Does everyone know that reuse and recycling are the best things to do for the earth, but what about those who don’t? For those of us who are eco-aware and strive to live sustainably, it can be overwhelming to try to keep track of all our household waste! This blog is here to help you understand the full life cycle of your waste while also providing a helpful guide on how to manage it.
Why recycle?
The benefits of recycling are many. Recycling helps us conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. It also reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfills, which can be harmful to the environment. And it creates jobs in the recycling industry! There are many ways to recycle your household waste: recycling collection, composting, recovering materials from municipal solid waste (MSW), and reprocessing.
Recycling Collection
When you recycle with a collection program, your garbage is taken away and processed into new products. Your recyclable materials are sorted and inspected for quality before being sent to a manufacturer or another consumer. Some municipalities offer separate blue box collections for recycled materials only. Checksammy.com is a great technology platform to connect and place your request to recycle and compost your household waste.
Composting
Composting is an excellent way to dispose of food scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials. Compost supplies valuable nutrients for plants and helps to clean up polluted soil. You can make your own compost using fresh organic matter or leave it to thenatural processes of aerobic decomposition (aerobic meaning with oxygen).
Recovering Materials from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
There are many ways to recover materials from municipal solid waste (MSW). The most common methods are sorting through material by type or chemical composition; this is called primary sorting. Then recyclers may break down heavier items into smaller pieces that can be more easily processed; this is called secondary sorting. MSW can also be composted or used as fuel.
Reprocessing
Reprocessing is the process of removing materials from one forms of waste and turning them into another. Recycling is one type of reprocessing, but there are many others, including:
Enrichment: Adding value to recycled materials by increasing their quality or usefulness. For example, silver can be recovered from scrap metal and turned into new products like silverware.
Composting: Turning organic material (food scraps, leaves, etc.) into fertile soil that can help to clean up polluted soil.
Enviro-coatings: Adding a protective layer to objects like electronic equipment that helps reduce the amount of toxic substances released when the equipment is recycled.
What is the full life cycle of household waste?
The full life cycle of household waste begins with people generating waste. This can come from things like tossing out food that’s been leftovers, throwing away clothes that are no longer fit for wear, or not taking the time to properly recycle materials. Next, the waste travels to a collection center where it is sorted and processed into different types of materials. After being processed, the material is either disposed of in landfills or used as feedstock for recycling processes.
Do you recycle more than what is required by law?
Are you recycling more than what is required by law? There are a few things to keep in mind when recycling:
-Recycling starts with sorting your recyclable materials. Use the WasteWise app or website to help you identify what goes into each category.
-Make sure your collection day coincides with the collection days for your municipality.
-Don’t put household trash in the garbage. It should go into the trash can only if it cannot be recycled or composted.
-Check with your municipality to find out how to get started recycling and how much you need to recycle per year.
How do I recycle?
The full life cycle of household waste can be broken down into six steps: production, collection, transportation, disposal, recycling, and recovery. When creating a waste hierarchy for your home, it is important to remember that the goal is to achieve the lowest possible environmental impact.
Step 1: Production
Some items can be recycled multiple times such as plastic water bottles and cans. To reduce the amount of single-use plastics produced, try using reusable containers or buying environmentally friendly bottled water.
Step 2: Collection
Make sure your garbage is collected regularly to avoid extra trips to the landfill. Choose organics when possible to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills.
Step 3: Transportation
Transportation of waste may be by truck, train, or airplane. It is important to research the various options available in your area and choose the one with the least environmental impact.
Step 4: Disposal
Disposal of waste may take many forms, from landfills to incinerators to recycling plants. It is important to find the facility that will provide the best environmental solution for your waste.
Step 5: Recycling
Once waste arrives at a recycling plant, it is sorted into different categories based on its potential uses. Recycled materials can be used in new products or returned to the consumer as brand new products.
Step 6: Recovery
Recovery refers to the process of extracting materials from recycled materials that cannot be used in new products. This may include breaking down plastic into small pieces so it can be reused, or extracting oil and gas from natural gas liquids.
Resources for recycling information
Looking to reduce your waste and recycle more? Here are some resources for recycling information:
-The EPA has a comprehensive guide to household waste management.
-Waste reduction website RecycleBank offers information on recycling materials, sorting recyclables by type, and calculating how much can be recycled.
-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WasteWise site provides tips on reducing waste, saving money by recycling, composting and recovering energy from waste.
-The Ecology Center of Wake County has a list of resources for recycling including drop off centers, collection services and more. https://eurasiannews.net/
Conclusion
Welcome to our guide on the full life cycle of household waste for eco-friendly living! In this article, we will discuss what happens to your average household’s waste from start to finish, and provide tips on how you can make the most of every stage in order to create less trash and lower your environmental footprint. Thanks for reading!