Transcript Where does your trash go?

Reduce
TRASH
Who is responsible?
What are we going to do with all of it?
What is the answer?
Recycle
Reuse
Who makes the trash?
In 1960, an average American generated 2.7 pounds
per day of trash.
Today, we now create 4.3 pounds per day.
This results in about 243 million tons of waste
generated in the US in 2009.
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/reduce.htm
I’m not making 4.3 pounds of trash.
Not me!
Do you:
• Drink from paper or styrofoam cups?
• Cook from home using food wrapped
in plastics or boxes?
• Eat from fast food – wrappers,
containers, straws, paper bags?
• Use paper towels?
• Print documents?
• Write on paper?
It all adds up!
What Is Trash?
Trash, also known as MSW (Municipal Solid
Waste) is defined as items we use and
then throw away, such as:
• Product packaging
• Grass clippings
• Furniture
• Clothing, bottles
• Food scraps
• Newspapers
• Appliances
• Paint
• Batteries
When we throw out the trash, where is
out?
Where is OUT? The Landfill!
If you live in Flower Mound, our trash
is buried at the Camelot Landfill.
What happens to material
in a landfill?
In nature, everything is recycled and is retained
within a cycle.
mushrooms
plants
Sun
Rain
Oxygen
coyote
rabbit
In landfills, the trash is not broken down to be
reused; it is just hidden from sight.
Energy from the sun, moisture , and oxygen does
not reach the trash in a landfill and therefore, it
does not degrade or break down easily.
The EPA says that landfills should be our last
resort , not our first plan of dealing with trash.
Take A Guess!
How much time is required to decompose
material in a landfill?
• Paper? 2.5 months
• Plastic? 450 years
• Banana peel? 3-4 weeks
• Aluminum can? 200-500 years
• Plastic jug? One million years
• Styrofoam cup? Unknown! Forever?
• Glass bottles? Unknown! Forever?
SO THEN, WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?
Reduce
Recycle
Reuse
What can
I
do?
REDUCE!
55% of the trash we throw away ends up in
a landfill.
I can:
• Use environmentally friendly packaging.
• Purchase products that are in refillable or
reusable containers
• Purchase in bulk containers
• No waste lunch.
• Avoid plastic bags for groceries. Bring
your own bags.
• Recycling just one out of every ten plastic
bottles can keep 200 million pounds of the
plastic out of landfills every year
• Write or print on both sides of paper
• Go Electronic for sending memos
• Feed yourself, not the trash!
• More ideas?
What can
I
do?
REUSE!
I can:
• Donate used clothing, appliances,
and furniture to local charities
• Reconsider buying “new.” Buy
used.
• Refill plastic water or drink
containers.
Remember - the landfill should be our
last resort for disposing of waste.
What can
I
do?
RECYCLE!
• Obtain recycle containers from Flower
Mound Town Hall at 2121 CrossTimbers.
• Recycling paper instead of making it from
new material generates 74 percent less air
pollution and uses 50 percent less water.
(EPA, 2008)
• Compost vegetative food scraps and lawn
clippings, and return the nutrients to the
soil
• Kitchen waste, yard waste, car tires, and
batteries (all types) are NOT ACCEPTABLE
for recycling. These can be recycled in
other ways – check www.kfmb.org website.
You will be surprised at the number of items
that can be recycled!
Where do our recyclables go?
If you live in Flower Mound, our
recyclable material is processed at
the Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
in Plano, Texas. They can process up
to 6,000 tons per month.
Are We Successful Recyclers?
• Over the last few decades, the
generation, recycling, composting, and
disposal of MSW have improved
• The recycling rate has increased—from
less than 10% of MSW generated in
1980 to almost 34% in 2009
• Disposal of waste to a landfill has
decreased from 89% of the amount
generated in 1980 to about 54% of
MSW in 2009
http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2009-fs.pdf
Can We Improve? Yes!
Review:
 Reduce material by using washable
containers
 Reduce food in trash by composting
outdoors and indoors
 Reuse by donating to organizations
such as CCA or www.freecycle.org
 Recycle through the weekly trash
pickup
 Visit KFMB website for specific
recycling events or an EXTENSIVE
list of recyclers www.kfmb.org
Composting 101
Composting is recycling the way
nature intended.
Composting 101
National Composting Council estimates
the average U.S. household generates
650 lb of compostables every year.
Landfill space should be used for material
that cannot be reused or recycled.
Divert foods away from the landfill by
composting:
• Vegetative food scraps
• Coffee grounds – free giveaways from
your local coffee shop
• Egg shells
• Lawn clippings
Composting 101
Composting speeds up the natural
decay process by providing and
managing the required factors:
• Moisture
• Oxygen
• Food
• Temperature
Composting 101
What do I need to make a compost pile?
• Food – your scraps, leaves, manure,
sawdust, hair, coffee ground, etc !
• Microbes - primarily bacteria, fungi,
and invertebrates that normally live
in the soil
• Moisture
Take A Guess!
How
many microbes are in a handful
• Oxygen
of good soil?
• Warmth
1 X 1013 That’s Trillions!
Composting 101
Composting requires the use of materials in
preferred ratios:
Carbons
The brown material – leaves,
paper, straw, newspaper, dryer
lint.
Nitrogens
The green material – food scraps,
grass clippings, manure from
herbivores.
Composting 101
In nature, the carbon to nitrogen ratio is
around 30:1
You can imitate nature by mixing the
following ratios:
Carbon:Nitrogen
Food wastes
Sawdust, wood, paper
Ratio
15:1
400:1
Straw
80:1
Grass clippings
15:1
Fruit wastes
35:1
Rotted manures
20:1
“Information courtesy of “Ohio State University Extension."
Composting 101
Any ratio less than 15:1 is considered a
nitrogen.
The compost pile should be built in
alternating layers to a size of at least 3
feet X 3 feet.
You should water liberally during
construction.
Successful Composting 101
• Your pile should become hot,
140°, within a few days. The
microbes are working and will
require more oxygen.
• Turn the pile with a pitch fork
when the temperature cools and
add moisture if needed
Successful Composting 101
If you turn your pile frequently, you
should have rich compost within
two – three months. When it’s
ready to use, compost has a
crumbly texture and a rich, earthy
smell.
Successful Composting 101
Keep Flower Mound Beautiful offers
composting classes. Check our
website at www.kfmb.org for dates
and times.