Have you ever wondered where the plastic wrapping of your sandwich goes? Or the cardboard from your package? Or your banana peel? The short answer is mainly landfills. In the 2022 CT Solid Waste Disposal and Diversion Report, it is mentioned that in 2022, Connecticut generated 3.49 million tons of solid waste and 37% of that waste is diverted out of the landfills. Today, we will focus on how the main diversion strategies use by the state: recycling. We have all seen the blue recycling sign with the three arrows, signifying the importance of recycling. But why is recycling such a big deal?
Well, recycling might seem to be a new societal practice, but we have always done it, without necessarily labeling it. In fact, the earliest recycling practices can be traced to the Bronze Age when old metal tools were melted and molded into new tools. And people have found clever ways to use and reuse their resources repeatedly due to their scarcity. However, the term "recycling" rose in the 1960s in the United States and it became a necessity in 1970s as single-use items filled up landfills. American waste problems stemmed from the rising disposability and consumerism culture as the industrial revolution has made resources more readily available. At that moment, recycling transcended its environmental context, it became an economic solution to waste problems the country was facing.
Today, recycling has returned in its environmental significance because of its relevance in debates around solutions to climate change. According to EPA, in 2018, recycling and composting has prevented over 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted in the United States. Recycling has so many other environmental benefits. For example, recycling only 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to charge a laptop for more than 25 hours. Furthermore, recycling prevents the excessive use of new resources and the pollution and emissions stemming from the waste otherwise incinerated or sent to landfills.
Here in Connecticut, recycling is mandatory ever since January 1st, 1991. The items that Connecticut residents are required to recycle include cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, cans. We use a single-stream recycling system which means that there is no need to separate your recyclables, they can all be mixed in your recycling bin. However, contamination of recycling bins needs to be avoided at all costs as one wrong item in the recycling bin makes everything in it go to trash. RecycleCT is an amazing resource to get to know your recyclables and to avoid any mistake. Remember when in doubt, throw it out!
Apart from recycling, efforts are also invested in the diversion of another major waste material: food and organics. DAS and DEEP are currently working toward creating a statewide food scrap diversion contract per the Executive Order 21-3 in which Governor Lamont emphasizes on the necessity of establishing organics and food waste programs for all state agencies. These efforts are part of GreenerGov initiatives, whose goal is to reduce the environmental impact of state agencies and to work towards making our state government more sustainable.There are state institutions that have already established their compost programs.
At DAS, 450 Columbus Boulevard and 165 Capital Avenue have contracted Blue Earth Compost to support our composting efforts. DEEP has practiced composting at 79 Elm Street for a long time. Furthermore, a pilot food waste diversion has been started at the CT Valley Hospital campus, managed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in the efforts of reducing as much as much the food waste discarded in landfills. DOC is investing lots of efforts into food waste diversion at their facilities and they have just started a pilot program at Cybulski Correctional.
Together, we can work to improve our recycling efforts and make our state healthier and more eco-friendly, happy America Recycles Day!
