Recycling can help reduce the amount of materials that go to American landfills, but it won’t solve our solid waste problem.
That was the message of Kathy Rocco of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District yesterday at the Rocky River Public Library. Rocco spoke to about one hundred Westshore residents about ways to reduce solid waste and recycle more effectively.
“Recycling is a partial answer at best,” said Rocco. “I believe waste reduction is where it’s at.”
Recycling is a popular activity, but it is far more complicated than many people think. Tossing a bottle in a recycling bin isn’t the end of the process, it’s just the beginning. That bottle will be collected, transported, sorted, processed, and marketed. Each step is performed by a different organization, and most steps have to be profitable or they won’t be done. “Recycling only works if the material has value,” said Rocco. “Someone must be able to sell the material.”
Recycling is a dynamic industry that is constantly changing, said Rocco. At one time, the thinking was, ‘throw it in, they’ll sort it out.’ That attitude worked for a while, but today, with the volume of plastic and other waste material growing, markets for recycled materials disappearing, and profit margins shrinking, the contents of bins that are contaminated with non-recyclables are likely to end up in the landfill.
“When we say we will throw something away,” said Rocco, “away means the landfill.”
“Trying to reduce waste is a personal responsibility,” said Rocco. “We make choices every day with the things we buy, but we don’t always have complete information.”
Here is some information that Rocco shared to help people recycle more effectively.
- There are only three choices for disposing of solid waste: landfills, recycling, and composting.
- In Cuyahoga County, 43 percent of the solid waste collected is recycled. Six percent is composted. The rest- slightly more than half – is landfilled.
- The five items that are most commonly recycled in Cuyahoga County are metal cans, cartons (juice, milk, etc.), glass, paper and boxes, and plastic bottles and jugs.
- Recycling programs are managed locally. Every community has different recycling rules. The availability of local markets drives many recycling decisions, so different communities face different constraints.
- Aluminum cans have the highest value for recyclers. “They have a higher value than steel,” said Rocco. “Aluminum cans are a great place to start recycling, if you are just starting.”
- The next best items for recycling are paper and boxes, including newspapers, cardboard, magazines, phone books, catalogues, mail, and printer paper. Shredded paper should not be added to recycling bins because it won’t be recovered at the Materials Recycling Facility and will only create problems when it blows around the machinery.
- The only type of plastic that should go in curbside containers are plastic bottles and jugs. Many other types of plastic are recyclable, but there is very little market demand for them and the company that picks up your curbside bin will almost certainly end up taking those materials to the landfill.
- Glass is highly recyclable, but the market for recycled glass is shrinking as manufacturers shift to aluminum and plastic containers. Many recycling firms now must pay to get rid of glass.
- “Many other items can be recycled, just not in curbside containers,” Said Rocco. Scrap metal, household hazardous waste, aluminum foil, plastic bags and film, small metal items, holiday light strings, computers, tires, clothing, and construction materials are examples of items that can be recycled with some extra effort.
“The bottom line is that recycling is a stopgap at best,” said Rocco. “The real solution to our solid waste problem is to shift to reusable containers, especially to move away from single-use plastic containers. Recycling starts with you.”
For more information about recycling in Cuyahoga County, see the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District website at: https://cuyahogarecycles.org/
(Photo: The Ecologist)
April 11, 2019