TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Kent Edwards, Sustainability Officer
THROUGH: Jennifer Alvarez, Interim City Manager
DATE: November 10, 2020
Title
PROCLAMATION TO PROMOTE RECYCLING IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND TO DECLARE NOVEMBER 15, 2020 AS AMERICA RECYCLES DAY.
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City of Delray Beach proclaim and recognize November 15, 2020, as America Recycles Day and encourage all residents to continue to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink their waste whether they are at work, home, school or play, and to Recycle Right every day by putting the correct items in their blue and yellow recycle bins!
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Background:
Recycling is a process that allows materials that would otherwise be wasted to be manufactured into new materials and used again. By decreasing landfill waste and conserving important natural resources, recycling can mitigate pollution, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Common items such as paper, cardboard, food and beverage containers made from plastics, aluminum and glass are known to be recyclables, but so are many other household products, such as cleaners, pesticides, rechargeable batteries, paints and electronics.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency released the 2016 Recycling Economic Information Report, which showed that recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for: 757,000 jobs, $36.6 billion in wages, and $6.7 billion in tax revenues. This equated to 1.57 jobs for every 1,000 tons of materials recycled.
"Rethink. Reset. Recycle." is a new approach designed to eliminate non-recyclable materials from the recycling stream, saving millions of dollars.
Palm Beach county residents and businesses "Recycled Right," and with the inclusion of Renewable Energy Credits, had a recycling rate of 73% in 2019, the 4th highest county in the state.