Esther K. Davis
Trans-Jordan Landfill
Compliance and Safety Coordinator/ Public Education
November 22, 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
2011
Plastics
Material
Weight
Generated
31.84
Weight
Recovered
Recovery as Weight
Percent of
Discarded
Generation
2.65
Utah Debate Conference 2013
8.3%
29.19
2011
Material
Weight
Generated
Weight
Recovered
Recovery
as Percent
of
Generation
Weight
Discarded
Plastics
31.84
2.65
8.3%
29.19
Paper and
paperboard
70.02
45.90
65.6%
24.12
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Municipal Solid Waste
 1 yd3 of Uncompacted
municipal solid waste
weighs 350 lbs.
Plastic Bottles
 350 pounds of
uncompacted plastic
takes up twenty times
the space!.
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Municipal Solid Waste
 1 yd3 of Uncompacted
municipal solid waste
weighs 350 lbs.
Plastic Bottles
 350 pounds of
uncompacted plastic
takes up twenty times
the space!.
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
Utah Debate Conference 2013
These fences are 16’ high. Over 70% of trash caught on fence is
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plastic bags!
 the number of landfills
has decreased from
almost 8,000 in 1988 to
1,767 in 2012.
 Factors for landfill
closings:
 Regulations protecting
the environment of
become more stringent
 Consolidation
 Use of plastics have
filled the landfills at a
increased rate since
1970.
Utah Debate Conference 2013
 Glass
 Environmentally cleaner
 Breakable
 Heavy to use and heavy
to ship
 Metal
 Environmentally cleaner
 Less pleasing as you
cannot see contents
 Still lined with plastic to
prevent metal corrosion
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Needed Plastics
Some items are
better with plastic
such as:
Medical items
Automobile parts
(less weight better
fuel mileage)
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Utah Debate Conference 2013
National Recycling
Rates
Salt Lake County
Recycling Rate
47%
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15%
 I don’t know what the types of
plastic are?
 I don’t know which plastics can
be recycled?
 I don’t want to wash my
recycling, do I have too?
Utah Debate Conference 2013
 Let’s make this easy:
 All clean plastic containers can be
recycled
 One exception….styrofoam
 No need to know numbers
 If in doubt, if it is clean, throw it in the
recycle can!
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 Reduce the amount of plastics that you bring home.
 Re-use the containers that you can
 Recycle all clean plastic containers…except
Styrofoam
 If in doubt and it is clean…put it in
the recycle can!
Utah Debate Conference 2013
 Biocycle magazine, www.jgpress.com/biocycle.htm
 Environmental Research and Education Foundation,
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www.erefdn.org
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, www.isri.org
“Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and
Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for
2011,” U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste,
www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
National Solid Wastes Managment Association,
www.nswma.org
“National Source Reduction Characterization Report,”
U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste, www.epa.gov/osw
Utah Debate Conference 2013
 Elementary Policy
 The State of Utah should ban the use of plastic
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shopping bags and bottles.
Jr. High/ Middle School Policy
The State of Utah should establish a policy
significantly decreasing plastic waste.
Jr. High/ Middle School L-D
Individuals have a moral obligation to reduce plastic
waste in their communities.
Utah Debate Conference 2013

 Esther Davis
 Compliance and Safety Coordinator - Environmental
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Educator
10873 S. Bacchus Hwy (U-111)
PO Box 95610
South Jordan UT 84095-0610
801-569-8994 ext 23
801-352-0578 fax
edavis@transjordan.org
www.transjordan.org
Utah Debate Conference 2013