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"Extreme Recycling" Tips
GOAL: Put as little in the landfill as possible; divert trash to Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse streams.
PURPOSE: Pay less taxes and be a good steward of the land.
FACTS:
- While 95% of what we throw away is recyclable, less than 3% of household waste is presently being recycled in Morgan County. RECYCLE MORE!
- By not adhering to posted guidelines, recycling loads get rejected at the recycling center; this costs us money. So, OBEY THE RULES!
- When boxes are left next the recycling dumpster without breaking down, Sanitation personnel have to stop and take the time to flatten and drop them in the bin; this wastes time and sometimes prevents rounds to be completed, thus trash accumulates at the drop-off sites. FLATTEN YOUR BOXES!
Recycle more... Look for items that you normally would throw away, and start a recycling container for them; for example, clean paper adds up. All those thrown away notes, junk mail, catalogs, waxed paper, milk and juice containers (flattened) can go into the paper recycling bins.
What can I do? Send it back to whence it came: plastic packaging is not taken by Morgan County' recycling provider; they only accept containers marked #1 & 2. But you can put all plastic packaging (fruit and veggie containers, bags, plastic bags, plastic caps, etc.) in plastic bags that go back the grocery store that accepts them (Walmart, Ingles). However, not all stores offer this service; get involved by requesting those stores to accept this packaging for recycling. YOU can make a difference!
What else?
Compost: One-third of the content that goes into some landfills could be composted. The problem is that it takes time to do this; time that busy families don't sometimes have. The solution is to start a "slow" pile of kitchen veggie scraps and lawn waste. This is easy to do and creates great "black gold" humus that landscape plants will love and will cut down on summer watering. For more on composing, click here.
Reuse, Refuse & Use: Make careful buying decisions. Prefer packaging that is plant-friendly. Use personal water bottles instead of plastic ones (use tap water filters if you don't like the taste of tap water). Buy items in bulk when appropriate. Don't buy what you can't use! Give away items that still have use for others (Morgan County maintains a Goodwill drop-off site at the Transfer Station). Get creative with packing materials and other castaway stuff--it's become an art form! (Popcorn instead of styrofoam pellets anyone?) Go paperless; many catalog vendors, banks, insurance companies and billing entities offer online communications and records.
Above all, BE CREATIVE!
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Morgan Couty Recycling Centers
 RESIDENTS:
Recycle your paper and cardboard, plastic (#1 & 2), aluminum and glass containers at the following locations:
- 2153 Greensboro Hwy/US 278
- 4691 Buckhead Road
- 1020 Doster Road
- 2240 Newborn Road
- 1721 Prospect Road
- 1182 Wellington Street
- 1001 Clack Road
- 1770 Kingston Road
- 1000 Newton Road
- Seven Islands Road
- 4861 Lower Apalachee Road
- Transfer Station (2480 Athens Hwy.)
DON'T FORGET to flatten boxes before placing in the dumpsters. This saves time and manpower.
Please continue to recycle your used motor and cooking oil, household paint and pesticides and used electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, etc., at the Transfer Station (2480 Athens Hwy., Madison).
Residents are asked to go through the scales to get the assistance of a staff member, who will escort them to the appropriate disposal site. All recyclable materials—except for electronics, which will be handled by the residents—will be handled by the attendant.
Restrictions
The County will not accept motor oil that has been contaminated with other substances such as water or other liquids, nor pesticides that have been transferred out of their original containers. Residents are asked to bring their own pumps when disposing of quantities of oil greater than 2 gallons.
Electronics
The following electronic equipment is acceptable for recycling: computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, phones, cell phones, typewriters, intercoms, monitors, disk drives, DVD players, VCRs, radios, etc. NOT ACCEPTABLE are: large appliances, air conditioners, irons, heaters or TV's.
 THANKS FOR RECYCLING!
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What's In America's Trash
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Trash Type
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Percentage
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Tonnage
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paper
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40.40%
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71.6 million tons
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yard trimmings
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17.60%
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31.6 million tons
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metals
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8.50%
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15.3 million tons
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plastics
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8.00%
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14.4 million tons
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food scraps
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7.40%
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13.2 million tons
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glass
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7.00%
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12.5 million tons
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other
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11.60%
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20.8 million tons (e.g., rubber, leather, textiles, wood, miscellaneous inorganic wastes)
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Why Recycle
Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility is just the first in a series of steps that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Some of these benefits accrue locally as well as globally.
Benefits of Recycling
- Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
- Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
- Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
- Recycling saves energy.
- Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
- Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
- Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
There are many ways to produce less waste:
- Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you throw away and reuse containers and products.
- Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.
- Practice composting by using microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) to decompose organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings.
The best place to start making a difference is at home. Learn how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to decrease household waste, including food, paper, electronics, cleaners, pesticides, motor oil, and lawn and garden waste. Also, check out EPA's shopping tips to help make smart decisions at the store with resource conservation in mind.
Offices contribute a significant portion of our nation's waste stream. Understand the importance of business involvement in material and waste management, and identify opportunities to engage and motivate employers and employees. Guidance is available for small and large offices, as well as food service organizations and specialized service organizations (e.g. dry cleaners).
Almost all industrial processes produce waste that can be turned into usable materials. In some cases, recycled goods can even enhance a product's quality and durability (such as coal fly ash, which strengthens concrete). Discover how reusing, reducing, and recycling industrial materials and waste can have a direct, positive impact on the environment.
Take steps when shopping to reduce the amount of waste you generate.
(Courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
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