor
citieshaveadesignatedHHWFacilityforfreedrop-off,andcertaincitiesalsoofferhome
pick-upandpre-paiddeliverykits.Checkyourlocalareafordisposaloptions!
SomeHHWitemsinclude:
Pesticides,herbicides,insecticides,andfertilizers
Paintproducts(oil-basedpaint,caulk,woodpreservative)
Householdcleaners(ammonia,draincleaners,rustcleaners)
Thermometersandthermostats
CFLbulbs
Homeandvehiclebatteries
Generalelectronics
Automotiveproducts(motoroil,antifreeze,gasoline,polishandwax)

Whyitsimportant:Ontopofriskinghumanhealth,improperorrecklessdisposalofHHW
canleadtodangerouschemicalsseepingintodrainsystemsandpollutingour
environmentevenfurther.Ifpoureddownthedrain,dumpedinthestreet,orflusheddown
thetoilet,hazardousmaterialsrunthehighriskof:injuringsanitationworkersand
contaminatingtheground;contaminatingsewagesystemsandtreatmentplantsnot
builtforHHW;andcontaminatingstormdrainsthatleadtotheoceanandmajorbodiesof
water,contaminatingtheaqua-cultureand,eventually,humanlife.
Disposable:TheLastResort

http://cleanfig.com/trashrecyclingwastethedisposalguide/

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

Forsolidwastethatjustdoesntfitthebillforsustainabledisposal,
thelandfillisitsfinalrestingplace.Theaveragegarbageitemisa
productthatdoesnotdecompose(i.e.isnotorganic),doesnot
containrecyclablematerial(s),andcannotberepurposed.
Foracountrythatproducesaround220milliontonsofgarbageper
year,wastemanagementtechniqueslikeincinerationhavebeen
designedtocombattheever-risinglevelsofwastethat,frankly,wontfitintoouroverstuffedlandfills.WasteManagementhasinstitutedabioreactorlandfillsystem
throughoutthecountrytoseparateorganicmaterialinourlandfillsinorderto:
accelerateorganicdecomposition
controlandremovemoisturefromthewastemass
collectandextractlandfillgas
Eventhoughthedisposalofyourwasteisessential,youcanstillcontributetoeco-friendly
methodsbybuyingbiodegradablegarbagebagsaswellascompostableplates,cups,and
variousutensilsforthoseoccasionsthatsimplycannotavoiddisposableoptions!
Easy(andLucrative)Solutions

Wasteminimizationiskey!Stopbuyingsingle-useitemsandoptforeco-friendly,longlastingproductsforeverydayuse(ex:oneglasswaterbottleinsteadofmanycratesof
plasticbottles).Theeliminationofwastefulproductswillalwaysresultinlesswaste.
Doyouhaveanexcessofunwanted,butperfectlyedible,food?Insteadoflettingitrotina
landfill,youcandonateyourextrafoodandgivetofamilieswhoneedit!
Aswithanyunwanted(butperfectlyfunctional)clothing,accessory,toy,orappliance,
donatingtheitemstofoundationslikeGoodwillisalwaysencouraged.
Ifyourelookingtodiscardyouroldbooks,records,CDs,DVDs,andevenVHStapes,
companieslikeHalfPriceBooksbuybacktheseitemsforresale.
Ifyouretryingtodisposeofoldand/orbrokenCDs,CDcases,DVDs,mp3players,
speakers,etc,butcanttraveltoyourlocalHHWFacilityfordrop-off,BestBuyoffersan
easyrecyclingdrop-offforyourdeadelectronics!
Whynotsellbackperfectlygooditems-especiallypricyoneslikefurnitureandelectronics
-online?StoresandcommunitieslikeeBayandCraigslistcanbelucrativealternativesto
simplydumpingitemsinalandfill.
http://cleanfig.com/trashrecyclingwastethedisposalguide/

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Trash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposalGuidePurpleFigCleaners

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OnethoughtonTrash,Recycling,&Waste:TheDisposal
Guide
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