Do Not Throw Out

Oct. 18, 2002

Here's a knock-knock joke for you: You're sitting at home one night when the folks at Coca-Cola arrive at your doorstep. They tell you they're here to collect any empty cans or bottles bearing the company's name. Now that's funny.

Here's a knock-knock joke for you: You're sitting at home one night when the folks at Coca-Cola arrive at your doorstep. They tell you they're here to collect any empty cans or bottles bearing the company's name. Now that's funny.

Yet ask any consumer what are the top products recycled in this country and they'll list three: aluminum cans, bottles and newspaper. That's funny, because all over the U.S. community recycling programs do not cater to anyone. No, there aren't any "Coke people" out there willing to do all the work for you. In Chicago, one has to go out and pick up special blue recycling bags. So instead of just rinsing out my empty cans and bottles, tossing them into a reusable container and lugging them out to the curb--such as the process in my hometown of Naperville, Ill.--I must drive myself around the bowels of the city looking for these blue bags. Oh, and when I run out I have to do it all over again. Hey, can't we recycle the blue bags, too? Is it so much to ask for the recycling haulers to dump the contents in the truck and return the empty bag to me?

When you depend on people, whether they live in Naperville, Chicago, Boston or Los Angeles, to lift another finger and break away from their routines chances are the results will not be out-of-this-clean-world.

The road paving business, on the other hand, is at your service. They'll set up a work zone for you, haul in a milling machine or an excavator with a concrete breaker for you, operate the heavy machinery for you and haul it away for you.

Over 80% of the asphalt out there is recycled--considerably more than cans, bottles and newspaper--and I would guess less than 5% of the motorists out there notice it. Every time I'm in the car with someone who's a little light on the highway construction knowledge there usually is a lesson to be shared the second we hit freshly milled pavement. The school bell usually rings with the simple question, "Why is the road this way?" I then fire off an explanation worthy of a shiny apple, telling them how a machine chews off an inch or two of the surface and the material is trucked back to be recycled. Anything spoken in Earth Day language is good these days, so I have yet to run into anyone who isn't satisfied with my recycling rhetoric.

Pavement recycling is taking up more and more miles as the interstates, state routes and local roads continue to fight a quick aging process. The Federal Highway Administration recognized the importance of this process by releasing its recycled materials policy. In it, the FHWA noted how the National Highway System--160,000 miles strong--is "in need of major rehabilitation or total reconstruction, and much of the materials used to build the system can be recycled for use in new construction."

FHWA believes recycling can offer engineering, economic and environmental benefits and recycled materials should get first consideration in materials selection. The federal branch also has developed a recycling "team of champions" that will serve as points of contact for recycling technology. It's currently partnering with the Recycled Materials Resource Center, the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, state highway agency recycling coordinators and state solid waste management regulators. 

But those in the roadbuilding industry really don't need high-ranking officials running this business. The go-getters are everywhere. Over 6,000 Basic Asphalt Recycling Manuals (BARM) have been distributed since its debut in January. According to the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association, the BARM "is the definitive reference for those seeking more information about the technology of (the recycling) industry. The National Highway Institute also has decided to use the BARM as the basis for its new recycling course curriculum.

Now is the time for the recycling industry to shine its helmet and lead a major victory. Just don't forget to take a blue bag for all those empty cans and bottles found along the way.

Bill Wilson

Editor

[email protected]

Sponsored Recommendations

The Science Behind Sustainable Concrete Sealing Solutions

Extend the lifespan and durability of any concrete. PoreShield is a USDA BioPreferred product and is approved for residential, commercial, and industrial use. It works great above...

Powerful Concrete Protection For ANY Application

PoreShield protects concrete surfaces from water, deicing salts, oil and grease stains, and weather extremes. It's just as effective on major interstates as it is on backyard ...

Concrete Protection That’s Easy on the Environment and Tough to Beat

PoreShield's concrete penetration capabilities go just as deep as our American roots. PoreShield is a plant-based, eco-friendly alternative to solvent-based concrete sealers.

Proven Concrete Protection That’s Safe & Sustainable

Real-life DOT field tests and university researchers have found that PoreShieldTM lasts for 10+ years and extends the life of concrete.