According to Keep America Beautiful, the average American generates 4.4 pounds of trash per day, or 254 million tons per year. That’s a lot of waste, right? Well, the good news is the EPA reports that American communities actually recycled and composted almost 35% of municipal solid waste in 2013. That’s 87 million tons!
According to the 2018 Annual Recycling Report, Louisiana currently has a recycling rate of 12.87%.
- This report was compiled from 29 reporting entities*, of which:
- 8 offered curbside recycling collection services
- 20 offered drop-off recycling collection sites
- 12 offered Household Hazardous Waste events
*According to the report, an entity is defined as a city or a parish
What can be recycled?
Believe it or not, many everyday objects can be recycled. So stay on the lookout for the symbol, and start recycling things like:
- Aluminum
- Glass
- Paper
- Plastic bags & containers
- Steel
- Automotive parts
- Electronics
- Yard debris
- Food scraps
Tip: know your numbers!
Almost all plastic containers have numbers in or around the recycling triangle symbol. A container with a number “1” or “2” in the middle of the symbol are the easiest to recycle, and should be accepted by almost every recycler. Some parishes require your bottles have a “neck,” so make sure you know your local standards!
What’s recyclable in your parish?
Recycling guidelines vary from parish to parish. Make sure you’re aware of your parish’s dos and don’ts by going to Earth911.com. Just enter the materials you want to recycle and your zip code. Earth 911 will give you a list of where and how to properly recycle in your area.
There are many ways to recycle. Just look around for curbside, school, work, or public space recycling bins. There are plenty of local drop-off or buy-back centers, too. Deciding to make a difference is the easy part. Creating true impact means taking action.
Even receptacle color, shape and labeling influence recycling participation. Check out Keep America Beautiful’s research by clicking here.
For more information about the recycling process, click here or check out the following links:
Recycle today. Restore tomorrow.
- Call 2 Recycle
- Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
- Carton Council
- Container Recycling Institute
- Earth 911
- Environmental Home Remodeling
- EPS Industry Alliance
- How2Recycle
- National Recycling Coalition
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- American Forest Foundation/Project Learning Tree
- Arbor Day Foundation
- The Big Help
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- Earth Day Network
- Eco-Schools USA (National Wildlife Federation)
- Green Schools National Network
- National Recreation and Parks Association
- Nature Explore Classroom
- Points of Light Institute/HandsOn Network
- Best Buy
- Office Depot
Litter less. Recycle more. A formula for success.
There are plenty of ways you can do your part, one of which is knowing more about how to manage waste. Learn more about how we can use landfills, how the overall process works and what you can do to help here .
Don’t think you have time to sort through all that trash? More and more people are incorporating recycling into their daily routines, even at work! Check out the Reycling @ Work program to start making a difference.
