Waste

Palmer Trinity School is committed to waste minimization and recycling. We are constantly working to find better end uses for our waste that benefit the economy and the planet.

There are many ways to produce less waste:

  1. Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you throw away and reuse containers and products.
  2. Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.
  3. Practice composting by using microorganisms to decompose organic waste.

Reduce and Reuse

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. By reducing and reusing, Palmer Trinity School can save natural resources and reduce waste management costs.

Benefits of Reduction

  • Saves natural resources.
  • Reduces toxicity of waste.
  • Reduces costs.

Recycling

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Recycling includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers, manufacturing raw materials into new products, and purchasing recycled products. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility is just the first in a series of steps that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Collecting and processing secondary materials, manufacturing recycled-content products, and then buying recycled products creates a circle or loop that ensures the overall success and value of recycling. Some of these benefits accrue locally as well as globally.

Benefits of Recycling

  • Protects and expands US manufacturing jobs and increases US competitiveness.
  • Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
  • Prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
  • Saves energy.
  • Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
  • Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
  • Helps sustain the environment for future generations.

Read more here: http://www.epa.gov/osw/index.htm