Where Does my Waste Go?

schmied©2008 all rights reserved

I. Solid Waste - In your own words trace what happens to your solid waste (garbage).

• Check Snohomish Public Works (solid waste) or King County Solid Waste Division depending on what county you are in. (avoid Waste Management for this section even thought WM may pick up your waste!)

  1. References: Provide reference documentation (Links preferred over hardcopy}

  2. My Solid Waste &endash; Traced from curb to landfill:

  a. Name your waste hauler &endash; the people who pick up the solid waste.

  b. Tell exact Transfer station

  c. Explain in detail each step the waste goes through from there. (1. 2, 3, 4 etc)

  d. Tell final destination of your solid waste, City, State

II. Recycling - In your own words trace what happens to your recycling.

• Check Waste Management NW, or with your local hauler, look for Cascade Recycling

  1. References: Provide documentation (Links preferred or phone number & name}

  2. My Recycling &endash; Traced through the system to the reprocessor

  a. Name your waste hauler&endash; the people who pick up the recycling.

  b. Tell Location where recycling is sorted, City, State

  c. Do "virtual visit". Tell where each product eventually ends up!. List City, State, Country.

  d.EC Go to http://www.wmnorthwest.com/cascaderecycling/slideshow/index.html

  …and tell how many pounds of waste Americans toss away per year.

III. My Yard waste - In your own words trace what happens to your yard waste

• go to http://www.cedar-grove.com/about/press/herald10132003.asp

read the article to find out where your yard waste goes (since 2004.)

1. Name your waste hauler &endash; the people who pick up your yard waste.

2. Tell the Location where yard waste goes, City, State

go to http://www.cedar-grove.com/about/technology.asp#bene

3. Tell 3 benefits of recycling yard waste (organics = Living or once living organisms)

4. Next go to Home (main menu) research and find out & tell where the compost eventually ends up

Six Fast Facts about Recycling for Residents of Planet Earth! Did You Know? ( wmnorthwest.com) 1. One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television or computer for 3 hours or a 100-watt light bulb for 20 hours. 2. A six-pack of recycled aluminum cans saves enough energy to drive a car 5 miles. 3. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for 4 hours. 4. Recycling a one-gallon plastic milk jug will save enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for 11 hours. 5. Recycling one pound of steel conserves enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb for 26 hours (5,450 BTU). (Approx. 7 cat food cans or 4 dog food cans = 1 lb. [EPA]) 6. Recycling a one-foot high stack of newspapers saves 71.3 kilowatt hours of electricity...enough to heat a home for 17 hours.

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© 2008 John Schmied all rights reserved