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| | STATE RECYCLING
THE 5 RE’S OF RECYCLING
 | Reduce -
Over the
past 35 years, the amount of waste each person produces each day has nearly
doubled from 2.7 to 4.6 pounds. The
most effective way to stop this trend is to prevent waste in the first place
by practicing source reduction.
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Source Reduction is defined as any change in the
design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including
packaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal
solid waste. |
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Because
source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place,
it is the most preferable method of waste management and goes a long way
toward protecting the environment.
Not buying anything that you don’t need and making sure that what you
do purchase is durable, long lasting and as free of toxics as possible are
ways of practicing source reduction. Print
and copy on both sides of paper, use bulletin boards, e-mail, routing slips
and word of mouth to help reduce paper use. |
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| Reuse - Have
you ever been to a garage sale, a thrift store, an auction, or even an
antique mall? Well if you
answered yes to any of these you have in one way benefited your environment
and community by reusing items which otherwise would have landed in your
local landfill.
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Reduce means that you participate in the
redistribution process of materials from those who no longer need them to
those who can still find use in them. Another
way to practice reducing is to use a product more than once, either for the
same purpose or for a different purpose. When possible, reusing is preferable
to recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be
used again. By eliminating material processing we conserve valuable
natural resources, reduce the amount of water and air pollution and green
house gases, and provide a means for getting materials to disadvantaged people
and organizations.
Shopping
at State Surplus Property is an excellent way to practice reusing office supplies, office equipment,
computers, vehicles, furniture and much more.
Contact the State Surplus office for more details.
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| Recycle
- Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable
resources and generates a host of environmental, financial, and social
benefits. After collection,
materials are separated and sent to facilities that can process them into
new materials or products.
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| Rebuy
- Buy recycled! Buying recycled
content products and materials help to ‘Close the Loop”, creating a
demand for materials recovered from recycling efforts. By buying recycled
you help to divert reusable materials away from landfill, reducing waste
disposal costs and conserving resources.
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Rethink
- Think Again! Next time you go
to throw something in your garbage can take a minute and think about other
possibilities other than adding it to your local landfill.
Can it be reused either by you or someone else?
Can it be recycled? If
so when you go to replace it remember to think about replacing it with a
product made from recycled materials. |
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