RECYCLING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CARE

THE RECYCLING:

Recycling involves the separation and collection of materials for processing and remanufacturing into new products, and the use of the products to complete the cycle. Much of the aluminum, glass, paper and steel used for packaging today is already recycled. Half the nation's aluminum cans are made from recycled aluminum, and one-quarter of the raw fibers used in the paper industry are from recycled paper products. Glass and steel used in containers can be recycled over and over.

The recycling of aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, glass, newspapers and certain plastics is a growing industry in Pennsylvania. Already more than 140 Pennsylvania businesses are using recyclables collected by the state's recycling programs to make new products like glass containers, office paper, laundry detergent bottles, steel framing, roofing, and pipes; steel sheet for cars and cans, and much more. Recyclables kept separate from household waste are collected at recycling programs. Collected materials are further sorted and processed for sale to manufacturers in Pennsylvania and other states.

Money earned from the sale of recyclable materials can benefit the individual recycler or help communities and companies offset operating costs for recycling. Recycling also allows some communities to reduce waste disposal costs.

Society's energy consumption is also reduced by recycling. For example, it requires less energy to make a new glass bottle from a recycled one because recycled glass melts at a lower temperature than the raw materials. Recycling also prolongs the life of the glassmaking equipment. Similarly, making aluminum can from recycled aluminum uses a fraction of the energy needed to make from bauxite ore.

Although recycling programs vary from town to town, there are a few things you probably have to do for almost any program:

• Set aside some storage for your recyclables. This storage doesn't have to be inside, but it should be clean and out of the weather because water and dirt in containers interferes with recycling.
• If you don't have a special container for your recyclables, you can still participate. You can use a sturdy container from your house like a cardboard box, crate or bucket. Workers usually dump your recyclables into recycling trucks and return your container.
• Rinse recyclable beverage and food containers to keep insects away.
• If you collect a lot of recyclables, crush or flatten plastic bottles, aluminum cans and steel food and beverage cans to save space. But if you don't use that many items, don't worry about crushing or flattening because the recyclers will do it with specialized machinery.
• DO NOT crush glass bottles or jars. These are usually hand sorted at processing centers and crushed by machines.
• Buy items in containers that can be accepted by local recycling programs and centers.

Another way to reduce household trash is by creating less trash in the first place, a process known as source reduction. Here are a few source reduction pointers:

• Buy products made from or packaged in recycled or returnable containers. Some packaging made from recycled materials is marked with a recycling symbol. If the inside of a box is gray, this means the box was made from recycled material.
• Buy items in the largest possible size because you'll use fewer containers this way.
• Avoid a disposable product when a reusable one will work just as well.