Recycling is taking something that has been used in its current form for as long as it can be useful and repurposing it into something new that can be used instead of throwing it away. Typically, recyclables are collected at your home, work or school and sorted into bins. A hauler then takes them to a facility where the materials are recovered. Once the materials are separated, they are sold to companies that reformat them in a way that allows them to be used in new items.

Recycling is not limited to curbside collection, it is part of a larger system for living sustainably. It reduces the amount of refuse going to the landfill and preserves natural resources and the environment for future generations by reusing materials to create new products. Since materials are being reused for the production of new products, there is less strain put on the environment than if they had to be acquired each time a new product was made.

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Other Sources

EPA. “Recycling Basics.” EPA. April 7, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics. Accessed May 12, 2016.

Recyclable materials can be separated at many different stages in the recycling process. The initial user of the item, who sorts it into the proper recycling bin, can separate them or the person who collects the recyclables.

It can be commingled until it reaches the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) where it can be separated by machines and/or individuals. At the MRF, the recyclables are separated based on their material type – paper, plastics, aluminum, or glass. The separation of materials is important as it insures that the waste does not become contaminated and makes it easier when redistributing the contents to manufacturers.

Recycling affects climate change by reducing the amount of Greenhouse Gases emitted during the production of a product. A can of soup requires ingredients collected from a farm for the soup, aluminum mined for the can, and paper from trees for the label. These resources then have to be delivered to a factory, which also uses resources in some form, for manufacturing. Recycling makes this more sustainable by reusing resources that could be actually finite. While the soup can’t be reused, the aluminum can be melted down and remade into another can or something else; even the label can be recycled into other paper products after.

In 2009, 42% of Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States were from the production and movement of goods. This could be reduced by having resources such as metal, paper, and plastics reused more regularly. By recycling, there would be less of a need to mine certain minerals or remove trees as the resources for certain goods. This will, in turn, reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions and get Climate Change under control.

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Other Sources

EPA. “Climate Change and Waste.” https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/climate-change-waste/. Accessed May 3, 2016.

Recycled Content is content that has been made from pre- and post-consumer material. Pre-consumer material is diverted waste from manufacturing; Typically, this material has to be returned to their manufacturer such as returning leftover metal to a foundry for reuse. Post-consumer material is waste that is averted from landfills after a consumer has used it, like returning paper to a paper mill. Countries will often have standards in place for what is considered Recycled Content to ensure that the products are actually made from such materials.

The advantage of using Recycled Content is it is useful in the production of goods and it helps in the preservation of the environment and combating climate change. The use of recycled content reduces emissions by the collection of raw materials. Also, finding ways to use recycled materials will preserve the resources needed in manufacturing, making a convenient source of material for companies and allowing them to be sustainable for the future.

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Other Sources

Canadian Competition Association. “Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers.” Competition Bureau. June 2008. http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02701.html. Accessed May 6, 2016.

Eustace, AshLee. “Recycled Content Certification.” Green Circle. http://www.greencirclecertified.com/recycled.html. Accessed May 6, 2016.

When businesses leave from certain areas, there is a chance that their actions have caused some damage to the surrounding environment. Reclamation is the idea of returning the environment back to conditions before these businesses arrived. This practice is seen especially in the mining industry, where the search for minerals can leave lasting effects on the excavated region.

Reclamation is necessary for the sustainability of land and for the good of humans. The constant need for raw materials in some areas means that there has to be a way for resources to recover after collection. In areas of deforestation, replanting allows for not only a fresh supply of resources in the future, but it also provides security as the trees may serve to prevent erosion by their roots securing soil from sliding away.

At the same time, it’s beneficial for people in that it allows the land to be reused. After mines have closed, for example, waste rock can produce acid rock drainage that can upset the pH balance in soil on both farms and ecosystems that may be repurposing the land. Restoring this land is important in both cases. The affected soil could prevent plant life from redeveloping in both reclaimed and surrounding areas and can compromise the yield of the farm's crop or make the land unusable.

