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Reduce!

By the year 2000, 27 states will face great challenges as landfills reach capacity and close. In Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, our 150 landfills in 1980 shrank to only 79 by 1989. That number has dropped to as few as 50 as Federal Subtitle D requirements became effective.

All the while, Indiana's population continued to grow - 5.4 percent from 1970 to 1980 and another 3.5 percent from 1980 to 1990, according to U.S. Census figures. Each person contributes over five pounds of trash per day.

The district supports REDUCING as the best choice for Lake County's future. Cutting the amount of waste we set out at the curb on "garbage day" or toss in the commercial dumpster at work for pickup will require some drastic changes of habit.

Why is reduction preferred?

Reduction is often less expensive than recycling or other options and can reduce the cost of disposing the remainder of trash by reducing the volume of material that must be managed. By preventing waste from being generated, reducing goes further than recycling by:
  • saving money in waste hauling, recycling and disposal costs;
  • conserving more disposal capacity;
  • conserving more energy and natural resources; and
  • decreasing pollution.
Also, recycling is dependent on the availability of markets for the collected recyclables.

Is reduction for everyone?

Here's why...

Household:
Significant changes in the way we live and work have led all of us to produce more waste. Total discards went up 28 percent after recycling when the population only grew 16 percent between 1972 and 1987. Twice as many people live alone now than in 1970, increasing the number of households by 34 percent. Two-career families, smaller households and more appliances meant home furnishing discards increased 80 percent, while major appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines increased 74 percent --4.5 times faster than the population.

Employment:
Total workforce increased by 38 percent, but office workers grew by 72 percent. This was most likely driven by the shift from a manufacturing to a service and information economy and by the rise in the number of two-career families.

Some individuals chose to spend less time on activities such as cooking, cleaning and shopping as free-time dwindled and income increased. The shift from a manufacturing economy to a service and information economy fueled the generation of more paper. Printing and writing paper discards increased by 73 percent, office paper 87 percent and copier paper 150 percent. Total book tonnage increased 24 percent with technical books alone increasing 211 percent. Magazine tonnage went up 38 percent and commercial printing (brochures, catalogs, junk mail) increased 133 percent.

Food and Beverage:
It's true that Americans eat more meals away from home (up 34 percent) and spend more on easy-to-prepare meals (up 58 percent).

What can you do?

Reduce the packaging you buy!
Look for products labeled "reduced packaging." These packages have at least 20 percent less packaging today than in the past three years. This could mean that packaging was eliminated entirely, or the product was changed into a concentrated form that uses less packaging per portion. Laundry detergents are a good example. By making detergents in a more highly concentrated form, the detergent bottles are smaller while the consumer still gets the same number of washes.

 

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Lake County Solid Waste Management District
Merrillville Municipal Complex
7820 Broadway
Merrillville, IN  46410
219-769-3820    FAX: 219-769-3890
lcswmd@lcswmd.com

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