Dear Recycle Lady,
What is recycled water? I can’t imagine reusing water!
Interested
Dear Interested,
Recycled water, also called reused or reclaimed water, is highly treated wastewater. The recycling process involves advanced treatment methods to remove harmful organisms and impurities in order to make it suitable for reuse. Water from sinks and showers, as well as industrial processes, domestic sewage and stormwater runoff can be treated and used for other purposes such as irrigation for agriculture, golf courses, landscapes, ground water replenishment, and even potable water supply. Recycled water that is to be used for drinking must meet all regulations required of water utilities.
Water recycling is good for the natural environment as it reduces the demand for freshwater sources like rivers and lakes and can reduce water scarcity in drought-prone regions. According to , it is a shift from a linear ‘take-use-dispose’ water model to a more circular and sustainable approach.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What exactly is a carbon footprint?
Need Information
Dear Need Information,
According to nature.org, a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)) that are generated by our actions and activities. Sometimes called the greenhouse footprint, your carbon footprint can be measured with a carbon footprint calculator. They can be found on several sites, such . The average carbon footprint for someone living in the U.S. is 16 tons a year, which is one of the highest rates in the world. We can all lower our carbon footprint by making small changes in our lifestyle: walking short distances instead of driving, eating locally grown produce instead of produce that uses fuel to be brought in, and taking shorter showers which use less hot water, thus less energy to heat the water.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is single stream recycling? Is it used at the Recycling Center in Ronceverte?
Puzzled Recycler
Dear Puzzled Recycler,
Single stream recycling was introduced in the mid-1990s as a way to put all recyclables in a single bag, with no sorting required. In other words, all paper, metals, plastics, aluminum, cardboard, junk mail, and any other recyclable items were all put in the same bag and taken to a recycling center. Large cities have dedicated equipment that sorts all these recyclables and places them in the proper bins. However, the Recycling Center doesn’t have this very expensive equipment or the number of employees necessary to sort mixed recyclables. Thus, any bags of mixed recyclables that are left at the Center are sent to the landfill.
Interesting Information – Ocean coral is not made up of rocks. It is made up of animals called coral polyps! These tiny animals make up the ocean’s coral reefs; a large underwater ecosystem. Often called “rainforests of the sea,” these reefs support a huge variety of marine life and help protect coastlines from waves and storms.
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to [email protected]. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling