EvaFeature

by Margaret Shields

Can Do! If

all morning newspapers around the country were recycled, six million tons of waste would never end up in landfills. Americans receive almost four million tons of junk mail per year, and 44 percent of it is never opened. That’s the equivalent of one and a half trees per American every year. These staggering statistics should make us all think twice about what we consume and how we can take responsibility for improving the wasteful situation in our country. Locally, what exactly can you recycle or keep out of landfills in Knoxville? An average of 5000 tons of material is left at City of Knoxville recycling drop off centers every year, which is evidence that the Volunteer spirit is alive and well. According to Waste Reduction Specialist John Homa, the bulk of residential recycling is from individuals dropping off material rather than curbside pick-up, but both require that people volunteer their time and effort. “Residential recycling diverts about 10 percent of waste that would otherwise end up in landfill,” comments Homa. “We’d like that number to be 30 percent, but we’re pleased with the increased interest in recycling. Individuals and civic groups are asking what they can do to help.” Also, because of the city’s mulching program, an additional 24 percent of trash in the form of yard waste never sees landfill. Each year, the city picks up about 33,000 tons of yard waste, all of which is recycled into reusable mulch by Shamrock Organic Products. Despite that good news, a lot of recyclable items are still being thrown away because either residents are unaware about what can be recycled or don’t make the effort to separate their trash. Here’s a check-list to get you started. Items accepted at most drop-off centers include: k PLASTICS: You can now recycle all plastics labeled with a #1 - #7 recycle logo. If you can’t find a number on the plastic, it can’t be recycled. Some yogurt cups, fruit containers, and plastic as part of other packaging are not recyclable. Do not bring bottles previously holding hazardous materials like pesticides, motor oil, or antifreeze or any form of Styrofoam. k PLASTIC BAGS: Grocery plastic bags are now taken at drop off centers and many grocery stores. k ALUMINUM AND STEEL CANS: These include cans and lids of all soft drinks and canned vegetables. k GLASS: Clear, green, and brown glass are accepted but must be separated by color. Discard all lids. Do not bring window glass, light bulbs, or pottery. Tip: throwing glass into the bins can also be a great stress reliever. k MIXED PAPER: Any material that is 100 percent paper is deposited here. This includes junk mail, magazines, printer paper, light-weight cardboard like cereal and tissue boxes, shredded paper, phone books, post-its, folders, paper bags that are not soiled, and books. Tip: Check first with your local library for books that you can donate. k CARDBOARD: All corrugated cardboard (larger boxes) should be flattened.

Little Things You Can Do To Help the Environment

{More than just recycling}

In Your Home

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs Compact fluorescent bulbs are 75 percent more efficient, emit less CO2 and last ten times longer. Care must be taken for cleanup should a break occur with a fluorescent bulb. See www.epa.gov/hg/spills/index. htm#flourescent for more information. Unplug your chargers and turn off your surge protector These lines draw electricity even when not in use. This phantom power can account for 5-10 percent of your electric bill. Let your computer sleep too Putting your computer in sleep mode uses significantly less energy than running a screen saver. In windows, go to Control Panel, display, and adjust Power settings. Buy paper products made from recycled material These products cut down the need for virgin pulp material and create a market for paper recycling. As recycled paper, it must use a minimum of 30 percent PCW (post-consumer waste). Check out www. greenlinepaper.com or www. seventhgeneration.com.

k NEWSPAPER: This includes newspaper and inserts. k GOOD WILL DONATIONS: Many of the drop off centers also have a trailer accepting donations for Good Will. You can obtain a receipt from the attendant for taxes if you itemize. These great tips aren’t all - there’s more you can do. Diverting hazardous waste from landfills is essential for the environment. The Solid Waste Management Facility at 1033 Elm Street accepts a variety of hazardous items. Every day, city and Knox county residents are allowed to dispose of the following for free. If you have more, just come back the next day: k 20 gallons of paint k 10 gallons of motor oil, kerosene, or pesticides k 3 computers k 4 tires (there is a small fee of 50 – 75 cents per tire depending on size) k unlimited mercury thermometers from your home k unlimited rechargeable batteries including those in cell phones, walkie-talkies, watches, calculators, and vehicles. In 2006 this facility recycled or diverted from landfill 80.33 tons of hazardous materials and 141 tons of tires. Computers, which should be clear of all personal information, are processed at a facility in Clinton. Over 400 tons of computers have already been collected since starting the program in 2001. Ink jet cartridges can easily be recycled by using the pre-paid mailer that comes with your next cartridge. Cell phone batteries are recycled into new batteries; others are utilized for their metal content. During the first three months of the program, 19,000 batteries were collected. An interesting item left off the list is alkaline batteries (A, AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volts). Throwing them in the trash can feel painful for the dedicated environmentalist, but studies by the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that alkaline batteries are actually good for the decomposition process in landfills and they do not contain hazardous materials. So toss them without guilt. For those who just can’t get enough of recycling fun, you can even recycle used video cassettes, 3.5” diskettes, priority and express mail envelopes, and ceiling tiles. There are also two local packing companies that reuse Styrofoam peanuts. For specifics on these, a map of drop-off centers, or information on any other local recycling program, visit www.cityofknoxville.org/ solidwaste/recycle.asp. Finally, one of the best ways to reduce waste is to prevent it. To lessen junk mail, send a postcard or letter to: Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. Write “please activate the mail preference service,” and include your name, address and zip code. You might just save a tree or two. Margaret Shields’ family of four rarely fills a garbage can each week and makes monthly runs to drop off a car-full of recycling.

In Your Travels

When shopping, bring your own canvas or other reusable bag and forego the paper and plastic. Plastic bags are made from oil that is wasted on the 100 billion bags thrown away every year. Paper bags use virgin pulp from trees contributing to deforestation, loss of ability to convert the CO2 by these trees. Use a reusable water container and buy fewer water bottles. Americans buy more than 38 billion water bottles each year, and about 86 percent of them are thrown away, according to Container Recycling Institute. These bottles are made from PET plastic, using petroleum. We’re throwing away enough bottles as would fuel more than 1 million cars for a year. When you realize that almost ¼ of the water bottles purchased by Americans is bottled tap water, getting your own reusable bottle and filling it up sounds like the better thing to do. Worth checking into: BIOTA water, bottled in a completely biodegradable bottle made from corn instead of petroleum. Use your own travel mug for coffees and teas. Reduce the number of paper, plastic or Styrofoam cups and plastic lids by bringing your own ceramic travel mug next time you order that café latte. The paper cups these hot drinks are served in our lined with plastic and cannot be recycled-they are just trash. So refill, with your own classy cup.

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