More Facts About Recycling

Name:

Pledge:

Visit the linkMunicipal Solid Waste to complete the section below:

  1. What does MSW stand for?
  1. Put the following methods in EPA’s preferred order for dealing with MSW (place a number, 1 to 3, in front of each method as appropriate):

Recycling & composting

Disposal in landfills or waste combustors

Source reduction

Visit the linkEPA's MSW Website to complete the section below:

  1. What number should you call in Lexington to find out how to dispose of something you are unsure about?
  1. List the three phases of the recycling loop.
  1. Recycling aluminum cans saves percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, .
  2. Waste reduction and recycling affect climate change by
  3. Reducing emissions from . Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires than producing goods from .When people reuse goods or when products are made with less material, less energy is needed to , , and raw materials and to manufacture products.When energy demand decreases, fewer are burned and less is emitted into the atmosphere.
  4. Reduce emissions from . Recycling and waste prevention divert materials from and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from .
  5. Reduce emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (including composting) divert from landfills, thus reducing the that would be released if these materials broke down in a landfill.
  6. Increase storage of in forests. Trees absorb from the atmosphere and store it in wood in a process called "carbon ."Waste prevention and recycling paper products allows more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove from the atmosphere.
  7. Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) programs treat trash services just like electricity, gas, and other utilities.Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of garbage they throw away. In most programs, residents are charged a fee for each bag or can of waste they generate.Theless individuals throw away, the less they pay.

EPA supports this approach to solid waste management for three main reasons:

  • Environmental . Communities with programs in place have reported significant increases in and reductions in , due primarily to the created by PAYT.Less waste and more recycling mean that fewer natural resources need to be .
  • Economic . PAYT is an effective tool for communities struggling to cope with soaring municipal solid waste (MSW) management .Well-designed programs help communities generate the they need to cover their solid waste management , including the costs of programs.Residents benefit, too, because they have the opportunity to take control of their .
  • .When the cost of managing trash is hidden in taxes or charged at a flat rate, residents who recycle and prevent waste their neighbors' .Under PAYT, residents pay only for what they .