Junk Mail Facts and Statistics

Anyone who has a mailbox knows that junk mail has all but become an epidemic, especially in the past few decades.

Direct Mail Advertising (DMA) from places like restaurants, car dealerships, political parties and credit card companies account for the vast majority of the junk mail delivered in the United States. Regardless of the source, DMA, commonly referred to as “junk mail”, poses serious environmental hazards.

The Environmental Impact of Glitter

“Glitter seems like harmless fun, but its environmental impact has led some scientists to call for it to be banned.”

Most people “don’t hate the shimmery stuff as a matter of taste or even because of the way it permanently embeds itself on all possible surfaces, infiltrating your life and affecting your sanity. 

Environmental scientists point out that banning glitter is an important step in protecting the future of the world’s oceans and aquatic life.”

How Do I Dispose of Medical Waste?

Medical waste comes in many forms and from many sources. Doctors offices and hospitals are only the beginning. Dental offices, blood banks, and vet clinics also produce medical waste. 

Medical waste can be liquids, solids, semi-solids, or contained gases. They can be manufacturing process byproducts, sludges or spent materials, or simply discarded products. 

Whatever their form, proper management and disposal is essential to protect human health and the environment.

Can I Recycle Laundry Detergent Bottles?

Laundry detergent bottles fall under the category of Plastic #2, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), along with other products like cleaner bottles, milk jugs, and other rigid, non-clear/colored plastics.

This material is definitely in demand and recyclable in many conventional recycling centers. 

How Much Extra Food and Trash is Thrown Away During the Holidays?

Thanksgiving marked a day of family, friends and giving thanks for all of the wonderful things we have in our lives. One of these things, unlike some other countries, is an overabundance of food.

“In 2016 nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. 

The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday.”

How Can I Dispose of Used Paint Cans?

All paints basically fall under two solvent categories, which define their type: water-based and oil-based.

“Water-based paint actually has water as a solvent, and is most commonly called "latex" paint even though it does not contain latex. Many water-based paints are made with acrylic and may be called "acrylic latex."

Oil-based paint is equally confusing. It isn't actually made with oil; it has a solvent of mineral spirits (also known as paint thinner) or alkyd resin. Alkyd can be thinned with mineral spirits, and latex paint is thinned with water. At the paint store, you can't go wrong with the terms latex paint or alkyd or oil-based paint.”

Diapers in the Landfill

Each year, recycling centers across the nation have to discard disposable diapers into the landfill that people put in with their recycling. Disposable diapers are not only not recyclable, they shouldn’t be put into the landfill….or on your baby for that matter.

It is estimated that 90-95% of babies in the United States wear disposable diapers for approximately 2-21/2 years. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that about 20 billion disposable diapers are dumped in landfills each year, accounting for more than 3.5 million tons of waste.”