Kicking off the 20th Anniversary of National Pollution Prevention Week (P2 Week), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Easy As One initiative along with the Orange County Expressway Authority today hosted a collection event in Orlando at the Amway Arena. At the event, over 27 tons of paper were shredded and recycled; more than 4,700 retail plastic bags and 55,000 pounds of electronics were collected and properly recycled; and over 400 used cell phones and more than 600 chargers were collected to be donated to an Orlando area charity.
“Today’s event is a reminder of how simple daily actions collectively can produce extraordinary results,” said DEP’s Director of Sustainable Initiatives, Brad Stombock. “The collection of tons of papers, thousands of bags and hundreds of electronics to be reused or recycled properly, prevents these materials from polluting Florida’s environment.”
People who brought 20 or more bags for recycling received a reusable shopping bag courtesy of A Bag’s Life. Those who donated a cell phone or charger or brought paper or electronics for recycling received a day pass to any Florida State Park or microfiber cloth.
Today’s event kicked off DEP’s celebration of P2 Week, September 20-26, an annual event highlighting the importance of pollution prevention. Throughout the week DEP’s Easy As One and Sustainable Initiatives will host various events statewide. These include collection events at National Drug Take-Back locations, Easy As One collection events, a Clean Marina designation ceremony and workshop, and International Coastal Cleanup events. View a full list of events here: www.dep.state.fl.us/EasyAsOne.
For those who are unable to attend an event there are many ways to properly recycle retail plastic bags, unwanted electronics and paper. Many retail grocery stores have implemented plastic bag recycling programs to make recycling easy for their shoppers. To find a plastic bag recycling location in Florida, go to www.abagslife.com. Earth 911, www.Earth911.com, also provides information and locations for recycling paper and many other items such as computer monitors, toner cartridges and televisions.
