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 Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product. The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale. Recycling reduces our waste sent to landfills, and making new products out of recycled ones reduces the amount of energy needed in production.
The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, which goes well beyond what you toss in your recycling bin at home or at school. Recycling serves two key purposes:
- It keeps valuable material such as aluminum and paper out of landfills, so this material can be reused in other forms and not wasted.
- It prevents hazardous materials and chemicals such as lead and mercury from ending up in landfills, which can contaminate soil and leach into our drinking water
Because of the second purpose, it's important to recycle lots of products, including those that you might not initially think of recycling. This includes batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has "Caution" or "Warning" on the label.
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GE has a new program to recycle the water filters in its refrigerators and it's a free and easy-to-use program. Click here for more information. |
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There are two important parts to the Vermont's new e-waste (used electronics) law which took effect in 2011. The first part is the landfill ban on many electronic devices as of January 1, 2011. The second is the FREE recycling of certain e-waste (computers, computer monitors, CRT-containing devices, printers, and TVs) as of July 1, 2011. For the details, click on the Department of Environmental Conservation's website. Vermont is the twenty-first state in the country to enact an e-waste law. The new program is open to Vermont residents, charities, school districts, and small businesses with up to ten employees. In our District, the Cavendish, Ludlow, Rockingham, Springfield, and Weathersfield transfer stations have registered as free collection sites. WinCycle in Windsor also takes computers at no cost to Vermont residents and you can buy a refurbished computer at their store.
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Best Buy stores have an e-waste recycling program that will take a lot of items - most of them at no charge.
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You can now recycle your corks, natural and synthetic, at all of the transfer stations in the District: Ludlow, Cavendish, Springfield, Rockingham, and Weathersfield. Look for the plastic jug or pail and drop in your corks. The corks are mailed to TerraCycle which has them "upcycled" into corkboards. The corkboards are sold through retail stores, such as Wal-Mart. This is an easy, fun material to recycle.
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Want to turn your empty medicine bottle or used Brita filter into a toothbrush? Preserve can do that for you.
As a producer of recycled personal-care and kitchen products, Preserve has partnered with Stonyfield Farms for many years, refashioning its organic yogurt containers into a line of recycled plastic toothbrushes, razors, mixing bowls, food-storage containers, and more.
As of January 2009, Preserve has expanded its collection efforts with its new "Gimme 5" program, allowing you to recycle all of your #5 plastic – whatever its origin -- into Preserve products.
Mail your plastics directly to Preserve, or deliver them to participating Whole Foods Markets, which are serving as collection centers.
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