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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Recycling IQ

Take a Quiz to Help the Planet

As ambitious folks undertake spring cleaning, questions arise about what is and isn’t recyclable, as well as how to do the right thing on an ongoing basis. The world can benefit from our efforts: The u.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that every ton of recycled paper saves the energy equivalent of 322 gallons of gasoline, while a ton of aluminum cans saves 21 barrels of oil. Putting the wrong items into a recycle bin demands extra time and effort at local facilities. We can test our knowledge by taking this short true or false quiz. Please note that local standards may vary, so check for specifics.

1. Both paper and plastic bags are recyclable.

2. All paper in the form of phone books, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, office paper and paperboard, is recyclable.

3. Cardboard pizza boxes can be recycled despite absorption of grease and food residue.

4. Aluminum, steel and tin-plated cans can all go in the recycling bin.

5. Some of these items are recyclable: Styrofoam food containers and cups, used paint cans, sewing needles, non-empty aerosol cans, garden hoses and clothing.

6. Recycling broken glass is the same as intact glass.

7. It’s easy to recycle a broken or outmoded cell phone or laptop computer.

8. It’s vital to recycle office and other paper.

Answers:

1. False; generally, only paper bags are recyclable unless a grocer or big-box retailer has its own program for plastic bags.

2. True

3. False

4. True, if free of harmful chemical residue.

5. False; generally, none are recyclable. Notable exceptions for foam are detailed at FoamFacts.com/recycling; shipping storefronts may accept foam packing peanuts.

6. False; put broken light bulbs and other shattered glass in the trash; bring all fluorescent bulbs to a local building supply store.

7. True; many consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers, states and charities offer options to recycle or donate devices. visit RecyclingForCharities.com, Call2Recycle.org, Earth911.com or EcyclingCentral.com.

8. True; 30 percent of landfill trash generated annually is paper, outweighed only by plastic and food waste.

 

Image: Photomontage/Shutterstock.com

Eco Tip
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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