• Recycling diverted 82 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2006.

• In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his/her adult weight in garbage ~ 90,000 lbs total.

• If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.

• Laid end to end, the sheets of paper used in personal computers each year would circle the Earth over 800 times.

• Each American throws away an average of 100 polystyrene cups each year; and the expected lifetime of each cup is over 500 years.

• 58% of used printing, writing and copy paper still ends up in the waste stream.

• The Monroe County recycling law states, in general, that residents

  • must recycle steel, aluminum, glass (clear, green, and brown only), plastic (numbers 1 and 2 only) and paper (gable-top cartons/drink boxes) food and beverage containers.

  • Empty steel aerosol cans (no pesticides or spray paint) may also be recycled.

  • Residents must also recycle newspapers, magazines and corrugated cardboard.

  • Large appliances are also required to be recycled—this is usually done by your garbage hauler

• Recycle right!– paper, newspaper, drink cartons, cans, plastic, & glass– make sure you rinse out the cans/jars.

• Buy recycled products- “close the loop.”

• Recycle your electronic equipment– tv, computer, cell phone, etc…

• Reuse your old clothes, furniture, household items, etc...

• Minimize your product waste– reduce, reuse, recycle.

• Use a ceramic coffee mug, re-use your computer paper, etc...

• Use alternative products– look for independent third-party labels such as EcoLogo and Green Seal. Buy local and organic products.

• www.monroecounty.gov/des-solidwaste.php

• www.nrc-recycle.org/

• www.epa.gov/msw/reduce.htm

• http://www.monroecounty.gov/File/Non-Blue%20Box%20Program%20Materials.pdf

• www.ci.rochester.ny.us/des/index.cfm

• www.make-stuff.com/recycling/index.html

• www.greenseal.org

• www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/

• www.usgbc.org/

• ceinfo.org/

• www.rochestercomputer.com

• www.ecologo.org

Handouts:

• General Information

• Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Program

• Residential Recycling in Monroe County—The “Blue Box” Program

• Residential Recycling in Monroe County—The “Blue Box” Program- What you cannot put in the box

• Residential Recycling in the City of Rochester

• Useful Websites

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Brochure

• Greener Food Packaging

Kermit's Laments:

• What is the difference between recycling in the county vs the city?

  • Residential Recycling in Monroe County—The “Blue Box” Program

  • Residential Recycling in Monroe County—The “Blue Box” Program- What you cannot put in the box

  • Residential Recycling in the City of Rochester

  • City of Rochester- A Book for All Seasons

• What can you recycle at the Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Facility?

  • A list of items that you can take to the Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Facility

  • Contact at 753-7600 / Option #3 to set up an appointment

• Where can you recycle an appliance like a refrigerator?

  • If you are replacing a large appliance like a refrigerator- the store that you are purchasing it from should include an optional disposal fee in order to safely dispose of it.

  • If yo live in Monroe County, contact your garbage hauler.

    • Some examples of garbage haulers in the Rochester area.

  • If you live in the City of Rochester, items placed at the curb must be in compliance with City Code:

  • Bulk refuse such as household furniture, bedding and mattresses, large appliances, tree trimmings, and hedge trimmings, may be placed between the sidewalk and curb on collection day. Doors must be removed from refrigerators and other appliances with latches. Loose wood, trees, bushes, and hedges must be tied in bundles. The bundles may not be longer that 4 feet in length, larger than 18 inches in diameter, or weigh more than 60 pounds. All nails must be removed from discarded lumber or bent over and secured so the nail points are not exposed. For more information about refuse collection in the City of Rochester.

• Where can I recycle toys or clothes?

  • Check out FreeCycle.org, textile recycling. or Western/Central New York Materials Exchange

• How can you tell if 'green' labels are really 'green'?

• Download pdf

• What kind of office paper is better?

  • Greener office Supplies

  • Greener Copy Paper

  • Look for paper that has more than 50% recycled content (even better if it is 100% post-consumer recycled content) and FSC certified.

• Can you recycle #1 or #2 bottles that have held products containing oil or caustic products like bleach?

  • Yes- A list of items that you can take to the Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Facility

  • Contact at 753-7600 / Option #3 to set up an appointment

  • I'm elderly and can't get my blue box to the curb.

    • If you live in the City, contact the Office of Customer Satisfaction 24-hour line at 428-5990.

    If you live in Monroe County, contact your waste hauler or the County, 760-7600.

• Just how clean do #1 and #2 bottles need to be to put them in the recycle bins? Lotion bottles are hard!

  • For Plastic Bottles, Jugs and Jars (1 and 2 ONLY) you must : remove and throw away caps, spray pumps and lids.

• How can you recycle non-rechargable batteries?

  • Non-rechargable batteries should be thrown away in the regular trash.

  • You can recycle rechargable batteries at the Monroe County Household Hazardous Waste Facility

• Where can I recycle DVD players and other electronic products?

  • Western/Central New York Materials Exchange

  • Sunnking, 4 Owens Rd., Brockport, NY, 637-8365

• Regional Computer Recycling & Recovery, 7318 Victor-Mendon Rd. (Route 251) Victor, NY, 924-3840 

• Certified Document Destruction & Recycling, 860 Maple St., Rochester, NY, 482-9400

• Maven Technologies, 1144 Lexington Av., Rochester, NY, 458-2460
  

• Rochester Computer Recycling and Recovery, 395 Central Avenue, Rochester, NY, 546-6620

How can we get a hold of the DVD you showed?

• storyofstuff.com

• Is there a co-op for buying recycled paper products at affordable prices?

• Not that we could find- but here are some website suggestsions.
• For food paper products look for "compostable" rather than "recyclable"
  • http://www.internationalpaper.com/Packaging/Packaging_Products/Foodservice/ecotainer/index.html
  • Some research suggests that uncoated, cheap paper plates can be placed in a compost pile.
• For office paper, look for paper that has more than 50% recycled content (even better if it is 100% post-consumer recycled content) and FSC certified.
• Good activities for kids:

  • www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/LandfillPrimaryJuly2003.pdf

  • www.usc.edu/org/seagrant/Education/IELessons/Docs/EcoChallenge.pdf

• Use cleaning cloths or spongers- not paper towels.

• Avoid plastic or foam food containers. Use coffee mugs!

• Recycle paper/plastic/metal food containers.

• Wash and reuse single serve yogurt cups in place of disposable paper bathroom cups!

• Mend or repair minor holes/tears in socks, clothing instead of discarding them.

• Recycle electronic machines, instruments

• Use alkaline/high quality batteries or reusable batteries- not cheap/carbon-zinc batteries

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs

• Do other local community groups want to buy greener products in bulk?

• Reuse computer paper-print on the other side!