SU Solid Waste Audit Worksheet

This week we are learning about what happens to our solid waste. We are very much a consumer driven society and we make a LOT of waste in our daily lives! For the discussion this week I want everyone to do a 24 hour waste audit. You can download this sheet to keep track of what you consume for a 24 hours period and what will happen to the waste that you generate doing what you do during that time. You don’t need to use the sheet, but it’s a good guide to help you think through what you are using, writing some notes about your waste on scrap paper or tracking it in a note on your phone is fine too. The sheet was originally created for an event in 2018, but it will work fine for us to use as we examine our own practices today.For your initial post, lets look at recycling.After you’ve completed your waste audit you can post the results either as a part of your initial post (if you see the instructions in time for that) or you can comment on your own post with some conclusions based on your audit. Things to think about after your audit:Also respond to the following peer posts:BRANDON-Recycling, in general, is good for the environment. It is a first step in reducing our own carbon footprint and taking a step forward in environmental awareness. Recycling reduces the amount of plastic in our environment and provides a chance for these items to be reused. Recycling also has its drawbacks as there are so many different types of plastic that it can be hard to sort through and some ends up thrown out anyway being put back into the environment and not properly disposed of. We, as a society, are making recycling options easier than ever. Many parks and outdoor recreation locations have cans to recycle plastic and other items that can be recycled rather than thrown away. Townships and other locations are offering proper disposal of toxic products such as motor oil, anti freeze and paint. These changes make it easier to properly dispose of hazards materials so these chemicals do not get back into the environment.After the 24 hour waste audit I was surprised at the amount of trash we produce as a family. I have a young child who is still in diapers and that alone adds to the amount of waste we produce. On top of that we always pack our lunch and use sandwich bags and plastic silverware. We also go through milk and juice containers quite frequently as well. The waste I can eliminate the easiest is the use of plastic silverware and sandwich bags. I can replace these items with plastic containers to carry food and reusable utensils. The option for cloth diaper is there but it would be hard to use with my lifestyle. Instead of buying water bottles I could get a refillable one to use through the day instead of plastic ones I just throw away. I will make more of a conscious effort to recycle more plastic bottles and containers instead of throwing them away.HANNAH-Yes and no, recycling is good for the environment. There are many different materials that must be separated. According to the PowerPoint in the resource folder. Recycling can help limit the landfills and dump sites a country can have. We can use recyclable waste to create fertilizer for plants to grow. This could create a cycle where instead of using a lot of the earth’s resources for a limited time, we could reuse them and give them longer time spam in usage. Something we could do to start the switch is to limit plastic and paper. For example, in the PowerPoint, Denmark has switched to 97% paper recycling. The plastic can be switched to reusable bottles and containers that are eco-friendly.The bad part of recycling is that there will never be enough resources because of the rate we consume them or the people who will follow them. The majority of the waste at landfills could be recycled but people don’t. The bad side is there are toxic materials that can’t get mixed into or recycled. if we burn them and the waste, it just goes into the air we breathe. If we switched to a sanitary landfill, where everything is sorted and packed into clay and didn’t destroy the soil, then it could potentially help the environment.It is very easy to recycle. color coding helps to let a person know what should go where. The big cities have many areas to dump recycling into the recycling center. I think if we added more recycling places in rural areas and taught secondary schools more about how important it is to recycle than we could make changes.In conclusion, Recycling is good for the environment. However, stopping the US from consuming more than European countries would be also very good for the environment.For 24 hours I didn’t waste a lot. In Colombia, everything is very recyclable friendly. I bought a water bottle that I reuse for water all day and week. The food made for us is served on banana leaves and during 24 hours the only thing I did waste was a candy bar wrapper. Most of the food we also get from the garden on site so we don’t use a lot of storage or bags. The are a lot of things I do reuse and then recycle. For instance, the banana peels and apple stems, are then put into recycling where the locals make them into fertilizer.After 24 hours of watching what I waste, I was very surprised at how little I throw away in Colombia compared to life in the US. I think if I was in the US the waste would be much higher than what I had shared. When I live in the US, I can remember every other hour of throwing stuff away, from food to drinkable water ( stuff we take advantage of).SHANNON-For your initial post, lets look at recycling.I have been in Arizona for the last few days and for some reason the need for conservation and recycling here is more obvious to me. It is apparent that the Phoenix Valley is not meant to house so many people. Due to the heat and need to stay hydrated while out and about, I hate to admit it, but we have used so much more plastic by way of water bottles since being here. Having a water bottle is helpful of course, but when you need a refill, it typically requires purchasing a bottle of water due to lack of free flow water. But, we have tried to utilize water fountains where available.Having recycling bins located in regular intervals in high travel areas would be helpful – but as we are all aware, sometimes even getting people to use standard garbage cans can be a challenge.