12 • The Beacon July 29 , 2021
Coshocton County Recycling & Litter Prevention Newsletter Funding provided by CFLP Solid Waste District
Summer 2021
Reduce Your Plastic Usage !
Plastic , it ’ s everywhere ! It ’ s not hard to figure out why : it ’ s lightweight , durable and cheap . An extremely versatile material , plastic is found in everything from appliances to zippers . The same pros to plastic are also what makes plastic a con in the environment . It will not degrade in the environment , it is easily spread around both land and water because it is so lightweight and animals can mistake it for food . Since the 1950s , over eight billion metric tons of plastic have been produced and , of that , only about nine percent has been recycled .
There ’ s no way to completely eliminate plastic from our lives , but we can all do better at reducing our plastic usage . Consider adopting at least one of these tips to reduce your waste .
� Say no to plastic cutlery . American use 100 million plastic utensils everyday ! Keep silverware at work or in your lunch box and decline the plastic . While you ’ re at it , skip the straw , too .
� Ditch the bottled water . Use a reusable bottle and perhaps invest in a water filter , if you don ’ t care for the taste of tap water .
� Remember to use your reusable grocery bags . It ’ s easy to forget them , but start practicing and it will soon become a habit .
� Buy in bulk . Instead of prepackaged , single serving snacks buy a bigger or bulk portion and divide them into serving sizes using reusable containers instead of plastic baggies . It ’ s less expensive and a great way to reduce waste .
� Join Plastic Free July ® for more tips and information : www . plasticfreejuly . org
When you master these steps , keep going ! Take your own to-go containers or ask your favorite restaurants to use biodegradable options instead of plastic or Styrofoam . Stop using plastic ware at your events or family get-togethers and start championing the less-plastic cause . We can all make a difference .
Did you know … Plastic never goes away . It breaks down into micro-plastics that have been found in the soil , water , fish , animals and even human organs !
“ Odds and Ends ” What Do I Do With … Appliances : Our local scrap yards- Coshocton Recycling , Inc . and Lity Scrap accept most old appliances . Batteries : Disposable batteries ( AAA , AA , C , D , 9V , etc .) may be dropped off in the “ Big Green Box ” located at Coshocton and West Lafayette Post Offices and Libraries .
Florescent Light Bulbs : Tube and “ curly ” type CFL bulbs may be recycled at the Coshocton County Health Department .
Furniture : Check with local thrift stores , Goodwill Industries , Habitat for Humanity or Salvation Army .
Motor Oil : Used motor oil that is not contaminated with other liquids may be recycled at local auto-parts stores .
Paint : Old paint may be placed in your regular trash once it is dried out . Add sawdust , cat-box litter or latex paint hardener to speed up the process . Consider donating larger amounts of paint to school drama clubs , youth groups or Habitat for Humanity
Plastic Bags : Clean plastic grocery bags , dry cleaning bags , bread / bun bags , bubble wrap , plastic mailing bags , etc . may be recycled locally at Buehler ’ s Food Market . In fact , most major grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling .
Tires : Tire retailers will normally accept old tires for a small fee .
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Congratulations Are in Order ! I had the pleasure of doing a Zoom presentation in April with classes from Warsaw Elementary and Zanesville City Schools representing 62 students and their teachers . Afterward , Mrs . Lisa Lupher ’ s 4th Grade class ( Warsaw Elementary ) decided to start their own recycling efforts and they should be commended for their achievement ! Mrs . Lupher says , “ In one month … We collected over 1600 water bottles . We collected enough paper to save three trees and we planted one tree to honor Cheryl Kempf , a former teacher at Warsaw .”
We thank you for your efforts !
Coshocton County Recycling & Litter Prevention
Phone : 740.575.4813 Email : tammirogers @ coshoctoncounty . net 401 1 / 2 Main Street , Coshocton