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SOLID WASTE & HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Recycling Laws to Take Effect in California
Assembly Bills 1125
and 2901,
give consumers new options  for
recycling unwanted cell phones and rechargeable batteries.
These new laws took effect on July 1, 2006.
Both products can now be returned directly to retailers
at no cost to the consumer. These new laws are the
first to require take-back measures involving the
retailer in the recovery process. The retailers must
now take a measure of responsibility for end-of-life
management for the products they sell.
Cell phone retailers will be required to accept an
old phone  when
a customer purchases a new one or if a customer had
previously purchased a phone from the retailer. Rechargeable
battery retailers will be required to accept any brand
of rechargeable battery it offers for sale. The California
Department of Toxic Substances Control (Sacramento)
will monitor the battery collection program and post
annual recovery rates for each type of rechargeable
battery.
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The Environmental Management Department is committed
to promoting waste reduction, reuse, and recycling in El Dorado
County. The 1989 California Integrated Waste
Management Act (AB 939) mandates that every City and County
divert 50% of their waste from landfills. Please do your part to
help the Community achieve this goal! Below you'll find information
on recycling locations, reuse opportunities, and ways to reduce
waste in your home and business!
Did you know …
Recycling Saves Energy.
Processing raw materials makes heavy demands on energy resources.
About 3% of America`s energy is used for producing product packaging
material. Reprocessing used materials reduces energy needs for mining,
refining, and many manufacturing processes. Recycling paper cuts
energy usage in half. Every pound of steel recycled saves 5,450
BTUs of energy, enough to light a 60-watt bulb for over 26 hours.
Recycling a ton of glass saves the equivalent of nine gallons of
fuel oil. Recycling used aluminum cans requires only about five
percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite. Recycling
just one can saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for
3½ hours.
Recycling Saves Natural Resources.
Our finite reserves of natural resources are being depleted rapidly,
particularly with the increasing use of disposable products and
packaging. It is projected that Americans will generate 218 million
tons of waste by 2000, 152 million tons of that is expected to be
disposed of in landfills and incinerators. This rate of use and
disposal takes a particularly heavy toll on irreplaceable natural
resources such as minerals and petroleum. Reprocessing used materials
to make new products and packaging reduces the consumption of natural
resources. Every ton of recycled steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron
ore, 1,000 pounds of coal, and 40 pounds of limestone. Recycling
often produces better products than those made of virgin materials;
for instance, the tin in bimetallic cans is more refined (thus more
valuable) after being processed for recycling.
Recycling Reduces Pollution
Risks. Recycling reduces
environmental damage caused by mining, logging and manufacturing
raw materials. Recycling reduces the risks of air and water pollution
from manufacturing processes. Recycling paper cuts air pollution
by about 75%. Substituting steel scrap for virgin ore reduces air
emissions by 85% and water pollution by 76%. Recycling also reduces
pollution risks by keeping materials out of landfills. No matter
how strong environmental standards may be, there is always some
risk associated with waste disposal. Recycling and waste reduction
are preferred and effective alternatives.
 Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle Links
 California
Department of Conservation, for information on California Redemption
Values and beverage container recycling.
CalMAX. The
Classified Reuse Ads for California Business. CalMAX is designed
to help businesses, government, and other organizations find markets
for materials that would otherwise be discarded. Materials discarded
by one business can be a resource for another business!
Habitat for
Humanity Habitat's ReStore sells new and used construction materials
to contractors and the public. Check it out!
Integrated
Waste Management Board | CIWMB
Home Gardening
Snowline Hospice Snowline operates thrift stores located in Pollock Pines, Placerville, Cameron Park and Folsom. They also operate a large Processing Center in Diamond Springs. Snowline accepts for donation and offers for sale many household items. Every donation helps the environment and the terminally ill. In 2008, Snowline diverted over 2.5 million pounds from landfills!
University
of California Cooperative Extension, for valuable information
on composting, gardening, and pest control. |
