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My name is Jessica Ullman and I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I now study sustainable energy management at Unity College in Unity, Maine. Growing up in a huge city I always saw trash on the streets. My father would frequently pick up the trash that was on our block which taught me a great life lesson which is to protect the Earth. He is not with me today and so I want to honor his memory and bring sustainability methods to my hometown. When I came to Maine I realized how much cleaner it is. When I went to the cafeteria I saw that they have a composting center. I have never seen one before and I thought it was like the most amazing thing in the world. The school also recycles a huge amount. Back home growing up I loved how my family has always recycled. There is so much that needs to be done in the city of Philadelphia about the lack of their recycling and composting laws. Recycling and composting should be enforced and there are numerous ways in how this can be done. Recycling and composting is so important for climate change and so it is necessary for all Philadelphians to be informed and take proper actions.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

No Recycling and Composting Laws

There are no national or state laws that mandate recycling and composting. All recycling and composting laws depend on the city and/or the state. In PA the only laws they have about recyling has to do with rules for facilities who treat recycled materials. That includes separation and recycling fees.  It makes companies who use recycled materials from electronic devices to register under the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). I feel like there are no recycling and composting laws because then we would need to spend more money on vehicles, making facilities, disposing of waste, and educating the public.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on their government webpage  they say how "Composting is a an easy way to reduce disposal of waste and create a valuable soil additive." They have very useful sources to how to compost, places where the compost can go, and the uses. It is basically saying how beneficial composting can be, but nothing about the lack of laws we have. The laws they do have on the page on the requirements needed so that you can compost. There are many things you have to sign and you have to contact the department everything about your composting unit if you are trying to set one up. They also have the regulations of municipal trash and recycling. If you do not properly get rid of your waste you could be fined, which I think is a great thing because people could just throw their trash away on the river. None of the laws are making you recycle or compost though. Basically I have learned that the PA government does care about the environment, but there is just a big problem in that recycling and composting is still mandatory in the city of Philadelphia. They allow it to be regulated by each city or town, which is a conflict because these places are not doing their job.
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