Is it possible? More and more people and companies are taking strides toward Zero Waste and being praised for their efforts through nationwide reports. Subaru, Nestle USA, SunPower, Unilever North America, and many others are announcing their “Zero Waste to Landfill” programs at some or all of their plants.
How? What used to be manufacturing waste is being reused, recycled, composted or transformed into power through waste-to-energy programs.
Boutiques like the new “Package Free” in Brooklyn are selling sustainable products with virtually no packaging; the presentation of products in the store looks very similar to what customers saw 70 years ago in old-time mercantiles. Get rid of the packaging, and you dramatically reduce what you throw away.
Earth Day 2017 in Las Cruces was our region’s first Zero Waste Event. The City of Las Cruces partnered with the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) and Keep Doña Ana County Beautiful (KDACB) to produce the event.
SCSWA Recycling Coordinator Tarkeysha Burton chaired the Zero Waste Committee, arranging zero waste stations that included a recycling container and a biodegradable materials container. “Food waste that was generated was taken to a local farm for composting instead of being landfilled,” explains Burton. “And food vendors provided patrons with biodegradable/compostable to-go ware.”
In moving toward Zero Waste, the SCSWA is doing it’s part locally through diversion programs – diverting recyclables from being landfilled. The City/County agency was recognized this month by the New Mexico Recycling Coalition with the “2017 Diversion Program of the Year Award.”
Americans produce approximately 4.4 pounds of solid waste per person per day. We get those numbers by totaling all the waste brought into all the landfills in the U.S. and dividing that tonnage by the population. The good news: the number reflects a downward trend from just a few years ago when Americans produced 4.8 pounds per person per day.
Could we do better? Sure! Europeans generate 2.87 pounds of trash per day.
Residents looking for ways to learn more can visit our website at: www.scswa.net/news for articles on steps they can take to reduce their waste at home, like how to green your summer barbecue, how to waste less of the holidays and more.
Green Connections is submitted by the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA), managing solid waste, recyclables, and fighting illegal dumping for residents and businesses in the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. You can reach the SCSWA at (575) 528-3800 or visit www.scswa.com