How are you celebrating Earth Day 2016?

This Friday, April 22nd marks the forty-sixth observance of Earth Day. We may be an ordinary junk removal company who recycles, but we are hopeful that we can all get a better handle on the waste we produce. With this being said, to date this year, we have recycled 25,000 lbs. of miscellaneous materials. We have a long way to go. It is crucial that we all come up with a better solution to waste management than digging a hole in the ground and burying it.

What We Know

• According to an EPA study, in 2013 Americans generated about 250 million tons of trash and only recycled and composted some 34.1 percent of it.
• In Ann Arbor alone, residents recycled 12,268 tons of waste in 2014, according to this report.
• The amount of waste sent to Michigan landfills jumped by 4.9% in 2015, following a ten-year decline, according to this article.
• Michiganders send about $435 million of recyclable materials to the dump each year.

How Can You and Your Family Get Involved?

There are so many small changes we can make in our lives to reduce our carbon footprints and improve the health of our planet. Here are a few:

1. Reduce- Request bills, statements, newsletters etc. to be sent electronically
2. Reuse- Shred paper for packing materials or compost. Use old envelopes for scratch paper or notes, or save scraps for craft projects around the house. Don’t be a one-use family! Those plastic bags are made to last forever. Instead of using them once and considering them dirty and tossing them out, embrace the cost-saving idea that one box of reusable bags can last months.
3. Recycle- Even those items similar to glossy junk mail, newspapers, cardboard boxes, magazines, phone books, etc. can be recycled.
4. Compost- Food waste becomes great soil. If you are not using it, your neighborhood community garden may want it.
5. Purchase Less Packaging- Fruits and vegetables have a natural wrapping. They do not need to be put on plastic and wrapped in cellophane.

Join SWANA In Celebrating

The Solid Waste Association of North America is an organization of professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management. Earth Day marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day helps raise awareness in our towns and communities and show appreciation for our earthly resources. Share your plans to celebrate Earth Day 2016 with SWANA. 

Let’s Make Every Day Earth Day!

Even though these steps may seem simple enough, sometimes actually employing them in your everyday life can be more challenging to get started than you think. However, your small efforts really do add up to something bigger. Earth Day starts with us and needs to last all year long. All of us contribute to waste and therefore the need for sustainable waste management. For America to get where we need to go, it is going to take all of us buying into a system that works. Don’t let the calendar stop you from celebrating it in your everyday life.

Need help with sorting junk and recyclables in your home?

Give Chuck It Junk Removal a call today! 1-888-924-8254