There is a lot of trash in the world. Some of it is expected and some of it isn’t. Did you know that each American produces over four pounds of trash every day? Much of this waste is due to food consumption and paper and cardboard products. Other big categories of waste include plastic, metal, rubber, glass, and organic material from yard maintenance. Only about 30% of waste is recycled in America each year. Did you know that you can safely recycle aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper? All it takes is a little extra effort to recycle, but it has huge effects on the environment. Not only are you helping to reduce trash, but you are also helping to preserve resources. There are many ways for safe recycling and waste disposal in Grand Rapids.
What a Waste
It’s also important to be aware of hazardous waste. Hazardous waste includes anything that can pose a threat to the environment or public health. This waste is typically either corrosive, ignitable, reactive, or toxic. The majority of hazardous waste comes from organizations like dry-cleaners, auto shops, photo processing shops, oil refineries, hospitals, chemical manufacturers, and more. You might not know that your home produces a lot of hazardous waste as well. This might include paints, solvents, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, fluorescent light bulbs, thermometers, electronics, batteries, and cleaning agents. Just how do you get rid of hazardous wastes? You might be surprised to learn that you can recycle many hazardous materials. Other hazardous waste can be incinerated, sequestered, or disposed of in another safe way. You can learn more about safe ways to recycle hazardous materials to help protect public health and the environment. Whether your waste is hazardous, organic, or just plain trash, it’s important that you dispose of it properly.
