Wash. recycling rate hits nearly 51 percent
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - State officials say Washington's recycling rate hit 51 percent in 2011.
It's the first time the recycling rate has surpassed the 50 percent goal set by a 1989 state law.
The Department of Ecology said Tuesday that residents are recycling more and throwing away less waste. Residents tossed out about 170,000 fewer tons of waste in 2011 than they did in 2010. They also recycled 186,000 more tons in 2011 than the year before.
Officials say recycling conserves energy, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduces residents' exposure to toxic chemicals.
It's the first time the recycling rate has surpassed the 50 percent goal set by a 1989 state law.
The Department of Ecology said Tuesday that residents are recycling more and throwing away less waste. Residents tossed out about 170,000 fewer tons of waste in 2011 than they did in 2010. They also recycled 186,000 more tons in 2011 than the year before.
Officials say recycling conserves energy, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduces residents' exposure to toxic chemicals.
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Btw, my name is Joshua Litchman and I am an intern at a company called Causes International. We promote individuals to upcycle or eCycle their own used electronics in their communities. The upcycling process raises money for non-profits around the country. We also try to educate people about upcycling. To learn more about our mission visit our website at www.causesinternational.com, or check out our twitter:http://twitter.com/CausesIntl.
Wow..,this is great news...way to go WA - and Waste Management.
I can't speak for everyone, but I know in our home, we would recycle at LOT more if they picked it up more than twice a month. Every week we have more to recycle, but our recycle bin is completely full so we have no choice but to put recyclables in the garbage can instead (which is picked up every week). They should pick up recycling as much as they pick up garbage and I can guarantee that we'd recycle more.
 @USN You can get an additional recycling bin instead of throwing it away.Â
@lakeview @USN We have had the same problem. I'll check to see if we can get another recycle bin.
@lakeview That is true. But in keeping with the article about how they're wanting to have recycling up, it would seem that picking up recycle as often as they pick up garbage would be a given. I guess in simplest terms: If they want recycling to be up and to keep garbage waste down, why pick up recycling only half as often as garbage?
I have always tried to recycle and I applied it to my business. It takes more time, more storage space and costs you a little more, but the end results we are preserving items that can be melted down, shredded, broken up and reused. Some things like aluminum can be reused again and again with only a little effort. Keep up the good work people.
My son collects cans and so far has made almost $80 smashing cans and turning them in to the recycle place.
@Tattooed_Angel Our youngest son does that too. We told him that its his responsibility and that any money that is made he gets to keep. We also told him that if we smash the cans, we are keeping the money for ourselves! LOL!!! Needless to say, he takes care of smashing them! He likes getting the money!
Heh, we've seen how much 'recycling' goes on in Olympia with the same old ideas all the time.
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Good on us I guess, but like others here I lament the reduced recycling options for those who don't have regular trash pickup.
Too bad the list of recyclable articles that aren't accepted at my transfer station is so long. I throw away a lot of plastic because they don't accept it due to it's shape (veggie trays, mouth size vs base size, etc.).
I had to give up recycling when the state stopped recycling at at the garbage transfer stations. Â I know it saved some money but is sucks from my standpoint.
IÂ think this is great news.
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Now if we could just get people to purchase less....
 @commonHuskyfan We'd all love to see your plan to have people purchase less without tanking the economy and running unemployment back up to 10+%.
@My_Thoughts I believe maybe it is time for our economy to tank for people to get their head screwed on straight. We have a national debt that can NEVER be paid at this rate, and you are telling me we need to spend more money? That equation never works.
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It is major corporations holding onto their bottom dollar and a weak fiscal policy that relies on heavy borrowing that makes it so it APPEARS to be more beneficial to spend, rather than save.
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My original comment was in the context of keeping product out of landfills by the way.
 @commonHuskyfan I've looked over what I posted three times and I still can see the part where I said "we need to spend more money".
Are there some brutally tough choices to be made?  Yes, but people purchasing less doesn't particularly solve any of the problems.
I had thought that companies ought to be taxed in part by how much of their product is recycled.  Not how much can but how much actually is.  Substantial taxes increasingly levied over 10 years or more should make products engineered to be recycled.
Good news.... I hope it all gets reused and is helping our environment..........
we should burn everything whenever the chance is available, gets rid of garbage, and patches the ozone! win win win on that one! Im lighting me burn barrel!