Please Pre-Cycle

Please Pre-CyclePlease Pre-Cycle

By Roxana FeensterBy Roxana Feenster

It takes nearly 1.5 million barrels It takes nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce the 30 million of oil to produce the 30 million water bottles Americans use water bottles Americans use annually.annually.

Did you know?Did you know?

Did you know that Americans throw Did you know that Americans throw away enough paper each year to build a away enough paper each year to build a 12-foot wall stretching from New York to 12-foot wall stretching from New York to San Francisco?San Francisco?

A typical family consumes 182 gallons of A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. and 26 gallons of bottled water a year.

On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to $75 to incinerate it.$75 to incinerate it.

What is Pre-cycling?What is Pre-cycling?

The concept of pre-cycling primarily focuses The concept of pre-cycling primarily focuses on the first two of the 3 R's – on the first two of the 3 R's – reduce and reduce and reusereuse..

The idea is to produce less garbage; think The idea is to produce less garbage; think ahead when making purchases.ahead when making purchases.

Carefully consider whether or not you need Carefully consider whether or not you need the item in the first place, and bear in mind the the item in the first place, and bear in mind the use and disposal of the item itself as well as use and disposal of the item itself as well as the packaging.the packaging.

““Pre-cycle and you won’t Pre-cycle and you won’t have to recycle.” have to recycle.”

--Loise GilotLoise Gilot

Recycling is great, but go even greener by pre-Recycling is great, but go even greener by pre-cycling as well, and create less waste to recycle cycling as well, and create less waste to recycle in the first place.in the first place.

Over 6 tons of trash leaves the Portland State Over 6 tons of trash leaves the Portland State campus everydaycampus everyday

Short videoShort video

http://www.howcast.com/en/videos/180518-How-http://www.howcast.com/en/videos/180518-How-To-PrecycleTo-Precycle

Make An Effort To Think Ahead Make An Effort To Think Ahead When Making Consumer When Making Consumer

Decisions. Decisions. By making a conscious effort to avoid By making a conscious effort to avoid

unnecessary waste, you are reducing the unnecessary waste, you are reducing the amount of waste that is being sent to landfills amount of waste that is being sent to landfills across the country. across the country.

Landfill space is becoming increasingly Landfill space is becoming increasingly scarce, and every time something is thrown scarce, and every time something is thrown away, the energy, raw materials, and money it away, the energy, raw materials, and money it took to make it are thrown away with it. took to make it are thrown away with it.

The U.S. generated 232 million tons of waste The U.S. generated 232 million tons of waste in 2000, compared to 88.1 million tons in in 2000, compared to 88.1 million tons in 1960.[1] The waste volume is growing faster 1960.[1] The waste volume is growing faster than the U.S. population! Not only is there than the U.S. population! Not only is there more waste being produced, but it's also more waste being produced, but it's also becoming more expensive to safely dispose of becoming more expensive to safely dispose of our waste. our waste.

What Can You Do?What Can You Do?

Consume Less!Consume Less!

50 years ago, around the time when our 50 years ago, around the time when our national happiness peaked[2], the average U.S. national happiness peaked[2], the average U.S. citizen consumed half as much as we do now.citizen consumed half as much as we do now.[3][3]

Tips to Prevent & Pre-cycleTips to Prevent & Pre-cycle

1.1. Bring reusable bags to the store with you.Bring reusable bags to the store with you. Cloth or paper will do!Cloth or paper will do!

2. Buy Large Quantities2. Buy Large Quantities. If you buy products in . If you buy products in bulk or in large sizes and quantities, you can put bulk or in large sizes and quantities, you can put them in smaller containers as you need them and them in smaller containers as you need them and this uses less containers. this uses less containers.

3. Buy products with the least amount of 3. Buy products with the least amount of packaging or none at all.packaging or none at all. Items packed in multiple Items packed in multiple containers may look nice, but they are a waste!containers may look nice, but they are a waste!

Tips to Prevent & Pre-cycle cont.Tips to Prevent & Pre-cycle cont.

4. 4. Buy products packed in recycled packaging. Buy products packed in recycled packaging. If If you have to use a container, it might as well be you have to use a container, it might as well be green. Additionally, you help support green green. Additionally, you help support green corporations. corporations. (Important: make sure you look for (Important: make sure you look for the recycled symbol)the recycled symbol)

5. Don't buy disposable items 5. Don't buy disposable items (plates cups, pens, (plates cups, pens, diapers, batteries, etc.) They only fill the landfill diapers, batteries, etc.) They only fill the landfill more.more.

6. Buy less paper towels and napkins or none at 6. Buy less paper towels and napkins or none at all. all. Use cloth ones! Use cloth ones!

Tips to Prevent & Pre-cycle cont.Tips to Prevent & Pre-cycle cont.

