A Brief Look into (Michigan's) Recyling
Last week we explored how landfills are created, and some common issues that result from disposal practices, such as how methane is a byproduct of food waste. This week, we are going to take a closer look at recycling in Michigan. Did you know that only about 20% of municipal solid waste is recycled in Michigan, while the rest is interred in landfills?
There are some reasons for this: many items are carelessly tossed into the recycling bin without prior research. Pizza boxes, for example, generally contain residue of food products, and so recycling these items can cause accidental fires or damage the machines. Workers at recycling plants, when they sort through the items, must dispose of items that could contaminate the recycling stream, and so incorrect items will end up in landfills.
Additionally, some products, like plastic bottles, may have removable parts or caps composed of different materials that require more intensive processing methods. Even in the best-case scenario, most plastic can only be downcycled, as their quality degrades throughout every life cycle, ultimately becoming waste despite our best efforts.
Looking specifically at electronics, the amount of e-waste in landfills has been growing at a tremendous rate, projected to reach 82 million metric tons in 2030. Not only is that figure staggering, but e-waste is technically hazardous materials! Our current recycling systems are not keeping pace with the production and disposal of electronic items, specifically e-cigarettes and vacuum cleaners, and these toxic materials can lead to leachate in landfills and polluted groundwater.
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To reduce the strain on landfills, try to sort your trash as much as possible. Take harmful products back to the manufacturers to recycle and be on the lookout for places to put electronics. Try to stay informed, as well; there may be street and community collection programs you can participate in, or companies that are focusing on sustainability efforts. EGLE is also actively funding programs that are diverting materials from landfills, so there may be exciting changes coming to your neighborhood!
It takes time and research to understand what can be recycled safely. On a personal note, we here at Clean Stormwater are actively trying to reduce what we put into landfills. We assist our clients with staying compliant with the NPDES permit for stormwater, and one of the duties we conduct is the visual assessment. To do so, we provide our clients with PET plastic jars. Once per quarter, they need to retrieve a water sample and send it in, but in the sake of avoiding contamination between sites, we are unable to reuse them. However, that doesn't mean our sustainability efforts need to end there! We reached out to some consulting firms who connected us to companies and recycling plants to reduce our plastic footprint. Click here for the listing we made for these jars, if you are interested!
Furthermore, to assist you and your company in becoming more sustainable, I have attached some resources below!
It takes collaboration from all of us to make this planet cleaner. Special thanks to Keira Higgins from RRS, Jillian Plant from Michigan Recycling Coalition, and Jill Sorgi from Petoskey Plastics; we truly are grateful for your advice and efforts!