Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1990)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon January 26, 1990 PAGE 5 Garbage continued from page 1 Disposable diapers total two percent of waste Uuerin, meets Environmental Pro tection Agency standards and will continue to do so, says Graybael. Warm Springs doesn't need to ad here to those standards, but, says Graybael, "Warm Springs wants to comply." At one time garbage dump sites were randomly located in rural areas of Warm Springs. Those sites have been covered and residents who haul their own garbage may take their refuse to the public land fill if they do not wish to have a tribal truck haul it. The landfill is available for most household waste but toxic wastes and vehicles are not accepted. Ac cording to Graybael, vehicles can be removed by calling Ira's Wreck ing in Madras and toxic wastes can be discarded at the Bend, Oregon landfill where proper receptacles are available. Proper disposal of these items prevents accidents from occurring. Recycling is currently unavaila ble at the Warm Springs landfill. It requires volumes of paper and metals to be cost effective, Gray bael explains. However, individu als can reduce waste at home and with awareness reduce garbage production. The public has a major respon sibly regarding proper waste dis posal and reducing waste. Grounds keepers keep many of the tribal grounds free of litter but public use rural areas are not patroled. These areas, used for recreation by area residents, require the care of users. They are not disposal sites and articles left in these places detract from the area and make it unat tractive to other visitors. Public use areas are not places. to deposit large quantities of debris or pop bottles or disposable diapers. Warm Springs citizens have a reponsibility, also, to investigate ways to reduce garbage, to look into recycling and make decisions regarding re-use of resources and peserving resources. Like all citi zens, they must consider the effect ' of continued waste on the future of the nation and the nation's resour ces and on the future of the planet. Through awareness Warm Springs residents can contribute to the solution. Teacher Guides available Teacher curriculum guides about recycling are available from the Oregon Department of Environ mental Quality, 811 S.W. Sixth Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Call I-800-452-401 1 for more information. Ask for Thinking Recycling An Oregon Waste Reduction Cur riculum. Recycle oil Oregonians currently recycle six million gallons of motor oil out of a possible 11-15 available gallons each year. Oil that is not recycled is often deposited on the ground and poses environmental problems to groundwater, streams and lakes. It is estimated that recycling oil could save some 1.3 million barrels of oil every day. Single use disposable diapers are clogging the nation's landfills and making public-use areas unsightly. Throw-away diapers invaded the markets 27 years ago, and while diaper pails and safety pins disap peared, indestructible, plastic and paper human waste packages have emerged. The disposable diaper may be a god-send for mothers who must keep baby clean but is is a scourge for the nation's la nd ill operations. The diaper may not be toxic but disposables account for one to two percent of refuse produced each year. They can be disposed of only by burning or burial. And when added to incresing numbers of dis carded paper, plastic, bottles and cans, the problems become more significant. Disposable diapers cause prob lems of contamination and de composition. The main environ mental concern is quantity. Sixteen billion used diapers went to land fills and two billion were burned last year. To cite a comparison, 16 billion used diapers would cover 25 football fields, 30 stories high. The life of a disposable diaper is ap proximately two hours and it con situtes two percent of solid waste. And because disposable diapers are a combination of paper fiber, plastic, and human waste, it is a difficult product to deal with. The ground water supplies. Although some bio-degradable diapers are manufactured, they are usually buried at landfills and are not exposed to oxygen, necessary for their disintegration. Taxing non-disposable diapers and plastics may eventually result to pay for handling these items. Recvclers are also looking at wavs to sterilize diapers, strip them down and recycle them. Municipalities that must deal with increasing waste are also look ingateducatingthepublic, making them aware ol the eltect their lite styles have on the environment and the consequences of using disposa ble diapers and other non-decaying disposable products. Until solutions are found, how ever, man's waste continues to ac cumulate and can be seen not only in landfills but along streams, in parks and by the roadside. The plastics and disposable diapers will, if left there, be seen there for hundreds of years to come. Students learn value of recycling Recycling is becoming a way of life for Madras Jr. High SMILE students. The Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience club has been collecting paper and bundling it to send to the Red mond recycling center for over a year. Students began recycling after discussing ways to conserve the nation's resources. They discovered that seventeen trees are necessary to produce one ton of paper. The students estimate that Madras Jr. High uses 4'$ tons of paper each year. Approximately 50 percent of the paper used at MJH is now being recycled by the SMILE students. They would like to see that amount increased. Boxes are provided in work areas around the school. Teachers and students have the opportunity to deposit dianers also contain acrvlic crvs- Pa.Pcr ,n ine wasiepaper tals to absorb moisture which form bket or 'ne recycling boxes Not a thick gel when wet. a11 tvPes of paper can be recycled so Another concern is the viruses students make teachers and stu that may be carried by human d?nts aware of th,e kinds of paper feces, including those which cause tnat can be "cycled. Every Mon polio, hepatitis and meningitis. Diapers could easily contaminate Continued on page 8 ,i jv- lit; v-w mm' id mm SMILE students (left to right) Jennifer Tufti, Sunmiet Minnick, and Rhea Pierre plan a poster using paper they ground and recycled themselves. ecycling can help save animals, animal habitats I Many animals and animal habitats are on their way to extinc tion. Ways do exist to prevent this and save some of the species I now on that track. Reducing the demand for and waste of elec Itricity, petroleum products, metals, land, paper and wood and by I becoming aware that when we descard toxic, non-biodegradable I wastes we are creating pollution that comes back to haunt people I and animals alike. I Here is a list of ways to make a difference: I In your home I Recycle everything you can; newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum . I foil and pans, motor oil, scrap metal, etQ. I Investigate recycling centers that take items. I Save your kitchen scraps for the compost pile I Try to use phospate-free laundry and dish soaps. I Avoid the use of household pesticides. Use a flyswatter. I Clean your windows with vinegar and water instead of chemical I products. I "Use cold water in the washer unless it's necessary to use warm or hot. I Use washable rags, not paper towels, for cleaning up spills and I other household chores. I Crumpled-up newspapers are great for washing windows. I Use cloth diapers. The plastic in disposable diapers doesn't I break down in landfills. I Use cloth, not paper, napkins. (Don't put hazardous substances down you drain or in your I trash (paint thinner, furniture polish, etc.). Dispose of them on I designated hazardous waste collection sites. