Project Evolve strongly in reducing the impacts humans have on the environment. That includes our trash.  Here are some trash trivia you may not know about...

• The average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash a day.
• To give you an idea of how much trash we generate here in the United States, imagine a hole the size of a football field, including the end zones. If we bury all of the trash we produce in just one year, that hole would be 100 miles deep!
• Every year we fill enough garbage trucks to form a line that would stretch from the earth, halfway to the moon.
• Each day the United States throws away enough trash to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.
• Almost 1/3 of the waste generated in America is packaging.
• In 1986, the United States generated almost 160 million tons of paper, glass, metals, plastics, rubber, food and yard waste. This was an increase of 80% over the figures in 1960.
• In 1996 13.3 million tons of waste were generated in Indiana including 1.9 tons from out of state.
• In 1995 27% of the United States' food supply spoiled or went unused (48,000,000 tons).
• Man-made rubbish in orbit includes 8,500 objects and 100,000 pieces of space litter.
• 74,200 fans at Super Bowl XXX generated 75 tons of trash in the Sun Devil Stadium in Phoenix, while 72,000 fans at Super Bowl XXXI generated 68 tons at the Superdome in New Orleans. At Super Bowl XXXII in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, 70 tons of trash was generated by 68,000 fans.

Our goal is to clean up our neighborhoods. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Renew and Respect. The 5 R's. Following the 5 R's leads to a sustainable lifestyle that leaves the human impact to a minimum.

Here is some landfill facts you may not have known:

• In 1979 there were an estimated 18,500 landfills in the nation. In 1990 there were only about 6,300, and by 1995 it was estimated that only about 3,000 would still be open. In just 16 years the number of landfills dropped by 84%. During that same time there was an 80% increase in the amount of trash generated.
• U.S. landfills are closing at the rate of 1 per day.
• The supply of new landfills is expected to be very low. Tough new federal regulations don't encourage the opening of many new landfills. It can take many years and cost between $250,000 and $1 million an acre to open a new landfill that complies with landfill requirements.
• According to a study distributed by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management at the end of 1994, there were 47 landfills left in the State of Indiana. Seventeen of these had less than five years expected life.
• The Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island NY, the world's largest landfill, already has had more than 50,000 trees and shrubs planted on it.
• The cost of landfilling is projected to increase by 2.3% by 2002, recycling by 2.7%, composting by 4.4%, and incineration by 2.5%.
• Old landfills are typically located next to large bodies of water (i.e., rivers, lakes, bays, etc), making leakage detection and remediation (clean-up) extremely difficult. This is due to the incursion of surface water in both instances. Federal and state governments have allowed landfill operators to locate landfills next to water bodies under the misguided principle: Detection by monitoring wells can also be very difficult at lined landfills. Lined landfills leak in very narrow plumes, whereas old, unlined landfills will produce wide plumes of leachate (contaminated landfill water).
• Today, the U.S. has 3,091 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency

We are running out of places to put our trash. We have to come up with a solution that creates a balance. We encourage recycling! At our community center, we will have a recycle center where you can bring items to recycle. Time to think about your trash differently.

Recently, Project Evolve contacted Waste Management, the largest waste management company in North America. We were informed of some updated information on some of our modern landfills. A link will be posted to the report about landfills shortly.

Project Evolve will be cleaning up the Central Florida area and will be needing volunteers! Join us to help make Central Florida clean again! Contact us for more information! Check out our calendar for upcoming dates!

12/13/2011

We are meeting tomorrow behind Bangkok Square at The Plaza at UCF. We will meet at noon, make sure you have gloves, we have trash bags. See you there!

              Update - We collected enough trash on a small strip of 434 to fill one 39 gallon black trash bag! Unfortunately, we were
              not able to get it all. The woods were thick and we lacked the proper tools for grabbing trash. We will be more prepared
              next time. And it looks like it will be on Rouse Rd. We will pick a time and add it to the calendar. Stay posted! Pictures will
              be up soon!