Yesterday evening, a colleague and I attended a lecture held by Young Involved Philadelphia at WHYY on Recycling, Composting and Disposal in Philadelphia. I was very impressed by the event, as they broached a wide range of topics including curbside recycling, material recovery facilities, composting services, and landfills. Waste is something that we all generate (according to the EPA, the U.S. averages 4.4 pounds/day/person), but many people have never visited the magical place where all of their materials ends up.... whether it's a landfill or a recycling facility.
I really do think that landfills are magical places; I have never been to a place more effective at convincing people that their efforts to recycle and compost matter. They are humbling, sobering, and tragic all at once, a perfect reminder that our consumption has a collective impact. Conversely, recycling facilities are magical because they hold so much potential for creating something new, and give us another chance to use the materials more wisely. Visiting either of these places can make you far more thoughtful about your own waste stream, but it's pretty rare that someone would call up their local landfill or material recovery facility and ask for a tour (although you definitely can and should).
The good news is that the representative from Waste Management showed this wonderful little video at the event last night, which I am very pleased to share with you here. It allows for the best of both worlds... a great overview of recycling in Philadelphia without any of the smell. I'd love to hear your reaction- please leave a post below!!!!
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