Keeping it Green

Recycling is the third and key component of the THREE Rs: REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE.

REDUCING is really the best way to reduce your overall waste footprint. If you never buy, use or have, then you will not have the waste to manage when done. Americans today average about 4.3 pounds of waste per day and we can all do something to reduce this amount. Buying durable products that will last longer, planning your purchases and cutting back, all support reduction.

REUSING can be referenced several ways, but it is all about finding uses for items versus discarding them into the landfill. When possible only buy items that can be reused and find ways to repurpose items that no longer serve their original purpose. Maintain and repair what you own, donate, give away and find alternative use for items before you throw them away.

RECYCLING achieves the objective of keeping materials out of the landfill by turning them back into raw materials that will be used again to manufacture new products or items.

WHY RECYCLE?

There are numerous reasons for you to recycle other than the satisfied feeling you get from doing the right thing and having a positive impact in the world we all live in. Below are five key reasons to recycle:

1. Reduces the need for landfills and saves existing airspace. Keeping recycled materials from the landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides raw materials for recycled products.

2. Saves Energy. In most cases, it requires less energy in the manufacturing process to produce goods using recycled materials versus virgin raw materials. For example, recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce aluminum cans from virgin mined bauxite.

3. Conserves Resources. The overall demand for virgin raw materials used to make recycled products (glass, paper, metal and plastic) is reduced through recycling collection. This creates a lower demand for minerals, trees and petroleum distillates, thus avoiding the environmental damage caused by mining for metals, drilling for petroleum and harvesting trees.

4. Creates Jobs. For every one job at the landfill, there are 10 jobs in recycling processing and 25 more jobs in recycling-based manufacturing.

5. Makes you feel good. When you collect recycling material and place it in your curbside bin or local drop off bin, you know that you are doing the right thing for the environment.

Source: Recyclemontana.org

WHERE CAN I RECYCLE THIS?

Try this site to find out where to take various recycle items in Kalispell, Missoula, Sanders County, etc.:

recyclemontana.org/where-to-recycle