Recycling is an important part of our daily lives. In fact, it’s the law, and there is a list of items that are designated for recycling only in CT and may not be placed in the garbage. There are many reasons, but among the biggest is the fact that landfills are filling up and could be gone within the next two decades. There are also environmental hazards associated with landfills when toxic chemicals leak into the soil and air when items aren’t disposed of properly.
Using recycled materials avoids environmental damage from mining, drilling, and harvesting trees. E-recycling, in particular, has become increasingly important – and a major problem. Often, as people replace old electronics and simply throw their old ones away. In 2019, the U.S. created almost 7 tons of e-waste (that’s 46 pounds per person), but recycled a mere 15%. The value of the raw materials in that e-waste is about $7.5 billion.
According to the EPA, recycling 1 million laptops saves enough energy to power more than 3,600 homes for a year. Recycling also creates jobs. It’s estimated that, for every landfill job, there are 35 jobs in recycling processing and recycling-based manufacturing. So, the more we recycle, the more jobs we can create.
One of the problems is people don’t always know where or how to recycle their old electronics.
Every year, as part of its ongoing commitment to the community, The Milford Bank promotes recycling with its Shred & Recycle Days. The event gives residents an opportunity to easily and safely discard their old e-waste and documents.
The next Shred & Recycle Day is coming soon, from 9:00am to noon (or until the trucks are filled) on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at The Milford Bank location at 295 Boston Post Rd, Milford.