Many people ask me: What is 'resource recovery'? Here's what I say...
Understanding the lifecycle of the materials that we use and discard is at the core of resource recovery.
Resource recovery is the reclaiming of "garbage" materials for a new use. It includes collecting, sorting, and processing materials that are traditionally viewed as waste and transforming them into the raw inputs used to create new products. Recycling and composting are among the best known resource recovery practices.
The intention of resource recovery is always to make the best and highest use of all materials, and landfilling only those materials for which there is currently no use. Over time, the volume of landfill-bound material to shrink to a negligible amount as a result of creative resource recovery efforts.
Resource recovery is an important aspect of environment sustainability. Resources such as food scraps, yard trimmings, discarded paper, plastic, and fabrics are removed from the category of unusable materials, and recovered for their reuse while preserving the use of virgin materials.
Here are just a few examples of reusable materials that benefit the agricultural and manufacturing industries throughout the world.
Composting
Recycling
Art & Invention
Composting
Composting is the process of managing the natural decomposition of organic material. It involves organic matter (such as food scraps and yard trimmings), moisture, oxygen, and bacteria.
Composting organic material reduces our carbon footprints by avoiding the creation of methane gas when this material is buried in landfills. It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and conserves water and energy for the farmers and landscapers who use it.
Recycling (v): To repeat a cycle. To use again after processing
Recycling is the process of collecting, sorting, and converting discarded materials into raw inputs used to produce new products.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists some of the positive impacts of recycling that go far beyond trees. These include:
Protecting and expanding U.S. manufacturing jobs
Reducing the need for landfilling and incineration
Preventing pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin
materials, including keeping 60
pounds of air pollution out of the atmosphere for every ton of 100% recycled
paper used
Saving energy from natural resource extraction
Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change
Conserving natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals for future
generations
Art & Invention
Making art of out recovered materials is essential to inspiring the public to see what they discard in a new light.
The Artist in Residence Program in San Francisco and GLEAN in the Portland area provide local artists with access to discarded materials and a stipend. These programs enable artists to educate and inspire the public about recycling, reuse and resource conservation. The program also supports the local art community to creatively divert materials from landfills and promote new ways of thinking about art and the environment.