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Other Source

“Reclamation.” Vocabulary.com. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/reclamation. Accessed May 6, 2016.

“Reclamation Specialist.” ECO Canada. http://www.eco.ca/career-profiles/reclamation-specialist/. Accessed May 6, 2016.

The Resource Conservation Recovery Act was a bill on environmental regulation that was passed by the United States Congress on 21 October 1976. It was introduced to address the growing problem of municipal and industrial refuse throughout the country. The bill seeks to protect people and the environment from hazards of waste disposal; save energy and resources; reduce waste, and provide environmentally safe waste management. The Act was amended in 1984 to include the minimization of waste; correct actions for the release of hazardous waste; increased enforcement authority by the EPA; stricter standards in the handling of hazardous waste; and an underground storage tank program.

Before the RCRA, refuse disposal was the responsibility of state and local governments, including hazardous waste. Landfills would accept both household and hazardous waste from generators. In most cases, disposal sites kept poor records and would change hands so often that no one would know what the land had been used for before purchase.

This would lead to situations such as the Love Canal near Niagara Falls, New York, where households in the area experienced high cancer rates and birth defects due to the land that their children’s elementary school was located. It had been the site of a waste dump before being sold to the local school district. This situation can’t occur under the RCRA as rules were formed to ensure that hazardous waste is disposed of in a safe manner so that it will not cause harm to humans or nature.

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Other Sources

EPA. “EPA History: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.” EPA. January 5, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-history-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act. Accessed May 6, 2016.

EPA. “Summary of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.” EPA. December 29, 2015. https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-resource-conservation-and-recovery-act. Accessed May 6, 2016.

Stenzel, Paulette L. “Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.” Refference for Business. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Res-Sec/Resource-Conservation-and-Recovery-Act.html. Accessed May 6, 2016.

Definition Refuse refers to any disposable materials, which includes both recyclable and non-recyclable materials. This term is often interchangeably with waste, but refuse is a broad, overarching term that applies to anything that is leftover after it is used, while waste only refers to leftovers that cannot be recycled. Want to Know More? In the past, refuse was limited to just items that could be left to decay like vegetable scraps or reusable items such as metals. As society continued to develop, the composition of Refuse followed suit with the introduction of new materials, such as plastics and hazardous products, that can lead to environmental consequences that can harm both animals and humans. While some Refuse can be reused or be composted, the remains can still find their way into landfills or pollute the environment and bodies of water. This means that more will have to be done to properly manage refuse to protect the environment. --- Other Sources Farlex. “Refuse.” The Free Dictionary. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/refuse. Accessed May 16, 2016. “For Education.” Began with the Bin. http://beginwiththebin.org/resources/for-education. Accessed May 3, 2016.

Definition Recycled Aggregates is a term that describe crushed cement concrete or asphalt pavement from construction debris that is reused in other building projects. Want to know More? Asphalt pavement can be collected from roads, parking lots and runways and cement concrete can be collected from bridges, sidewalks and roads. Once collected and processed these recycled aggregates can be used in the construction of bicycle paths, pavement shoulders and in many other aspects of construction. The use of recycled materials for construction is a sustainable move in the construction industry. It has numerous benefits including limiting the need for virgin aggregates, reducing energy consumption, reducing waste heading to the landfill and reducing emissions. Not only is it a great option for the environment, but using aggregate materials leads to cost savings and can be leveraged to gain credits for LEED certification. --- Other Sources “Recycled Concrete Aggregate.” Eco-Agg Concrete Recycling. http://recycleconcrete.ca/recycled-aggregate/. Accessed August 18, 2016. “The ABCs of Recycled Aggregate.” Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association http://www.onasphalt.org/files/Publications/ABCs%20of%20Recycled%20Aggregates.pdf. Accessed September 30, 2019.

