Use less, recycle the rest

Recycling expert Andy Boyd hoists the catch of the day.

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Story Published: Sep 20, 2007 at 7:47 AM PDT

Story Updated: Sep 20, 2007 at 8:37 AM PDT

By Molly Blancett

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MOSCOW - What do tennis shoes, cell phones and DVD's have in common? Well, they are all consumer goods. And they can all be recycled.

Wednesday, demonstrations billed as “trash talk” at the University of Idaho helped answer the mystery of what garbage really is. The UI Sustainability Center sponsored the event.

"We took a dumpster from one of the residence halls here and we pulled out about half the bags,” said Moscow Recycling Center Manager Andy Boyd. “We sorted out materials from those bags that could be recycled, composted or reused. It turned out that, I would say, about 10% of what we got was actual trash and the rest could be composted, recycled or reused."

Boyd collected several garbage bags full of smaller plastic bags during the demonstration.

"These can be recycled at a few different places here in the Moscow-Pullman area,” he said. “In Moscow you can recycle shopping bags at Safeway and Wal-Mart and then WSU Recycling has an area where you can recycle a bunch of different types of bags, not just shopping bags."

Boyd said recycling resources are available on campus, he just hopes students take lessons from the day and think twice the next time they toss.

And if you're one of those who thinks recycling is too inconvenient, Boyd also has some advice for you.

"Try and find out ways you can reduce your waste in the first place, so you actually have to recycle less,” he said.

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