Waste Away Group Blog

As you would expect, your social security number, driver's license number, bank account numbers, PINs, online usernames and passwords are some of the most important pieces of information to protect as far as identity theft goes.  Did you realize, however, that there are at least 8-10 more key pieces of information that these thieves crave?

The amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds released into the atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country, etc. refers to its “Carbon Footprint.”

The carbon footprint is 54 percent of humanity's overall Ecological Footprint and its most rapidly growing component.

The following is a compilation of astounding facts about garbage and landfill usage. Put into these terms and perspectives, hopefully, will help to remind us when we make choices about what we throw away...and where we choose to put it.

Plastic grocery bags were introduced in the 1970s and gained immediate popularity.  This veritable success story has a track record that any inventor would more than envy. Since its introduction four decades ago, this product has gone from “unheard of” to “unbelievably popular”. Now accounting for about four out of every five bags handed out in grocery stores, the plastic grocery bag as a product is an amazing success.

The handling and disposal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) have become quite a conundrum over the past couple decades. Items that used to be thrown into the trash, poured down the drain, or dumped in the grass have been proven to pose a health threat when disposed of improperly.

According to aol.com, Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector ranks #8 on the 2013 Top 15 most Dangerous Jobs list. This is an improvement over the 2012 list, where it held the #4 position in the list of Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs.
 
List25.com ranked Sanitation Workers as the #7 most dangerous in the world and listed it before such jobs as Search & Rescue, Linemen & Power Workers, Firefighters, Police Officers, and Roofers.

Glass waste is recycled into new products every day. Such products as kitchen and bathroom countertops are made from used glass that has been put through a specific recycling process. Color and chemical composition are some ways different glass jars and bottles must be sorted before the recycling process can begin. Since glass retains its color after recycling, many recycling centers insist that different colors of glass be separated before the recycling process; the most common colors being clear, green, and brown (amber).

Deep inside a landfill among the trash and debris lie airless pockets filled with the by-product of decomposing waste; a gas rich in methane. Some areas in landfills, or entire landfills themselves, may be a poor source of methane due to the type of waste buried there. Construction debris, for example, is dry and will not rot, whereas yard waste and food scraps will be consumed by bacteria and decompose in such a way that produces a plethora of methane gas.  When bacteria overtake the rotting waste this gas is given off and, when harnessed, can be a valuable source of energy for things such as heat and electricity. This certainly spurs on this side of the landfill vs garbage disposal debate discussed in a previous article aptly titled, “The Garbage Disposal Debate”.

While remodeling your kitchen, you install a $200 under-the-sink garbage disposal. Finally, the last twist of the wrench. A big job but well worth it….it’s done. You turn it on to make sure it works and doesn’t leak. Perfect.  Now you’re ready…..to not use it. Not use it?  What? The controversy spiraling around the use of garbage disposals for food scraps vs throwing it in the trash to be buried in the landfill has many facets and can get pretty heated.