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by I hand. I Re-use brown paper bags to lineyourtrashcan instead of plastic I liners. Re-use bread bags, butter tubs, etc. I Use re-usable containers to store foods. ..not plastic wraps and foil. I Write to companies that send unwanted junk mail. ..ask them to I take you off their list. I Save your coat hangers and return them to the cleaners. I Take unwanted, re-useable items to a charitable organization or I thrift shop. I Don't leave water running needlessly. I ""Install a water saying shower head. I Set your water heater at 130 degrees. I Have your water heater insulated free of charge by your utility I company. I Turn the heat down and wear a sweater. I Lower your house temperature by one degree per hour for every I hour you'll be away or asleep. I Turn the lights off when you're out of the room and the TV. I Get a free energy audit from your utility company. I Burn only seasoned wood in your woodstove or fireplace. In your yard Start a compost pile Plant shrubs and trees in your backyard that provide food and shelter for birds and other creatures. Feed the birds. Put up bird houses and baths. Pull weeds instead of using herbicides. Learn about natural insect controls as alternatives to pesticides. Landscape with plants that aren't prone to insect and fungus problems. Ignore caterpillars and most native leaf chewing insects. I ct birds and insect predators take care of them. Use beer traps for slugs instead of baiting with poisons. Use organic fertilizers. I If you use pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, don't throw lef tovers in the tr;sh down vour drain or into :i vtnrtn vrm r Dispose ol I hem on a nuarcious waste site. Compost your leaves and yard debris. Burning them creates air pollution and putting them out with the trash is a waste of landfill space. Use mulch to conserve water in your garden. Plant things that don't require so much water. Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery. Large expanses of lawn are not good habitat lor other creatures, plus they usually must be maintained with chemicals and exten sive .watering.. Plant native shrubs or trees instead. ; . .;. n.y. t Plan short, dense shrubs close to your home's foundation to help insulate against cold. On vacation Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you go. Carry re-usable cups, dishes and flatware. Make sure your plastic trash doesn't end up in the,?treams. Don't pick flowers or collect wild creatures lor pets.. .leave animals and plants where you find them. Don't buy souvenirs made from wild animals. Watch out for wildlife. ..give consideration to all living things you see crossing the road. Build smaller camp fires. Stay on the trail. In your car Drive sensibly. Keep your car tuned up. Carpool. Ride a bike or walk. Buy a more gas efficient car. , . Recycle your engine oil. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas. Recycle your old tires. Keep your wheels in alignment to save your tires. Don't litter. At work Start an office recycling program for office and computer paper. cardboard, etc. . ? V t $ - ! ' ti ' & Wh f 1 ? ,v r ' ..4' ' I - vJo v.; v. . t . . 1 i I s - - : Don't litter! It's unsightly. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others. Print things on recycled paper. Print or copy on both sides of the paper. Use smaller paper for smaller memos. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders. Hide the throw-away cups and train people to bring their mugs to meetings. Route things around the office or post non-urgent communica tions rather than making multiple copies. Plant trees and shrubs around office buildings instead of lawns and bedding plants. Put a bird feeder outside the office window. While shopping Don't buy food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers if there's an alternative (milk and egg cartons, vegeta ble oil, butter tubs, etc.) They can t be recycled and they don t break down in the environment. Don't buy "disposable" anything. Paper plates and towels, sty rofoam cups, etc. are extravagant wastes of the world's resources. If you must buy disposables. ..buy paper products rather than plastics or styroloam. The manufacture of styrofoam depletes the ozone layer. t ' Buy durable products and keep them a little longer. Cheap furniture, clothes and appliances often have short life spans. Check the energy rating on ma jor appliances you buy. Read labels and buy the least toxic product available for clean ing, pest control and other jobs. Put your parcels into one big sack instead of collecting several small ones. Don't buy things with excess packaging (individually wrapped cheese slices, apples on a paper tray wrapped with cellophane, etc.) Buy in bulk: reduce pollution that comes from the manufacture and disposal of many small packages. Ask questions. ..don't buy products that are hazardous to the environment or that were manufactured at the expense of impor tant animal habitat. Buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible. Don't buy products that come from endangered animals. Don't keep "exotic pets." Personal efforts Join a conservation organization. Volunteer your time to conservation projects. Give money to worthy conservation environmental causes. Check your lifestyle. ..think about the effects of your daily actions on the environment. Take advantage of the non-game wildlife checkoff on your Oregon tax form. Vote for candidates that share your sentiments. Read books and articles on wildlife and environmental issues. Watch nature programs on TV. Subscribe to conservation or environmental publications or purchase them as gifts. Spread the word Convert by example. ..encourage other people to save resources, too. Tease, cajole, persuade or shame your family, friends and neighbors for not recycling, not being energy conscious, etc. Complain to merchants about excess packaging, use of plastics, etc. Write letters to companies, Patronic merchants who are cnvironmentlly conscious. Write your legislators when you have an opinion about pending legislation on environmental, land use and other issues. Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Take them on a hike, help them plant a tree or build a bird house, buy them a nature book or subscription to a w ildlife magazine. $ i