Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

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Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

• Professor Tamara Bixler-Zalesinsky
• Math and Science Partnership Grant

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What becomes of your trash?

• This is a view of what becomes of your trash as
  well as what can be done with recyclables by a
  local company.

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Trucks of Trash
This collection truck takes both trash and
recyclables into the facility. The trash has
never been mixed with the recyclables.
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J J Recycling Tipping Floor

• The items far away are all going to the landfill
• Items closer will be recycled.

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Recyclables on the Tipping Floor

• Recyclables on their way to be sorted

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Source Green Teacher, Fall 1998 Waste Less
Times, 21, September 1994
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Is it Recyclable?

• YES its RECYCLABLE
• Most Plastics
• Aluminum
• Wood
• Metals ex. tin or steel
• Glass
• Cardboard/Paper

• NO, its not recyclable
• Durable Plastics (toys, kitchen utensils, lawn
  furniture)
• Many fluids
• Hazardous materials
• Recyclable materials covered in unrecyclable
  materials

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Manual Sorting of Recyclables

• J and J is a clean MRF which means the
  recyclables have never been mixed with trash.
  They only take in non-hazardous materials.

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Mechanized Sorting of Recyclables

• Materials are sorted manually then by machine

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Recyclables are baled after sorting
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The Baling Process for Paper and Cardboard

• J and J Recycling actually looses money on
  recycling items like paper. Why do they do it?

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Bales in Storage
Some recyclables are stored until the price goes
up. Can you think why this may happen?
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Recycled Wood
Wood pallets are also recyclable. Instead of
taking up room in a landfill, they can be
recycled into mulch.
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Trash vs. Recycling
Semi trucks like this one take trash to landfills
several times a day.