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June 1, 2022 by Grapplers

America’s Top Ten Most Commonly Thrown Away Items

commonly thrown away items

Did you know that the average American throws away around 4.5 pounds of trash every day? And that’s just the average! That number is probably even higher for people who live in cities. The sad truth is that a lot of this trash ends up littering our roadsides, clogging our waterways, and polluting our oceans. 

In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at America’s top ten most commonly thrown away items. Hopefully this information will help us all become more aware of the litter problem in our country, and inspire us to do something about it!

How much garbage does the United States produce?

The United States generates a lot of garbage. In fact, we generate more than any other country in the world! We produce about 250 million tons of trash every year. That’s enough to fill up nearly 900,000 garbage trucks! And if we lined up all those garbage trucks end to end, they would stretch from New York City all the way to Los Angeles!

So what exactly is all this garbage? Well, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 35% of it is paper and cardboard. Another 12% is yard waste, like leaves and grass clippings. And another 11% is food scraps. The rest is made up of things like plastics, metals, glass, and textiles.

What happens to trash when not properly disposed of?

Sadly, a lot of this trash ends up littering our roadsides, clogging our waterways, and polluting our oceans. In fact, it’s estimated that there are more than five trillion pieces of plastic litter in the world’s oceans! That’s enough to fill up more than 500 shipping containers!

What items are thrown away the most?

So what are the most commonly thrown away items in the United States? While the items might vary from city to city depending on where you live and your lifestyle, you’ll likely find similar items in your own trash bin.

Here’s a list of the top ten items, according to the EPA:

– Paper and cardboard

– Yard waste

– Food scraps

– Plastics

– Metals

– Glass

– Textiles

– Animal waste

– Hazardous waste

– Electronic waste

Reduce your personal waste

So what can we do to reduce our personal household waste? Here are a few suggestions:

– Recycle paper, cardboard, glass, and metal.

– Compost food scraps and yard waste.

– Reduce your use of plastic bags, straws, and other disposable items.

– Repair or donate broken electronics instead of throwing them away.

– Properly dispose of hazardous materials like paint and batteries.

By following these simple tips, we can all help reduce the litter problem in our country! Let’s all do our part to keep America clean! Hopefully this information will help us all become more aware of the litter problem in our country, and inspire us to do something about it! Remember, every little bit helps! Together, we can make a difference! 

Contact us for more information about what happens to your trash in Northern Nevada!

Filed Under: Education, Litter Removal Crews, Pick Up Garbage, Pick Up Tools, Trash Grabber, Trash Pickup Tagged With: Litter Removal, Trash Disposal, trash grabber

May 2, 2022 by Grapplers

Trash in Northern Nevada: What Happens After You Toss It?

Waste Management worker standing in front of trash pile going to Northern Nevada landfill

Northern Nevada is a beautiful place with plenty of open space. But what happens to all the trash that we produce? Where does it go? Are there places to dispose of recyclables and compost, too? In this blog post, we will discuss the waste management system in Northern Nevada and answer some common questions about trash disposal!

Where Does My Trash Go?

After you throw your trash in the bag, and take the bin to the street, most people don’t think about where their trash goes. 

Northern Nevada has a process for trash disposal. The first step for waste management is usually your last step in the process – trash collection! This is done by a local government agency or a private company contracted by the government. The trash is then taken to a transfer station, where it is sorted and compacted. From there, it is transported to a landfill.

There are two types of landfills in Northern Nevada: MSWLFs and C&D Landfills. MSWLFs are Municipal Solid Waste Landfills and they accept general household trash. C&D landfills are Construction and Demolition sites and they accept construction materials, such as concrete, wood, and metal.

The Lockwood landfill in Storey County is where a significant portion of the trash is processed. The site encompasses approximately 3,200 acres of open land with the landfill occupying approximately 555 acres. It is certified by the National Wildlife Habitat Council and is the home to wild mustangs, raptors, and other indigenous wildlife.

