Do your part
Do your part
By: Gabriel Ramirez
We all know that newspapers go in the paper bin, soda cans go in the aluminum bin and water bottles go in the plastic bin, but where do oil, batteries and paint products go?
While many of us know that batteries should be recycled we don’t know how to recycle them or where to take them to be recycled.
According to Jaimy Gentry, waste management specialist for the Kern County Waste Management Department, it is our responsibility to dispose of these items properly.
“Hazardous waste is not only illegal to dispose in a landfill but throwing it in your trash or dumping it down storm drains can be dangerous to your health, the health of others and the environment,” Gentry said. “Dumped into the ground or street, these types of hazardous waste materials can enter storm drains and potentially contaminate our ground water supply.
While the Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens does not handle hazardous waste, with the exception of electronics, its vice president of public relations and community affairs, Lisa Plank, feels that minimizing adverse effects on the environment should be people’s concern when disposing of hazardous waste.
“The damage done to the environment by improper and irresponsible disposal is often irreparable and, in many cases, dangerous,” Plank said.
According to Plank, every ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 60 pounds of air pollution.
“Recycling accounts for more than 2.35 million tons of glass bottles, 54 billion aluminum cans and billions more plastic and paper items that is kept out of the landfills every year,” Plank said. “That is based on the relatively small percentage of people that recycle. Imagine how much more we could keep out of the landfills if everyone did their part and recycled.”
Other locations for recycling include the Goodwill Industries of South Central California.
Goodwill has eight donation centers in Bakersfield, one in Taft, one in Delano and one in Ridgecrest.
Goodwill receives many different types of items as donations, which include clothes, cars, furniture and electronics.
“If donations are in good condition they are sold in our retail stores and if they are not in good condition they go to one of our two Clearance Centers to be sold in auctions. If they don’t sell then they are recycled in a more traditional way,” said Ken Beurmann, vice president of business development. “As you can see, Goodwill has essentially a three-step process to try and prevent donations from winding up in local landfills.”
There is no cost for dropping off materials at the Goodwill and in some instances the Goodwill will even come out to your residence or work and pick-up any donations free of charge.
Beurmann said he has seen an increase in recycling competition, which is a good thing for the planet.
“Goodwill has been in business for over 100 years and again, the very nature of the business design is to recycle items rather than throw them away, Beurmann said. “In fact, Goodwill recently partnered with Levi’s and the initiative is called “A Care Tag for Our Planet.” From now on all Levi jeans will have a message printed on the tag that encourages customers to donate the jeans to Goodwill after they are done with them rather than throw them away.”
If you are ever in doubt where items should be taken for disposal you can contact the Kern County Waste Management Department.
“The Kern County Waste Management Department provides environmentally safe management of liquid and solid waste. We are responsible for operating seven landfills, five transfer stations and four transfer bin sites,” Gentry said. “We also operate three special waste facilities and provide information to the residents of Kern County regarding recycling and ways to reduce waste. In addition, the Department oversees the operation of several wastewater treatment facilities.”
If you are looking to take materials to one of the seven landfills you should be aware that the landfills only accept non-hazardous solid waste such as household trash, appliances, scrap metal, bulky items such as sofas, chairs and mattresses, electronic waste, greenwaste, tires and construction and demolition waste.
“Most Kern County landfills and transfer stations operate diversion programs to recycle materials. We encourage the public to separate these materials from other household waste so that they can be recycled,” Gentry said. “Reducing, reusing and recycling are important because they save natural resources and reduce the amount of waste buried in landfills. Recycling reduces green house gas emissions that contribute to global warming, saves energy and improves air quality. Every person in Kern County can make a difference and improve the quality of life by recycling.”