How can I make up for all the trash that I throw out that ends up in landfills?

Question

How can I make up for all the trash that I throw out that ends up in landfills?

Answer 1

After you toss a plastic soda bottle into a recycling bin, you probably don't think much about what happens to it -- or the dozens of other items you throw away each day. But believe it or not, your trash has a fascinating afterlife.

Though troublesome trends continue to develop, we do manage to recycle about a third of our garbage, sometimes quite creatively. One reason: "Trash is big business," says Darryl Young, director of the California Department of Conservation. Americans earn nearly $1 billion annually by recycling aluminum cans. "And lots of companies are working hard to design functional, often beautiful, objects out of what we've tossed."

Take a closer look at some of the reincarnations around you. In Wharton State Park in New Jersey, you'll find the first vehicular bridge built largely from a strong-as-steel polymer made of recycled plastics, including those soda bottles. Constructed in 2002, the bridge looks like it's made of painted wood. Lumber created from recycled plastics is also being used in playgrounds, decks and outdoor furniture, such as all-weather Adirondack chairs carried by L.L.Bean.

And that T-shirt you're wearing? It could also be made from recycled soda bottles (it takes about 14 20-ounce bottles to make an extra large). The plastic is chopped into small flakes, cleaned of contaminants, melted and extruded into fibers, which are then spun to create yarn or other materials.

Recycled plastic may also make up the fiberfill in your sleeping bag, using 85 bottles that might have lasted 700 years as landfill before degrading.

Auto manufacturers have also gotten on the bandwagon. As a partner in the EPA's WasteWise program, the Ford Motor Company uses recycled plastic soda bottles (60 million of them in 1999) to make window frames, trunk carpets and other car parts. And when its life is over, every Ford is at least 75 percent recyclable. General Motors has also increased the amount of recycled materials it uses in new cars.

On the terrorism front, disposable razors and food storage containers are recycled as security barriers made of Plas-Crete, a 50/50 mix of ground rigid plastic and concrete. "Plas-Crete is lighter than concrete, but just as sturdy," says Paul Careau of Conigliaro Industries, the Framingham, Massachusetts, maker of the material, which protects National Guard base stations around the country. "And when shot at by rifles, the barriers were better at absorbing bullets without shattering."

Of course, plastic isn't the only type of rubbish to be reborn. Despite e-mail and other electronic documents, paper still comprises more than a third of all trash. But almost half of all paper is recycled, reused as everything from cereal cartons to soundproofing. Recycled tires spend their retirement supporting national sports -- literally. The stadiums and practice fields of 17 NFL teams feature FieldTurf, an artificial surface that's created from spent tires -- 40,000 per field. It's low maintenance and easier on players' bodies.

Even New York City subway cars are finding life after decommissioning -- as artificial reefs. More than 1,000 have been cleaned up and dropped into waters off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, where they serve as home (and importantly, nurseries) for up to 200 species of sea life.

While it's true the amount of household garbage in the United States has increased from 2.7 pounds per person per day in 1960 to 4.4 pounds in 2001, recycling efforts are paying off. In 2001 we recycled 68 million tons (double the amount in 1990) of potential pollutants. And recycling conserves energy -- one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.

At the same time, manufacturing is priming the pump that makes garbage a resource. "Companies across all industries, from cars to carpets, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars retrofitting their plants to use recycled materials," says Terry Grist, a policy analyst for the EPA. Trash is cheap raw material.

On the downside, perhaps our biggest current problem is a recent phenomenon: e-waste. Our rapidly upgrading technology is creating a lot of old, orphaned electronics. According to Inform, Inc., an environmental research group, about 100 million cell phones were trashed in 2003 and less than 1 percent have been recovered for reuse since 1999. The EPA predicts that 250 million computers will become obsolete by 2005.

"The issue isn't just landfill space," says Eric Goldsmith of the Goldsmith Group, an electronics recycling firm. "Circuit boards contain toxic heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, that are extremely hazardous to the environment. Fortunately, many manufacturers are designing more easily recycled products -- or are making them with fewer hard-to-recover materials in the first place -- before the federal government passes legislation to force them to do it."

For example, Panasonic is designing TVs and other products with fewer heavy metals. Hewlett-Packard has created a prototype for an ink-jet printer with a shell made from a compostable, corn-based "bioplastic."

And many computer companies are launching recycling programs, some of which will arrange to pick up your equipment. "The trouble is, most people aren't aware of these programs," says Goldsmith. Manufacturer's websites, however, list policies.

Sometimes we unwittingly sabotage our own recycling efforts. "While it's true that the contents of plastic, glass and metal bins often get dumped together and sorted again at the processing plant, it's key that all materials are of recyclable quality," says Jennifer Gitlitz, research director of the Container Recycling Institute. "If you're overzealous and throw in a light bulb or broken coffee mug or china plate -- none of which can be recycled -- you may be contaminating the whole batch." Check with your local public works department for what is -- and isn't -- allowed.

Apparently, Americans want to do the right thing. According to a 2003 survey, 91 percent of us are concerned about protecting the environment. And recently the United Nations Environment Programme convened a panel of psychologists and human behaviorists to find non-guilt-provoking approaches to market recycling.

"With so much other stuff to worry about, like terrorism, scary statistics aren't making the same impact they used to," says Jacquelyn Ottman, a New York City-based green marketing consultant. A new ad created for the state of California features a plastic bottle thrilled to be reborn as a lifesaving buoy carried by a beautiful lifeguard; another has a glass bottle-turned-disco ball that gets to party all night long. "We want to show people there's hope and empower them to make a difference as individuals -- because they can."

It Is Easy Being Green

In addition to regular recycling, here are ways to make sure your waste isn't, well, a total waste.

l. Recycle old computer equipment (visit the manufacturer's website) or donate it through an organization such as the National Cristina Foundation (cristina.org), which matches equipment with schools and charities.

2. Donate old cell phones to victims of domestic violence through the Wireless Foundation's Call to Protect Campaign (wirelessfoundation.org).

3. Drop off used cell phones, PDAs, pagers and other handheld devices at your local Staples, which will donate them to charity or recycle.

4. Recycle all rechargeable batteries from your electronics. You can call 800-8-BATTERY or visit rbrc.org to find one of 30,000 collection centers, including many Home Depot, Staples and Sears stores.

5. Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program recycles old sneakers into Nike Grind, a surface for basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields, tracks and playgrounds. For drop-off locations, go to Nikebiz.com and click on "responsibility" and then "environment."

6. Check out the furniture, toys, clothing and other products made from recycled materials in the Green Gift Guide (greengiftguide.com), sponsored by the California Department of Conservation.

7. Don't forget the Salvation Army and similar charities. This organization represents one of the best -- and most generous ways -- to recycle.

Answer 2

You really can't make up for it.  your best bet is to use the three "R's" = reduce, recycle and reuse.  Think about weather you really need something before you buy it, recycle anything you can.  Better yet reuse whatever you can - for example bring your beverages in a reusable mug instead of throwing away a paper cup or fill your water bottle at home instead of buying bottled water.

Other tips include composting your kitchen wastes if possible, buying paper products that are made from post consumer recycled waste and so on.