Where does our recycling actually go
What really happens to our recycling
As you watch the waste collectors cart off your recyclables, I’m sure at some point you’ve at least briefly wondered where your recyclables are carted off to once they’ve been picked up? Most people assume that their recycled objects will be processed back into reusable goods but how true is this common assumption.How sure are you that your recyclables are actually being recycled and not just thrown into landfills like this one?
The simple answer is you can’t know for sure that your recyclables are actually being recycled thus, why I am here. In this story I am going to show you what really happens to your recycling
This clip provides a quick overview of the recycling issue
This section of video goes over some the common mistakes people make about what can and cannot be recycled as well as the staggering amount of trash produced in a single year
In this clip you are provided with the hard statistics of how much of your recycling is actually being processed and recycled
The point of my making this story was to show you what really happens to your recyclables and the hard truth is that a large percentage of your recycling is shipped off to other countries like China
Solution
Plastic is incorporated throughout our society that it would be nearly impossible to complete remove or ban it so, our the next best option is finding new and more efficient ways of producing plasticsEfforts at Hamline University
Hamline has been well ahead of the recycling curve with having been one of the first organizations to create a food waste recycling program in the Twin Cities in 1991. In addition to that, Hamline’s Center for Global Environment Education (CGEE) has been an internationally recognized pioneer in the creation of numerous environmental learning projects for K-12 students around the world.
The university also minimizes the amount of plastic waste produced on campus by using reusable cutlery and dishes in it’s dining hall, having both recyclable and compostable cups at the coffee shop, and having at least two recycling bins in every building on campus.
