Solid Waste Management

In 2007, Americans generated 254 million tons of solid waste, that is, trash. That breaks down to about 4.5 pounds of garbage per person each day.

What happens to all of that trash? About one-third of it is recycled. The rest of it is sent to landfills, burned in combustors, or finds its way into the natural environment where it can cause problems for wildlife.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

The best way to deal with trash is to make less of it in the first place. For example, buy products made of recycled materials and that use minimal packaging and store leftovers in reusable containers instead of disposable plastic baggies.

Find creative ways to reuse resources. For example, save packing peanuts, boxes, and bubble wrap to use next time you ship a package, and offer used items, such as furniture, clothes, and electronics, to a friend or charity instead of throwing them away.

Turn trash into treasure by recycling materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Everybody knows they can recycle paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic bottles, but did you know that you can also recycle electronics, sneakers, light bulbs, and many other more uncommon wastes? Learn more about recycling in your area from Rumpke Recycling and the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District.

Compost: Let Nature Recycle It

Yard trimmings and food scraps make up about 25% of the trash produced in the United States. Why let these organic wastes go to waste and take up landfill space when they can be composted and turned into nutrient-rich mulch and soil?

Composting is easy. Just pile your grass clippings and leftover veggies together and let nature take its course. Over time, bacteria and other microorganisms will break down the organic matter into compost.

Compost this:

Leaves & pine needles
Shrub & tree trimmings
Grass clippings
Green plants & flowers
Fruit & vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds
Tea bags
Sawdust & wood chips
Shredded newspaper
Hay & straw

To help the process along, follow these simple tips:

Use a bin to keep the compost warm, moist, and orderly.
Turn the pile over every once in awhile to give the microorganisms the oxygen they need.
Only compost plant matter as animal waste can get stinky and attract pests.

When the compost is dark brown, crumbly, and earthy-smelling, use it as a potting soil supplement, garden fertilizer, or mulch for plants in the yard.