FOR PART OF SATURDAY. DROPPING BACK DOWN TO 20% FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
MORE PERFECT WEATHER APPEARS
TO BE AHEAD FOR US, KRISTI?
>> THAT SOUNDS AWESOME, THANK
YOU.
THE PLANET IS IN THE GRIPS OF
A PLASTICS CRISIS.
PARTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA ARE NOW
IN THE GRIPS OF A RECYCLING
CRISIS AS WELL.
WITH SOME CITIES NOT OFFERING
THE SERVICE ANYMORE BECAUSE
IT’S SIMPLY BECOMING TOO
EXPENSIVE.
>> A BIG REASON FOR THAT IS
THAT MANY RESIDENTS DON’T KNOW
HOW TO PROPERLY RECYCLE.
THEY PUT THINGS IN THE BIN
THAT DON’T BELONG THERE,
DRIVING UP LABOR AND COSTS.
TONIGHT, WE HEAD BACK TO THE
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANT IN
PEMBROKE PINES TO BREAK DOWN
THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF
RECYCLING.
MANY OF US DO IT BUT FEW DO IT
RIGHT.
>> 60% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO RECYCLE ARE CONFUSED BUT
THEY DON’T KNOW HOW AND THEY
ARE MAKING MISTAKES.
>> BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE
DOING IT WRONG, MORE AND MORE
CITIES CAN’T AFFORD TO DO IT
ANYMORE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES
PEOPLE MAKE IS PUTTING THEIR
RECYCLABLES IN PLASTIC BAGS.
THAT’S A BIG NO NO.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE
PLASTIC BAGS EVER RECYCLABLE.
>> IT’S A HUGE PROBLEM.
IT ADDS IN COST, IT DAMAGES
MACHINERY.
>> THE PLASTIC BAGS GET
TANGLED IN THE MACHINES AND
MAKE A BIG MESS.
INSTEAD, DUMP YOUR RECYCLABLES
LOOSE IN YOUR BIN.
THAT ALSO MEANS NO PLASTIC
GROCERY BAGS, NO PLASTIC
SHOPPING BAGS, NO PLASTIC DRY
CLEANING COVERS.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THEY
SAY, THEY ARE NOT RECYCLABLE.
LESS THAN 9% OF PLASTICS ARE
EVER RECYCLED.
AND JUST BECAUSE YOU THREW IT
IN THE BIN DOESN’T MEAN IT’S
GETTING RECYCLED.
SOMEBODY ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU
COULD RECYCLE AN INFANT CAR
SEAT.
THAT’S CALLED WISH CYCLING,
DON’T DO IT.
IT CLOGS THE MACHINERY AND
BRINGS THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO A
GRINDING HALT.
>> THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS
MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY BECAUSE
SOMETHING GOT IN THERE.
>> WORKERS THEN HAVE TO REMOVE
ALL THOSE CONTAMINANTS BY HAND
AND HAUL THEM AWAY AND GUESS
WHO PAYS FOR THAT?
>> WE CHARGE AS MUCH AS $55 A
TON EXTRA JUST TO HANDLE THAT
GARBAGE.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHO NEEDS THE
HEAR THIS, BUT SOLO CUPS,
PLASTIC CUPS, PLASTIC UTENSILS
ARE NOT RECYCLABLE.
THESE ARE SINGLE USE PLASTICS,
MEANING YOU ONLY USE THEM ONCE
AND THEN YOU THROW THEM AWAY.
THEY END UP IN LANDFILLS OR
WORSE, IN OUR WATERWAYS,
OCEANS AND BEACHES WHERE THEY
CAN TAKE UP TO 500 YEARS TO
BIO DEGRADE.
SO WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED?
THE MOST IN DEMAND PLASTIC THE
MARKET WANTS IS THE NUMBER ONE
WATER BOTTLES, SODA BOTTLES,
DRESSINGS AND OILS, PEANUT
BUTTER JARS.
JUST MAKE SURE YOU RINSE IT
OUT FIRST.
>> YOU DON’T WANT FOOD RESIDUE
IN ANY OF THE MATERIAL.
>> NEXT IS THE NUMBER TWO
HDPE.
THE KIND OF PLASTIC USED IN
MILK JUGS, DETERGENT AND
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING CONTAINERS.
NEXT IS WHAT MOST DAIRY TUBS
ARE MADE OF.
ONLY 3% OF THESE ARE ACTUALLY
BOUGHT BY THE MARKET.
THAT MEANS IF THE PLASTIC
ISN’T A NUMBER ONE OR A NUMBER
TWO, CHANCES ARE IT’S NOT
GETTING RECYCLED.
INCREDIBLY, MOST PEOPLE JUST
THROW THEM AWAY.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, FLORIDA
-- THERE IS NO WAY WE’RE GONNA RECYCLE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS
CRISIS.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO REFUSE
PLASTIC WHENEVER POSSIBLE,
REDUCE OUR USE OF PLASTICS,
REUSE THE PLASTIC WE HAVE NOW.
THEN RECYCLE OR REPAIR WHAT WE
CAN’T.
FOR MORE INFO ON WHAT IS OR