2009-02-24_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Appendix ~ u• ~.~, 9 ® ~ ~,, ~.r/7p~S6f3 O ~ ecyclia~g~ C®anp®s#ing and Greenh®use Gas Reduc#i®ns in Niinnes®#a 1. Introduction: WI7at is Waste? In 2006 in Minnesota, 3.6 million tons of municipal solid waste (the trash we generate every day) were buried in landfills or burned in incinerators, while 2.5 nt.illion tons of our discards were captured for recycling. That means Minnesota has achieved a 41% recycling rate, an impressive rate that is matched by only a handful of states and just 20 years ago was thought impossible. Our recycling efI•orts prevent nearly half of the products and packaging we use from being wasted. However, most of what is still being wasted every day in Minnesota can be recycled anal composted with. just a little improven--ent to our current systems. Over 50% of iuhat we still throw in the garbage can be recycled through curbside collection. An additional 25% of our trash is comprised of food wastes anal other materials that could be composted. The little bit of garbage that remains after we recycle and compost can be thoughtfully addressed through azero-waste approach {which includes extended producer responsibility) to prevent waste altogether. In other words, there really is no waste. Waste, and our choice to reduce waste, has a significant impact on the environment. The U.S .Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the greenhouse gas emissions emitted directly From our waste being burned in an incinerator or buried in. a landfill account for about 3% of the total greenhouse gas enutted in the U.S. each year. (200:1 report) (Platt et al.,. 20M. pg 24). While 3% alone is a significant number, the impact of trashing these materials instead of recycling or composting them is actually much. greater. Citation far Irtzr~~e - (Coordinating Bnar~ (SWMCB}. 2000). ~e already recycle a lot, so what's left? '~r~...do ~~n,f? ~' Page 1