Let’s Talk Some Trash
Friday, February 25, 2011 at 9:01AM The issue today is trash, but if you’re expecting politics, that’s a few pages back.
Perhaps we can start with a couple basics, then move into some thought provoking items.
Newport Beach has three different types of Residential Solid Waste, or refuse collection. Most residents receive manual collection, where a City employee handles whatever you leave at the curb. Some consider this person to be almost family, like the mailman. In Newport Coast, a vendor picks up according to a two-container system that is automated, where one container is dedicated to recyclables. You can get an extra recycling container free, but trash containers cost extra. In Santa Ana Heights, there is a single container, with automated collection.
There is a difference between trash and garbage. Garbage contains organics. Organics are basically anything that was once alive, like landscape clippings or food scraps. Trash is separated out at the source, so there is no cross contamination or comingling. Some call this a dry sort (with no organics) and a wet sort (contains organics). The thing that drives weekly solid waste service is the organics – the health code requires they be picked up each week. Some places have weekly organics pick up, and every-other-week pick up of the trash and recyclables.
Manual collection is old school, vs. the newer automated systems, and there is a constant debate about source separation, requiring two or three bins, as opposed to a single container. Advocates for single-container contend convenience for the residents leads to higher recovery or recycling rates. Advocates for source separation - multiple bins - say that the recyclable materials are cleaner, of higher quality and thus of higher value.
In any case, state law requires all cities to recycle at least 50 percent of all trash generated, so collected refuse is transferred to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where it is sorted and separated to recover recyclables. So, “yes” to the often-asked question: “Are my bottles, cans paper, wood, etc., items recycled from my container?”
Zero Waste is a new industry term that asks the question, “If you are not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?” and suggests the best answer is “Zero Waste, or darn close.”
Let’s look at nature. Does nature have garbage? No. Nature is a closed-loop system, so the output of every process, e.g. plant material and oxygen from photosynthesis, is an input of some other process, e.g. animal nutrition and respiration.
Garbage is created when resources are mixed together in a way that does not allow them to be ReUsed. There are many waste-prevention strategies - like ReUse and repair, find it a new home, recycle or compost, store for later recovery in a land bank, or energy recovery from materials that cannot be recycled or composted because of poor design.
Zero Waste is an approach in which discarded materials are designed to become resources for other- think like nature and close the loop.
We all know the Three Rs of Reduce, ReUse and ReCycle. Many are adding a 4th R: Refuse. You can use your purchasing power to say no to a Trader Joe’s item because it has too much packaging, or no to a restaurant because it uses Styrofoam.
Or the Producer could take responsibility - it’s called product stewardship - and design for end of use. Let’s make two assumptions. First, we live in America, and have the right to produce something someone else will buy. Second, the person making the product has the greatest control over product design and marketing and thus the greatest ability and responsibility to reduce toxicity and waste.
This issue becomes more relevant as landfills fill, and the costs of throwing stuff away increase.
My wife and I recently went through a cleanse program: six bottles a day for three days equals 36 bottles. I tried talking to employees and a manager about the waste bottles this was creating, when I realized I was getting nowhere. So, to make my point, I went in when they were busy, and I dropped 36 bottles on their counter. I made the waste the producer’s problem.
And there you have it. A little trash background, and some concepts to think about:
- Everything you touch, what can it become?
- Does it have to be that way?
- Can I voice my opinion?
If you are willing to seek answers, we can all work on reasonable solutions together.
There is plenty of good information on the city website under General Services.
What are your Earth Day plans? LMK, JimFitzEco@gmail.com
Online video: Where does your trash go?
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