Just
a few years ago, this place was called Dumptown. For years, the folks living
here hadn't thought much about where waste went when they threw it out. And,
eventually, that became a very BIG problem...
Because Dumptowners didn't know what happened to waste after it was thrown away, they thought nothing of dropping empty soda cans here and there or putting cans of leftover paint right into their trash cans.
Things that easily could have been reused or recycled were tossed in the trash, because nobody believed recycling made a difference. At the dump, they threw dangerous chemicals and poisons (hazardous waste) into the regular garbage (solid waste).
The garbage heap grew and began to smell. Sometimes it caught fire, sending toxic smoke into the air and making it hard for everyone to breathe. Dumptowners tried moving away from the mess, but wherever they moved, the problem was still there—on the ground and in the air. They knew they had to fix it.
They learned to reduce the amount of waste they threw away. For example, they bought items at the store that weren't wrapped in extra packaging, so there would be less to throw away. They learned to reuse other things—like washing out empty jars instead of throwing them away. And, they learned to recycle. They set up bins around town to collect glass, paper, and aluminum that could be converted back into raw materials, then made into new products.
Dumptowners paid special attention to hazardous waste and set up special collection points where people could drop off used chemicals, paints, and cleansers for safe handling and proper disposal. Instead of buying environmentally harmful cleaning products, chemicals, and pesticides, many Dumptowners switched to natural, safe substitutes.
Finally, they closed the old city dump and built a new solid waste landfill outside of town. With the town's new image, it needed a new name, and Recycle City was born. Travel around Recycle City and find out what folks here are doing to reduce waste and make the environment better.
To get started, just click on any section of Recycle City that you want to explore, or click on the Dumptown Game. Create your own Recycle City scavenger hunt or go to the Activities area and see other ways you can put Recycle City to use.
When you leave this place you'll leave knowing much more about what you can do to help protect the environment. Have fun!
Go to: Northeast Neighborhood, Northwest Neighborhood, Southeast Neighborhood, Southwest Neighborhood, or see the text/printer main page
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