Today is America Recycles Day!

FROM Kim O'Rourke, City of Middletown Recycling Coordinator +

HAPPY AMERICAN RECYCLES DAY

A Sampling of the Environmental Benefits of Connecticut Recycling

Based on Connecticut FY2008 Data – Using the NERC Environmental Benefits Calculator http://www.nerc.org/documents/fsheets/ct-factsht.html

Connecticut’s municipal and commercial recycling programs collected and supplied 865,417.79 tons of scrap commodities such as paper, glass, metals, plastics, wood, computers, etc. for use in the production of new products.

• Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by Connecticut source reduction, reuse, and recycling.

Connecticut source reduction, reuse, and recycling reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 398,937.82 metric tons of carbon equivalents (MTCE)⁴ in a one year period. This is equivalent to approximately 51.15% of all industrial MTCE emissions generated from fossil fuel combustion in Connecticut and 3.11% of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxides (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Curbside recyclingalone accounted for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 352,711.87 MTCE per year.

• Connecticut’s source reduction, reuse, and recycling saved energy.

Connecticut’s source reduction, reuse, and recycling saved a total of 7,767,053.19 Million BTUs of energy, equal to 6.51% of all energy used by industry in Connecticut. This is equivalent to 62,517,484.48 gallons of gasoline. It represents the amount of energy that would be required to power 75,924.27 homes for one year in the United States. Curbside recycling alone saved 5,143,228.68 Million BTUs of energy.

• Connecticut’s recycling conserved natural resources.

By recycling 61,071.09 tons of scrap metal and glass in 2008, Connecticut’s recycling efforts reduced the need for virgin materials, including 6,893.01 tons of limestone, 45,293.23 tons of iron ore, 25,364.21 tons of coal, 16,143.73 tons of sand, 5,091.48 tons of soda ash, and 1,986.92 tons of feldspar.

Recycling 461,734.82 tons of newspapers, phone books, office paper, textbooks, magazines and cardboard in 2008, resulted in forest carbon sequestration benefits equal to 33,566,655.72 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

From USA Today November 15, 2010

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/11/america-recycles-day-urges-us-action/1

America Recycles Day urges greater U.S. action

Workers sorting recyclables at the North Gateway Transfer Station in Phoenix, Ariz. on Oct. 11.

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By Tom Tingle, AP

Today, is the 12th annual America Recycles Day, aimed at encouraging people to dump less trash .......

Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit group that started American Recycles Day in 1997, is leading the charge, supporting the more than 2,000 grassroots events across the country that include recycling drives of electronics, paper and other goods. You can find events near you with a search-by-zip code toll on its website.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs should not be thrown away with household waste, because they contain mercury. Expired or unbroken ones can be recycled in Lowe's recycling center.

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By Business Wire

"Recycling is the easiest thing that any individual can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint, save energy and protect natural resources," said Matthew M. McKenna, the group's president and CEO, in a statement.

Recycling has increased dramatically in the United States -- from 7.7% of the total waste stream in 1960 to 17% in 1990 and about 33% this year, according to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. Yet EPA officials say a lot more can be done, noting that nearly 4 ½ pounds of waste per person each day is produced in the United States, most of it recyclable.

"By making smarter choices, consuming less, and reusing and recycling, each of us can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable environment," added Mathy Stanislaus, EPA's assistant administrator for solid waste and emergency response. While most people now separate their trash, EPA cites additional steps they can take, including these six:

1. Buy recycled products. When we buy recycled products, we create an economic incentive for recyclable materials to be collected, manufactured, and marketed as new products.

2. Purchase durable, long lasting goods.

3. Re-use items by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them also reduces waste.

4. Use a product more than once, either for the same purpose or for a different purpose. Reusing, when possible, is preferable to recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.

5. Reduce your packaging: buy bulk or concentrated products when you can.

6. Another form of recycling is composting. Composting is the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic wastes into new soil used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping, and many other applications

Thank you for your environmental concern - and REMEMBER TO REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE; it's a first step towards a more sustainable world.

Judy Belaval

CT DEP Office of Source Reduction and Recycling

(860) 424-3237