We live in a "throw-away" society. We want the products created by our technology, but we want all of the wastes simply to disappear.
The average American discards 4.5 pounds of municipal solid waste each day or nearly 1,300 pounds each year. As a nation, we discard over 200 million tons yearly, almost a ton for each of us.
The EPA estimates by the year 2000 Americans will produce 218 millions tons each year. They also estimate by the year 2000, 74% of the nation's landfills will close. As trash grows and landfill space gets scarce, the money taxpayers pay for waste disposal is expected to jump to $100 billion.
The most commonly found item in landfills is newspaper. This makes up 14% of the trash found in landfills. Plastics take up 9-12% of the material in landfills.
The beverage industry produces more than one billion pounds of plastic soda bottles each year.
Consumers spend one out of every ten dollars for packaging.
Population in the Puget Sound region is expected to grow by 40% in the next 20 years to 4.4. million people.
Environmental problems are so complex that many people feel they can have no effect on them, but there are some things the individual can control. Our individual waste reduction and recycling activities can make a difference.
Act Now:
Learn what materials you can recycle and how to prepare them for recycling.
Buy products with less packaging or packages that can be recycled.
Be an Environmental Shopper and reduce, reuse and recycle.
Use your own reusable canvas bag at the grocery store.
Buy quality products and use them for a lifetime.
Buy plastic products that are coded #1 and #2. #3-7 plastics are more difficult to recycle and are rarely recyclable.
Avoid buying products that contain hazardous materials.
Encourage your store to have a bulk section for cereals, grains, pasta and other dry products. Ask for products packaged with recycled materials.
Buy in bulk.
Use cloth rags and napkins instead of paper.
Avoid using paper plates and cups.
Use reusable food storage containers.
Junk Mail:
Write to:
Direct Mail Marketing Associates
6 E. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10017
Reuse:
Thrift Shops, the Salvation Army and Goodwill are great places to find good used items.