Trash Talk

There is a lot of talk about trash these days. With the closing of the two local landfills, we need to take a good look at what we call “trash,” and what is happening with our trash.

So what exactly is a transfer station?

Transfer stations are buildings used for the temporary storage of certain waste items. Collection vehicles or individuals deposit their waste cargo here for it to be loaded onto larger vehicles. These larger vehicles then transport the waste to an end point for disposal or treatment. The trash and recycling collected in Grand County is now hauled over a mountain pass because the county has no landfills. That’s a lot of trash getting hauled, costing money in transportation costs and environmental damage. We as a mountain community are behind our neighbors in our treatment of trash and recycling. There are mountain communities that collect, sort, and then sell their recycled goods. Their trash and recycling is a benefit to the community.

If we want to know the end result, we need to start from the beginning.

What happens to the trash we throw away? When trash is dumped into a landfill, toxic chemicals seep into the water table, affecting wildlife, plant species, and the water we may drink. Plastics can melt, emitting toxic fumes into the air. Not much good comes from either scenario.

According to the EPA, the amount of waste each person creates has gone from 2.7 to 4.7 pounds per day between 1960 and 2008. The most effective way to stop this trend is by preventing waste in the first place. A majority of trash is compostable. Food from restaurants is one of the biggest components of trash. Metal (aluminum, steel, and tin) is the most valuable item to recycle because it is completely reusable. Regardless of its form, all kinds of metal can be reused and remade.

Facts we can’t ignore

According to the EPA, the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated by materials in 2008 was 250 million tons (before recycling). The breakdown is:

• Paper* 31.0%
• Yard Waste* 13.2%
• Food Waste* 12.7%
• Plastics 12.0%
• Metals 8.4%
• Rubber, Leather, Textiles 7.9%
• Wood* 6.6%
• Glass* 4.9%
• Other 3.3%
• *Compostable Materials

One way to reduce costs is to use more goods made from recycled products. Another way is to support businesses that offer recycled products such as compostable takeout containers. Look for businesses that are members of the new Green Star Program. The Green Star Program recognizes businesses within Grand County for their efforts to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle their waste; as well as reducing their energy and water usage. It also promotes those businesses through a partnership/sharing program with chambers of commerce, websites, and other avenues while educating businesses on how accomplishments from this program will save them money. For more information on the Green Star Program and the Grand County Recycle and Resource Coalition  visit www.thegrrc.org.

What is the truth about single-stream?

In single-stream you toss all your recyclables into one bin without sorting. But on the other end, someone or something has to sort it all out. This can make single-stream costly for the recycling company. Also in single-stream, perfectly good, recyclable items can become trash due to contamination. Take a few minutes and follow these simple tips:
Rinse all items, especially food or drink items. Food from products can make them non-recyclable.
Not all plastic is recyclable. Remove magazines from plastic coverings. Throw that plastic away, recycle the magazine. Familiarize yourself with the numbers found on the plastics so you’ll know which ones to recycle and how. Numbers 1-4 are recyclable, 5 is recyclable but it’s expensive to do so, 6-7 are not recyclable.
Remove lids from all plastic bottles. Toss the lids.
Never, ever throw in the trash a battery of any kind, from anything. Recycle them all.

How long does it take to decompose?

• Paper 2-4 weeks
• Banana Peel 3-5 weeks
• Wool Cap 1 year
• Cigarette Butt 2-5 years
• Disposable Diaper 10-20 years
• Hard Plastic Container 20-30 years
• Rubber Boot Sole 50-80 years
• Plastic Bags 20-1000 years
• Tin Can 80-100 years
• Aluminum Can 200-400 years
• Plastic 6-pack Rings 450 years
• Glass Bottles Forever
• Styrofoam Forever

Make just one change

• One simple change can become a lifestyle. Now you are making a big difference. Think of going “light green.”
• Use your own shopping bags.
• If you go out for coffee, take your own mug. 54% of Americans drink 3.5 cups of coffee  a day.
• Carry a reusable water bottle.

Grand County has several options for trash and recycling. Contact these companies for more information on the services where you live. There are more options than you may realize.

Curbside Recycling
www.curbsidegrandcounty.com
(970) 531-9971 

The Trash Company
www.the-trash-company.com
(970) 627-8531

Valley Recycling
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(970) 531-3349

Waste Management
www.thinkgreen.com
(970) 325-3975

 

Groups Working on Sustainability
The Grand County Resource and Recycle Coalition, GRRC, is a newly formed, non-profit organization to facilitate and educate all of us on recycling efforts. Their mission statement is: To foster Grand County’s stewardship of community resources by increasing our opportunities to reduce waste while educating our community, strengthening our local economy and preserving our natural environment. To find out more about GRRC, visit thegrrc.org.

Infinite West is an organization designed to look at the “big picture” of sustainability in Grand County and beyond. Their philosophy is that every community is a set of systems that are interdependent. In order to make these systems work as efficiently as possible, and be long-lasting and healthy, they need to support the neighboring systems on which they are dependent. In the case of recycling, treating our waste stream as a community resource allows us to change our perception about trash, and gives us free raw material that can then support our local economic systems, enhancing our way of life while protecting the environment. Infinite West hopes to apply this model to other environmental and cultural possibilities facing us here in the valley, from community-supported agriculture to energy independence. Community meetings and forums over the past year have attracted many discussion topics including:

• Fostering economic stability and growth, preserving and enhancing our mountain lifestyle, protecting our culture while defending our natural environment.
• Sustainable development, alternative building techniques, affordable housing.
• Recycling and reusing materials within our county’s boundaries vs. trucking everything out of Grand County.
• Water conservation and other water issues.
• Alternative energy sources (wind and solar) and energy efficiency for citizens and businesses.
• Sustainable agriculture, community farms, “buy local” programs from our Grand County farms and ranches, range land conservation, re-greening/re-planting our forests.

For more information about Infinite West, check out their blog http://InfiniteWest.WordPress.com or email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Other Uses for Our Trash

• Glass can be crushed and used as road base.
• Food waste, lumber, and paper products can be composted to make rich soil.

Why Is Styrofoam So Bad?

Styrofoam, created by Dow Chemical in the 1970s, is an insulation device. It is a disposable item made from petroleum-based chemicals and additives which are not biodegradable. Carryout containers, coffee cups, even household construction products are made out of Styrofoam, which uses CFCs (basically a bunch of bad chemicals) in production. The use of CFCs was banned in 1989. Styrofoam does not degrade and exists in the environment for hundreds of years, causing further pollution and toxicity by leeching chemicals into the environment. Burning it is even worse because of the toxic fumes it gives off. There are studies showing health risks, including cancer, from food cooked or stored in Styrofoam.

Take It From Me

The average useful life of a plastic fork is four minutes. Each year Americans throw away enough plastic forks to circle the globe 300 times. I made my change and started to carry a fork made of bamboo instead of using a plastic fork. Sure, I got teased at first. I now know of several people who have made the same change.