Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

News:

as seen in E/ The Environmental Magazine!

Trash Talking
When it comes to garbage, American consumers could learn a few things from the Swiss

BY CHRIS HAMBLEY

The Swiss have a sensible solution to garbage collection and recycling that is so, well, Swiss. In most North American cities one hurls great numbers of black garbage bags into trash cans, where they’re often ripped open by marauding animals. Of course, some of the bags are green, boasting of extra-strength-easy-grip twist-ties or whatever “new” labor-saving innovation is being peddled at the mega-shopping center.
The Swiss put all their garbage in uniform, pay-as-you-use bags. So why can’t we?
Our system celebrates free enterprise, but the Swiss discard their garbage in official state-produced bags that come in three sizes: 15-, 30- and 60-liter and cost around $1.50 for the medium bag. In other words, you pay real money for the amount of trash you create. On the eve of garbage day, then, one can look down the road and see neat stacks of identical blue bags, and there’s something soothing in this uniformity.(more)

Mission:

Working together to make it easier and cheaper for citizens and businesses to reuse products, avoid disposables, and recycle.

Why Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

• Electronics and appliances are the fastest growing portion of trash today. The EPA predicts that in the next five years, approximately 250 million computers will become obsolete. Cell phones are being discarded at about 130 million per year. That's about 65 million tons of waste!
• Every year, Americans throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from Los Angeles to New York City!

R-R-R Goals:

• Currently, businesses have to pay extra to recycle. GLEE hopes to reverse this and make recycling free for businesses.
• Increase use of Freecycling! After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
• Bring back free mulch. Now that the citrus canker scare is over, we hope to bring back the free deliveries of mulch from the Monroe County instead of shipping it all to the mainland.

What You Can Do:

Making small changes in the way we consume our natural resources adds up. Try some of the following:

1. Get a travel coffee mug.
2. Sign up with local re-use groups like Craigslist.org or Freecycle.org
3. Donate to and shop from charity shops and consignment stores.
4. Buy rechargeable batteries.
5. Recycle! This is what Waste Management will pick up curbside:
   • Plastic bottles (water, soda, detergent, shampoo, and others marked 1 & 2)
   • Glass bottles and jars (clear, green, and brown)
   • Newspapers
   • Household batteries (in a sealed plastic bag, please)
   • Steel and aluminum cans (please rinse and tuck in lids)
   • Flattened corrugated boxes