WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) marked America Recycles Day (November 15) with praise and optimism, saying options for residential and commercial recycling have grown tremendously in recent years, and the ease and convenience of "single stream" recycling programs have increased consumer awareness and demand for accessible community recycling. EIA is the trade association representing America's private sector solid waste and recycling industry, including collectors and haulers, processors and equipment manufacturers.
EIA noted that with this growth in recycling also has come some confusion about how the single stream process—in which all recyclables are placed in one bin for collection and sorting—really works, and whether the recyclables actually end up recycled, in a landfill or in a waste-to-energy facility.
"I can assure skeptical Americans that the items you place in your blue recycling bin—aluminum and steel cans, newspapers, glass bottles and jars, plastics, cardboard and corrugated boxes—really do make it to a recycling facility, called a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)," said Sharon H. Kneiss, President and CEO of EIA. "At the MRF they are sorted by a combination of high-tech machinery and dedicated workers who oversee the operation and provide quality checks. It's pretty amazing technology."
[For video of a MRF in operation, visit www.environmentalistseveryday.org/recycling]
Kneiss said these technologies have made recycling easier and more convenient than ever, making curbside recycling programs extremely popular in residential neighborhoods and with businesses across the U.S.
"Americans are recovering more of their waste now than ever," she said. "EPA's latest figures show we recycle or compost about one third (34.1 percent) of all municipal solid waste. We are recycling about 65 million tons—a number that has been rising year after year, even during the economic downturn. Our recycling rate has tripled in less than twenty years, largely due to single stream recycling and curbside pickup, technologies that were advanced by the solid waste industry."
What can Americans do to improve recycling collection rates? "There are still communities where curbside recycling isn't being offered. Consumers who want these services should get in touch with community officials to encourage more recycling," said Kneiss.
In addition, residents who live in multi-family housing or work in high-rise buildings currently may not have recycling, because of infrastructure challenges in those large buildings. And some urban public spaces, including commercial areas where we shop and dine, as well as recreational areas such as parks and beaches, don't make recycling collection as available as they could.
"America's solid waste and recycling industry has developed solutions to overcome some of the recycling collection challenges found in apartment and office buildings and public spaces," Kneiss added. "Building owners should consult with their solid waste services provider to inquire about ways they can offer more recycling opportunities for their tenants."
The Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) is the trade association that represents America's private-sector solid waste and recycling industry. EIA's members include garbage collectors, processors, recyclers and equipment manufacturers. Its members conduct business in all 50 states. For more information about how innovation in the solid waste and recycling industry is helping to solve today's environmental challenges, visit www.environmentalistseveryday.org.