Waste Reduction Forum Tuesday June 26 7 PM

Frederick Library C. Burr Artz Community Room

BROADEN OUR VISION BEYOND BURY IT OR BURN IT

According to the R.W. Beck report commissioned in 2005, Frederick County's residential recycling rate is less than 15%. Only 50% of residents have curbside recycling provided.  And no recycling service is provided to businesses and institutions.   Useful materials are filling up our landfill at an alarming rate.  Does this mean that it's time for a waste incinerator? The Sierra Club, Friends of Frederick County, The Unitarian Universalist Green Committee and other concerned citizens of Frederick County would like to explore alternatives to burning our trash.   This method of waste disposal squanders resources and could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to pay off the bonds.   With comprehensive recycling and source reduction we could:

• Save more energy than is produced through burning. 
• Prevent excessive mining, forest destruction and pollution from the manufacture of products from virgin materials.
• Nurture crops through composting of food and other organic waste materials.
• Invigorate the local economy through recycling jobs and possibly jobs in designing products that are easy to recycle or to make from recycled materials.
• Save ourselves from going into debt.

 Please join us on June 26th at 7pm at the C. Burr Artz Community Room.  We will be discussing comprehensive recycling programs that are succeeding in other communities. Neil Seldman, founder and president of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, will offer us the benefit of his over 30 years' experience in maximizing recycling programs. Frederick County is at a crossroads.  We will also have an open discussion to hear ideas from the community on other ways to reduce waste.  We need to learn how to solve our waste issues by recognizing that there are resources in our trash that are too good to bury or burn.

For more information: Sally Sorbello 301 694-3613; Chris Hodge mdhiker2@...