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Are you
paying for your neighbors' garbage removal? Traditionally,
households have paid for waste collection through property
taxes or a fixed fee, regardless of how much -- or how
little -- trash they generate. When the cost of managing
trash is hidden in taxes or charged at a flat rate,
households that recycle and prevent waste end up subsidizing
their neighbors' wastefulness. A pay-as-you-throw program
can balance out this inequality and create an economic
incentive to recycle more and generate less waste.
Here's how it works. In a community
with a pay-as-you-throw program, you are charged for
trash collection based on the amount you throw away.
Just like your electricity and gas bills, you pay a
variable rate depending on the amount of service you
use. Some programs set a rate per bag,
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while others use a combination of a
fixed subscription fee plus a variable fee based on
service. Ultimately, the less you throw away, the less
you pay.
A survey of county recycling coordinators
completed in July 1999 revealed that 125 municipalities
in Pennsylvania use pay-as-you-throw programs. Communities
with programs in place have reported significant increases
in recycling and reductions in waste -- which means
that fewer natural resources need to be extracted, and
we save valuable landfill space.
Does your community have a pay-as-you-throw
program? Learn more about how you can join the 125 municipalities
in Pennsylvania already taking advantage of pay-as-you-throw
services by visiting www.GreenWorks.tv.
GreenWords "Pay
As You Throw."
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Recycling helps preserve our environment.
However, the only way to make recycling work in the long run
is to buy and use recycled products and packaging. It's up
to you to close the recycling loop.
These are some of the logos that can help
you identify products and packaging made from recycled materials.
At the grocery store...
Check for environmental symbols on the labels of:
- Cereal, cookie and cracker packages
- Canned foods and beverages
- Detergent
and cleaning supply containers
 Glass
containers- Shampoo and beauty products
- Household paper products
Look for other products
made from recycled materials...
- Writing paper, note pads, greeting cards
and other stationary supplies
- Carpeting
- Tools
- Plastic flower
pots, trash cans, recycling bins and fencing
 Packaging
boxes- Re-refined motor oil
- Retread tires
- Automotive batteries
- Insulation in ski jackets, gloves and sleeping
gabs made from recycled PET bottles.
For a complete set of environmental shopping
brochures, call the Pennsylvania Recycling Hotline at (800)
346-4242.
To find out what kinds of products are made
from recycled materials right here in Pennsylvania, visit
GreenWords "Buy
Recycled."
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You can make a difference for the environment
with your purchasing power:
- Buy refillable pens, flashlights, razors,
lighters, and cameras.
- Buy products in reusable containers such
as glass jars and sturdy plastic dairy tubs.
- Buy and reuse cloth napkins, towels, rags
and diapers.
Reusing items can:
- Save you money.
- Save landfill space.
- Save natural resources.
- Decrease the amount of pollution.
Other ways to reuse...
- Save plastic containers, coffee cans and
glass jars for storage at work and home.
- Use the back side of writing paper before
recycling it.
- Reuse envelopes and file folders.
- Share your magazines with others before
recycling them.
- Have a yard sale before throwing away old
items.
- Bring unwanted clothing and furniture to
a thrift shop.
- Donate unused toys, blankets, clothing
and silverware to day care centers, local charities or community
groups.
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Many of the household
cleaning products you use every day contain chemicals like
ammonia and chlorine, which can be hazardous to the environment
and to human health when used or disposed of improperly. Read
the labels of the cleaners you buy; know how to store them
and how to dispose of them.
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Maybe you've been thinking about buying
recycled, but you don't know what sorts of products
are made from recycled materials. Well, the Buyer's
Guide to Recycled Products has the answers you've been
looking for.
The Buyer's Guide is a joint project
of the Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection. Available both
in printed form and on the Internet, the guide allows
you to search for recycled-content products ranging
from office supplies, to clothing, to furniture and
toys.
To order a printed copy of the guide,
call (610) 353-1555 or visit the online version at www.GreenWorks.tv.
GreenWords "Buy
Recycled Guide."
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When using cleaners...
- Buy and use the amount needed for the task.
- Store cleaning products in their original
container with the label intact.
- Do not pour cleaners (other than drain
openers) down the drain.
- Do not pour leftover cleaners in the trash.
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Call your local recycling coordinator or the
Pennsylvania Recycling Hotline at (800) 346-4242 for instruction
on disposing of your household hazardous waste. Check out
a GreenWorks television segment on waste at www.GreenWorks.tv.
GreenWords "GWTV
Waste"
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What
Do I Do with
That Old Computer?
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Advances
in technology soon render all electronic equipment obsolete,
especially computers. But there may be other options
to discarding an obsolete computer.
- Maintain and keep the computer as
long as possible, extending its life with upgrades.
- Buy a good monitor - it can last
6-7 years or more.
- Consider leasing a computer so you
can trade it in at expiration of the lease.
- Encourage your county recycling coordinator
to consider starting an electronics collection program.
Or ship your equipment directly to a recycler.
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- Recycle spent rechargeable nickel-cadmium
(NiCd) batteries through the many retail outlets that
accept them.
- Discard electronic equipment with
normal trash as a last resort.
For questions on specific disposal issues,
call the Recycling Hotline at (800) 346-4242 or visit
www.GreenWorks.tv
GreenWords "Electronic
Discards."
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