The recycling rate is a calculation that is used to determine the percentage of diverted refuse is recyclable. The reason some items may not be recyclable could be that the have been contaminated or the community’s processing centre may not be able to handle certain recyclables.

In a community that has a diversion rate of 30 percent, there may only be a recycling rate of 10 to 15 percent. The advantage of using a recycling rate is that it helps in determining how much refuse that you are trying to divert from the landfill is recyclable.

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Other Sources

United States Environmental Protection Agency. “What is the difference between a recycling rate and a waste diversion rate?” EPA. https://waste.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/212349257-What-is-the-difference-between-a-recycling-rate-and-a-waste-diversion-rate-. Accessed August 19, 2016.

Waste Diversion Ontario. “Glossary.” http://wdo.ca/learn/glossary. Accessed August 19, 2016.

Red bag waste is a type of biomedical refuse created by healthcare facilities and is often used interchangeably with biohazard trash. This form of waste is stored in red bags marked distinctly for storing biohazardous material and is disposed of in an appropriate manner. The disposed material will range in a variety of forms such as tissue samples, IV tubing, or lab cultures and stocks from research.

While regulations for them vary between states and institutions, refuse being stored in red bags, have to be handled with care. It is advised, however, that those dealing with red bag waste should make sure that they wear appropriate attire and are attentive when handling.

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Other Sources

“The Real Deal on How to Handle Red Bag Waste in Your Laboratory.” Consolidated Sterilizer System. https://consteril.com/red-bag-waste/. Accessed August 18, 2016.

“Red Bag Waste.” Medi-Waste. http://mediwastedisposal.com/our-services/red-bag-waste/. Accessed August 18, 2016.

Renewable energy is energy that is produced from sources that can replenish themselves naturally and will not run out. These sources of energy derive directly or indirectly from the Sun. This includes sources such as the wind, water, and the Sun.

Unlike non-renewable resources like coal and oil, renewable energy is a more sustainable choice. Renewable resources are able to recover faster and do not release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. As countries continue to use fossil fuels, they will emit more carbon into the atmosphere, which will lead to the worsening of global warming and climate change.

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Other Sources

“Types of Renewable Energy.” Renewable Energy World. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/index/tech.html. Accessed August 18, 2016.

Government of Canada. “About Renewable Energy.” Ministry of Natural Resources. http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/renewable-electricity/7295. Accessed August 18, 2016.

Definition Resource Depletion occurs when the renewable and non-renewable natural resources become scarce because they are consumed faster than they can recover. The term resource depletion is commonly associated with water usage, fossil fuel consumption, trees and fishing. All of these resources have been depleted primarily because of human activities. Want to Know More? Actions like Deforestation remove more than enough trees from their environments that topsoil can be eroded, making the area unsuitable for plants and animals. Another example of how resource depletion occurs is through overfishing, limiting the species’ ability to repopulate each year because the population is reduced due to unsustainable fishing practices. --- Other Sources “Are we using up more than what is Available?” The World Counts. http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/consequences_of_depletion_of_natural_resources. Accessed August 18, 2016. “Resource depletion.” Econation. http://www.econation.co.nz/resource-depletion/. Accessed August 18, 2016. “What is Depletion of Natural Resources?” Conserve Energy Future. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-depletion-natural-resources.php. Accessed September 27, 2019

Definition

Renewable Natural Gas is biomethane or biogas that is released through the decomposition of organic matter and is used as a replacement for fossil natural gas.

Want to know more?

Biogas or biomethane comes from municipal solid waste landfills, organic waste management operations and many other sources. Renewable Natural Gas can be used to generate electricity, in thermal applications or for vehicle fuel.

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United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Renewable Natural Gas.” Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). https://www.epa.gov/lmop/renewable-natural-gas. Accessed August 13, 2019

American Gas Association. “Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).” https://www.aga.org/research/reports/renewable-natural-gas-rng/. Accessed August 13, 2019