Students learning to reduce, reuse and recycle as evidenced with the hands-on experience recently reported at Montgomery High School by Kerry Benefield of The Press Democrat is an exercise we all should consider on a household scale. Congratulations to the Climate Protection Campaign for helping fund the effort and the willingness of students to get their hands dirty for a better environment! Learning what we are putting in the gray (garbage) bin that can be more appropriately placed into our blue (single stream recycling) bin or green (yard and vegetative food waste) bin is worth the effort.
The Sonoma County Waste Management Agency conducted a waste characterization study a few years ago which determined that about 70% of the “waste” disposed of in Sonoma County was potentially recoverable. The two most prevalent material classes were organics, including food, together with construction and demolition materials.
Another important finding was that although hazardous and electronic wastes make up what seems to be a small percentage of the waste stream, these toxic items still weigh-in at many tons per day. Learning to properly remove these materials, which include batteries, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, pharmaceutical products, medical sharps and many other items, from our homes and businesses is important for our health and well-being.
Ultimately we need to adopt extended producer responsibility and product stewardship principles as are being championed by organizations such as the California Product Stewardship Council to assure that those profiting from these products remain responsible for their consequences throughout the lifecycle of each designed-for-disposal product. Otherwise, taxpayers and ratepayers will continue bearing the expenses for their costly clean-up which would be more effectively managed through producer and marketer take-back programs.
Victor Szasz
Recycling (except aluminum) uses far more energy than it saves. If it saved energy and money, there would be no need for government subsidy. Nearly 80% of everything put in the recycle bin ends up in the landfill anyway. It’s costs $200 a ton to dispose of recycled material and $50 a ton for regular garbage. There is no shortage of landfill space. Every bit of waste for the next 250 years in the USA would fit into a 30 mile square. Recycling is make work and feel good work, but it’s counter-productive to the actual goal of environmentalists. Look at all the extra trucks and the cars of extra people to come to work to drive the trucks and that 80% of their effort is for nothing. Recycled products cost more. If not for McDonald’s buying 75% of all recycled products sold, there would not be any market for recycled products. Just google “Eight Myths of Recycling” and wise yourself up on this topic. You are probably doing more harm than good trying to “save” the planet.
March 31st, 2010 4:07 am
tan1662
We need more user friendly desposal sites like maybe once or twice a year have designated sites all over the county to take items and large bins for locals to use. Or can we just use the blue recycle bins for a catch all and have it seperated atthe deposal sites. Unless this is streamlined for rate payers you will find the “wrong” items in the grabage bins.
March 31st, 2010 7:23 am
Mollie Mangerich
Product Stewardship principles are the way to go in regards to financial sound, sustainable waste management. Thanks so much for touting that methodology. Product Stewardship means whoever designs, produces, sells or uses a product takes responsibility for minimizing its environmental impact through all stages of the product’s life cycle. And the producer, having the greatest ability to minimize impacts, has the most responsibility. Sonoma County is nationally known as a leader in local Product Stewardship initiatives – they are only hindered by our legislature – but things are moving in that direction! Check out: http://www.calpsc.org/index.html
April 9th, 2010 4:52 pm