Recycling

Why Recycle?

Recycling mimics how the natural environment uses resources. Everywhere in the world we see that nature reuses all of its waste. Nature provides the best example in the world of how to be sustainable, because the natural world is inherently sustainable.

Recycling is the process of reusing products for new purposes. On a simple level this can mean finding a new use for something old. On a large scale recycling usually involves taking used consumer goods, converting back into raw materials and remaking them into new consumer products.

Recycling is not a new practice, it's been around for a while, and most people have a general idea of why recycling is better than putting trash in the landfill. And that was the main motivation behind the birth of the recycling movement: that landfills had gotten too big and that they were creating pollution and contaminating drinking water. But there are many other reasons to recycle:

• Recycling saves natural resources. By recycling we put materials back into use, which offsets the amount of new materials that need to be extracted.
• Recycling helps prevent pollution and global warming. Recycling helps to reduce greenhouse gases in many ways. Recycling paper saves trees that make oxygen, and the process of making paper from recycled content uses less energy, which means less CO2 from coal. Products made from recycled metals and plastics also require much less energy to produce.
• Recycling prevents waste from going to landfills. Landfills are known for releasing high amount of methane gas, the number 2 green house gas behind CO2, and a much more potent one; reducing waste going into landfills helps to reduce the amount of gases released by the landfills.

Recycling 101

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 3 Rs - We can have a major impact on the environment by being more responsible in terms of our buying and consumption habits. By practicing 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, we can reduce the amount of garbage we throw away, buying products with less toxic materials and minimal packaging or buying recycled products, participating and encouraging others to join recycling programs.
• Resource Conservation: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Visit this EPA guide to learn more about conserving our resources and participating in recycling programs.
• Ten Reasons to Recycle - This EcoCycle guide makes a case for recycling by providing facts on resource destruction, energy conservation, pollution, money savings, and other reasons.
• How Recycling Works - This interactive page illustrates how recycling works. The webpage also provides recycling guidelines for different types of materials: paper, plastics, glass, cans, construction debris, etc.

Where & What to Recycle?

Where to recycle, and what can be recycled varies by town. Most towns have information regarding recycling available on their websites as either part of their Department of Public Works, or as a separate solid/waste recycling division. Towns will generally accept paper, plastic, and metal containers. Acceptable items will vary by town. Some towns offer single stream recycling where no sorting is required, and some will require recyclables to be presorted.

• Find Recycling Centers and Learn How to Recycle - Earth911 is guide to local resources including recycling centers, how to recycle, pollution prevention and how help protect the environment.
• Greater New Bedford and Fall River Recycling Centers - New Bedford and Fall River both offer single stream recycling, whereas the Town of Dartmouth requires paper to be separated. For more information regarding recycling services in your town, you can check your website, or contact your town hall. Here are the websites for Dartmouth, New Bedford and Fall River.

E-Waste Recycling

There are a number of other things that can be recycled that aren't covered by normal curbside recycling. Often this includes what would be otherwise considered hazardous waste, such as computers and other technology items, "e-waste". Check with you local municipality to see what items they accept.

• Electronics Recycling Web Portal - Provides information on reducing waste from electronics, data on electronics recycling trends, and sources for donating and recycling electronics.
• Where to Recycle Your Cell Phone? - This EPA guide provides a list of eCycling partners that accept old cell phones, PDAs, cell phone batteries, chargers, or other accessories. Recycling these items recovers valuable materials and reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Best Buy Recycling Program - Best Buy will accept most e-waste, though there may be an associated fee for some items.

Product Stewardship

The EPA defines product stewardship as a product-centered approach to environmental protection. As consumers and product manufacturers, we have the responsibility to reduce waste and utilize products to the end of their lifecycle.

• Product Stewardship Partnership - The EPA page describes how manufacturers, retailers, governments, and local communities are partnering to reduce waste and manage products at their end of life.
• Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) - EPEAT is a tool designed to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes with qualified product designations of bronze, silver, or gold.
• Unwanted Products: Find New Home - The Freecycle Network is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. The network spans 4,777 groups with 7,097,000 members across the globe.

Composting

Composting is an easy way to recycle yard and kitchen wastes. It reduces the volume of garbage that goes to the landfills.

• Compost Guide - Composting Fundamentals - How to compost, what to compost and what not to compost.
• Composting 101 - This is a complete home composting guide offering practical information for converting yard, garden and kitchen waste into soil building compost.

Recycling on Campus

The UMass Dartmouth offers many resources for recycling, and is committed to maximizing the amount we recycle.

• Main Campus - On the main campus, recycling is available for paper products and beverage containers in blue and green bins placed throughout the campus. In the first year these bins were used, we found that usage exceeded capacity in some cases. The university does also offer facilities for recycling electronics and has collection bins for spent ink and toner cartridges.
• Residential Halls: Single Stream Recycling - Housing offers a comprehensive single-stream recycling program in the residence halls. You can view their website, or email HFOSrecycling@umassd.edu for more information.
• Library Cartridge Recycling Program - Don't throw away that ink jet or laser printer cartridge! You can recycle it and earn "cash for trash" to benefit the library. Drop your cartridge in one of the cartridge recycling boxes located in the library, the Campus Book Store, or at the Housing office. Refer to the above library resource page to learn about types of cartridges accepted. For more information, contact Judy Doherty.
• Campus Dining: Food Composting - The Campus Dining Services is partnering with the Silverbrook Farm in Dartmouth to use the food scraps from the university's dining halls and use for the feed of the farm's flock of hens. The farm collects 200 pounds of trash a week. It also uses some food waste as natural fertilizers.

Recycling Coalitions & Networks

• National Recycling Coalition - The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) is a national non-profit advocacy group with members that span all aspects of waste reduction, reuse and recycling in North America.
• Unwanted Products: Find New Home - The Freecycle Network is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. The network spans 4,777 groups with 7,097,000 members across the globe.