US – recycling is up in Oregon, but so is waste generation

Officials suggest that residents take note of what they purchase, according to the StatemanJournal in Oregon. The people in charge of residents‘‘ garbage and recycling collection don‘‘t just want people to recycle more. They want them to buy less garbage. "If there is any improvement or emphasis … it should be on shopping habits," said Mary Kanz, executive director of the Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association, which serves Salem. "Start at the beginning and pay attention to the packaging. If necessary, ask if it can be recycled. People‘‘s awareness level has increased, and most everybody wants to do the right thing."



A report released by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality showed that Oregonians recycled more in 2003 than the year before but also tossed out an extra 74 pounds of waste per person. Recyclers reacted to the numbers the same as if they found plastic bags contaminating the paper recycling bin. "The fact that we‘‘ve already broken the recovery-rate goal for 2005 is significant," said Charlotte Becker, resource director for the Association of Oregon Recyclers. "What‘‘s crummy, on the other hand, is that in addition to recovery going up, (waste) generation has also gone up." Oregon‘‘s goal was 45 percent waste recovery by 2005, and the report‘‘s 2003 numbers showed 47.3 percent.



However, the Legislature mandated no increase in waste generation per person in 2005, and state officials do not expect to meet that goal — especially given that Oregonians discarded 2.75 percent more in 2003 than in 2002.



Peter Spendelow of the state environmental agency said that waste generation numbers include the stuff that people put out for recycling, so an increase in waste generation actually could be an increase in recycling. For example, he said, more communities are picking up yard debris, which adds to the waste they generate even though the yard debris is composted. There were some highlights locally.



Marion County residents disposed of 1,430 pounds per person, and Oregonians on average across the state disposed of 1,589 pounds of waste per year. Marion County has the second highest recovery rate — 53 percent — for the state, even though it dropped almost 4 percent from last year. Marion County‘‘s recovery rate includes credits for programs that promote home composting, waste prevention and other ideas. Those programs are key, local officials said.



"Our effort here … is to continue to try to educate people to be conscious about the decisions they make in purchasing," said Jeff Bickford, senior environmental engineer at Marion County. "Recycling is still better than throwing it away, but it is always better to not purchase it in the first place. Buy things that are reusable." Of the waste still heading to the landfill or incinerator,18 percent is food waste, 22 percent is paper and 5.5 percent is wood waste, Bickford said.



The good news is that there are new markets opening for recycling the products that people buy. "The recycling industry continues to create new definitions of what is recyclable," said Alex Cuyler, chairman of the Association of Oregon Recyclers and recycling analyst for the city of Eugene. "Five years ago, you might not have seen carpeting or fluorescent lamps or gypsum wall board (being recycled). As people get more creative, stuff that was previously considered waste is now recyclable." Cuyler noted, however, that recycling organizations struggle with creating markets. It‘‘s like the-chicken-and-the-egg debate, he said.



"Which comes first?" he said. "The market for the material or the collection of the material? That‘‘s always the big question."ht>