EDUCATION NEWS
April 6, 2007
Talking Trash
What did you throw away today? A soda bottle? The leftover half of your sandwich and a paper lunch bag? Imagine a world with no trash, where everything is turned into something else. That soda bottle gets crushed and becomes a kitchen countertop; your sandwich is composted into fertilizer for the yard; and the brown bag is recycled and emerges as paper for textbooks.
 |  NATALIE BEHRING/TCS/ZUMA PRESS Much of our e-waste, like computers, ends up in other countries where it can be recycled. But if not disposed of properly, the remains can be harmful to the environment. |
Cities and companies across America are embracing this idea. It's called zero waste, or making, using, and recycling products without throwing anything away.
By the NumbersWhile the number of landfills, or trash dumps, has declined- from 8000 in 1988, to 1654 in 2005- the new landfills are much bigger than in the past. In 2005, 245 million tons of garbage-that's 4.5 pounds of waste per person- made its way to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Of that, the 5 biggies are: paper and cardboard, 34%; yard trimmings, 13%; food scraps, 12%; plastics, 11%; and metal, 7.6%.
In the US, 32% of waste material is recovered and recycled or composted; 14% is burned and the remaining 54% is tossed in the trash heap. Some say that 54% could be reduced by using less, recycling more and by encouraging all of us to rethink how we make things that create waste.
Beyond Recycling: Eliminating WasteAccording to the EPA, recycling prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry, creates jobs, stimulates the development of greener technologies, conserves resources for our children's future, and reduces the need for new landfills.
While recycling is a step in the right direction, many people believe zero waste, is the way to go.
"Some things go back to the soil safely, like food in the form of composting where it gets eaten by worms and returns to rich soil," said architect and author William McDonough. "Other things that come from industry, like computers and PlayStations, become new products instead of being thrown away in a garbage dump or burned in an incinerator."
 The book Cradle to Cradle is printed on paper made from plastics, and that saves trees. | |
McDonough's book with co-author Dr. Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle, is about this transformation, or cycle. "Many things we send to be recycled become lower quality products." He calls this downcycling, because the quality of the materials goes down, like a soda bottle being used to make a speed bump or park bench. "If it was recycled, soda bottles would become soda bottles. And that would be good. But even better would be upcycling a product- making it better when you recycle it, taking out anything that's dangerous." For example there are heavy metals in water bottle material that can be taken out when recycled. That's upcycling.
Going for ZeroEntire cities are embracing the idea. While most cities have recycling programs, San Francisco, the city with the highest recycling rate in the U.S. at 68%, is aiming for zero waste to its landfills by 2020.
The city has just proposed a ban on plastic bags, made from petroleum, in larger stores. Foam food containers are already banned, and all disposable ware must be recyclable or compostable. The city encourages makers of products to produce less toxic and easier to recycle alternatives, and to take responsibility for the recycling.
Seattle, Washington's plan goes a step further, with mandatory recycling and fines for those who don't. And in an effort to combat e-waste, or electronic waste, King County, in partnership with Seattle, initiated a Take-It-Back program. More than 100,000 items including TVs, computers and cell phones were returned in 2006, according to Doug Williams, with the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
|  JACK KURTZ/ZUMA PRESS Hi-tech recycling centers, like this one in Arizona, process about 1000 tons of recyclables a week. |
More than 100 million cell phones and millions of personal computers are tossed out each year in the United States. Electronic products like these typically contain lead, and other hazardous materials known to be a threat to health and the environment.
And cities aren't the only ones trying to find solutions. Dell and other computer companies now offer electronic recycling, or e-cycling programs, in which they accept products back when you're done with them.
Other companies, like Patagonia and Nike, are catching on too. Patagonia's Common Threads clothes recycling program saves garments from piling up in landfills or going to an incinerator. Many of the company's kids and baby clothes are 100% recyclable.
"Things you would never imagine could be recycled into great kids clothing," said Jenn Rapp, of Patagonia. They can make clothes out of recycled polyester trash, like office chairs, uniforms and shower curtains.
Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program recycles millions of pairs of athletic shoes that are turned into Nike Grind, a material used for running tracks, basketball and tennis courts. They also have centers around the world to help manage recycled and reclaimed materials to make new Nike shoes.
|  Patagonia’s pullover is recyclable and even made of recycled polyester trash like chairs and shower curtains |
Cities, companies and individuals are moving toward zero waste. You can make a difference, too, by recycling and supporting companies that are environmentally friendly. "Kids come home and tell parents they want safe healthy things that can be recycled, and this makes the people who make things wake up and be aware that their customers of the future want to see the world this way," said McDonough.
Rethinking RubbishMcDonough is embracing the idea in his architecture and writings about zero waste. Even the Cradle to Cradle book is earth-friendly. Rather than using paper made from trees, the book is made from plastic waste.
"Regular paper is often made from trees, but if we stop and think about it, trees make oxygen, which we breathe; absorb carbon dioxide, which is causing global warming...They can collect solar energy, provide habitat for thousands of species and change colors with the seasons. Why would you take something that amazing and cut it down to make a piece of paper?" McDonough said.
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