In my quest to better understand recycling I toured Rainbow Environmental Services in Huntington Beach, respectfully aka – a dump.
As a kid I remember touring the dump, which always intrigued me – the piles of trash, the items people disregarded without giving them to a neighbor, the stench. The mixture was more colorful than turning individual Starburst candies into a ball.
The same feelings returned yesterday when seeing the piles of trash, couches, mattresses, plastic bottles, clothes, wood, paper. Admittedly I felt pride in knowing this amazing company, Rainbow Environmental Services, and their 210 employees are work tirelessly to reclaim as much trash as possible via hand picking and distribution.
Good news – nearly 80% of their efforts are reclaimed. Their efforts include:
- Converting broken glass into counter tops
- Recycling grocery store produce into organic potting soil
- Trash is hand picked and distributed for recycling
- Providing recycled aggregate for LEED and sustainable projects
- Rainbow Environmental Services is 100% employee-owned
What’s the lesson learned – please consider your environmental footprint when buying something. Here’s one simple, easy trick — bring your own bag to carry your purchased items.
If you’d like to learn more, check out these videos taken from the tour.
The public’s drop off point
http://youtu.be/wASA0guIp54
The starting point
http://youtu.be/RI4SZ26TLeY
Hand picking and sorting the trash
http://youtu.be/heYG350PByU
30,000 cans
http://youtu.be/h5TpXVPZUic
Plastic containers, milk jugs, wires & paper
http://youtu.be/XXJ-l4UTcNU