Waste disposal in NJ can be used as an example of waste management across the country. In NJ, as in other places, waste is generated in many ways. Its composition and volume depend to a large extent on consumption patterns and existing industrial and economic structures throughout the state.
Waste disposal is best when it doesn’t have to be done at all. New Jerseyans are generally good recyclers, but you could think more about quantity, packaging, and how you bring food home. Reducing and minimizing the waste you generate is the best waste management.
Read on and think deeply about your wasteful habits, because we’ve rounded up tips to help unleash your waste disposal creativity and keep our communities great places to live.
First, when considering the energy market, it is preferable to incinerate fossil resource waste, such as oil, for example, to recover the energy produced, as we do in many of our state plants. Then there is a second life of waste, which becomes a replacement fuel.
Electronic waste, colloquially known as e-waste, includes obsolete computers, monitors, cell phones, televisions, microwaves, digital cameras, portable electronic games, calculators, etc. E-waste is the fastest growing garbage stream in the world, and according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, only 10 percent of e-waste in the United States is recycled. It’s a shame, as electronics can be processed for reuse, repair, and under certain conditions, recycling. Instead, millions of tons of obsolete electronics lie where they fell after disposal in our NJ landfills.
E-waste is the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream, currently accounting for five percent of all municipal solid waste. E-waste has become a very popular informal name for electronic products that are nearing the end of their “useful life”. Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products that soon become electronic waste. Many of these products could actually be reused, refurbished, or recycled.
Environmental issues are about much more than recycling “stuff”, it’s about getting rid of it, unless you’re willing to pay to keep it for many years. NJ people just don’t have to buy everything. If you really care about global warming, then you really have to replace oil and coal burning power plants with alternatives powered by renewable fuels.
The use of recycled materials is still not very fashionable in our society. The main reasons lie in the average consumer’s perception of recycled products, as well as the price of recycled materials, which is still too often higher than the price of raw materials. Recycling is your chance to keep NJ a clean and healthy place to live. It’s easy, it saves waste disposal costs on your fees, it saves energy and it’s good for the environment.
There are also many different types of recycling. Plastic and paper are not recycled as much as they are “recycled,” which means that each time they are recycled they become a lower quality product. After two or three cycles, the size of the fibers is reduced and they become unusable. Plastics are everywhere, but did you realize that they make up as much as 13.8 pounds in an average computer?
In our homes, offices, schools, hospitals and industries, hazardous and non-toxic solid and fluid waste is generated. No society is immune to the everyday problems associated with waste disposal. Solid waste is made up of a wide range of materials discarded by households, businesses, industries, and agriculture, and the scale is enormous. The United States generates more than 11 billion tons (10 billion metric tons) of solid waste each year.
Recycled products are often close to or equal in price to products made from virgin materials. Manufacturing new products from reclaimed materials saves resources, energy and water, while reducing air pollution and disposal costs. Please recycle as much as you can, NJ citizens, donate working computers and cell phones to organizations that can use them, instead of throwing them away.
Buying refurbished products would also be easy on your wallet and the environment. Recycling points are now located in every NJ town and city, as well as public agencies and offices. Television and print ads and campaigns have also had a positive effect, making it easier to meet our target requirements.
Finally, the primary disposal of commercial waste in NJ is the responsibility of the business owner. The local authority can provide sites that businesses can use (for a fee) to dispose of their waste. Disposal fees vary with each facility and some facilities may be able to pick up loads and provide drop boxes.
