Recycling, Reusing and Waste Reduction Protecting Our Resources for Future Generations

What’s In the Landfill? Paper 40.4% 71.6 MT MT=Million Tons Yard Trimmings 17.6% 31.6 MT Metals 8.5% 15.3 MT Glass 7% 12.5 MT Plastics 8% 14.4 MT Other -Rubber, Leather, Textiles, etc 11.6% 20.8 MT Food Scraps 7.4% 13.2 MT Image Courtesy of US EPA

How Long Does That Trash Really Stay There? 700 Years: Plastic Bottle 1 Million Years: A glass bottle FOREVER : Styrofoam

EPA Stands for the “Environmental Protection Agency.” Mission is “to protect human health and the environment.” Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 regional offices located around the country.

Mississippi Recycling Coalition MRC was established in Educates the public about recycling. Works with the government to help shape solid waste management policies. Collect recycled materials. Oxford Recycling:Oxford Recycling

This Decade In the US We Will Throw Away… 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil More than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars Over 4.5 million tons of office paper Nearly 10 million tons of newspaper

Why Recycle? It’s Good for the Environment! Recycled glass generates 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution Recycling one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours 1 Annually, enough energy is saved by recycling US steel to supply Los Angeles with electricity for almost 10 years 2

Recycling Begins With You If everyone in the U.S. recycled just 1/10 of their newsprint, we would save the estimated equivalent of about 25 million trees a year Recycling all of the waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal in one home can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds a year

Recycling Begins With You-How to Do It Correctly Lids + Liquid = Unfit for Recycling When In Doubt, Leave It Out Photos Courtesy of P. Hayes NO pizza boxes, napkins, or anything with permanent food residue

 Recycle empty printer, fax, and copier cartridges, as well as cell phones.  Raise money for a school fundraiser or towards your favorite charity Half a gallon of oil is conserved for every laser cartridge returned! Recycle Those Odds and Ends for Money!

Why Purchase Recycled Content Paper? 1 tree makes reams of copy paper or 8,333.3 sheets, therefore 1 ream (500 sheets) uses 6% of a tree (and those add up quickly!) 2 Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil 2

What You Will Need To Compost Compost bin that allows aeration, but prevents waterlogged conditions and deters pests Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School, Connecticut

Leaves and Wood Chips to place over each food addition A collection barrel Tools Schoolwide participation from custodians, teachers and students What You Will Need To Compost Photo courtesy of Mansfield Middle School, Connecticut

Questions? Photo Courtesy of Satish Hanumantha Rao