The United States leads the world in municipal waste production and the waste volume is growing faster than the U.S. population. Every year, residents, businesses, and institutions produced more than 251 million tons of waste, which is approximately 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day. In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. This means that each adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 lbs. of trash for his or her children.
In this decade, it is projected that Americans will throw away over 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4 and a half million tons of office paper and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled, which would conserve resources, energy and money.
At this time, less than one-quarter of American waste is recycled; the rest is incinerated or buried in landfills. With a little forethought, we could reuse or recycle more than 70 percent of the landfilled waste, which includes valuable materials such as glass, metal, and paper. This would reduce the demand on virgin sources of these materials and eliminate potentially severe environmental, economic, and public health problems.Did You Know:
- Recycling a four-foot stack of newspapers saves the equivalent of one 40-foot fir tree.
- Every glass bottle recycled saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 4 hours.
- Making cans from recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce cans from virgin material.
- Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial airline fleet every three months.
- Recycling all of your home’s waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds a year.
- One tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year.
http://earth911.org/
This site allows visitors to search for recycling locations and events by material type, by city & state, or by zip.
www.bottlesandcans.com
This is the state’s Dept. of Conservation official beverage container recycling site.
CRV recycling centers in Huntington Beach:
Huntington Beach Tomra Pacific, Inc. Albertson’s #6124
19640 Beach Blvd., HB 92648
Navarro Bros. Recycling Bill’s Liquor
19351 Beach Blvd., HB 92648
Beachside Recycling
8601 Edison Ave., Ste. B, HB 92646
Huntington Beach Tomra Pacific, Inc. Ralphs #650
19081 Goldenwest St., HB 92648
Huntington Beach Recycling
7632 Slater Ave., HB 92647
Huntington Beach Tomra Pacific, Inc. Ralphs #69
6942 Warner Ave., HB 92647
Huntington Beach Tomra Pacific, Inc. Ralphs #131
5241 Warner Ave., HB 92649
Huntington Beach Tomra Pacific, Inc. Ralphs #746
16821 Algonquin St., HB 92649
Recent City Actions
The City of Huntington Beach acknowledges that proper waste disposal and recycling is an important priority. Here are some of the recent City actions:
- Contract Administration uses a computer recycling program through Dell, Inc.
- All printer cartridges are recycled
- Double-sided copying is encouraged for all forms of reprographics
- Asphalt and concrete spoils are ground up and used for street and trench base materials on other projects.
- Use recycled tire rubber asphalt for our streets. This limits the amount of tires that end up in the landfills and provides numerous benefits such as sound control, and stays black longer which slows oxidation resulting in a longer lasting street.
- During the design of all infrastructure projects, staff evaluates the use of efficient products and designs. This includes using recycled rubber asphalt, efficient pumps, reduced grading and hauling, and recycling materials demolished and removed from the site.
- The City implements rubberized playgrounds at community parks
- Administering a State grant, the City Fire Dept. offers curbside pickup of used motor oil.
- Abandoned hazardous material that is collected from the streets is disposed of by incineration, recycling or fuel blend techniques.
- Hazardous material that is generated by the processes performed here in City functions is disposed of by recycling, fuel blending or incineration.
- Landfills are used as a last recourse, meaning that other processes are not available.
- City Vehicle Fleet (non-safety) Eliminating gross polluters from fleet. Sizing vehicles down to maximum size needed to do the job. Transitioning to hybrids vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles where possible.
- Recycling: Administered through Rainbow Disposal
- Recycled paint use for graffiti abatement
- Recycler PET - plastic lumber used on all site furnishings (park benches, tables, signage at City Hall, bicycle racks)
- Recycle annually two tons scrap metal from vehicle maintenance
- Municipal Tree Trimming Program
- Private Cuttings go to a certified green waste handler
- Hold in house cuttings converted to mulch, and reused on city property to assist in water retention which results in less water needed.
Rainbow Disposal Actions
Rainbow Disposal provides residential trash service to Huntington Beach residents. In April 2007, Rainbow launched its automated waste collection system, making proper waste disposal and recycling more convenient for our community. Find out more about Rainbow Disposal’s services and answers to your recycling questions here (Rainbow Disposal Newsletter Winter 2008—both pages 1 and 2). Here are some of the recent Rainbow Disposal actions:- Residential Franchise Agreement, 3 can program
- Recycle batteries
- Commercial waste process at materials recovery
- Construction debris separated at their facility
- One of four facilities/locations in the county for household hazardous waste drop off of Automotive fuels, Paints, Prescriptions, Batteries, E-waste, Household Chemical, Tires
- Waste management vehicle fleet that serves the City is currently being updated with the purchase of new vehicles that operate on compressed natural gas (CNG). 10% fleet converted, with a target completion date late 2008/early 2009.
- Currently all vehicles are equipped with smog and particulate reducing scrubbers integrated into the exhaust systems.
Disposing of hazardous household waste can be an issue if you do not know the proper procedures. Improper disposal of paints, antifreeze, and car fluids, for example, can lead to ground and water contamination. Click here to learn how to dispose of all of your hazardous household waste (Household Waste Disposal Information).
Waste Disposal Links:Bottles and Cans, CA Dept. of Conservation
http://www.bottlesandcans.com/canit/
Californian’s Against Waste
http://www.cawrecycles.org
California Integrated Waste Management Board
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov
Keep California Beautiful
http://www.keepcaliforniabeautiful.com/index.html
Orange County Integrated Waste Management Board
http://www.oclandfills.com
Rainbow Disposal Recycling
http://www.rainbowdisposal.com/recycle.php
Zero Waste California
http://www.zerowaste.ca.gov/
[FOR KIDS]
CanIt, CA Dept. of Conservation
http://www.bottlesandcans.com/canit/