WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING

Americans generate 250 million tons of garbage per year. What's your impact?

Garbage isn't something we want to think about every day, but managing waste has long-term environmental and economic consequences that can’t be ignored. Since 1960, the amount of waste generated in America has nearly tripled. Our society as a whole - consumers, corporations and governments - must think proactively about reducing our impact.

Keep America Beautiful believes that every consumer makes two important choices that affect the amount of waste in America:

What products we choose to buy or use, and
How we choose to dispose of the product when finished with it.

At the point of purchase or use, consumers have the opportunity to consider a product, its packaging, how it is constructed, whether it can be reused or recycled, and whether it is made from recycled materials. By choosing recycled, recyclable or reusable products, we can extend the functional life of a product and divert it from the landfill.

Purchasing recycled products also helps by creating a market for the recycled material, "completing the loop." Consumer demand is a powerful factor affecting the waste stream, and our decisions make a huge difference.

Once a product has reached the end of its functional life, consumers decide how it will enter the waste stream. Reusing, recycling or composting waste materials is always the ideal option.

Managing Waste

Most communities take an integrated approach to managing their waste, employing several tactics in combination for the greatest effectiveness.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prioritized integrated waste management options in a hierarchy in order of least-to-most environmental impact. Most communities use some or all of these options. Click to learn more about:

Source reduction and reuse

Recycling

Composting organic materials

Waste-to-energy

Landfilling

Extended Producer Responsibility

Community resources to grow and maintain effective waste reduction and recycling programs are increasingly and, in some cases, critically constrained. This makes the current discussion over responsibility for the end-of-life management of products and packaging, and the allocation of that responsibility, even more urgent. As part of our effort in advancing recycling, we endeavor to provide our stakeholders with information on Extended Producer Responsibility approaches, its evolution and implications. Read KAB’s statement on EPR.

Keep America Beautiful's Waste Reduction Mission

Through our network of local affiliates, Keep America Beautiful supports and sustains recycling and waste reduction initiatives in many forms. From comprehensive community-wide solutions to awareness-building events, KAB and our affiliates are devoted to reducing waste in our communities and our society.

Education: The vital link

At the core of Keep America Beautiful's mission to reduce waste is our focus on education. Awareness of waste issues, and promotion of sensible, sustainable alternatives, gives consumers of all ages the knowledge they need to make informed choices and take personal action. Gather more educational resources on KAB's Recycle-Bowl Competition site.

KAB's Recycling Department

Teacher Backgrounders

1. Garbage Basics
2. Composting
3. Recycling
4. Waste-to-Energy
5. Landfilling

Visit Clean Sweep U.S.A., a KAB community.

Reduce Waste with Freecycle!

Reusing products is one the most effective things you can do to reduce your impact. Freecycle is an online community of folks nationwide who share unwanted products with others, diverting tons of waste from landfills. The only rule - everything has to be free. Visit their site to find a local Freecycling group in your area!