Sustainable Marketing

           On Wednesday, March 23, the class took a field trip to the Burbank Recycling Center.  The site has been in operation since 1992, and every year it recovers about 8-10 thousand tons of material. Each year, they change their process and their list of materials slightly. The long list of items they accept include cardboard, mixed paper, newspaper, bottles with CRV, plastic bags, mixed plastics, aluminum cans and scrap metal.  At the recycling center, people can visit with cans and receive the payments from the CRV program. In addition to those items, they collect certain items that have been banned from landfills.  These include batteries, fluorescent bulbs, electronics and other hazardous waste materials. One of the main reasons they do so is so that these items can be recycled or disposed of properly, as they contain mercury or other dangerous heavy metals. Finally, the Burbank Recycling Center collects old motor oil and antifreeze, so that they do not end up in storm drains and ultimately pollute waterways. Visitors to the center can purchase items such as a composting bin, or a bucket for antifreeze and motor oil, and containers for used sharps/syringes.  

            While at the recycling center, students presented two items, one of which was recyclable and sustainable, and one which was not. We examined these items to get a better understanding of their environmental impact and their recyclability. We learned that certain materials, such as the foil inside of Frito-Lay chip bags, are not recyclable in any way. In addition, we recognized the incredible amount of waste related to certain products, such as plastic bottles, which come into the recycling center in huge quantities.  Finally, we discussed unnecessary waste related to luxuries, including the constant upgrading of cellular phones.