(Chelsea Update would like to thank Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority and Laura Scriven for the information in this column.)
It’s our responsibility.
We (as residents of the planet) have a responsibility not only to those around us, but also to future residents. We’ve become a very wasteful culture with all the fast, convenient food and other services that are part of our daily lives.
Containers, jars, wrappers, bottles, and boxes make up our daily trash. This trash adds up into mountains of waste.
What does one little toilet paper roll matter? Well, that little roll takes two months to decompose in a landfill. So think about it, how many rolls of toilet paper do you use in two months? Now, imagine all the people using them in a town, state, or country. It doesn’t take long to realize how quickly that little toilet paper roll can become a large mountain.
It is our duty to think about how our actions affect others.
When you order your food, think about the container it is put in.
When you shop, carry a small bag to put items in.
Try to think as carefully and as responsibly about the containers in your life as you do about the items put into them.
How long does it take to decompose?
- Paper Towel- 2-4 weeks
- Banana Peel- 3-4 weeks
- Paper Bag- 1 month
- Newspaper- 6 weeks
- Apple Core- 2 months
- Cardboard- 2 months
- Cotton Glove- 3 months
- Orange peels- 6 months
- Plywood- 1-3 years
- Wool Sock- 1-5 years
- Milk Cartons- 5 years
- Cigarette Butts- 10-12 years
- Leather shoes- 25-40 years
- Foamed Plastic Cups- 50 years
- Tinned Steel Can- 50 years
- Plastic containers- 50-80 years
- Rubber-Boot Sole- 50-80 years
- Aluminum Can- 200-500 years
- Plastic Bottles- 450 years
- Disposable Diapers- 550 years
- Monofilament Fishing Line- 600 years
- Plastic Bags- 20-1,000 years
- Styrofoam – 1+ million years
- Glass- 1-2 million years
