CHAPTER 15 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: WASTES AND POLUTION 497 Though recycling makes perfectly good sense, Americans 25% recycle only a small percentage of what could be recycled 23% (see Figure 15.8). Overall, only 13% of all municipal solid waste is being managed through recycling. In contrast, Japan recycles approximately 45% of its municipal solid waste. In an effort to encourage recycling, the federal government has 2 set a goal of recycling 25% of municipal solid wastes by the mid-1990s, and several municipalities in the United States t have set even higher standards for themselves(see Box 15.1) The primary reasons why Americans have been slow to embrace recycling are: (1) the absence of reliable markets for the recycled materials, (2) the lack of incentives for people to recycle, and ()the inconvenience of recycling FIGURE 15.8 When most people think of recycling, they think of Percent of waste being recycled, by type paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic. But one solid waste that of waste can easily be recycled and currently consumes almost 20% of Source: Enger, E D and B (1991) the solid waste going into landfills is yard waste-grass clip- Imterrelationsbtps, 4th ed. Dubuque, IA pings, leaves, and shrub and tree trimmings. Yard waste can Wm. C. Brown, p. 438 be recycled by composting, a process that utilizes the nat ural aerobic biodegradation process of microorganisms to convert organic plant and animal matter to compost, which can then be used as a mulch or fertilizer. Composting can be done by individuals collecting household yard wastes for their own compost piles or on a community-wide basis. In commu- nity-wide composting programs, communities collect and transport the wastes to a organi plan! and citizens either free or for a nominal fee. Because yard wastes take up so much compou mothe to central composting area where they are shredded, processed, and made available to space in a municipal landfill, a number of municipalities and even some states have banned them from landfills For recycling to be successful, it must be made more convenient. One solution is curbside recycling, in which paper, glass nd plastic are separated by the consumer prior pickup at the curbside. Similarly, the disposal of hazardous sub- stances like paint thinner or oil-based paint can be made more convenient by scheduling monthly pickups rather than annual pickups which are so common today. This would not only improve compliance; it would also prevent the disposal of the toxic materials in municipal landfills be recycled. This approach is exemplified by"bottle bills, "laws that require con- bothe bils sumers to pay refundable deposits (usually 5-10 cents)on beer and soft drink con- bs ht requre tainers. In states with bottle bills, 90% of all such containers are returned for tefundab le lep osit recycling, as opposed to only 54% for the nation as a whole. Some have suggested on beverage that we need a national bottle bill Bottle bills are not without problems. Many consumers dislike paying the refundable deposits, storing the empty containers, and having to return them to a store. Retail merchants also dislike handling the dirty containers and providing storage space for them. Even with these disadvantages, bottle bills still seem to make good sense