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Contact EPA Southern California

Pacific Southwest, Region 9

Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations

Recycling

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By making recycling a part of your everyday routine, you can make a difference in the quality of our environment. Recycling saves energy, reduces the need for landfills and saves natural resources for future generations. In addition, buying recycled products increases the amount of waste that is recycled by creating economic incentives and demand for more recycled goods.

Many southern California cities have excellent residential recycling programs that provide free recycling as well as educational materials. For more information about what's being done in your area, check out these local links:

Go To Recycle City
The Reuse People
The Reuse People

To learn more about recycling, check out Earth911 Web site Exiting EPA (disclaimer) or call (800)-CLEANUP ((800)-253-2687) for geographically specific recycling information.

Recycling building materials from demolition activities is an important way to divert large amounts of waste from landfills. These materials can be reused, saving building costs as well as reducing greenhouse gases.

With funding from the EPA awarded in 2006, the Reuse People of America opened a building materials reuse retail warehouse in the city of Los Angeles. The nonprofit expects to divert and reuse 1,500 tons of demolition materials during the first two years. The nonprofit has a full-time deconstruction crew that salvages construction materials by carefully disassembling buildings and homes, using hand tools to take them apart brick by brick, board by board, and beam by beam -- including appliances. The reusable materials are redistributed, via the warehouse, including as much as 80 percent of the finished materials and rough lumber

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