Monday is America Recycles Day

Since 1997, communities across the country have teamed up to celebrate "America Recycles Day," the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting recycling programs. Dave Mazza, Western Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, says a lot of workplaces have special events scheduled for Monday......"where employees can clean out their files and recycle papers. We're doing a number of programs around America Recycles Day that don't necessarily take place only on that day but are coordinated with America Recycles Day."

Mazza says they are working with Pittsburgh area recycling company eLoop for free disposal of electronics including televisions, computer monitors, CPU's and laptops now through the end of the year. The drop off locations for the electronics include the Murrysville site of eLoop and Construction Junction in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Mazza says there is also the ongoing free disposal of freon appliances. Allegheny County residents can call Appliance Warehouse at 1-888-GOFREON to arrange for free pick up and disposal of refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners. So far in the past month, 1800 refrigerators have been recycled.

Mazza says it's important to get out the message of recycling ...."The public is being bombarded with marketing, promoting and messaging. So you have to make sure there's room in there for your message as well to make sure people understand this is an ongoing process. We need their participation and there are opportunities to make every day...America Recycles Day."

Mazza noted that an average American will throw away 600 times their adult weight in garbage........that's 90,000 pounds of trash for a 150 pound adult.