Recycling Section

National Water Week is the first week of May, and it is a good idea to reflect on why water is so important. Water plays such a vital role in our lives for so many reasons: it makes up 60% of our body composition, we drink it to stay hydrated, it helps to deliver nutrients to the food we consume, we use it to bathe, and it is also used for many other domestic as well as industrial tasks. With water's many uses it is so important to make sure that we are doing everything we can to ensure that we keep our water as clean as possible. Water is so fragile that even if kept in a container, next to a chemical its smell and taste can be altered. Just think about if our large water sources were contaminated with waste. Below are some things to think about in regard to conserving and keeping water clean.

Tossing toxics in the trash:

Rather than disposing of potentially toxic products, such as batteries, light bulbs, electronics, etc, into the trash, recycle them. Some of these products contain lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, which can harm the environment if not properly handled. Visit http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/street/refuse/recycle/RRR.cfm for recycling options.

*Proper disposal of toxic material will prevent those substances from being absorbed into our soil and leached into underground water sources.

Using your garbage disposal:

The average garbage disposal uses about one gallon of water per minute. Reduce your water consumption by learning to compost. Many foods can be composted instead of thrown out or disposed of via garbage disposals, including vegetable trimmings, eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea bags.  Go to http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/street/refuse/recycle/composting.cfm for more information about composting.

*Not sure about how to dispose of certain things you may have laying around the house? Need more information on how to get started composting? Visit the Recycling Program's webpage www.stlouis-mo.gov/recycle

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