Welcome Please read the board Eastern Garbage Patch

Welcome! Please read the board!

Eastern Garbage Patch Floats between Hawaii and California Twice as big as Texas Can be 30 m deep

The Trouble with Plastics in the Oceans don’t biodegrade like other debris break down over time into smaller and smaller pieces while still maintaining their chemical make-up As the pieces get smaller fish, mammals, birds and even plankton will consume the pieces which are not digestible While the plastics may not be visible to the eye, studies have shown that in some areas the concentration of plastics outnumbers the concentration of plankton by a ratio of 7: 1

Quiz time!

The 3 R’s are your friends! Reduce Reuse Recycle

Houston’s recycling: National MSW disposal: 54% Landfilled 34% Recycled 12% Incinerated Houston MSW disposal: 86% Landfilled 14% Recycled 0% Incinerated

Houston’s “One Bin for All” ALL waste in one bin One truck instead of four (MSW, yard waste, recycling, heavy trash) Materials sorted in $100 million state of the art facility to be built by private company Construction to begin next year Could divert 75% of material from landfill (resold by private company) Biomass (yard, food, clothing and plastics) converted into biofuels First of its kind in the nation. Could set new standard. Would include an incinerator.

Should the city move forward? Those in favor Those against Mayor and city sustainability coordinator Environmental Defense Fund Clinton Climate Initiative Keep Houston Beautiful Texas Campaign for the Environment calls the plan “Anti-recycling” and “a pipe dream”. Concern that the city will end up having to pay for the construction and that technologies are unproven. Are we being “greenwashed” or is this a step towards waste = food/cradle to cradle/ sustainability?

Before you can make the call. . . What is the standard recycling practice?

Recycling in three easy steps Collection Reprocessing Repurchasing

Collection Curbside or Drop off

Collection How do you increase participation? Intrinsic motivation Education Extrinsic motivation Fines Bottle bills Cost differentials Bottle Bill Video and Petition The Fun Theory--Bottle Bank Arcade

Collection Materials sent to a MRF Material Recovery Facility – recyclables are sorted and bundled then sent to reprocesses Contamination lowers quality of recyclables, lowers sales price.

Reprocessing Paper

Reprocessing Paper – fibers shorten (losing strength) with each reprocess

Reprocessing Aluminum and Glass – can be recycled without reducing quality Recycling aluminum saves 95% of energy compared to virgin materials Recycling glass saves 50% of energy

Reprocessing Plastic - # indicates polymer type

Reprocessing Yard waste – leaves, grass, small branches = compost/mulch!

City of Houston As of April 5, 2010 NO yard waste can be put in trash Buy biodegradable bags at Walmart, Kroger, Randall’s Lowe’s Homedepot; bags have city logo. $7. 50/10 bags Two trucks come around on trash day, one for garbage, one for compost. Noncompliance? No pick up

Repurchase Complete the loop! Demand for recycled materials is critical to the industry Preconsumer wastes - collected from factories; production wastes

Repurchase Postconsumer – collected at a MRF

Check for understanding What do the three arrows in the recycling symbol stand for? Describe the tradeoff between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. What are three benefits of recycling? Of the three R’s, which is the best for the environment, and why? What is the difference between renewable and recyclable?

Now what do you think? What parts of the standard recycling system are going to be dramatically changed? How might the new plan If you had the change recycling rates? deciding vote on whether to go How might the new plan forward with this, change citizens’ attitudes what questions about consumption? One bin for all! would you need answered?

Don’t confuse them! The Three R’s = the hierarchy of waste management Reduce Reuse Recycle

Now it’s YOUR turn! Collect your recycling for one week, then take a picture of yourself recycling and post it on the HUB. Due by Friday March 27 th. 80 if you have curbside at home 90 if you recycle paper at WHS or another school. 100 if you recycle more than paper at a drop off station +20 pts if you post a picture of yourself REDUCING!!!!! Small token prize to top three creative pics