Closing the loop through practice of recycling
By Connie Wiggins
Director
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful
for GwinnettForum.com

June 29, 2001 -- Recycling for some means rinsing out used food cans and bottles or bundling newspapers, setting them out on the curb for pickup or taking them to a drop-off center. Presto: they've done their part to help the environment. And while all of that is very important and necessary, that's not the whole story.

Recycling is a continuous process. You've probably seen the symbol of three arrows shaped like a triangle. In reality, though, they stand for "Collection, Processing and Manufacturing." Simply put, "recycling" is just that - a cycle. And while that sounds simple enough, too many of us forget that each step is equally important.

It begins when we buy a product. We use the product and then sort it from our waste for collection and prepare it for recycling. Once collected, the materials are taken to a recycling center where they are processed and prepared for use by industries as a raw material. The materials are used in the making of new products. The products are returned to the shelves, "closing the loop" when you buy the product.

We can't ignore the many positive benefits from recycling to our community. In addition to the obvious - saving energy, reducing the load on our landfills, preserving natural resources and enabling each of us to become actively involved in improving the environment - there are also financial incentives to recycle.

For instance, recycling in Gwinnett creates 1,000 jobs per year. The buy-back program at the Recycling Bank of Gwinnett, where people can be paid according to weight for aluminum cans, newspapers, plastics, white computer paper and office paper, also supplements incomes and creates a funding source for community groups.

There are hundreds of opportunities to recycle in Gwinnett for aluminum cans, automotive fluids, magazines, metal products, batteries, clothing, newspaper, office paper, junk mail, telephone books, cardboard boxes, glass jars and bottles, plastic bottles and tires. Curbside collection of aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles and newspaper is available for all of unincorporated Gwinnett.

Put all together, these are a big reasons why the Georgia Department of Community Affairs named Gwinnett County as the best waste management program in the state for 1999.

So, how can you help complete the recycling cycle? Here are some ways:

Start a recycling program where you work. Contact Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful at 770-822-5187 or www.gwinnettcb.org for a free consultation on reducing your businesses' waste stream.

Separate the recyclable items from your household garbage and decide if you'll take them to a drop-off center or have them picked up on your curb with your regular garbage service

Make sure your recyclables are properly prepared for recycling. For instance, all containers need to be rinsed of any food or liquid, and newspapers should be separated from office paper and junk mail.

Buy products that are made from recycled products. Read labels carefully - they'll tell you if the product or container is made from "post-consumer" content.

Recycling your goods is a good thing; in fact, more then 65 per cent of Gwinnett households recycle. But closing the loop will ensure that Gwinnett enjoys a cleaner future. And our children will thank us for it.

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