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Fact Sheet Environmental Consequences of Our Solid Waste Management Choices Page 3 of 3 <br />* Waste /Source Reduction is the attempt to reduce the amount and toxicity of waste by not <br />generating it in the first place, because waste and its potential environmental consequences is <br />produced when a waste is discarded. Examples include using reusable instead of disposable <br />cups, or limiting or eliminating the use of lawn and garden chemicals. <br />Recycling means taking a waste material and converting it to another product in a <br />manufacturing process, instead of using virgin materials. For example, many paper mills use <br />old newspapers and cardboard to make new paper products instead of using trees. Overall, <br />environmental impacts from recycling, such as use of fuel in recycling trucks, are outweighed <br />by the reductions in energy use, air and water pollution, wildlife habitat, etc. <br />*Composting of yard waste, food waste, or other organic materials results in a finished compost <br />that can be added to gardens, lawns, or farm fields to enrich the soil. This is similar to the <br />natural process that occurs in forests and prairies, whereby leaves or other plant matter decays <br />and becomes part of the soil. <br />• Resource Recovery includes waste -to- energy (incineration) plants that take solid waste that is <br />not recycled or composted and convert it to fuel for producing electricity (or other forms of <br />power). This reduces the environmental impacts from use of coal or nuclear fuel to produce <br />electricity. The Ramsey /Washington County Resource Recovery Facility in Newport, MN, is a <br />refuse- derived -fuel plant a type of waste -to- energy facility —and each year it produces the <br />amount of electricity needed for 28,000 homes. <br />How do I get more information? <br />[here are other fact sheets about public collection. You can find them at: <br />www.co.ramsey.mn.us/recovery/index.htm <br />you have any questions you can also call the Ramsey /Washington County Resource Recovery <br />Project at (651) 773 -4494, send an e -mail to public_ .collection chi co.ramsey.mn.us, or leave a <br />nessage at (651) 773 -4476. <br />It-mad voz:: cl>rrs <br />auestio <br />a .cli <br />�'11 <br />East Update: 08/24/2001 07:33:20 <br />1 'tp: / /www.co.ramsey.mn.us / recovery/ fact_ sheet_environmental_consequ.htm 1/18/02 <br />