Lockwood Landfill takes pride in operating in ways that minimize its environmental impact.  Initiatives include converting landfill gas to energy and implementing sustainable practices to have a positive effect on the community now and in the future.

Once the trash arrives at the landfill, it is dumped into a cell and covered with dirt. The cells are lined with a synthetic material to prevent contamination of the groundwater. The trash is compacted periodically to make room for more trash. The landfills can expand based on the amount of trash being processed. It is not, however, an endless resource, which is why it is important to be mindful of how much trash you are using and consuming to ensure that this is an effective process for years to come. 

What About Recycling?

In Northern Nevada, the most common type of trash is MSW, or municipal solid waste. This includes items like paper, plastic, metal, and glass. The good news is that these items can be recycled! In fact, recycling MSW is one of the easiest ways to reduce your environmental impact.

Recycling MSW is important because it reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Landfills are a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. By recycling MSW, we can help reduce methane emissions and slow the rate of climate change!

To recycle MSW in Northern Nevada, simply place your recyclables in a blue bin or green bag. These can be found at most grocery stores and recycle bins and pickup are available in most areas in Northern Nevada. You can either fill your bin and take it to the curb for pickup every other week, or if you are not in an area that picks up recycling, there are facilities available where you can drop off the items you wish to recycle.

One thing to note is that not all plastic items are recyclable. Read the instructions on the bottom of your recycling bin to find out what is and is not allowed. Follow these general rules to ensure that you are recycling properly: 

  • Recycle all bottles, cans and paper.
  • Keep items clean and dry.
  • Do not put plastic bags in the recycling cart. 
  • Do not place non-recyclables in the recycling cart (see the printed label on cart lid for acceptable material)

It is vital to make sure that you are recycling properly. If non-recyclable items are included, it can slow down the recycling process or even ruin the load of recyclables, causing them to go to a landfill instead.

Does Northern Nevada support Composting?

Composting is a great way to reduce your environmental impact and create valuable soil amendments! To compost in Northern Nevada, simply collect your organic waste in a bin or bag. This can include items like food scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells. Once you have collected enough organic waste, take it to a local composting facility. There are programs like Down To Earth Composting that offer pickup services as well. 

If you are interested in composting at home, here’s a few tips from Earth Easy to get you started:

  1. Start your compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden beds.
  2. Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.
  3. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves, sawdust pellets and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down.
  4. Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along.
  5. Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job.
  6. Cover with anything you have – wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered by rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.
  7. Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning “adds” oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material like straw. Once you’ve established your compost pile, add new materials by mixing them in, rather than by adding them in layers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion. If you want to buy a composter, rather than build your own compost pile, you may consider a buying a rotating compost tumbler which makes it easy to mix the compost regularly.

That’s it!

Now you know what happens to your trash in Northern Nevada. It’s not just magically taken away – there’s an entire process that ensures your trash is disposed of properly and by recycling and composting, you can ensure that you are doing your part to keep additional waste out of our landfills. 

Want to do more to help? Litter has a major impact on the environment, so picking up trash in your community and disposing of it properly can make all the difference in keeping our Northern Nevada communities trash free! 
Grapplers is dedicated to trash pickup and doing our part to help the environment. You can get your own Grappler trash pickup tool HERE. Thanks for reading!

Filed Under: Junk Pickup, Litter Removal Crews, Pick Up Garbage, Pick Up Tools, Trash Grabber, Trash Pickup Tagged With: Litter Removal, Northern Nevada Trash Disposal, Trash Disposal

May 17, 2021 by Grapplers

3 Tools for Spring Cleaning Around the Yard

Spring is a great time of the year to get outside and pick up items that have blown in on the winter winds. It’s also the best time to do a massive cleaning before the summer heat strikes! The best way to keep an area clean is to maintain the space regularly, by doing at least spring and fall cleaning. We have the perfect tools that everyone in the family can use to make the yard beautiful and stay litter-free.

