Reduce – Reuse – Recycle

Americans produce about 5 pounds of trash per day while recycling merely a third of that amount. According to the EPA, Americans produced 254 million tons of trash in 2013, while managing to recycle 87 million tons of that trash. Since 2013, Americans have prevented 186 Million Metric Tons of CO2 to be released into the air, which is equivalent to taking 39 million cars off of the road for a year, According to the EPA.

By using the three R’s of recycling, we can keep trash away from landfills and help conserves our natural resources.

Reduce:

We can reduce in 2 different ways:

1. When shopping, try and buy recyclable materials and items that don’t use a lot of packaging. This will keep materials out of the trash and instead, put back into the cycle of resources. But, remember, just because it’s a paper product or made from recyclable materials, doesn’t mean that it is recyclable.                                             Look for the Recycle symbol :
2. Reduce the amount you buy and try to limit your purchases to things that you need. That will help reduce the amount of packaging and scraps that aren’t recyclable.

Reuse:

We can reuse a lot of items that we purchase:

Jars, cans and bottles can be recycled and reused in everyday life. Whether they become “new” storage containers or “new” vases for flowers, they play a more valuable role in a home, than they do in a landfill.

Recycle:

Recycling is the final step in the effort to conserve resources. If their is no more use for an item in your home, try and recycle any recyclable parts. Every little bit helps. Portage County Recycling has made recycling easier by going Single-Stream. All recyclables can now go in one bin, accepting more products and no excuses!

Make a difference to the entire world and recycle! Everytime you recycle, you help the planet by:

• Improving the overall conservation of our planet‘s natural resources
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Reducing the need to acquire raw and natural materials

From conserving energy to helping create jobs, recycling most importantly helps sustain the environment for future generations.

Compost:

The final step in recycling is Composting. A lot of times, we are unconscious to the amount of food scraps we discard and send to landfills. These scraps, are what put off Methane into the atmosphere in landfills after mixing with other chemicals. By composting, we can keep from polluting the air and instead, create rich, natural, healthy soil. Food scraps, with the exception of some (listed below), compostable materials, sticks and plant trimmings free of bug infestation are all acceptable to compost. Portage County Recycling does not accept composting at this time, but promotes Portage County residents to compost at home. There are many different compost bins at your local hardware store, even some that can be used inside your home. The environment will be thankful as well as your plants! Learn How….it’s easy!