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Show Page 10 The West View City’s Recycling Program Makes Economic, Ecological Sense By Elisabeth Luntz Salt Lake City is a beacon to other Utah communities seeking a comprehensive solution to our continually increasing ocean of disposable waste. While U.S. Americans are only 5 percent of the world population, we. consume 25 percent of the resources. Those consumed resources even- tually find their way into our air, watersheds, and landfills. In 2002, Salt Lake City recycled 10,189 tons and dumped 59,717 tons of trash in a landfill located at 6030 West California - Ave. Thirty-three thousand homes are participating in the Curbside Recycling Program out of a total of forty-five thousand homes {hat contract with BFI for waste disposal. By recycling, fif- tic). ously interference. - of running a clean city. reduces our consumption of resources. Recycling diverts reusable waste and sells it to markets creating new, usable prod- and sells the recycled goods to reprocessors. These incomes pay for the program. Reducing our waste is important to preserve clean, quality land space. While the potential burial sites seem infinite, they are not. And, the types of toxic runoff and methane emissions that result from such treatment of trash easily find their way into our water supply and air. So, while a landfill may sit on one particular parcel of land, the ecoSive. sold landfill allows broker logical and as_ our waste Salvaging recyclables and reusing them results in less pollu- . tion than the production of new teen péreent (by weight) of Salt stream purchased Sorting things of the same nature to breakdown maximally, without acreage was sold back and the money was credited toward the recycling program. In addition, BFI works as an independent Lake City’s trash is diverted from the waste over time and some types of trash inhibit that natural process (plas- of the dump and uses part of the tipping fees to fund the recycling efforts. Because recycling minimizes the demand for landfill space, some land that was previ- ramifications are expan- to Sorting the stream is helpful. reprocessors and eventually sold back to the consumer in the form of market products. Salt Lake City 1s part owner What we call “waste” is a composition of many things that respond differently in nature. Some trash biodegrades (paper) protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness in the global market place. Initial costs and maintenance of recycling programs may cost the city more that non-sorted trash disposal, but the service of protecting the environment is one that many Salt Lake City residents feel is increasingly This. municipal justifiable. expense could be viewed as an investment into the infrastructure plastic, paper, ore and glass and ucts. Milk jugs are made into patio decking and soda bottles are being transformed into clothing and carpeting. An innovative company in Brigham City uses recycled plastic to make garbage cans and wheels. In addition to benefiting the environment, sustainable waste management programs, like Salt Lake City’s, gen-_ erate business opportunities. Waste managers perform one of the most under appreciated, yet highly valuable services to our cities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site, recycling | Increasing the local market for recycled materials will help increase the profitability of the program. Currently, glass is shipped to California or Colorado because Utah lacks facilities that melt and reconstitute glass. Debbie Lyons, Vice President of -the Recycling Coalition Utah Board of Directors explains, “More local markets would mean less cost to ship materials further distance, less pollution, and posi_tive economic impact from local business development.” We throw away a lot of free raw material that can be reused inexpensively. | es When we become conscious of what we throw away, where it is coming from, and the categori- cal nature of the waste, we are capable of improving our consumer behavior and making ‘influential market demands. can show a preference for products derived from recycled goods and show a distaste for products that have little to no environmental accountability. Exercising informed buying power is an effective tool for influencing the market. As we become more civically active and informed, we influence our government and the way municipal programs are administered. Because we do not have a Federal mandate regulating trash flow, our local governments determine how we will treat our waste and common land. Salt Lake City’s recycling program began under the leader- ship of former Mayor Dee Dee Corradini, and has doubled under . the Rocky Anderson administration. The program has evolved from a two stream, drop-off system to a single-stream, curbside service. Gradually, the program grew by incorporating more types of recyclables and designated drop off sites to manage everything from glass to elec- tronics. ce For information on Salt Lake City’s curbside recycling program, visit www.ci.sic.ut.us/info/garbage ¢c ollection/recycleinfo.htm, or call -972-CURB. We Local Firefighters Get Shaved for Kids with Cancer By Ryan Mellor Salt Lake City Firefighters took a little off the top for a good cause. On March 16, firefighters from Station 6, (940 West 899 South)-shaved their-heads to raise money for the National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF). > 3 Every year, people across th nation help out by collecting sponsors and then shaving their heads as part of the “St. Baldrick’s Day” fund drive. The head shaving is a show of support for thousands of children who lose their hair every year to cancer. Gary Krauss has his head shaved in support of the first annu- al St. Baldrick’s cancer fund drive. Photos by M. Ellis, SLCFD — ; This is the first year that the event has. been held in Utah. “These kids go through a really tough time” said Alan Echols, a member of the SLC Fire Dept. Haz Mat Team, “We just want to do anything we can to show them that we support them”’. Adding to the event were several residents from the neighborhood, who showed up and volunteered to have their own heads shaved. One father brought his eight-year-old son, who said he wanted to get a haircut like the firemen. Organizers plan to make St. Baldrick’s Day a yearly event, and judging from the enthusiasm of the Station 6 Haz Mat crew, they can count on the firefighters for support. ; One eight-year-old wanted to have his hair cut like the firefighters. | |
