Best Practices| Waste Warriors US

RECYCLING BEST PRACTICES:

When in doubt, throw it out, is an environmentally sound recycling philosophy, because contaminated or questionable items clog the system, create unnecessary expenses, and ultimately generate more waste.

Hands down the most efficient material to recycle is aluminum, so get those aluminum and tin cans and cups into the recycling bin! Also, 90% CLEAN plastic containers (types #1, #2, #4, and #5), glass bottles,

paper (anything that can rip) and cardboard (broken down boxes) all recycle beautifully.

*The GFL facility in Denver can also recycle wax coated containers (milk and broth cartons, and hot beverage cups), which eventually turn into wall board material.

DO NOT CRUSH your containers.

DO BREAK DOWN cardboard boxes.

AND DO NOT NEST containers within other items.

These steps make it easier for sorting machines to identify/move materials.

Reducing CONTAMINATION within the recycling system is one of the

BEST ways we can make a positive impact as a consumer!

KEEP THESE OUT of Recycling- plastic bags or films, wires, ropes/strings, scrap metal of any kind (metal objects can do serious damage), shredded paper, food waste (any container more than 10% dirty), combined materials (think paper boxes coated in plastic and lined with aluminum foil... AKA Pringles cans), liquids (all recycling should be mostly dry), ceramics/concrete (these destroy glass recycling processes), and any construction materials.

SERIOUSLY, WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!

Contamination endangers the people handling these materials, clogs and sometimes breaks large sorting machines, and destroys viable recycling, which generates more landfill waste and high expenses.

Life Best Practices

Step #1 = REDUCE

In 2010 the EPA said, “Over the past five decades the amount of waste each person in America has created has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds per day.” We need to address and correct this problem ASAP! One of the biggest offenders in the waste category is packaging. Somewhere between 30-65% of all trash in the US is made up of packaging materials. The EPA goes on to explain that source reduction is exceptionally beneficial as it avoids the costs of BOTH recycling and landfills. We can all do our part in buying less stuff, avoiding packaging, buying secondhand items, using things more thoroughly, and choosing longer lasting items. We vote with our dollars!

*Good news: CO passed the Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act into law on June 3rd, 2022. This act requires companies that sell products in packaging, paper products, and food service ware to fund the statewide program to recycle these material. This will ideally hold the producers in CO accountable for the full cycle of their products to divert these resources back into good use.

Step #2 = REUSE

Anything you can reuse is an obvious win-win for your wallet and the environment. I love figuring out ways to repurpose and re-gift things. Thrift, consignment, and pawn shops are all part of our reusing system. Donating and shopping at stores specializing in reusing is an awesome way to help the earth. Another reusing option is backyard composting and grasscycling. Food and yard waste can be composted to create a wonderful nutrient rich mulch. Cut grass can be left on your lawn as a type of lawn food. Yard waste can provide fuel for fires and the ash can be added to compost. Countless other items can be reused in helpful way, including water bottles, bags, jars, boxes, clothes, and gift wrap. Get creative and consider reusing things before recycling or throwing them away.

Step #3 = RECYCLE (an expanded view)

Recycling is where things in the waste world can get confusing. One of the main problems with recycling is that it takes energy, and often creates harmful waste, to alter the state of materials. Congressional quarterly reported that 13 of the 50 worst Superfund Sites (hazardous waste sites) are currently or were at one-point recycling facilities. While the benefit of recycling is generally superior to landfills and incinerators, we need to be smart about what items we recycle. When in doubt, throw it out, is an environmentally sound recycling philosophy, because contaminated or questionable items clog the system, create unnecessary expenses, and ultimately generate more waste. From a monetary perspective, recycling programs can be the most expensive form of waste disposal when contamination levels are high. The recycling system depends on scale and efficiency. People need to follow their system’s recycling rules or the whole thing becomes ineffective. I wanted to understand the cost/benefits of our recycling system to know how I can best participate as a consumer. I looked for answers and have broken down what I have learned so far based on material categories in our local single-stream recycling system.

Aluminum/tin- Best practice = Recycle! Both aluminum and tin cans (and even foil) can be recycled almost infinitely with very little material loss. These materials are by far the most profitable in the recycling industry. At the Denver GFL facility aluminum represents about 3% of all the volume flowing through the sorting machines, yet generates around 30% of the profit. Producing a soda can out of recycled materials uses 96% less energy and leaves 95% less air and water pollution than manufacturing a new can. The newly implemented aluminum cup (think drinking beer at Coors field) is the best product to hit the recycling stream this century!
Plastic- Best practice = Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (types #1, #2, #4, and #5). There is NO clear best method for disposing of all plastics. The truth is, when it comes to our waste problems, plastic (especially #3, #6, and #7) is the primary unsolved issue. At this point, plastic is a long-term commitment, because it is terrible at biodegrading. According to Vincent Breslin’s article, Recycling Technology, plastics represent up to 26% of the municipal solid waste and are more expensive and time consuming to recycle than to produce initially. Recycling plastic works well for food containers, but for other things like toys, Styrofoam, and more it is not viable. Plastic creates a waste stream that contaminates water and generates air emissions. Also, many toxic additives are used in processing and manufacturing plastics such as colorants, flame retardants, lubricants, and ultraviolet stabilizers. Someday soon, new inventions in biodegradable plastics may save the day.
Paper and Cardboard- Best practice = If the paper rips, Recycle it. Breakdown cardboard boxes and Recycle. Today, soy based inks are easily removed from paper allowing it to be recycled with minimal environmental harm. The "fiber" gathered in recycling paper is valuable and can be put to good use. Paper is also a renewable resource, biodegrades quickly, and is safe to incinerate. Cardboard works well to recycle as minimal chemicals are needed to transition it into new material (like napkins). Don't worry about the tape on boxes, as recycling centers can easily handle it.
Glass- Best practice = remove the lid and Recycle. In Colorado, glass is our best closed loop system, because it completes its entire cycle within the state. After being sorted, Rocky Mountain Bottling uses our glass recycling to produce bottles for Coors, Budweiser, and more. Just like aluminum, glass is basically infinitely recyclable with very little material loss.

Step #4 = LANDFILL (ELIMINATE LITTER!)

Studies of landfills in the US have proven their environmental safety. Landfills today are lined to prevent seepage and equipped with gas-collection systems. In fact, according to the EPA, “the Landfill Methane Outreach Program has helped to reduce methane emissions by 60 to 90% through encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas as an energy resource.” Other exciting innovations, like wet landfills, are on the horizon too. When a landfill is kept moist, the increased bacteria production allows it to decompose over 10 times faster than a dry landfill, which could be a huge space saver. There is no reason to vilify landfills! Containing our waste has HUGE benefits and will for years to come. Many landfills even utilize their emissions to power the surrounding areas. Litter is a lame legacy... Let's get it to the landfill!