Earth Day 2008 podcast
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Incorporating the 3Rs 
Guest: Matt Hale
Director, Office of Solid Waste/OSWER
March 26@12:30pmS

Sound EFX: computers, cell phone ringing
Judy: For many of us, practicing the 3Rsthat is, Reduce, Reuse, Recyclecomes naturallywe try to recycle our newspapers and bottles and cans when at home. But when it comes to recycling our other waste such as electronics, cereal boxes, or furniture, it can become confusing. But, you know,  its never been easier to incorporate the 3Rs into your busy life. And whats more, by reducing your waste and recycling, you can help curb climate change and save our nations energy resources.
Hi, Im Judy Pino with the EPA Office of Multimedia, and this is Green Tips
Podcast musical intro:
Judy: Did you know that each American produces a little more than 4 pounds of waste each day? Thanks to efforts from cities and companies across the country, practicing the 3RsReduce, Reuse, and Recyclehas become an easy and simple way to make a big difference. .. and Im sure Matt Hale, will agree with me he is EPAs Director for the Office of Solid Waste.  

Host: Lets explain what the 3Rs are all about?

Matt: Sure. Lets start with Reducethis means preventing waste in the first place. For instance, instead of having to choose between paper or plastic when at the grocery store, bring your own reuseable bag.

Matt: Reducing waste is our preferred approach to cutting down on waste.  However, if we cant avoid creating a waste, many everyday items can be reused. Take your old computer that is sitting in the garage, for example. There are many schools and charitable organizations, such as Goodwill, that may be happy to accept it for reuse. This way you are extending a products life, while giving someone else access to technology who might not otherwise afford it. 

Matt: Finally, we come to the last Rrecycle. Recycling is the process of taking reuseable material and making it into a new product. For instance, our recycled cans become new cans and sometimes old products are made into new products, like plastic soda bottles being recycled into fleece jackets. 
Judy:  Now lets face it, picking just what to recycle can become confusinghow do we sort it all outif you will.

Matt: Each town may have different recycling guidelines, so check with your local solid waste department to learn what you can recycle. Also, Earth911.org is a great resource to find your nearest recycler or upcoming collection event.
Judy:  OK, we all know that we should recycle our bottles and cans, but at the end of day, does it really matter?

	Matt: These actions may seem small on their own, but our collective efforts can yield huge 	energy savings and climate change benefits. Manufacturing goods from recycled material typically 	requires less energy than producing a good from virgin material. So, by recycling that can, you 	can help the U.S. save our 	energy resources.  In fact, if you take what we recycled in 2006, about 	82 million tons of municipal solid waste, we saved enough energy to power nearly 7 million 	U.S. homes for a year!

Judy:  We hear so much about climate change nowadays briefly explain what is climate change and why recycling can help to reduce it. 

Matt:  For over the past 200 years, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space, somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. We can see the effects of global warming already, such as shrinking glaciers and shifts in animal and plant ranges. This rise in the earths temperature can change the planets climate.

Matt:  Most people dont realize that by practicing the 3Rs, you can help reduce global warming. The manufacture, distribution and use of productsas well as management of the resulting wasteall result in greenhouse gas emissions. By practicing the 3Rs, you can help prevent or reduce the greenhouse gases associated with these activities. And, by recycling your paper products, you allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Matt:  If you take what we recycled in 2006, we collectively prevented the release of nearly 50 million tons of carbon into the airroughly the amount emitted annually by 39 million cars (1 in every 6 cars/ 17% of all U.S. cars).
Judy:  What can we do to incorporate the Three rs into our daily lives?

Matt: Its easy. Just start by viewing the products you are done using, like an empty bottle or a sweater, not as a waste, but as a material that can be reused. Instead of pitching out old sporting equipment or furniture, how about giving them away for free by posting an ad on FreeCycle.org?  Also, some local governments collect these items for reuse or recycling. 

Matt: It seems like we all have a couple old cell phones and chargers stashed away in our desk drawer. Why not drop them off for reuse or recycling? Our web site can tell you where to drop off or mail in your phone. 

Matt: When at the grocery store, try to buy products in bulk packaging. This means less packaging waste and less trips to the store. 

Matt: Finally, dont leave your 3R ethic at the door. Look for recycling bins when at your local airport, sports stadium, or movie theaters. And, make bring your own bag to the grocery store easy to remember by keeping that bag near your front door or car. 
Judy: For more information on the three Rs please visit:  epa.gov/msw, to find out how you can recycle your electronics visit: epa.gov/plugin; and to find out more about opportunities on recycling while away from home epa.gov/recycleonthego..
Thank you Matt Hale, director of EPAs Office of Solid Waste for your Green Tips

EFX: Music out

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