Less is More

Ashland Sanitary began collecting nursery plastic this fall. Ashland Greenhouse’ success with program inspired wider participation. Photos by Melissa Schweisguth

Americans generate about 1.5 tons of waste per person annually, 4.5 pounds daily, according to the EPA. There's lots of room to shrink our waste lines through reduction, reuse and recycling. About 50 percent of paper, 67 percent of metals and 38 percent of yard waste wind up in landfills. This consumes land and the natural resources and energy needed to manufacture items that could be made from recyclables. Ashland Sanitary and Recycling and the Jackson Country SMART Business Program are leading the way to expand and promote ways to minimize waste and maximize landfill diversion.

Creating Opportunities

Ashland Sanitary and Recycling regularly adds new reuse, recycling and composting programs. "We're always open to adding items to our recycling list that have the potential for long term markets," says co-owner Russ Chapman. To maximize successful participation, Ashland Sanitary recently hired Risa Buck as its Waste Reduction Educator. "I look forward to the opportunity to grow the programs especially Commercial Compost and Green Waste. It will be great to get back in the classrooms for Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle education," says Buck.

Ashland Sanitary recently expanded its plastic recycling. Residents can take clean plastic containers ""like those from yogurt and cottage cheese- to the Depot and Transfer stations when their re-useful life ends. Containers from hazardous waste and lids are not recyclable. Plastic containers aren't accepted curbside due to a lack of secure markets. "Due to the ever changing recycling industry, we are cautious with changes. It takes a lot of education to add a service. It takes even more to re-educate a lost service," explains Buck.

Ashland Sanitary also accepted garden pots and trays on its leaf collection days this November. Chapman explored this option after colleagues on the Conservation Commission learned that Ashland Greenhouses has been doing this for several years. With fall planting season winding down, this was perfectly timed to make an impact. Remarking about the pilot program's success, Chapman says, "We collected approximately 350 lbs of nursery plastic over the two days. It's a start and one we hope to build on next year."

Building on Success

Ashland Sanitary is also working to expand existing programs. Buck will reach out to florists, restaurants, coffee shops and other related businesses to maximize composting of pre-consumer food waste, plant materials and coffee grounds. Savings are economic as well as ecological, Buck notes. "One customer will cut their bill in half. Doing the green thing is not only a cost savings but makes what was considered garbage into a renewable product."

Since 2005, Ashland Sanitary has been accepting fluorescent lights, tubes and compact bulbs, for recycling. Residents can drop off up to 10 at no cost thanks to funding from Ashland Sanitary and several grants from the Conservation Commission. With the grant ending, Ashland Sanitary began looking for ways to cover costs. Jim Hartmann, the Ashland School District representative on the Conservation Commission, suggested collecting printer cartridges and selling them to recyclers to raise funds. The school district has done this very successfully. Chapman and Buck researched options and decided to initiate this in early 2007, in partnership with the Ashland Food Co-op and NetInks.

SMART about Recycling

There are many recyclables that Ashland Sanitary and other waste management companies can't handle. However, businesses and organizations throughout the Rogue Valley accept these for recycling such as batteries, computer parts, printer cartridges, cell phones, appliances and more. Many residents aren't aware of these opportunities Paige Prewett, Program Coordinator for the Jackson County SMART Business program (Saving Money and Resources Together), created the "Recycling and Waste Reduction Directory for Jackson County" to fill this gap. "In my work to find waste reduction opportunities for businesses, I had a growing list of local outlets that received and recycled a variety of materials. When (a waste reduction event) happened in May, I offered to compile my resources. It was obvious that the list should be made available to all homes and businesses." The result is an easy-to-read double sided sheet listing local places to drop off a wide variety of recyclables.

Prewett, the Ashland Conservation Commission and Ashland Sanitary are working to expand distribution and awareness of the Directory. It can be found at Ashland Sanitary (ashlandsanitary.com), SMART (roguesmart.org) and the Ashland Food co-op among other locations. Given the rapid changes and advances in the recycling industry, Prewett says, "we will make ongoing updates and changes to keep the Recycling Directory current. The SMART Business program will keep improving and expanding the list each year."

Tackling the Source

Chapman, Prewett and Buck all agree that the best solution is not generating waste in the first place. Buck suggests "Reduce your consumption first. Say no to garbage before it becomes yours. Think twice before you buy new and don't buy stuff with lots of packaging. Let retail stores and manufacturers know about their products. Compost all organic material. Prewett adds "Think about your daily activity. Buy bulk, reuse bags and beverage and food containers. Use canvas bags, compost, buy recycled. Look at a product's packaging and see if there are other alternatives. Consider buying used, rent or borrow items you don't use often, then recycle everything possible — seek opportunities beyond curbside recycling and the landfill."