TWO-THIRDS OF THE SOLID
WASTE STREAM
IS RECYCLABLE
In
2005, 245.7 million tons
of municipal solid waste
or MSW (more commonly
known as trash or
garbage) were generated
in the United States.
Organic
materials—comprised of
yard trimmings, food
scraps, wood waste, and
paper and paperboard
products—are the largest
component of our trash
and make up more than
two-thirds of the solid
waste stream.
Reducing, reusing,
recycling, and rebuying—the
four "Rs"—is key to
diverting organic materials
from landfills or
incinerators and protecting
human health and our land,
air, and water. Waste
reduction and recycling
prevents greenhouse gases (GHG)
emissions, reduces
pollutants, saves energy,
conserves resources, and
reduces the need for new
disposal facilities.
This Web site provides
information on organic
materials, including
-
Yard Trimmings —
information about
collection and recovery
of yard trimmings
-
Food Scraps —
information about
environmentally sound
food waste management
-
Wood Waste — information
about wood waste
recovery, reuse, and
recycling
-
Reducing & Recycling —
creative ways to reduce
and better manage
organic materials
-
Voluntary Initiatives —
several partnerships and
projects geared toward
reducing and recycling
organic materials.
-
Resources — additional
sources of information,
including publications
and case studies.
Reducing & Recycling
There are several ways to
reduce, reuse, and recycle
organic materials. Excess
food can be donated to feed
hungry people. Yard
trimmings, food waste, and
wood waste can be made into
mulch or compost and used to
prevent soil erosion and
provide valuable nutrients
to plants. Manufacturing
paper using recycled
materials conserves
resources for the future. By
examining current
landscaping, food
preparation, and disposal
practices, communities,
businesses, and individuals
can find creative ways to
reduce and better manage
municipal solid waste.
Yard Trimmings
Yard trimmings include grass
clippings and trimmings from
bushes, trees, and other
yard vegetation from
residential, institutional,
and commercial sources.
Simple ways to reduce or
recycle yard trimmings
include
grasscycling
and composting.
Food Scraps
Food waste are food
preparation wastes and
uneaten food from
residences, grocery stores,
restaurants, cafeterias, and
lunchrooms. The EPA's food
waste recovery hierarchy
shows how productive use can
be made of much of the
excess food that is
currently thrown away.
Edible food residuals can be
donated to the needy, while
inedible food residuals can
be blended into compost or
reprocessed into animal
feed.
Wood Waste
Wood waste includes
furniture and other durable
goods, wood packaging (e.g.,
crates and pallets), and
other miscellaneous
products. Chipped wood can
be used onsite as mulch or a
composting bulk agent.
Salvaged or reusable wood
products (e.g., furniture,
doors) can be donated to
nonprofit or charitable
organizations. Recovered
wood also can be used to
manufacture new products
such as medium density
fiberboard and particle
board for construction
purposes. Find more ideas on
how to reduce, reuse, and
recycle wood waste below:
-
The
Freecycle Network
is using the Internet to
revolutionize the
concept of reuse. Items
posted on the site are
available for anyone who
wishes to take them,
creating an alternative
to "trashing" an item
and an outlet for goods
that would otherwise
have been thrown away.
-
WasteWise Update:
Donation
Programs-Turning Trash
into Treasure
[PDF, 12 pages, 1.1 MB,
About PDF]
describes how
organizations can reduce
waste and serve the
community by donating
surplus items to local
or national nonprofit
organizations.
-
Materials and waste
exchanges
are markets for buying
and selling reusable and
recyclable commodities.
Paper and Paperboard
Products
Paper and paperboard
products include items you
use every day—newspapers,
food packaging, tissues,
corrugated cardboard boxes,
office paper, and paper
plates. Paper and paperboard
products constitute the
largest portion of MSW but
also offers the greatest
opportunity for source
reduction (e.g., light
weighting packaging,
double-sided copying) and
recycling. To learn
additional ways to reduce
paper use or procure
recycled-content paper
products, go to:
-
EPA's
Comprehensive
Procurement Guidelines
program is part of EPA's
continuing effort to
promote the use of
materials recovered from
solid waste and includes
CPG designated
paper and paperboard
categories.
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