3 Grappler tools will make your family’s spring-cleaning event easy, painless, and cut the time in half that it would take using gloved hands! Keep reading; we will tell you how the Grappler can pick up just about anything, the Handler makes a bucket easily portable, and the Handy Bag Ringer lends a hand in keeping your trash bag open. Using these three Grappler products together, you will surely get all your trash in the bag the first time you grab and release it!

The Grappler tool is the sturdiest pick-up tool on the market

Who knows from where foreign trash that lands in our yards has traveled. And since waste cannot tell you the places it has been before deciding to end its journey on your property, the mystery will remain untold. However, no matter how far litter travels, once it becomes a part of our yards or community, it is our responsibility to put the trash where it belongs! And we have the perfect tool to help safely get that trash off your lawn and into a trash bag. So throw on your outdoor clothes, round up your family-cleaning crew, and holster up with our one-of-a-kind Grappler pick-up tool!

The Grappler tool is the sturdiest pick-up tool on the market. Made of rustproof aluminum designed and manufactured right here in the USA, our grab and reach tool is built to last for years of continued use. Because our Grappler is made with aluminum, it is super sturdy but not heavy; so all of the family members can join in on the spring cleaning fun.

Our industrial-grade litter pick-up tool has the largest opening and the strongest grip of any other device on the market, making it easy for the kids to grab items in the yard, from large glass bottles to tiny thin toothpicks. Because the Grappler comes in many different lengths ranging from 33 to 96 inches, dad can now use the long Grappler to reach all of those hideous grocery bags that have been blowing in the trees for months.

The Handler put a stronghold on your buckets

Raise your hand if the thin, skinny metal handles attached to plastic buckets makes you want to scream! We feel the same way. You and the family can easily get a hold of your trash by attaching The Handler to your bucket. The Handler is our lightweight bucket positioning accessory that easily connects to any size bucket. Mom can comfortably hold the Handler, attached to a bucket, in one hand, and use The Grappler to pick up litter in the other hand. No need to continuously set your bucket down and pick it back up.

The Handler allows you to carry your bucket with you, fill it up with litter, and dump your trash without spilling or knocking over your can. Designed to attach to any bucket, the Handler makes your container portable, accessible off the ground, and reduces bending and twist from your regular cleaning routine.

The Handy Bag Ringer hold the bag so you don’t have to

The best part about cleaning up a mess is the look of the results and feeling of the accomplishment. Each glass bottle, food wrapper, plastic takeout container, or straw rings a bell of joy when the Grappler grabs the object, and it lands in the trash bag. However, what can mess up your cleaning rhythm is when your trash bag starts blowing in the wind to its own tune. Now, this is called a musical clean-up disaster! So we designed the perfect tool to help get you and your trash bag singing the same song.

The Handy Bag Ringer fits around any size trash bag, keeping the bag’s mouth open and making the trash bag portable. It’s simple design, ease of use, and lightweight composition make it easy to carry anywhere!

Last year, the kids were elected to hold the trash bags open; their hands got dirty, dad spilled garbage on the ground, sticky old juice ran down the side of the trash bag — it was a nightmare! This year, after purchasing Grapplers products for Family-Spring-Cleaning Day, the kids don’t have to hold the trash bags open and get messy. Let our Handy Bag Ringer do the work of keeping the trash securely in the bag; with all hands on deck picking up trash, you can now cut your cleaning time in half.

Grab your Grappler tools and let the cleaning fun began

So round up the troops and get the family ready and excited for spring cleaning day! This will be a great time for the kids to learn about the environment and bond in a team-cleaning effort. By using our products together — the Grappler, the Handler, and the Handy Bag Ringer — you and your joints will be happy after the yard has been cleaned.

Don’t wait until the hot summer month to do a massive yard cleaning; grab the family and make a fun game to see who can pick up the most trash the fastest. Order your Grappler tools today and let the spring cleaning challenge begin!

Filed Under: Events and Updates

(775) 284-8990
Toll Free (877) 212-5803

95 Glen Carran Circle, Sparks, NV 89431-5855 | Phone : (775) 284-8990, Toll Free: (877) 212-5803

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