The Importance of Recycling - SAVE · Overview Where waste goes Landfills and litter The recycling process Why recycling is important

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The Importance of Recycling

Compiled by the S.A.V.E. Foundation

Overview

  Where waste goes

  Landfills and litter

  The recycling process

  Why recycling is important

Where Does Garbage Go?

  Garbage is collected and is normally sent to a landfill

  Unfortunately, a percentage of garbage never makes it to a landfill and instead becomes litter

  A large portion of garbage can be recycled, composted, or donated for reuse

Landfills

  Landfills take up valuable space

  Many landfills are reaching capacity

  Building new landfills is difficult since communities do not want them located near them

  Older landfills may create water pollution from liquids leaching from the landfill into the water table

  Due to the compact nature of landfills, oxygen cannot reach much of the garbage making it difficult for garbage to decompose

Litter

  Litter is both a local and global issue   On average, 6,729 pieces of litter found per mile of road

  38% made up solely by cigarettes

  Large patch of garbage located in Pacific ocean twice the size of Texas

  Can be harmful to wildlife that mistakes litter for food items

How Recycling Works

  Initial collection

  Transfer from collection point to baling location

  Transferred from baling location to factory and transformed from old product to new product

  Transferred to businesses for consumer purchase

Initial Collection

  Recycling is collected at central location

  Currently paper, cardboard, and aluminum is collected here at the school

  Some members of community collect plastic and bring it to S.A.V.E.’s plastic collection drives

Collection Point to Baling Facility

  Transportation of products depends on specific location

  In Townsend recycling is transported by community members

  In Helena this can be done by the S.A.V.E. Foundation, Helena Recycling, or the City of Helena depending on commodity

  Bales made up of only one type of item will be sold for the highest amount and will be the most useful for factories to use

  Baling is done to compact items and prepare them for easy shipment to factories

Baling Facility to Factory

  Items are transported to factory

  Baled items are melted down and used as base materials in new items rather than using raw materials   Raw materials deplete natural

resources and are normally more energy intensive to use

  Examples:   Aluminum cans make new

aluminum cans   Milk jugs make artificial lumber   #1 plastic bottles make fleece

Factory to Business

  Once the factory has made the new product, it is sent to a business and made available to consumers

  Many items contain recycled content without consumers being aware of it   Most aluminum cans are made of at least 50% recycled content

  Many paper towels are made with recycled paper products

Why Recycling is Important

  Decreases amount of waste being sent to landfills

  Decreases amount of raw materials being used to make products

  Creates job opportunities where recycling centers are located

  Teaches people to become more aware of their impact on the Earth

Questions?

Contact us at [email protected] or calling 406-449-6008.