7. Buy long life and concentrated7. Buy long life and concentrated

8.Clean more with less. Vinegar and baking 8.Clean more with less. Vinegar and baking soda come with less packaging and cleans just soda come with less packaging and cleans just about anything.about anything.

Did you know?Did you know?

Did you know that for every one garbage can Did you know that for every one garbage can of waste you put on the curb, 70 cans of of waste you put on the curb, 70 cans of garbage were produced upstream to make the garbage were produced upstream to make the stuff in that one garbage can you put on the stuff in that one garbage can you put on the curb?[4] Even if you recycle 40% of what's in curb?[4] Even if you recycle 40% of what's in the garbage can, that doesn't stop the contents the garbage can, that doesn't stop the contents of those 70 garbage cans upstream from of those 70 garbage cans upstream from getting incinerated or tossed into an already getting incinerated or tossed into an already overflowing landfill.overflowing landfill.

Reduce The Amount of Material Reduce The Amount of Material That Gets RecycledThat Gets Recycled

Recycling requires energy and money to Recycling requires energy and money to transport materials, sort and melt them down, transport materials, sort and melt them down, and then re-manufacture them. and then re-manufacture them.

77% of Americans do recycle, of those that 77% of Americans do recycle, of those that don't, 18% feel that recycling costs too much, don't, 18% feel that recycling costs too much, takes too much effort, or they'retakes too much effort, or they're

just too busy.[5]just too busy.[5]

Think twice about reaching for that disposable Think twice about reaching for that disposable plastic bottle of water! Sure they're recyclable, plastic bottle of water! Sure they're recyclable, but think about the hundreds or even but think about the hundreds or even thousands of plastic bottles you will save from thousands of plastic bottles you will save from entering the recycling stream by investing in entering the recycling stream by investing in one reusable water bottle that will last years. one reusable water bottle that will last years. (Plus, think about all the money you'll save!)(Plus, think about all the money you'll save!)

By making a small effort to reduce your waste By making a small effort to reduce your waste and reuse what you can, you are cutting down and reuse what you can, you are cutting down on what needs to be recycled and therefore on what needs to be recycled and therefore will spend less time preparing and sorting your will spend less time preparing and sorting your recyclables.recyclables.

Recycling is not a cure all.Recycling is not a cure all.

Many items are not recyclable.Many items are not recyclable. Recycling is not an energy-neutral activity; it Recycling is not an energy-neutral activity; it

takes energy to transport recyclables and to takes energy to transport recyclables and to process them for reuse.process them for reuse.

Please engage in pre-cycling because avoiding Please engage in pre-cycling because avoiding unnecessary packaging is easier and more unnecessary packaging is easier and more “green” to do.“green” to do.

Please Prevent & Pre-cycle Please Prevent & Pre-cycle

The BRESCO waste-to-energy incinerator in South Baltimore, which burns The BRESCO waste-to-energy incinerator in South Baltimore, which burns municipal refuse from Baltimore City and County, has been allowed to operate on municipal refuse from Baltimore City and County, has been allowed to operate on an expired air pollution permit for about two years, Schaeffer said. The state an expired air pollution permit for about two years, Schaeffer said. The state drafted but has not issued a new permit for the incinerator, operated by drafted but has not issued a new permit for the incinerator, operated by Wheelabrator Technologies. Activists say the permit would let the facility emit Wheelabrator Technologies. Activists say the permit would let the facility emit more pollution than the law allows.more pollution than the law allows.

Work CitedWork Cited

[4] [4] The Next Efficiency Revolution: Creating a The Next Efficiency Revolution: Creating a Sustainable Materials EconomySustainable Materials Economy, by John Young , by John Young and Aaron Sachs, Worldwatch Institute (1994), and Aaron Sachs, Worldwatch Institute (1994), p. 13p. 13

[5]http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/[5]http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/americans_recycle.phphttp://americans_recycle.phphttp://

www.howcast.com/en/videos/180518-How-To-www.howcast.com/en/videos/180518-How-To-PrecyclePrecycle

www.planetpals.comwww.planetpals.com


1]http://www.texasep.org/html/wst/1]http://www.texasep.org/html/wst/wst_1msw_ussw.htmlwst_1msw_ussw.html

[2] Bill McKibben, [2] Bill McKibben, Deep EconomyDeep Economy (2007), p. 35- (2007), p. 35-36, and Vicky Robin, “Towards a Solution to 36, and Vicky Robin, “Towards a Solution to Overconsumption”, undated.Overconsumption”, undated.

[3] “Why Consumption Matters”, Betsy Taylor and [3] “Why Consumption Matters”, Betsy Taylor and Dave Tilford, in Dave Tilford, in The Consumer Society ReaderThe Consumer Society Reader, , Edited by Juliet B Schor and Douglas Holt (2000), Edited by Juliet B Schor and Douglas Holt (2000), p. 467p. 467


http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2975494viewiStockNews/articleid/2975494

Documents

Please Pre-Cycle