Business recycling 101

Business recycling 101. California department of public works (2011). Retrieved July 15, 2011 from http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/dpw/solidwaste/business_recycling_program/business_waste_reduction.htm

Waste Reduction Program Related Links The Business Recycling News   ● Volume 2, Issue 1   ● Volume 1, Issue 6   ● Volume 1, Issue 5   ● Volume 1, Issue 4   ● Volume 1, Issue 3   ● Volume 1, Issue 2   ● Volume 1, Issue 1 Get a handle on the resources your business is throwing away! There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled. The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail. Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. A modern glass bottle would take one million years or more to decompose and even longer if it's in the landfill. Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composted. Making new paper from recycled paper uses 30-50% less energy than making paper from trees and it reduces contributions to air pollution by 95%. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours For every ton of waste paper recycled, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space is used.	Business Recycling 101
	The California Legislature passed the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, (AB 939) which required every city and county in the state to meet the mandated 50% diversion of waste from landfills by the year 2000 and beyond. Jurisdictions that fail to meet these targets are subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day.   Since inception, not all jurisdictions have met the 50% rate due in part to low recycling participation rates and many recoverable items are still sent to landfills. Businesses and industry alone generates 60% of California’s waste stream. Reducing the amount of waste a business produces saves valuable landfill space and decreases the disposal costs a business incurs.   As a business leader, your participation is critical in achieving the waste diversion goals set forth by the State. Business owners and managers can save money by incorporating a recycling and source reduction program into their business plan.   Business recycling not only allows the County to attain state mandated goals, but there are tangible benefits in adopting waste reduction and recycling program. The increased interest in recycling, especially business recycling, stems from the requirement for every city and county in the State of California to divert 50% of their solid waste from landfills, as required by the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. Why Should My Business Recycle? It saves your business money by reducing waste disposal fees. It diminishes the need for landfill space (every ton of paper recycled saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space). It saves natural resources (for every ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are saved). It saves energy costs (the manufacturing of paper products from recycled paper uses 64% less energy than paper made from virgin pulp). It saves water (it requires 50% less water to manufacture paper products if recycled paper is used instead of trees). And finally, it helps safeguard air quality (recycled paper produces approximately 60% less air pollution and more than 30% less water pollution. Reducing waste and unwanted disposal costs is a good practice for any business, school non-profit and home. The County of San Bernardino, Public Works Department Solid Waste Management Division, has staff that can assist you with a Business Waste Reduction Program tailored to your needs. There are also several other programs available. The pages on this site will assist you in the areas of waste reduction, recycling and reuse. Thank you! What We Throw into our Landfills   These are the types of materials that end up in California landfills.  Many items are recyclable, such as paper, metals and glass.  Organics include food and yard trimmings, which can be composted into rich fertilizer. Source: California Integrated Waste Management 1999 Solid Waste Characterization Study  Upcoming Business Waste and Reduction Workshops! (Check back soon for  locations, times and dates)
To Contact Us: 1-800-722-8004 Visit our main webpage www.sbcounty.gov/dpw/solidwaste