Did you know that only nine percent of curbside plastics and 40 percent of electronics were recycled in 2015? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the remaining plastics and electronics are either disposed of in landfills or incinerated at waste-to-energy facilities, which effectively means that these precious resources can’t be reclaimed.

Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting our planet, addresses these issues through its nationally recognized America Recycles Day.

With an increased focus on recycling and the circular economy across the United States, America Recycles Day is a stark reminder that as consumers, we can be doing much more to ensure the prosperity of our planet. At its core, America Recycles Day is a resource to explore recycling’s environmental benefits, proper disposal methods and the growing need for supportive infrastructure.

At Veolia, we are constantly developing and delivering sustainable solutions across industries to address the growing worldwide concerns around diminishing resources, increased waste generation and limited recycling capabilities.

Through household hazardous waste events, industry reclamation services and electronics mail-back programs, we address our customers’ most pressing problems and find innovative solutions to support the circular economy.

Safeguarding Neighborhoods

Keeping our communities safe depends on responsibly managing household hazardous materials that are found in homes across the country. Disposing of these wastes safely ensures that sanitation workers, pets and loved ones are safe from toxins.

Cities and municipalities are aware of the increasing need to address the collection of household hazardous materials to be recycled, blended for fuel or sent to hazardous waste treatment facilities. Across America, we help cities introduce drop-off locations and organize dedicated drop-off days to better manage household hazardous waste disposal.

Recycling Solvents For Industries

When you think of recycling, what probably comes to mind is your curbside blue bin. But, industries that use solvents in their operations can also take part in the conversation around reusing and reclaiming valuable resources.

Solvents are used across industries and are critical in manufacturing. Recycling materials can generate cost savings and also minimize disposal costs through the use of processes such as tolling, beneficial reuse or reclamation. Accepting materials at five locations across the United States and Canada, we reach up to 99.5 percent minimum purity for selected materials while following the industry’s most stringent regulations.

Convenient Disposal of Common Wastes

The EPA estimates that Americans purchase more than three billion batteries a year. Common household items like batteries and light bulbs can contain hazardous substances but also valuable resources that can be reclaimed. However, the proper disposal of these items can be viewed as inconvenient to consumers.

While common in our everyday lives, fluorescent lamps, batteries and computer electronics are often improperly disposed of, which can have adverse effects on human health and the environment.

To address this, we developed RecyclePak®, a convenient recycling program, that allows homeowners and small businesses to easily and safely dispose of a wide range of items that we collect and recycle in a variety of ways.

In the spirit of America Recycles Day, we are providing a 15 percent discount on RecyclePak® with the special code, ARD15,* that can be used at prepaidrecycling.com until December 15th at 11:59 p.m.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s imperative to be conscious of our recycling habits and ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect our planet’s precious resources.